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Loading ...There are no highlights! Just Australia’s number one ranking being grounded into dust by an immovable Duminy and some ineffective bowling.
Duminy! Steyn! South Africa!
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of December Add your comment below
Whisper it, but I might be turning into a bok fan. This is deeply embarrassing for a multitude of reasons and excuses, most obviously the fact that I abhor most of their sporting sides for being either really good, or thinking their better than they actually are.
But the situation in Melbourne gives me little choice. I’m just going to have to sing South Africa’s praises. JP Duminy cracked 166, in only his second Test, and Dale Steyn made 76 batting at No.10. They began the day 196 runs behind but Duminy and Steyn put on 180 – the third-highest ninth-wicket stand in history. This is truly monstrous.
This all but condemns Australia to second-place in this series, and possibly in the world rankings too. What a day. Can’t wait for the highlights.
Tags: dale-steyn, jp duminy, south-africa, south-africa-in-australia |
23 Responses to “Duminy! Steyn! South Africa!”
December 28th, 2008 at 10.56 am
December 28th, 2008 at 12.55 pm
Im dissapointed im not there this year. Its been a good test! (With the exception of australia’s bowling and fielding today).
But JP batted extremly well!!! Its innings like that that show why we love TEST cricket!
December 28th, 2008 at 12.57 pm
Duminy batted with class, full credit to SA for the way they have played, but gee Pontings’ flaws as a captain are starting to show now that McGrath and Warne are gone and the team doesn’t run on auto pilot. Some of the bowling selections and field placings have been laughable.
December 28th, 2008 at 2.50 pm
w. t. f.
Ponting’s captaincy was atrocious. Sure, he only had two full-time fast bowlers to turn to, but he used them terribly, and continued his horrible practice of setting defensive fields at the slightest provocation.
Peter Roebuck has it right in today’s column. The team has been failed by the selectors.
How could you pick an unable to bowl Symonds when you had Lee underperforming, a defensive spinner in Hauritz, and the inexperienced Siddle? Bloody insane.
Watson should have been in that team given how much trouble Australia has had getting teams out lately…
Too much boys club about this team at the moment. Oh except for the revolving door spinning position of course….
Even the Channel 9 commentators are getting onto the “bring back Warne” bandwagon….
December 28th, 2008 at 3.07 pm
Dear Mr Will,
I am wondering if you can help me. My name is Jane, and I’m an Australian. I’m used to winning. I love cricket, and in theory I like a competitive, friendly Test, with lots of great cricket. Unfortunately in the last, hmm, 20 years, Australia have won, well, a lot, and I am just not sure how to deal with not winning.
I am also having trouble dealing with conflicting emotions about my team and their captain. Traditionally, mindless faith has worked well for me. (2005 not so much, but that was because McGrath tripped over. Anyway.)
Also, the lack of certainty induced by Perth and the current Test is breaking whole new grounds of insecurity. In Perth, Johnson took 7 in one day and I was there to see it. Then we lost. Yesterday, 7/198. I went to bed and slept well; in my lifetime, that sort of score meant a follow on the next day and the Test all wrapped in 3, maybe 3 1/2 days.
My whole world has changed; I just don’t know how to deal with it. Please, do you have any wisdom you can share? I appreciate that you are probably, as appropriate in the festive season, lying on a couch somewhere eating ham. However, if in your benevolence you could share any coping mechanisms you have learnt from being English, they would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Jane
PS How good is Duminy?? I even appreciated it through the slow torture of realising that they couldn’t get him out.
PPS Of course, we can still beat England. It’s just the bloody Saffers. And the Indians. And in fact, that one time, almost the Kiwis.
December 28th, 2008 at 3.36 pm
Steyn was too good. Did you take a look at his Wagon wheel? It was either third man or straight down the ground
December 28th, 2008 at 5.32 pm
Dear Miss Jane,
I’m sure your insecurity is felt by your countrymen, from bush to city. The thousands of expats, most of whose hearts have been lured to their real home back in Britain, have been spotted sprinting in random directions while wailing uncontrollably. “China will stop buying our coal next,” screamed one to me today. “What hope have we now?”
There aren’t many coping mechanisms I can suggest really. Most England fans of my generation have an inbuilt cynicism attached to our central nervous systems; so ingrained and deep-rooted to our psyche is it, that we’re unaware of using it. Defeats are always disappointing, but partially accepted and sometimes expected. Wins, however inevitable they sometimes appear to be, are generally considered to be a surprise, hence our completely OTT reaction to even the most minor of wins.
My one suggestion would be to realise that Australia’s bowling attack is fucking shit, and Ponting’s captaincy today (and during this series) has been ropey at best. Take heart from that. You, like us, can begin to hate your team as much as love it. Love and loath in equal quantities; despise selectors, captains and players and yearn to be another, better team. Even if that team is South Africa.
Not being the best is definitely the best.
