*Official* WTC FINAL Australia vs South Africa 2025

[Son Of Coco]

I think it is to Australia's credit that even with 69 runs to win and a pretty old ball (which is as significant a factor as anything in SEN tests) and 8 wickets in hand, this is still only a 70% chance for RSA.

I do think conditions (and toss) have played a huge role in this final just like the 2021 final. I also think overall Australia have been the best team in this cycle of WTC, just like India were in the past 2 cycles. It would be kinda ironic and funny that for the 3rd time in a row, the best team in the league does not win the final.

I'd have it at more than 95% to be honest. Unless they come out today and all of a sudden the wicket is back to day 1 and 2 conditions, they will absolutely cruise home.

 

[kevinw]

If Khawaja, Smith, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon all go within the same year this Aus side will be really weak. There are no clear replacements coming through.

 

[Qlder]

If Khawaja, Smith, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon all go within the same year this Aus side will be really weak. There are no clear replacements coming through.

Well you have Konstas, Inglis, Boland and Kuhnemann in the current squad, plus Peterson, McSweeney, Richardson, Bartlett, Murphy, etc..

 

[jcas0167]

Move over Don Bradman....it's the freaking palindrome Markram who is etching his name into the annals of cricketing lore.

Protea fire!!!!

I'm obviously late to the party on Markram being a palindrome. Now going down the rabbit hole and see there was a thread about palindromic cricketers. And some trainspotter on Reddit posted this.

 

[SeamUp]

Well you have Konstas, Inglis, Boland and Kuhnemann in the current squad, plus Peterson, McSweeney, Richardson, Bartlett, Murphy, etc..

Why aren't guys like Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris & Fergus O'Neill in the AUS A squad coming up? It just feels like weird planning for the quicks knowing the ages of the current one's.

 

[andruid]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1933242027648692738

Any takers?

 

[anil1405]

Well maybe I should've Gambhired more.

Tough to really know. The bowlers will get the blame for not defending a pretty high score but really this is mostly down to the batters. Not only was there a nasty collapse Day 2 when the chance was there to really kill off the game, they threw away their wickets a bit on Day 1 when we should've got to 300. I'm not even that convinced the bowlers were that bad either, the pitch just flattened out a lot.

The Carey reverse sweep dismissal in the second over after tea on Day one that lead to Australia adding just 20 runs post his departure has to be the worst shot played in this two year test cycle.

Modern day style of attacking cricket for sure but looked really ugly and in hindsight is instrumental in Aus being in the position they are now.

 

[Johan]

The Carey reverse sweep dismissal in the second over after tea on Day one that lead to Australia adding just 20 runs post his departure has to be the worst shot played in this two year test cycle.

Modern day style of attacking cricket for sure but looked really ugly and in hindsight is instrumental in Aus being in the position they are now.

I'm glad this guy doesn't watch English Cricket.

 

[Spikey]

The Carey reverse sweep dismissal in the second over after tea on Day one that lead to Australia adding just 20 runs post his departure has to be the worst shot played in this two year test cycle.

probably not even carey's worst shot

 

[flibbertyjibber]

The Carey reverse sweep dismissal in the second over after tea on Day one that lead to Australia adding just 20 runs post his departure has to be the worst shot played in this two year test cycle.

Modern day style of attacking cricket for sure but looked really ugly and in hindsight is instrumental in Aus being in the position they are now.

Root, Pope and Duckett say hello.

 

[Heboric]

I think it is to Australia's credit that even with 69 runs to win and a pretty old ball (which is as significant a factor as anything in SEN tests) and 8 wickets in hand, this is still only a 70% chance for RSA.

I do think conditions (and toss) have played a huge role in this final just like the 2021 final. I also think overall Australia have been the best team in this cycle of WTC, just like India were in the past 2 cycles. It would be kinda ironic and funny that for the 3rd time in a row, the best team in the league does not win the final.

Aham
Firstly I am sure I heard Cummins say at the toss he wanted to bat.
Secondly I have personally been blasted on this very forum regarding the toss. I had been told in no uncertain terms the toss doesnt matter.
So now all of a sudden the toss does matter

 

[SeamUp]

Aham
Firstly I am sure I heard Cummins say at the toss he wanted to bat.
Secondly I have personally been blasted on this very forum regarding the toss. I had been told in no uncertain terms the toss doesnt matter.
So now all of a sudden the toss does matter

Yeah, tbf loads are giving us credit.

If we got the best of the batting conditions then it's also Australia's fault for not getting through the tough period better than they did.

 

[Heboric]

Yeah, tbf loads are giving us credit.

Yeah I know

Its the topic of the toss that irks me, I was **** on from a dizzy height because I dared mention the toss

 

[SeamUp]

Something about Saffer captains batting with injury v Australia;

Kepler Wessels SCG 1994
Graeme Smith SCG 2009
Temba Bavuma Lord's 2025

 

[Chin Music]

A

Why aren't guys like Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris & Fergus O'Neill in the AUS A squad coming up? It just feels like weird planning for the quicks knowing the ages of the current one's.

Aren’t the first two of those regularly on the treatment table?

 

[SeamUp]

A

Aren’t the first two of those regularly on the treatment table?

I know Jhye has been but no idea if he currently is injured. There is a lot of rapping in cotton wool (I understand). He has been contracted by CA so there must be some hope.

 

[Starfighter]

Why aren't guys like Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris & Fergus O'Neill in the AUS A squad coming up? It just feels like weird planning for the quicks knowing the ages of the current one's.

Australian A team selections are usually mystifying, so nothing's new there. And the strategy always seems to be 'work it out when the need arises'.

Richardson got a shoulder operation and probably wouldn't have played any four day games until the new season anyway. But don't know why they'd leave out Morris except that they're being hyper careful with his work load (wish they'd fix his runup, might actually reduce stress on his body). O'Neill is almost certainly looked upon as being too slow.

Some of the selections I like - Nisbet is like a combination of Alderman and McGrath in style and Jackson bowls a very heavy ball. Thornton's a very destructive bowler on his day but lacks consistency. Stanlake's been a disappointment, his lack of fitness (apparently partly self-inflicted) has been an issue. The blandest sections are Perry, who looked promising several years ago but has gone sideways since then, and Elliot, who isn't fast enough.

Vidler and Beardman are two bowlers of great potential who might have been better picks. I think the overall future fast bowlers will be fine fitness permitting (big if, that one), but it could take a considerable time to bed in a new attack and the selectors might actually need to consider rotating bowlers to find the best combination, something they don't do at the moment.

 

[Primrose_D12]

South Africa being South Africa.

 

[Aritro]

Is there a lolapse on the way?

 

[Thala_0710]

Let's not pull off a South Africa here guys. Calm down