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***Official*** Australia in South Africa

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Probably the worst RSA middle and lower order ever. Should only have one of JP, Dave Miller Band and Faf, not three of them together. If Faf is in there as a specialist batsman, then so should Albie once he is fit. Awful side but if the PE game is a D/N and they bat first, South Africa should win regardless and they will take the series if they do the same in Durban next week as well. But the tests should be one way traffic and the Jo'Burg test could be over in days if there is anything in the wicket. Not good times for South African cricket.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
One way traffic which way? Your post makes it sound as if you're certain Aus will romp home and that doesn't sound anything like forgone to me.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
One way traffic which way? Your post makes it sound as if you're certain Aus will romp home and that doesn't sound anything like forgone to me.
Aus will win comfortably. Guaranteed. Zimbabwe have got more chance of taking 2 wickets in an innings than South Africa have at winning at the Wanderers.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
You do know how our batsmen have generally done against high quality pace in the last few years, right?
 

Spark

Global Moderator
Quite. I think with a lot of left-hand/right-hand alternation in the lineup that's slightly muted and I think they're batting better (most pertinently, Ponting and Clarke seem to know how to bat again), but it's always a possibility. It's not like either of those two were particularly out of nick when Pakistan rolled us for 80-odd at Headingley.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
The Pakistan match was sort of the start of it though. Clarke's fifty at Adelaide was his first fifty since that match. You're right about the right hand left hand thing though. Steyn has always struggled against left handers (the one blip so far in his career) so that could work in your favour. However, Morkel has always been more effective against left handers though, so it works either way.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
More to the point even when he wasn't scoring runs he was contributing with the ball - he hasn't been a passenger.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Is it really long enough for that?
Furball has this thing about how he thinks Watson's performances haven't been good enough as opener and he's going to keep posting that opinion in subtly different ways until someone seriously bites at it so he can tell us all why.

Fact is, whether Watson's performances have been good enough or not, Furball's the only person in the world who actually doesn't think they have been so unless he's on the selection panel, it's not going to happen. A more accurate post would've been "Reckon I'll be calling for Watson's head after the series, assuming he recovers his fitness."
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Furball has this thing about how he thinks Watson's performances haven't been good enough as opener and he's going to keep posting that opinion in subtly different ways until someone seriously bites at it so he can tell us all why.

Fact is, whether Watson's performances have been good enough or not, Furball's the only person in the world who actually doesn't think they have been so unless he's on the selection panel, it's not going to happen. A more accurate post would've been "Reckon I'll be calling for Watson's head after the series, assuming he recovers his fitness."
He's a case where average doesn't tell the whole story. He doesn't bat for long periods of time, doesn't make big scores and comes straight from the Inzamam school of running. His record looks reasonably impressive taken in isolation but he does absolutely bugger all to help the team with his performances with the bat and risks running out his partners. Despite his average of 45 or whatever it is, I don't think his performances as an opener have been good enough. That's not to say I wouldn't have him in the team (which admittedlg isn't clear from my post), but there were murmurs about moving him down the order after Sri Lanka and I think there's legitimate questions about how he handles his workload. I don't think it's any coincidence that his best innings in the Ashes was in Perth where he wasn't required to bowl.
 

Redbacks

International Captain
I agree, he's keeping the spot warm for a better opener. Until someone comes to knock him of the perch he will stay put. He is blowing good starts far too often.
 
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