Travel well, fan-of-rubbish-cricket-team. You’ll be fine
Will
December 28th, 2008 at 11.59 pm
JP Dumminy’s ton was of genuine class and has heralded his arival on the international stage. However, Austrailia’s inabilty to remove the tail around Dumminy exposed their fallibilities. Sure- Brett Lee was not on the field and I’m sure he would have broken through. Siddle had a great opening dayin front of his home crowd but was poor on his second showing at the MCG. I like Siddle as he reminds me of Bill The Kid aka Craig McDermott, but Siddle is no McGraph nor Gillespie yet.
Hauritz has no future in test cricket- no offie outside the sub continent does these days. Mitchell was quick but lack luck and penetration.
Aus miss Warney full stop and will struggle to get 20 wickets until they have unearthed another top leggie or left arm spinner.
Aus’s batting too is brittle- Haydos is fighting fighting father time- Pup clarke despite his first innings knock is frustating just as Ian Bell is for Eng, Katich is not a long term solution. Huges or Jacques may well be. Ponting is still class but his captaincy is poor
South Africa have an opportuniuty to dominate Aus today and for the rest of the series both at the SCG and on the return leg in SA- I’d like to see how S respond, they have choked before and in the mid 90s when they had a great unit under Cronje failed to take the ascendency over the Aussies.
I feel ENG have the oppotunity to rule and I’m sure under KP Eng will push hard
December 29th, 2008 at 12.54 am
Dear Miss Jane,
There are more of us out there. You’ve taken the first and most important step…admitting the problem…
You will continue to have these times where you believe things have turned around, only to have it all torn away from you again. Remember though, we have to hit rock bottom first. That’s a very frightening realisation with an Ashes tour of England approaching.
I fear the Barmy Army are busy composing new songs already.
Stu.
December 29th, 2008 at 3.23 am
*sob*. Australia 151/5.
I just hope the selectors show some bloody bottle and blood some new players for the dead rubber in Sydney.
Symonds should never have been picked. Poor Watson.
December 29th, 2008 at 5.30 am
Ponting out for 99.
Has this match been designed to extract maximum heartache from Australian fans?
December 29th, 2008 at 7.26 am
XI for Sydney dead rubber:
Hayden
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds/Watson (dont really care, also depends if Symonds is fit)
Haddin
Krezja
Johnson
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
December 29th, 2008 at 9.26 am
Elliot, that attack (with Watson) would be brilliant- it would have plenty of variety, and once Lee and Clark go that’s probably be the attack that will keep Australia in the top tier of Test nations. Australia’s never going to become an easybeat nation, so we can all take comfort in that.
December 29th, 2008 at 10.02 am
Gonzo, I agree with you mate, I remember a time when the selectors were ruthless with their decisions on out of form/past their prime players. Selecting Symonds as a passenger in a crucial match was a massive blunder and all the indecision with our spin options aint helping anyone.
Hayden has probably been my fav player since M.Waugh retired but his time is clearly up, Sydney should be his last match in a baggy green I reckon.
Also agree with Elliot on Hifenhaus, he’s proven himself and is ready to step up, he’d be a handful on the English wickets aswell.
December 29th, 2008 at 12.01 pm
I was somewhat uneasy with the praise being salivated upon JP Dumminy by the Channel 9 commentary team upon his classy 166. To describe JP Dumminy as reminiscent of Lara was a bit OTT.
I hope Dumminy builds upon an incredible start to his test career. What consider more notable is the success of the SA Quota system- I have never been an advocate of this method but I feel that SA’s perseverance in this method has given them players of true class in Amla, Gibbs,Ashwell Prince, Ntini and now Dumminy.
The system has been severely slated and rightly so- Kevin Peterson has been a it’s greatest critic to date but it is paying dividends as the players in the current SA national set up are worthy of their place on merit and performances alone.
I’d also like to consider the role of that man behind the shades- Duncan Fletcher-has played in SA’s preparation. He has been very much under the radar and I caught a momentary glimpse of him in the WACA test match. But I’m sure that he has helped Arthur and Smith prepare plans for the aussies.
There is talk of Prince returning at the SCG in place of Mackenzie- I feel that this would cause much disruption to the batting line up in what is a dead rubber, I’d give Prince maximum time to recover and keep the same batting line up.
There is no doubt Prince will return for the home series vs Aus- the selctors will neeed to cross that bridge when they come to it.
December 29th, 2008 at 12.36 pm
Prince is absolute class and him replacing McKenzie would only strengthen the Proteas line-up. Remember last time Aus played SA Warne removed Prince several times, without Warne, Princes’ strokeplay (if he continued early year form) could decimate our bowling attack.
December 29th, 2008 at 2.29 pm
Elliot I don’t agree with your bowling or batting lineups to be honest mate.
Hayden should step aside. We have Chris Rogers and Phil Hughes who can do the job while Jaques is out of action. Rogers is a proven performer who should get a chance now. Plenty of time for Hughes.
Krezja needs to learn some defense. Until the Australian bowling attack is better at tying down an end, I do think Hauritz is a better choice (and I didn’t think this a month ago…).
Symonds should be forced to go back to domestic cricket and find some form.
