South Africa v Australia | 2nd Test | Durban | 6-10 Mar 09

[Random Aussie]

Match starts in 40 minutes. Hopefully our bowlers are fit enough to play.

 

[Random Aussie]

Sweet, won the toss again and will bat.



Bowlers are fit. Same team for both sides.

 

[Sheikh]

Sweet, won the toss again and will bat.



Bowlers are fit. Same team for both sides.

What's the 5 rupees on the pitch?

 

[OZGOD]

Can't stay up. Too tired. Wave the flag for us RA, I will check in tomorrow AM (8am US EST) to see if we totally farked it up or not.

 

[Random Aussie]

What's the 5 rupees on the pitch?

Lots in it for the quicks apparently and some cracks that will widen.

Pitch for the last game was excellent, hope the trend continues.

 

[Sheikh]

Can't stay up. Too tired. Wave the flag for us RA, I will check in tomorrow AM (8am US EST) to see if we totally farked it up or not.

Terrible time for you eh? The game starts, what, 3 in the morning EST? I used to hate it when that happened!

 

[Sheikh]

Lots in it for the quicks apparently and some cracks that will widen.

Pitch for the last game was excellent, hope the trend continues.

As usual, in S.A especially, the first hour is crucial.

Having said that you guys recovered pretty well after being pwned in the first hour of the last game.

 

[Random Aussie]

As usual, in S.A especially, the first hour is crucial.

Having said that you guys recovered pretty well after being pwned in the first hour of the last game.

Yaar will probably get pwned again in the first hour today

I expect the Saffers to hit back very hard.

 

[natalia]

Not a good decision to bat first on this type of pitch, but positive move nevertheless - RA, what do you expect out of this first session?

I say Australia will lose either one of the openers early, lots of help for the seamers on the pitch.

 

[natalia]

Katich to continue his form?

 

[Random Aussie]

Not a good decision to bat first on this type of pitch, but positive move nevertheless - RA, what do you expect out of this first session?

I say Australia will lose either one of the openers early, lots of help for the seamers on the pitch.

4/77 at lunch lol

Then our good batsmen come in

 

[Amjid Javed]

S.A will need to bowl with more discapline and alot fuller then they did in 1st inns of 1st test.

Australia been postive as usual by batting 1st.

S.A have a good test record in durban!

 

[Momo]

4/77 at lunch lol

Then our good batsmen come in

Your best batsman comes even later.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Aus 8/0 a decent start so far.

Katich needs some runs in this game!

 

[Sheikh]

31-0 after 9.

Solid start.

 

[saffer]

This is beyond unfair !!! 5 tosses in a row Australia have won !!! How are we expected to win wth this against us....total rubbish !!!

 

[Savak]

This is beyond unfair !!! 5 tosses in a row Australia have won !!! How are we expected to win wth this against us....total rubbish !!!

You can win against this by playing better cricket than the Aussies like you did in Australia and making it irrelevent.

 

[natalia]

Australia copying India's toss winning tactics, eh?

 

[Amjid Javed]

85/0

50 again for Hughes!

 

[Sheikh]

Wow, the Aussies have absolutely raced towards a 100. Saffies well and truly on the back foot.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Australia 119/0 @ Lunch

Is this the re-birth of the Aussies Juggernaut!

 

[kashmiri_lad]

I am not watching the match on TV..but It seems like Australia have picked themselves up and South Africans are a bit complacent....Dont forget, even in Australia, Aussies were slightly behind S.A...and they had their moments...So, you never...But you need to appreciate the Aussies by coming from DOWN UNDER...good performance so far...but still as they say..the game is not over yet....looking forward to a good game...

 

[Savak]

The selection of Morne Morkel has to be questioned. He has been lucky his team was winning and his poor performances were being ignored. He relieves the pressure set by the opening bowlers. Steyn's workload has to be monitored along with Ntini's.

