South Africa v Australia, 3rd ODI, Cape Town, Apr 9

Close.

So once again the team batting second at Cape Town loses and the toss winner wins. Australia did well to get so close to that total after a stuttering start again. The top order has been culpable throughout the series and has been problematic throughout the whole SA tour.

It seemed spin was the order of the day on a very slow pitch shorn of its grass. That van der Merwe did well for them, Botha was tidy and Duminy also useful. Ironically we're the ones now who can't seem to find a quality spinner and at times succumb to it with the bat.

Interesting to see that the ball did nothing under lights on the bare strip with the curator trying to avoid the carnage that usually occurs with the batting team perishing to the seamers.

SA did well to post such a good score after a sluggish start. Again their late hitters prospered.

Finally the mirror-image phenomenon is broken.

Herscelle Gibbs must surely be on borrowed time now. His demise to an ill-advised shot is becoming all to predictable these days.

Henry wrote:Herscelle Gibbs must surely be on borrowed time now. His demise to an ill-advised shot is becoming all to predictable these days.

And that's if he even gets started.

vdMerwe, Botha and Duminy are quality spinners? Really?

Unless you are deliberately trying to misrepresent what Red wrote, I don't think anyone has suggested they are . . .

Ironically we're the ones now who can't seem to find a quality spinner and at times succumb to it with the bat.

Only caught the highlights on the News. Seems 280-odd was always too many, particularly given we are such sh!thouse chasers. And seems a far bit of harikari was committed by Aus batsmen.

Nice to see Ferguson continuing to go well. And Midge's star continues to rise.

But how carp are our top order going at the moment? Total rubbish.

Congrats to the Saffies.

skully wrote:
But how carp are our top order going at the moment? Total rubbish.

Long may it continue...

doremi wrote:

Ironically we're the ones now who can't seem to find a quality spinner and at times succumb to it with the bat.

I was suggesting that all we ever play are part-timers who are pox and yet we often go out to their part-timers, who admittedly are better than ours.

For years we had at least one quality spinner and it was the Proteas who were always succumbing to spin.

I don't think I ever stated that the SA trio was quality. In fact the other day taipan (note the little t), was criticising me for downplaying or dismissing Botha's ability.

skully wrote:Only caught the highlights on the News. Seems 280-odd was always too many, particularly given we are such sh!thouse chasers. And seems a far bit of harikari was committed by Aus batsmen.

Nice to see Ferguson continuing to go well. And Midge's star continues to rise.

But how carp are our top order going at the moment? Total rubbish.

Congrats to the Saffies.

I don't think the shot selection was as bad as it was at times in Durban and for much of the Centurion game. The running between the wickets still leaves a bit to be desired.

I think in the end the scoreboard flattered us a bit. The Saffas had it covered quite a way from the finishing line and quite a few byes and leg byes et cetera, blew out the total towards the end. Also we could have been chasing more had that Van der Merwe creature not swung wildly with his eyes closed for most of the last over with Boucher on fire stranded at the other end. He only connected once.

Congrats Saffers. Nice to see the world champions getting down to earth with some regularity. So far my prediction of the close Saffer series win stands unless Aussies swing the last 2 games. Is it a 5 match or a 7 match series?

Would be great to see a 4-1 Aus drubbing. But even a 3-2 result will be a fair one, a good one.

It looks like David Hussey is a losing bet for the Aussie selectors. I haven't really seen him do much the past few months since he was given an Aus cap. How has he been in Aus domestic cricket? One would think only a very great performance in Pura Cup and other Shield matches would have got him a call up.....

I also hear Roy has been warned this was his last chance to prove his credentials by performance again. What's the point in dropping him, punishing him and then selecting him and warning him all the time. It won't help him do hsi best eitherw ays. The selectors need to make up their minds that either he gets in the team without being pushed around so he can give it his all or he no longer cuts it.

Geeves injured, heading home with a fractured foot. Replacement to be named for the Pakistan tour.

Nath wrote:Geeves injured, heading home with a fractured foot. Replacement to be named for the Pakistan tour.

WTF is going on with our bowlers? Seems to be a virtual tag team. One foot injury after another.

So, is Nannes available?

Nannes has committed his future to the Netherlands. Geeves is a pie chucker anyway - he was hardly the answer.

Aye - if Geeves was the answer then we should reframe the question.

TBH though - Geeves only had 2 bad overs the other night. Unfortunately they went for 30 runs.

they probably would have considered Bird, if he wasn't a chucker

Red wrote: In fact the other day taipan (note the little t), was criticising me for downplaying or dismissing Botha's ability.

And I keep being proved correct. Odd ain't it.

Red wrote:So once again the team batting second at Cape Town loses and the toss winner wins.

Some might say it had something to do with crappy Aussie batting and bowling, and a fairly solid SA display.

Stuey Clark has been called up to replace Geeves.

http://content.cricinfo.com/rsavaus2009/content/story/399228.html

In our favour for Monday is that Port Elizabeth has been a very good venue for us and Punter said on radio yesterday that they're looking forward to getting there as it's been a lucky ground for us and on the flipside it's not SA's best venue.

See, it wasn't that hard to do, was it?