South Africa v WI, 1st Test, Port Elizabeth, 26-30 Dec

65k.

tac you're been rather unfair the SA's boxing day tradition stretches back a good 6 or so years and the 38 people who have attended the games in that time find your comments insensitive.

80,000 they're saying. If true that eclipses even the attendance at the Eden Gardens recently against Pak when we had about 70,000 people.

Gayle knows this is not an ODI, doesn't he?

@ Gayle.

Gayle

Ganga out.

Gayle -

One shot too many.

WI all out for 220?

236

Awesome little knock from Gayle. Shame he couldn't go on.

Is the SA attack one of the weakest in world cricket? Surely they have someone better than Ntini! Steyn was atrocious today but he has a chance of making it in test cricket but Ntini looks past it.

Is the SA attack one of the weakest in world cricket?

Actually I think they have one of the better attacks. And it will only get better when Morne Morkel comes back from injury.

Red wrote: Surely they have someone better than Ntini! Steyn was atrocious today but he has a chance of making it in test cricket but Ntini looks past it.

Ntini really has dropped off in the last 12 months.

They have struggled away in the last 3 or so years.

No spinner or variety in the attack.

At home they are a pretty good attack.

I guess the quota system means he has to keep getting a game but SA must have no depth at all if they can't find someone better. They don't seem to produce stars anymore which is probably not surprising given that South Africans don't seem to follow cricket much these days compared to people in the rest of the cricket world. Rugby and soccer seem overwhelmingly to have won their collective hearts and minds.

Red wrote:Is the SA attack one of the weakest in world cricket?

News to me, they have a good attack imo.

Steyn if the pitch helps him looks test standard but Ntini is ordinary these days and Nel is a plodder. Harris gives them spin options but will be taken to the cleaners by good batsmen.

Ntini was taking 5fers for fun a year or two back. Too soon to write him off. And SA have one of the better bowling attacks around. One edgy Gayle innings doesn't tak anything away from that.

Gayle is a gun!!!!!!!

Gayle's a loony. Really should take some responsibility and dig in once in a while.

Most openers would be happy with 66 though.

Good to see the Gayle/Ganga partnership that worked so well in 2006 getting back on track after Ganga's horror run in England. Hopefully they can keep it going.

Cap'n Cool might be exactly what the Windies need right now. And Marlon Samuels seems to have taken Clive Lloyd's advice to heart. Great to see them 3/180.

Ganga is turd. They should get rid.

Just about the only other specialist batsmen I can think of who played so many tests for such a pitiful average were Ramprakash and Brearley. And Brearley was more of a specialist captain, if there can be such a thing.

If SA continue to bowl this poorly Ganga will perform well enough to give them a decent start though. They must be happy that Smith made such a bizarre decision at the toss.

Ganga had a fine year in 2006 in a bunch of different conditions against some good bowlers.

He started okay in England too. Just had a rotten time once he took on the captaincy for 3 tests. I think he's pretty much the perfect foil for Gayle if he performs. 33 isn't much, but it's a step in the right direction.