1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Durban March 1-5, 2018 - AUSTRALIA WON

[TheParraboy]

We have a warm up match tomorrow

But the test starts next week Thursday 7pm AEST

We haven't lost at test series over there in a long while. We play well and that should remain

South Africa were under par for mine vs India in the recent test series they played
Wether they can bounce back and be a lot better is a wait and see

Cant wait for this series

 

[jargan83]

A few of the South Africans appear to be under an injury cloud so it will be interesting to see what kind side they can name next week.

 

[JJ]

Yeah, if South Africa can play their best team, they win IMO - but some of their best are nearly as unsound as Chris Lynn

 

[hineyrulz]

Two great attacks and two so so batting line ups.

Especially with the Saffa injury concerns, interesting to see what they do with the wickets. They struggled against an honest but hardly world class Indian line up are they really going to juice up the wickets against our boys???

It’s going to be an awesome series IMO.

 

[TheParraboy]

Im not sure how Warner is gonna go. Is he gonna be a passenger?

The bloke has played everything this summer. Has had no break compared to the others.

While the t20 captaincy seemed to juice him up a bit, test cricket is a different kettle of fish and back to playing the vice captaincy role behind Smith. Hopefully he can contribute with the bat

 

[TheParraboy]

We are doing ok in the warm up match

SA A all out 221 - Cummins 4/32, Haze 3/40

3/87 in reply. Hanscombe got a duck (he wont be in the test side anyway)


https://www.cricket.com.au/news/aus...ts-watch-live-coverage-smith-starc/2018-02-22

 

[Twizzle]

I watched some of the highlights

Smudger gets a ball, just short of a length outside off and drives on the up for 4

Gets almost the same ball again and pulls of the back foot through mid wicket for 4

god he would be a mare to bowl to

 

[TheParraboy]

2nd ball faced MMarsh hits a 6

Aust 4/130

 

[blaza88z]

It's a real 50/50 series, both sides will be suited to the conditions, who ever contributes the most with the bat will be the likely winner, probably the 2 best bowling units in world cricket

 

[Twizzle]

Levers seems to have improved his bowling a bit, some decent pace too

 

[TheParraboy]

It's a real 50/50 series, both sides will be suited to the conditions, who ever contributes the most with the bat will be the likely winner, probably the 2 best bowling units in world cricket

Agree its 50/50

in the past, most of the time you would have said South Africa are favourites, in some of those cases they were a lock. But we somehow have done well each time to be undefeated in a test series over there approaching 3 decades, since apartheid 1991.

However SA have won the last 3 series on our soil

 

[TheParraboy]

Good read

Puts in perspective the amount of days of cricket being played. The likes of AB, GChappell and Tugger were machines compared to the current crop



Australia are not giving the South Africa Test series the respect it deserves

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/austral...-the-respect-it-deserves-20180222-h0wikc.html

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Gotta say - Oozie is the key. Bancroft is going to be really tested, Warnwr will enjoy the faster pitches but you know he's a lottery away from home. Smith you can rely on, the marshes can't be.

Oozie needs to support Smith or it will turn ugly quick.

 

[TheFrog]

If we're relying on Khawaja to ooze runs overseas, we're in trouble, I'd suggest.

 

[TheFrog]

Good read

Puts in perspective the amount of days of cricket being played. The likes of AB, GChappell and Tugger were machines compared to the current crop



Australia are not giving the South Africa Test series the respect it deserves

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/austral...-the-respect-it-deserves-20180222-h0wikc.html

No one does. Cricket is a business. Days spent playing warm up matches overseas could be better spend playing lucrative 20/20s. Money is king. Who cares if you lose Test series overseas when there is money to be made.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

If we're relying on Khawaja to ooze runs overseas, we're in trouble, I'd suggest.

I'd suggest that too if it was in a country where spin was going to be dominant. That's what I'd suggest.

 

[TheParraboy]

No one does. Cricket is a business. Days spent playing warm up matches overseas could be better spend playing lucrative 20/20s. Money is king. Who cares if you lose Test series overseas when there is money to be made.

that's kinda the point

they were playing more cricket before, but todays mob are crying out that they are playing too much, burnout etc...

 

[TheParraboy]

I'd suggest that too if it was in a country where spin was going to be dominant. That's what I'd suggest.

I suggest AG is on the money would be my suggestion...

 

[TheFrog]

I suggest AG is on the money would be my suggestion...

That would be something different.

 

[Twizzle]

decent warm up form by the Aussies, more wickets for Levers too

if he could bat he could be a decent all rounder