***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Pothas]

No idea why Hughes is walking off like that, always looked like a fair catch.

Anyway that was exhausting, think I need to go and lie down.

 

[Spark]

SEVEN reviews in that session. 4 in SA innings - 3 successful for us, 1 failed for SA. Then in this innings we've had a failure to each side and a ump's referral.

Insanity.

 

[Spark]

Of 23 completed individual innings thus far, 17 have been single-figures.

 

[Woodster]

12 wickets in a session is ridiculous! There is something in the pitch, but 12 wickets ? Didn't want to say it was down to poor batting, and I'm still relenting in doing so, but I cannot accept this pitch warrants 12 wickets being lost on it in a single session. Maybe it's just one of those outrageous passages of play that Test cricket sometimes throws up, but you always expect a gritty partnership somewhere along the line.

 

[TumTum]

Batting averages of our batsmen have fallen of a cliff recently (except for Clarke)

 

[Prince EWS]

SEVEN reviews in that session. 4 in SA innings - 3 successful for us, 1 failed for SA. Then in this innings we've had a failure to each side and a ump's referral.

Insanity.

Imagine playing Test cricket without it.

Oh.

 

[NasserFan207]

Christ, I leave for a few hours and its ****ing mayhem.

What the hell is going on out there??

 

[Spark]

12 wickets in a session is ridiculous! There is something in the pitch, but 12 wickets ? Didn't want to say it was down to poor batting, and I'm still relenting in doing so, but I cannot accept this pitch warrants 12 wickets being lost on it in a single session. Maybe it's just one of those outrageous passages of play that Test cricket sometimes throws up, but you always expect a gritty partnership somewhere along the line.

A mix tbh, in most cases.

 

[Woodster]

SEVEN reviews in that session. 4 in SA innings - 3 successful for us, 1 failed for SA. Then in this innings we've had a failure to each side and a ump's referral.

Insanity.

Yes Billy's earned his tea after that session. He'll have loved being the main performer in that session.

 

[nexxus]

Realistically, still too much for SA to do, but what a mental game so far. Thank the stars it's tea, need to pop out for a bit.

I don't think there's much more to be said for the DRS, decisions overturned left, right & centre and none of them have even the slightest tinge of controversy but the best part is you can't even say the umpires have been poor really. Excellent demo of exactly what it's meant to be.

Someone (actually a bunch of people) at CSA should be skinned for treating this series as an afterthought. That SA are always undercooked for the game is now so common, it's not even funny any more.

 

[Prince EWS]

Imagine playing Test cricket without it.

Oh.

Just think of how different this game might be without it though, seriously. Amla and Smith might still be out there with SA on 150/1.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Wow, what a session.

Hughes still aint good enough outside off stump against a decent attack.

 

[Ikki]

As a matter of selection, do you think the batsmen should be given a reprieve after the abysmal scores? Do you let this Test match slide as a one-off or what?

 

[Spikey]

Just think of how different this game might be without it though, seriously. Amla and Smith might still be out there with SA on 150/1.

Likewise if Watson didn't get the ball straight after lunch

 

[benchmark00]

Imagine playing Test cricket without it.

Oh.

Imagine if we had umpires who made the right decision 99% of the time.


Oh

 

[Sylvester]

Looks like we will be lucky to get 300 but I wouldn't feel safe with that. Asking a heck of a lot for Watson and Harris to repeat their feat.

 

[Pothas]

Wow, what a session.

Hughes still aint good enough outside off stump against a decent attack.

Well we know that but everyone else seems to have problems hitting the ball at all...

 

[Prince EWS]

As a matter of selection, do you think the batsmen should be given a reprieve after the abysmal scores? Do you let this Test match slide as a one-off or what?

Well I don't think anyone should be on the chopping block as a direct result on this game anyway, bar possibly Ponting who we all know will be given the series (at the very least).

 

[Son Of Coco]

From what i've watched it doesn't seem to be that bad a pitch. Watson bowled straight and people missed etc. Is that a fair reflection?

Not really, Watson moved it around a bit. Generally just bowling straight doesn't lend itself to a large number of batsmen simply missing the ball.

 

[Ruckus]

Wow, what a session.

Hughes still aint good enough outside off stump against a decent attack.

As much as I think Hughes has his weaknesses, I don't now why he is being targeted here... as Spark said 17 of 23 completed innings so far have been single figures.