South Africa v Australia, 1st Test, Cape Town, 9-13 November, 2011

Watson better start warming up just after lunch

I'd take Willie Watson at this stage.

Nath wrote:Watson better start warming up just after lunch

Aye, the boys haven't really hit the line and length.

Meanwhile, Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel (ffs) are appointed to the NSP.

Nath wrote:Watson better start warming up just after lunch

called it

SAf two down already. Clarke's knock looking better by the minute.

Where one Jacques failed, the other has to succeed (again), you'd think at this point.

Oh.

JGK wrote:Clarke's best ever innings. Horrie can't even complain about red ink hunting.

His percentage of the innings total at 53.17 is the highest for any Australian captain in an overseas Test beating Greg Chappell's 51.38% with 112 out of 218 at Old Trafford in July 1977. It is second only to the record percentage of 61.11% by an Australian captain held by Graham Yallop with 121 out of 198 against England at the SCG in February 1979.

Not a great over for Ian Gould that.

JGK wrote:Meanwhile, Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel (ffs) are appointed to the NSP.

Bichel gets to choose 12th man every test

Watson backing up Clarke's effort. Good captaincy following on from great batting.

Wow. Not too many teams can manage an epic f*ck up better than the Saffies.

6-84. The world has gone mad.

actually, don't know how I got that wrong, but at 6-77 they're close enough to avoiding the follow-on.

Classic woof. Lowest Yarpy score v. Oz at Newlands - 85 in November 1902.

Watto....

Don't get me wrong, he's useful... but he shouldn't be devastating.

How are South Africa still ranked as high as they are? Seems like they've been pretty ordinary for about three years now.

Or should I say, since they beat Aus in Melbourne in late 2008. Took their foot well and truly off the gas (and eye off the ball) after that?

Let's just assume now that Red has died due to her head exploding.

8 wickets in 51 minutes.

Henry wrote:How are South Africa still ranked as high as they are? Seems like they've been pretty ordinary for about three years now.

Or should I say, since they beat Aus in Melbourne in late 2008. Took their foot well and truly off the gas (and eye off the ball) after that?

Aye, considering their talent. Heard they haven't won a series since Bangla... On this form, absolutely no pretentions to the number 1 spot.... Watson Michelle FFS! Oh... HAAAAA Snorkel run out now... abominable.

Referral system coming up trumps.

Australia is back - be afraid, be very afraid.

And they wont get any better with Kallis not far off calling it a day, i'd imagine.

They've always been better on paper than what they actually produce results-wise. And apart from 2008-09, they consistently turn to jelly against Australia.

England always play above themselves against the Saffies as well (we were neck and neck with them in the 90s despite being woeful against everyone else). Suggests that they're fine against the teams who are timid and prepared to roll over, but don't handle it well when they get as good as they give.

Sooks.

I don't know about that Trev, but they certainly should be performing better than they have been. Potentially, they're the best team in the world, but they just can't seem to put it together.

Another observation on Watson's 5fer - it puts Shichell Johnson's performance into some sort of derogatory context. Why waste their time with him.