South Africa v Australia, 4th Test, Johannesburg, 30 March - 3 April, 2018

Can't see the Aus batsmen faring well. The two scary players (from an oppo bowling point of view) are gone and it'll be hard for a replacement to walk in and do well surely?

Watch out for the bowlers though. They may be smarting from the inference they must have known/encouraged the ball tampering and therefore keen to show the world they don't need outside help to knock teams over.

Yeah, for NFL followers I’ll offer the Tom Brady parallel... on both occasions when he and those around him were involved in major cheating scandals (Spygate and Deflategate), he responded by producing pretty much the best season of his career, as if to say “Told you I didn’t need to cheat to be the best”...

Chad Sayers has been presented with his Oz cap and will play in place of Starc. The rest of the team remains unannounced.

Congrats to Bicky.

Hopefully the game is not a total train-wreck and if it is he gets another shot sometime. But I wouldn't put the house on either

Is Starc injured?

lardbucket wrote:Is Starc injured?

Not as effective without reverse swing

Calf complaint has been restricting him, so guess that is the issue.

Hope Second and Bicky open the bowling. If the game last three days, it would be good to see Second star.

Sayers wasnt selected in the original squad because Bird was the replacement for Haze and Richo was to be the replacement for Starc or 2nd 

NSP forget the shit they spin to players 

Well done to Dolly on the debut 

Sad about the occasion

Link



Given that pitch conditions in South Africa are expected to be similar to those in Australia, uncapped Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson was named as back-up to pace pair Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins because he consistently bowls at more than 140kph.


Sayers does not fit that bill, but is considered a seam option should Australia's top-ranked Test bowler Josh Hazlewood break down.
However, Tasmania's Jackson Bird is also viewed as a like-for-like replacement for Hazlewood and was part of Australia's Test touring teams to India and Bangladesh last year, as well as an inclusion for the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG when Starc was injured, and was therefore preferred for South Africa.

Teams finalised?

SA win toss and bat

Declaration is expected at 3-590 shortly after tea tomorrow.

lardbucket wrote:Is Starc injured?

yes.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mitchell-starc-stress-fractures-leg-injury-australia-south-africa-fourth-test/2018-03-30

lardbucket wrote:Declaration is expected at 3-590 shortly after tea tomorrow.

I'd be more concerned as an Aus fan if you guys had batter first as without Warner and Smith and with other things on the mind it had the recipe for all out before lunch.

Faff was saving the need for ticket refunds.

In a sidenote it is nice to see the unusual sight of an Oz xi where every State has a representative.

Nath wrote:

lardbucket wrote:Is Starc injured?

yes.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/mitchell-starc-stress-fractures-leg-injury-australia-south-africa-fourth-test/2018-03-30

Thank you. A sensible answer.

lardbucket wrote:Declaration is expected at 3-590 shortly after tea tomorrow.

We’re going to take 3 wickets?

Sayers looks very ordinary. Struggling to get the ball above 130 Koh

I was about to say it looks a tidy opening spell from him and he's unluckily not to have taken a wicket! I see his bowling is categorised as rm on cricinfo. I know he's not the quickest but that's a bit unfair isn't it?

MoH wrote:I was about to say it looks a tidy opening spell from him and he's unluckily not to have taken a wicket! I see his bowling is categorised as rm on cricinfo. I know he's not the quickest but that's a bit unfair isn't it?

Not much variety. Strikes me as just another military medium pacer but i'll concede its early days yet.

Markram is going to be some player.

Big Dog wrote:

MoH wrote:I was about to say it looks a tidy opening spell from him and he's unluckily not to have taken a wicket! I see his bowling is categorised as rm on cricinfo. I know he's not the quickest but that's a bit unfair isn't it?

Not much variety. Strikes me as just another military medium pacer but i'll concede its early days yet.

I can see him doing a job in England with the Readers ball.

Basil wrote:Markram is going to be some player.

Yeah, we’re perhaps lucky they didn’t pick him last summer. Although starting your Test career in English conditions isn’t ideal, and could have set him back. Perhaps they realised that.

The Test game worldwide is desperate for good openers, to counter a number of decent new ball pairings. Putting faith in young players can pay off.

beamer wrote:

Basil wrote:Markram is going to be some player.

Yeah, we’re perhaps lucky they didn’t pick him last summer. Although starting your Test career in English conditions isn’t ideal, and could have set him back. Perhaps they realised that.

The Test game worldwide is desperate for good openers, to counter a number of decent new ball pairings. Putting faith in young players can pay off.

I was calling for him to play. Kuhn was a bizarre selection.

I think Graeme Smith was 22 on his first England tour and he seemed to handle it okay.