Rogers
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Hauritz
Johnson
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
I’m a bit torn between Hilfenhaus and Bollinger. Bollinger is a good bowler, but I think Hilfenhaus adds another dimension to the attack above.
Katich and Clarke should be prepared to bowl aggressively at irregular intervals. Clarke seems to have lost something in his bowling lately… he’s more defensive than he used to be.
December 29th, 2008 at 7.02 pm
IVAR291
You are absolutely spot on. The qouta system is something that has been widely misunderstood and used negatively against SA sports by some media.
The system goes much deeper than international level. It is designed to take cricket/sport to previously disadvantaged communities by building academies and unearthing talent in those places.
Besides Ntini, Gibbs, Amla, Duminy and Prince , white afrikaner players like A.B de Villiers and Dale Steyn have also been identified through it.
K. Pietersen left SA at the early stages of the system through his own ignorance and lack of understanding of quotas and it’s unfortunate that he keeps critisicing what he doesn’t understand.
We’d all rather without the quota system but it is a necessary process that must be actioned to redress the injustices of the past and give equal opportunities for all South Africans to realise their full potential and as such it must be embraced despite it’s difficult, uncomfortable nature.
December 29th, 2008 at 7.52 pm
To call Pietersen ignorant is plain wrong. Ignorant? He wanted to play international cricket and, he felt, England was more likely to offer him that opportunity. Given the history of the quota system in the 1990s, he probably made the right decision at the time.
I put up this news story a couple of weeks ago, in which we wrote:
Yet it continues to polarise opinion with many concerns that the system is little more than tokenism. As recently as March this year, Andre Nel was rumoured to be considering his future after he was omitted from South Africa’s squad to tour India. A row subsequently broke out between coach Mickey Arthur and the CSA president, Norman Arendse, when it transpired that the squad didn’t feature sufficient players of colour as required by the transformation policy.
None of this does (or should) discredit the performances of Prince, Amla, Ntini and co., but we need to remember that regardless of talent, South Africa’s selectors have ethnic targets to reach. It’s just fortunate for them – and world cricket, as it happens – that their pool of talent is currently so deep.
December 30th, 2008 at 10.52 pm
Will
I would never call a man ignorant for seeking greener pastures and you’re absolutely correct he made the right decision for himself, clearly.
My point is that Pietersen is publicly criticising something he doesn’t understand fully.
Andre Nel was omitted purely on performance, or lack of. His replacement, Langeveldt retired from international cricket because he didn’t want to be a “quota” selection but the reality is that Langeveldt has a better first class and international record than Nel and so does Zondeki (leading wicket taker 2 seasons in a row) who was subsequently called up to replace Langeveldt.
Nobody knows the true full story behind the Arthur, Arendse spat but the qouta system roughly states that if there are two players – one white, the other another race – of equal talent, preference must be given to the non-white player.
In this case we had an underperforming Nel in the squad with two black players putting in great performances hence if Arendse wanted Nel’s omition for one of the two, he was doing his job.
The other thing is Mickey Arthur told Inside Edge that it was a strategic decision from himself and Graeme Smith to overlook Nel as they were looking for a swing bowler for India (Langeveldt) and to build for the next world cup. Remember also that Makhaya Ntini was also omitted (from the ODI side) as well as Nel.
Okay I’m rambling… point is that we can over-analyse every selection/omition and look for potential “wrongdoings” to vilify the quota system but like I said it is a necessary process for SA sports and must be embraced.
December 31st, 2008 at 12.08 am
I don’t have aproblem with funding for the game in under-privileged areas, but I don’t embrace quota systems or targets one bit. I remember when Jacques Rudolph had to have his debut put off because the chairman of selectors (or someone even higher up) wanted another coloured player in the team, so Justin Ontong made his debut instead. That’s just despicable. And, yes, apartheid and the sport selection policies pre-isolation were despicable too, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
December 31st, 2008 at 1.14 am
Marcus
Yes Marcus and back then they were players with similar talent. Rudolpd got his chance at test cricket because he was a batsman who coul spin a bit. He played 35 tests in the top order and averagerd 36.21 so he can’t say he didn’t get his chance.
Ontong got his chance in ODIs because he was more a spiner who could bat at six or seven.
However way you look at it I woudn’t call 35 tests
“despicable”. They both deserved their chance, they both got a go at what selectors thought would best suit their skills at the time.
December 31st, 2008 at 3.32 am
Ferdinand
Yes, Rudolph did get his chance eventually, but he shouldn’t have been denied that chance when he was simply because he was white and Ontong was coloured! I mean, you could use the same logic to say that O.J. Simpson being aquitted of murder in the 90s doesn’t really matter, because the police got him in the end. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
Maybe Rudolph and Ontong were of roughly similar talent, but there’s more to talent alone, and that’s performance. If the selectors at the time felt that Rudolph’s performance was better at that point in time than Ontong’s, and that he warranted a place in the XI on performance (and I think that’s a fair assumption), then it shouldn’t be up to anyone else to overrule them on the basis of colour.
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