The mistake the Aussies made back home was to persist with out of form players like Brett Lee, Hayden and sticking with half fit/mentally unprepared Symonds. It shows selecting the right people on merit can make a huge difference. However Hussey remains a worry, he has been out of form for quite a while.

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Man, whoever said the Aussies are over the hill needs to seriously reconsider their words. I'd say they are back into business. Yes, they won't be as good as they were with their full strength team in 2006/07. But they still have the potential to remain the best team in the world.

 

[Informer]

I think it's time to drop Morne Morkel and bring back Charl Langeveldt

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

42.3 Morkel to Hughes, 1 run, Dropped Hughes gets a lifeline! He shapes to drop the ball down with soft hands but the ball takes the outside edge and travels low to Smith's right at first slip, it carried and Smith couldn't hang on

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

PJ Hughes c McKenzie b Kallis 115 (151b 19x4 2x6) SR: 76.15

 

[Oxy]

194-1

SA have used up both their referrals already!!!

 

[Oxy]

Referral rejected - but they didnt use 'snickometer' - which now shows a possible edge!

Flawed system

 

[Random Aussie]

Good to see Micky Arthurs and ABCD's talk about how they had a plan for Hughes worked well.

)

Hughes seems a pretty handy player.

And now Saffers, suffer

 

[Oxy]

208-2

Harris gets Ponting for 9

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

RT Ponting c McKenzie b Harris 9 (20b 1x4 0x6) SR: 45.00

 

[Random Aussie]

Much better, 4 an over and putting pressure on them.

 

[Oxy]

Tea

Aus 218-2 off 55 overs

 

[Muhammad]

Hughes seems a pretty handy player.

Absolutely, the ball hits his hands a lot, sometimes it comes off them and he's caught but he carries on batting like nothings happened, this kid's the finished article.

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

42.3 Morkel to Hughes, 1 run, Dropped Hughes gets a lifeline! He shapes to drop the ball down with soft hands but the ball takes the outside edge and travels low to Smith's right at first slip, it carried and Smith couldn't hang on

Apparently Cricinfo made a mistake -

Note - It was Kallis who dropped Hughes at slip and not Smith. Apologies to Smith's fans, family and friends reading this.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Australia in a very strong postion here! Should be aiming at 450-500 here!

 

[Muhammad]

Aussies have certainly got the hang of this referral business better than the Proteas, Hussey's just successfully appealled against an LBW given against him, just pitched outside leg.

 

[Fish]

A very poor decision from the incompetent Rauf but Hussey refers it and the poor decsion is overturned.



57.4 Morkel to Hussey, no run, we have a referral from the batsman, the ball pitches just outside the line of legstump on a good length and holds its line, the ball hits his front pad within the line of the stumps, Rauf gives him out initially, Hussey walks to the umpire and after quite a while decides to challenge it, since it pitched outside leg he's safe and the info is relayed

 

[Fish]

Katich brings up his hundred.

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

SM Katich c Smith b Steyn 108 (296m 190b 16x4 0x6) SR: 56.84

 

[Muhammad]

Beautiful bit of bowling from Harris there to dismiss Clarke for 3, that was really earned.

OZ - 266 for 4

 

[Amjid Javed]

Aus 208/1 >>> 268/4

Good fight back by S.A and harris got Pup with a peach!

Hussey and North need to rebuild inns here!

 

[Amir]

A very poor decision from the incompetent Rauf but Hussey refers it and the poor decsion is overturned.

Look (*Starts Aussie like tears*). Without Rauf, this series wouldnt happen. This series cannot happen without him and I think he deserves some praise and credit.

 

[saffer]

You can win against this by playing better cricket than the Aussies like you did in Australia and making it irrelevent.

That ignores the entire psychology of having to chase a target or having to bat second when the other team has runs on the board. And cricket is 99% psychology.

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Will be difficult for S.A to win it if Australia gets to 500.

