Australia [351 & 227] defeat South Africa [162 & 298] by 118 runs in first Test

[Ab Fan]

Australia winning this without Bradman firing.

One can only think what will happen when Bradman starts firing all cylinders.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Hashim Amla is going through a bad patch or he is past by sell date? He doesn't look the same anymore even on relatively easy batting friendly conditions. Anyway he may come back with string of good performances. You never what is with him

 

[Junaids]

Hashim Amla is going through a bad patch or he is past by sell date? He doesn't look the same anymore even on relatively easy batting friendly conditions. Anyway he may come back with string of good performances. You never what is with him

He has reached the stage that Younis and Misbah each reached around the year 2011.

He will fail in five innings out of six per series, then score a big century.

Like with Younis, it keeps his average relatively intact, but means that in 2/3 of his Tests his failures drop the team in to trouble.

 

[Ellipsism]

Starc is the ultimate tail-end basher in test cricket.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thoughts in Markram’s head...<br><br>*dont run out AB*<br>*dont run out AB*<br>*dont run out AB*<br>....<br>Oh no..<br>Please no..<br>...<br>Sh*t <br>&#55358;&#56614;*</p>— Glenn Maxwell (@Gmaxi_32) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gmaxi_32/status/970229252091097089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Abdullah719]

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 100.000%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/yg5sc/ijgise" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>.

Great insight from Bancroft there.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

South Africa paying the price for producing docile pitches which aren't helping them but the opposition more.

 

[soso_killer]

Not much bounce or spin or pace.

Australia has a 9/10 bowling attack and a 6/10 batting line-up.

South Africa has a 6/10 batting line-up (now that Amla is totally finished) and a 7/10 bowling line-up.

I would add that with proper selection India would have been 8/10 batting and 5/10 bowling in South African conditions.

India's batting 8/10 in SA conditions? Lol.

 

[soso_killer]

Starc is the ultimate tail-end basher in test cricket.

What does that even mean though?
The tail is capable of making 70-90 between them these days. Starc takes that out of the equation. Every team needs a tail basher. SA has always allowed the tail to add vital runs in low scoring affairs. It was the same in India, I think they recovered from 117/7 in the first Test to 200 odd all out IIRC. Even in this match they allowed Australia to post 60-70 too many in the first innings.

 

[WengerOut]

What does that even mean though?
The tail is capable of making 70-90 between them these days. Starc takes that out of the equation. Every team needs a tail basher. SA has always allowed the tail to add vital runs in low scoring affairs. It was the same in India, I think they recovered from 117/7 in the first Test to 200 odd all out IIRC. Even in this match they allowed Australia to post 60-70 too many in the first innings.

As long as it is conventional bowling , tail can wag. But when it is superfast or mystery bowlers , they usually crumble. It was the case with Muralidharan , Starc , Akhtar, Mendis during his earlier stage etc.

 

[soso_killer]

There was never sharp spin , just slow. I was alluding to slow nature of wickets. Regarding fast bowlers not troubling ever , cue Srinath 1996.

There was sharp spin on offer, Lyon is ordinary. He was bowling too flat. Some of the deliveries he bowled to Makram were unplayable, he didn't bowl with any consistency though. This is not a rank turner by any means, but there's more than enough.
Maharaj got 9 wickets in this match, 5 in the first innings alone. Class bowler.
South Africa have not given him totals to bowl at and set attacking fields since his debut, but he keeps on taking wickets. Still averages around 26. SA barely post 300+ scores these days.
As for Srinath he had one 5-for and nothing more than 3 wickets in the remaining innings. Funny how the current side is not good in subcontinent conditions but we have to go back to 96 to make a point of reference. Weird.

Balanced wicket, 10 of Australia's 20 wickets to fall went to fast bowlers, 10 to spin. SA lost 16 wickets to pace. Not sure what the complaints are all about.

 

[WengerOut]

There was sharp spin on offer, Lyon is ordinary. He was bowling too flat. Some of the deliveries he bowled to Makram were unplayable, he didn't bowl with any consistency though. This is not a rank turner by any means, but there's more than enough.
Maharaj got 9 wickets in this match, 5 in the first innings alone. Class bowler.
South Africa have not given him totals to bowl at and set attacking fields since his debut, but he keeps on taking wickets. Still averages around 26. SA barely post 300+ scores these days.
As for Srinath he had one 5-for and nothing more than 3 wickets in the remaining innings. Funny how the current side is not good in subcontinent conditions but we have to go back to 96 to make a point of reference. Weird.

Balanced wicket, 10 of Australia's 20 wickets to fall went to fast bowlers, 10 to spin. SA lost 16 wickets to pace. Not sure what the complaints are all about.

Srinath reference was against ur argument of " never ever " . This was spin but slow so batsman can adjust. Many a matches in SC are drawn by being able to adjust to the turn. If it was sharp , then the innings would never ever extend to almost 90 overs in the fourth innings.i repeat , this is not a flat wicket but a forth day wicket with some wear and tear . Lyon is the best testspinner in the world.

 

[IndianFan2018]

Srinath reference was against ur argument of " never ever " . This was spin but slow so batsman can adjust. Many a matches in SC are drawn by being able to adjust to the turn. If it was sharp , then the innings would never ever extend to almost 90 overs in the fourth innings.i repeat , this is not a flat wicket but a forth day wicket with some wear and tear . Lyon is the best testspinner in the world.

, and Jaddu say 'HI' !

 

[JustNotAFanOfThings]

Match prediction - Australia to win the test by 120 runs.

I would like to be proven wrong. Let's see.

Off by 2 runs. Thoroughly enjoyed the 4th innings.

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

Australia win the test match by 118 runs.

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

AUSTRALIA WRAP UP FIRST TEST IN 22 BALLS


Monday, 05 March 2018


AUSTRALIA needed just 22 balls and 20 minutes of playing time to wrap up the first Sunfoil Test match against the Standard Bank Proteas at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Monday morning. The winning margin was a conclusive 118 runs.

Quinton de Kock (83 off 149 balls, 11 fours) and Morne Morkel added 5 runs to the total before Josh Hazlewood dismissed De Kock lbw to back up Mitchell Starc (4/75 and a match return of 9/109) with figures of 3/61.

Starc was named Sunfoil Man of the Match. Apart from the Proteas disappointing batting performance in the first innings the essential difference between the two sides was the lower-order batting. Australia were able to make 100 runs for their last three wickets in the first innings while Starc blew away the South African lower order in both innings.

Aiden Markram’s second innings century made him the fourth South African to score a century in his debut Test against Australia. He follows Eddie Barlow, Jacques Rudolph and current captain Faf du Plessis in this achievement.

The Sunfoil Education Trust (SET) benefited to the tune of R254 000 from the boundaries and sixes hit in the match and wickets taken.

The second Test match starts at St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, on Friday.