Trip down memory lane, January 1994

2nd match of the series. Actually, South Africa's 2nd match in Australia in the "post-isolation" era.

South Africa had been outplayed through the entire test, Warne monstered them in both innings. They managed to set a fourth innings target of 117.

By the end of day 4, Fanie de Villiers had snaffled all top four wickets. Still, the Australians were only 48 runs shy of the target by stumps. Junior, Border, Martyn, Healy ... it did not seem likely that they would fail to get us there.

But they all fell cheaply, Fanie and Donald the perpetrators. Martyn scratched out a trenchant partnership with McDermott, but fell with 7 runs needed, followed shortly by McGrath, Australia all out for 111.

On one hand, the choke of the decade: on the other, one of the most remarkable comebacks ever, and a memorable innings of bowling by FdV.

It remains the only match South Africa has won in Australia post-Apartheid.

OP Tipping wrote:2nd match of the series. Actually, South Africa's 2nd match in Australia in the "post-isolation" era.

South Africa had been outplayed through the entire test, Warne monstered them in both innings. They managed to set a fourth innings target of 117.

By the end of day 4, Fanie de Villiers had snaffled all top four wickets. Still, the Australians were only 48 runs shy of the target by stumps. Junior, Border, Martyn, Healy ... it did not seem likely that they would fail to get us there.

But they all fell cheaply, Fanie and Donald the perpetrators. Martyn scratched out a trenchant partnership with McDermott, but fell with 7 runs needed, followed shortly by McGrath, Australia all out for 111.

On one hand, the choke of the decade: on the other, one of the most remarkable comebacks ever, and a memorable innings of bowling by FdV.

I remember it clearly. Was sitting in the pub the previous evening and had a gut feel that SA would pull it off.

The shit part there was no way I could get a bet on.

While later in his career I was no fan of Martyn, he became the scapegoat for this loss and was harshly dropped.

I went to every day of that match. Have to say that I was pretty pissed off with Marto afterwards.

TGM was magnificent. I also remember AB giving it Slater in the first dig for a couple of brain explosions.

What is underrated is Jonty's innings late in the Saffies second dig (with support from Donald FFS). They scored enough to put the target above 100.

"I went to every day of that match. "


Lucky.


"pissed off with Marto"


I don't know why people focus on Martyn to blame for that innings. Seems there should have been heaps of blame to be handed around.

marto copped it while Kjnr did his teflon man imitation

OP Tipping wrote:"I went to every day of that match. "


Lucky.


"pissed off with Marto"


I don't know why people focus on Martyn to blame for that innings. Seems there should have been heaps of blame to be handed around.

At the time how could you not be pissed off with him?

Despite what the others had done, he had the chance to win the match and played that ridiculous shot. While the other batsmen didn't exactly cover themselves in glory, Marto was the lasting image of that capitulation.

Yeah, I know. Still.

Tough gig, Test cricket. A single bad shot, a decision of an instant, can see you sacked for years.

OP Tipping wrote:Yeah, I know. Still.

Tough gig, Test cricket. A single bad shot, a decision of an instant, can see you sacked for years.

marto served a longer penance than most...came from the wrong state

You might as well say you were pissed off with Thommo, McDermott or Kasper for shots that 'lost us' very close Tests. In truth they were just the moments at which defeat became certain, and the shots were no worse than earlier dismissals in the same innings.

A yard either side and Martyn's shot would have been 4 runs ... as with Thommo's, Kasper's, or that rocketing clip that hit Dessie Haynes in the foot all those years ago.

Scapegoating one man for a team's loss is never fair. Martyn was punished very severely for that loss by the team, and probably never recovered totally. Others who submitted more cravenly on the day were totally excused.

lardbucket wrote:You might as well say you were pissed off with Thommo, McDermott or Kasper for shots that 'lost us' very close Tests. In truth they were just the moments at which defeat became certain, and the shots were no worse than earlier dismissals in the same innings.