 

[Amjid Javed]

New ball due soon which could be crucial and even pivitol today!

 

[12thMan]

Hussey 28(89) North 10(38)
Aus 287-4 after 82 overs
8 overs left today
Ntini replaces Harris and New ball taken

 

[Amjid Javed]

If S.A get a wicket or two here they will be happy with the days play!

 

[OZGOD]

This is beyond unfair !!! 5 tosses in a row Australia have won !!! How are we expected to win wth this against us....total rubbish !!!

Same thing happened to us in India...suck it up.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Aus 303/4 just one over to go...

Its been a good day for the Aussies.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Thats close of play, bad light stops play 1 over short.

MEK Hussey 37, MJ North 17

Aussies will be aiming for 450 here atleast!

 

[saj786]

i did say a while back that south african attack was overrated and that morkel was another version of harmison, and i also perdicted aus to win the series

 

[Random Aussie]

Having watched the highlights, the Saffer bowling was more than ordinary.

 

[OZGOD]

Terrible time for you eh? The game starts, what, 3 in the morning EST? I used to hate it when that happened!

Yep. Sux mate. But tonight's Friday, so I can stay up for a bit at least!

 

[Random Aussie]

Big day for South Africa coming up in about 50 minutes. If they lose today the series is probably gone.

I don't think the wicket is as flat as thought, South African bowlers bowled pretty poorly from what I have seen. They need to look at bringing another bowler in I think, the current attack is looking a bit jaded and out of ideas after 5 consecutive Tests with the same 5 bowlers.

 

[natalia]

What a great over by Steyn.
Nothing compared to that Flintoff vs Kallis over though.

 

[On_the_up]

what a beauty by morkel! hussey bowled all ends up for 50

 

[On_the_up]

haddos walks in

 

[On_the_up]

text book off drive from North for 4, out next ball. cricket is a funny game

 

[On_the_up]

ronald the new man in

 

[On_the_up]

south africa's bowling has been impressive today, shame about yesterday.

 

[On_the_up]

and now haddin's out, pulling to be caught at midwkt by amla, ntini's first wkt of the match

 

[On_the_up]

MJ the bain of south africa walks in next, most in form no 9 in world cricket

 

[Oxy]

Aus: 348-8!

A flurry of wkts

Ntini gets Johnson LBW for 0

Ntini on a hatrick!

 

[On_the_up]

out first ball, left it alone lbw ntini on a hattrick

 

[On_the_up]

welcome oxy, was getting a bit lonely in here

 

[Oxy]

Hatrick ball averted!

Think the new man is Siddle

 

[On_the_up]

Australia have lost 4-18 and 6 for 89 runs now

 

[On_the_up]

if SA can wrap it up within 375, then the match is back on

 

[On_the_up]

khane ka waqt ho gaya, 351-8

 

[Oxy]

Outstanding bowling performance from South Africa today! Real pace & hostilty from Steyn

Aus: 352 all out.

SA took the final 10 wkts for 168!!!

 

[Oxy]

SA innings starts.

And Mitchell Johnson strikes immediately in the 1st over!!!

Neil Mackenzie goes for a DUCK!

SA: 0-1

Hashim Amla new man in on his home ground

 

[Oxy]

Hashim Amla out LBW 1st ball!

Johnson on a hat trick!!!

SA: 0-2

Amla refers it - looked plumb to me!

 

[Oxy]

Mitchell Johnson on a hat trick!

 

[Saj]

That looks plumb - dont see why Bucknor is taking this long.

 

[Oxy]

I have no idea why Steve Bucknor took so long to give that as the TV umpire...over 4 mins!

But Amla is OUT

SA in all sorts of trouble!

 

[Saj]

One of the finest overs I've seen in recent times from Johnson.

 

[Bublu Bhuyan]

A big partnership needed here.

 

[laloo2009]

M.Johnson bowling awesome! if he bowls like this throughout then this test will be
in australia's pocket!