South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, Johannesburg, 17-21 November, 2011

Ponting and Haddin will be playing for their careers.

I reckon they've already pencilled in Cummins for Johnson.

Aus-

Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke(c)
Hussey
Haddin+
Harris
Siddle
Lyon
Cummins


South Africa unchanged.

Henry wrote:Ponting and Haddin will be playing for their careers.

I reckon they've already pencilled in Cummins for Johnson.

Aus-

Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke(c)
Hussey
Haddin+
Harris
Siddle
Lyon
Cummins


South Africa unchanged.

Sounds about right.

F*ck the spinner, get Copeland in there in his place.

Brass Monkey wrote:F*ck the spinner, get Copeland in there in his place.

Isn't Copeland also a spinner?

Aus haven't changed their spinner for at least a couple of games. Isn't there some assistant curator or some kid from that Warne has been hyping up on twitter that you could call up? Or get Jason Gillespie to bowl cutters?

Pressure seems to be piling up on Ponting. Several ex players/ex selectors are saying he should call it a day if he fails again in Joburg. Others are suggesting he should have quit after the Ashes series.

Reminds me a bit of the pressure on Steve Waugh during the 2002-03 Ashes series before he made that Sydney hundred. Can Ponting do something similar here?

I've got a feeling that even if his form recovers, he'll be quietly encouraged to retire after the Sydney test against India.

Time for the little general to punch his critics in the face.

Hang on. The Sydney test isn't the final test of the Summer, is it. Wherever the final test is. That's what I meant.....

skully wrote:

horace wrote:good first.... cricketer tho

WTAAS.

skully in "I am taily shock admission"

Both yourself and the sentence lacked the word "class"

Brass Monkey wrote:Seriously though, the once mythologised and vaunted baggy green has really been cheaped by Hughes, Smith and Lyon... Warner only cheaps it further.

Possibly harsh on Lyon but defo correct for Hughes and Smith.

Based on stats, selecting Cummins will cheapen it as well.

Yes, he has a bit of pace, but selecting an 18 year old in a test match who has played 2 first class games for not much success is a bit like Greg Norman picking a bloke he saw at the local driving hitting it 300 metres for the President's Cup team.

There's been plenty of instances of teams batting one short thru injury or whatever, or being a bowler down because of injury or having his cap handed back by the ump for running on the wicket....is there anything in the rules of the game that says a cricket team consists of eleven players exactly (ie no more and no less)?

Law 1.1

1. Number of players
A match is played between two sides, each of eleven players, one of whom shall be captain.
By agreement a match may be played between sides of fewer than, or more than, eleven players, but not more than eleven players may field at any time.

So to answers Mick's question, the very first Law of the game says it.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/AustraliaTourSA/It-wont-be-a-96-and-47-pitch-20111115

The pitch is not expected to be as bowler-friendly as the Cape Town was on the first two days.

Red wrote:http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/AustraliaTourSA/It-wont-be-a-96-and-47-pitch-20111115

The pitch is not expected to be as bowler-friendly as the Cape Town was on the first two days.

The pitch wasn't that bowler friendly on the first two days in Cape Town.

taipan wrote:

Red wrote:http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/AustraliaTourSA/It-wont-be-a-96-and-47-pitch-20111115

The pitch is not expected to be as bowler-friendly as the Cape Town was on the first two days.

The pitch wasn't that bowler friendly on the first two days in Cape Town.

There was considerable swing and seam movement. Of course accomplished batsmen should be able to deal with it but McKenzie seems to be suggesting that this will be a win the toss and bat type of track.

Red wrote:

taipan wrote:

Red wrote:http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/AustraliaTourSA/It-wont-be-a-96-and-47-pitch-20111115

The pitch is not expected to be as bowler-friendly as the Cape Town was on the first two days.

The pitch wasn't that bowler friendly on the first two days in Cape Town.

There was considerable swing and seam movement. Of course accomplished batsmen should be able to deal with it but McKenzie seems to be suggesting that this will be a win the toss and bat type of track.

We'll be bowling then.

Clarke: "What do you think Ricky? Should we have a bowl, mate?"

Punter: "Yeah I think so skip. Let's have a bowl, mate."

I was commenting more on Clarke's crapola coin tossing ability.

Well, by the law of averages, that has to be the least of Aussie's worries.

I hope there's some pace and bounce in the pitch. South Africa shouldn't be scared to produce a spicy pitch and risk losing their 1-0 advantage, as their batsmen play the moving ball better than the Aus batsmen, and South Africa have the better bowing attack.

Out of town for the Test so won't get to see anything but nooz highlights and Ewetube/Foxy web clips.

Hopefully it augurs well for the boys.

Maybe a draw is the safest bet?

It's being broadcast on ABC radio, isn't it? I didn't realise they were covering this tour until after Spanky's death.

As usual, Ryan Harris is in doubt.