A yard either side and Martyn's shot would have been 4 runs ... as with Thommo's, Kasper's, or that rocketing clip that hit Dessie Haynes in the foot all those years ago.

Scapegoating one man for a team's loss is never fair. Martyn was punished very severely for that loss by the team, and probably never recovered totally. Others who submitted more cravenly on the day were totally excused.

Yes yes, I know all this but at the time Marto was the obvious target of our disappointment. I would add though that the other 3 you mention weren't out to rash shots. In fact, two of them may not have been out and the other was caught by a freak rebound.

Ugh. I will never forget ball 1 on day 5. AB shouldered arms to AD and lost his off peg.

JGK wrote:

lardbucket wrote:You might as well say you were pissed off with Thommo, McDermott or Kasper for shots that 'lost us' very close Tests. In truth they were just the moments at which defeat became certain, and the shots were no worse than earlier dismissals in the same innings.

A yard either side and Martyn's shot would have been 4 runs ... as with Thommo's, Kasper's, or that rocketing clip that hit Dessie Haynes in the foot all those years ago.

Scapegoating one man for a team's loss is never fair. Martyn was punished very severely for that loss by the team, and probably never recovered totally. Others who submitted more cravenly on the day were totally excused.

Yes yes, I know all this but at the time Marto was the obvious target of our disappointment. I would add though that the other 3 you mention weren't out to rash shots. In fact, two of them may not have been out and the other was caught by a freak rebound.

You lost. Get over it already.

Indeed. It's a team game.

Around this time and leading up to the Ashes in 94/95, my interest in cricket peaked.

To an extent free of big money and commercialism, we weren't bombarded with game after game, and we got the chance to appreciate every game. Cricket was competitive and all was good with the world.

BTW - I loved the Australia A concept too.

nearly 25 years ago, hard to believe

good OP

horace wrote:

OP Tipping wrote:Yeah, I know. Still.

Tough gig, Test cricket. A single bad shot, a decision of an instant, can see you sacked for years.

marto served a longer penance than most...came from the wrong state

I'm sure you mean Territory

Well, yes NT, but played for the Warps in the days when they did not fare well at the national selection table, ie before the pernicious influence of the bnlg.

taipan wrote:

JGK wrote:

lardbucket wrote:You might as well say you were pissed off with Thommo, McDermott or Kasper for shots that 'lost us' very close Tests. In truth they were just the moments at which defeat became certain, and the shots were no worse than earlier dismissals in the same innings.

A yard either side and Martyn's shot would have been 4 runs ... as with Thommo's, Kasper's, or that rocketing clip that hit Dessie Haynes in the foot all those years ago.

Scapegoating one man for a team's loss is never fair. Martyn was punished very severely for that loss by the team, and probably never recovered totally. Others who submitted more cravenly on the day were totally excused.

Yes yes, I know all this but at the time Marto was the obvious target of our disappointment.   I would add though that the other 3 you mention weren't out to rash shots.  In fact, two of them may not have been out and the other was caught by a freak rebound.

You lost. Get over it already.

It was still Marto's fault.

I'm afraid I still hold him accountable. Billy McSofty was going off at the other end (29* of the potentially match winning 9th wicket stand of 35) and all Marto had to do was keep his head. But no, he went for the hero shot and perished.

I cursed him then and my memory hasn't diminished the incident.

skully wrote:I'm afraid I still hold him accountable. Billy McSofty was going off at the other end (29* of the potentially match winning 9th wicket stand of 35) and all Marto had to do was keep his head. But no, he went for the hero shot and perished.

I cursed him then and my memory hasn't diminished the incident.

Remember Billy's quote afterwards "we were doing it on our dicks".

Sort of ironic that the last thing that Marto did in Tests was almost identically reckless. Happily Mr Cricket was there to save the day.

I've still never seen THAT shot. All the youtube videos of the match are blocked in the UK.

It was a typical Marto no-foot-movement uppish drive that was caught at point.

So Fanie farked the Aussies then and he has done it again by asking the cameraman to hone in on Bancroft.