Is the yarpies attack pop-gun?

[Briony]

I know Steyn's done well in other series, Morkel's obviously unproven as he hasn't even taken 20 wickets yet in tests and Ntini looks well past his best. Kallis wasn't too bad but looks out of condition these days. Nel might have been better than one of these. Harris is pox.

After watching yesterday's play I'd have to say, and others who were watching agreed with me, that it was the most insipid performance by a team bowling first for some time. Especially as their captain had inserted the opposition.

It seems they don't like tame pitches and they were disgraceful against the left-handed openers.

Never seen so many wide balls that they didn't have to play in my life. And never seen so many short, wide balls and juicy half volleys; the ones to Bell when SA had got itself back into the match were particularly crucial.

You can't win tests against the best on a regular basis with such a one-dimensional attack.

Why does SA always have such bland attacks? Why no left armers? Why no decent spinners?

 

[Richard]

I could probably find an equally poor performance bowling first without going back more than six months.

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

I think Paul Harris is a good spinner..........obviously they can't get back Paul Adams.....

It's their fault.....if they lost a palyer like Paul Adams....

 

[Swervy]

I could probably find an equally poor performance bowling first without going back more than six months.

by a team with such a hyped up bowling attack?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

They had one bad day for ****s sake. If they have a bad series then yeah, this thread could be valid.

 

[Jono]

And never seen so many short, wide balls and juicy half volleys?

Irfan Pathan
Liam Plunkett
Steve Harmison
Saj Mahmood
Mohammad Sami
Brett Lee around 4 years back.

The reason SA are copping so much flak after 1 day of cricket is the team that hit them around are traditionally an ordinary batting line-up, and mainly becasue the SA attack has been so hyped and applauded over the last year.

Let's wait until the whole test is finished?

 

[Jono]

They had one bad day for ****s sake. If they have a bad series then yeah, this thread could be valid.

So true.

 

[PY]

BIt harsh to refer to our batting lineup as ordinary.

6 players averaging over 40 is a lot better than we've had in the past.

Way too early for this kind of thread, pity there's rain forecast because it would've been interesting to see the pitch after 5 days of baking.

 

[pasag]

BIt harsh to refer to our batting lineup as ordinary.

6 players averaging over 40 is a lot better than we've had in the past.

Way too early for this kind of thread, pity there's rain forecast because it would've been interesting to see the pitch after 5 days of baking.

Barley, since the start of the Ashes 06/07. Not including this match the top 6 looks like:

35.58
38.57
40.22
53.40
39.40
40.85

 

[Goughy]

Yeah, England batting has come into ths series on a bit of a down and the SA bowling has come in on a hell of an high.

That has led to a distortion in perception in the difference between the 2. The SA bowling atack may well be stronger than the England batting but the difference isnt as great as some made out.

This SA attack isnt pop-gun it just can live up to the unfair pre-series hype.

 

[Uppercut]

Ntini's hardly past his best, his average now is pretty much as good as its ever been. He's always had his off-days.

 

[Perm]

Everyone still taking Briony seriously? Geez.

 

[Langeveldt]

Can we wait until we've had more than one day of cricket? I've heard Vaughan is one of the worst number 3's of all time and always gets bowled..

Briony strikes me one of these angry SA expats who moved to Aus in about 1995, terrified of the fact that we appear to have a black government, but is secretly really missing the motherland, but won't admit it to her other expat mates who turn up at grounds and abuse our cricketers while masquerading as Aussies.. And since has made about 40 posts, all of which are hammering away at how god-awful everything about SA and our cricket is compared with the rest of the world.. I'm struggling to carry on taking him/her seriously.. Am I right with the above?

 

[stumpski]

Barley, since the start of the Ashes 06/07. Not including this match the top 6 looks like:

35.58
38.57
40.22
53.40
39.40
40.85

Strauss apart, still pretty decent though. What's happened to Smith's bowling? Thought he might have had an over or two yesterday.

 

[Briony]

I'm an Aussie Langeveldt. Thank goodness.

I do get bored re. our dominance though.

Smith has retired from bowling I believe. Well so it was reported during the IPL.

I think that Amla and Duminy from what I've seen would be as handy as Harris though.

Maybe it's time for Smith to poke some of his bowlers a la that video I linked to prop them into action. It's been another inglorious display from them.

Ironically enough the much less vaunted NZ attack never let England score this many. They haven't hit 400 too often of late.

 

[NZTailender]

I'm an Aussie Langeveldt. Thank goodness.

I do get bored re. our dominance though.

Smith has retired from bowling I believe. Well so it was reported during the IPL.

I think that Amla and Duminy from what I've seen would be as handy as Harris though.

Maybe it's time for Smith to poke some of his bowlers a la that video I linked to prop them into action. It's been another inglorious display from them.

Ironically enough the much less vaunted NZ attack never let England score this many. They haven't hit 400 too often of late.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I think Paul Harris is a good spinner..........obviously they can't get back Paul Adams.....

It's their fault.....if they lost a palyer like Paul Adams....

I think I missed the part where Paul Adams did anything of great note.

 

[_Ed_]

Landing it on the pitch with his action was an achievement in my opinion.

I remember trying to bowl with his action when I was a bit younger...lobbed four balls onto the roof of the nets.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Landing it on the pitch with his action was an achievement in my opinion.

I remember trying to bowl with his action when I was a bit younger...lobbed four balls onto the roof of the nets.

I tried the same thing, had to have the cricket ball surgically removed from an orifice.

 

[Burgey]

Dunno about their attack, but the batting line up's not looking too good atm.

What a shocking start to the series for them. Had so much bigger expectations I have to say. Pretty shocked by their efforts so far, but it seems not to be an unusual thing in international cricket, given the short lead in times, for visiting countries to strugle in the first test of an away series.