South Africa V. Australia: 2nd Tst

[Twizzle]

Australia in South Africa, 2005-06
Warne talks golf and three-day Tests
Cricinfo staff
March 23, 2006

Shane Warne took only three wickets at Cape Town, and is happy to get none at Durban if Australia win easily © Getty Images

Shane Warne's teasing of South Africa has increased ahead of the second Test at Durban with him talking about playing golf on days four and five of the match. Australia won the first game inside nine sessions and Warne said a similar result was possible in the game starting on Friday.
"We've obviously got a psychological advantage being a spinner against those guys, with the record that I've got against South Africa and the prospect of even playing two with Stuart MacGill," Warne told AAP. "If we go into those sort of situations and they're telling groundsmen to water [the pitch], then we've got a psychological advantage straight away before a ball is bowled."
Warne, who has 118 wickets at 24.04 against the Proteas, said he was not big-noting and if the surface suited the seamers - with or without South African influence on the groundsman - he would happily take a back seat. "If they want to juice it up and negate me, I'll take my 0 for 40 and we win in three days," he said. "That means a series win and a couple of days of golf. I'll take it every time."
The pitch at Durban has a strong grass covering and is expected to suit swing bowling, reducing MacGill's chances of playing. "You wouldn't think they'd be looking for anything like that this time," Ricky Ponting said of South Africa. "If this wicket ends up being a seamer as well it will be interesting to see how they go with that. I think it just goes to show their fear of the spinners that we do have in our side."
Australia's team will be decided late on Thursday, but Ponting said he did not expect many switches from the first Test unless the pitch changed. Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz are almost certain to start alongside Warne after their success at Cape Town.
Shaun Pollock is fit for South Africa and will be a major weapon for the home side as it attempts to level the three-match series. They will also be looking for a strong performance from Jacques Kallis, who made 6 and 36 in the first Test.
Kallis told AAP he had no problems with a pitch suiting the hosts and also said the team did not fear Warne. "You use your home-town advantage to ask for what type of wicket," he said. "I think everybody does it around the world.
"Warne is a world-class bowler. We don't fear him but we respect him. The guys realise that he's there for entertainment and he always comes up with statements. It creates a laugh or two. We realise what he's trying to do and how he's trying to effect the way you play the game."
© Cricinfo



http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/rsavaus/content/story/241727.html

go Warnie, give 'em hell son

Its only a 3 test series, so this one is virtually sudden death

Starts tomorrow, Friday Night

 

[lockyno1]

Should be over by sunday or early monday! Warnie should get that celebratory golf day!

 

[gregstar]

how does sth africa hope to improve its cricket with seam-friendly pitches?


obviously they've given up on playing spin.

 

[lockyno1]

how does sth africa hope to improve its cricket with seam-friendly pitches?


obviously they've given up on playing spin.

I'd also remind them that Warne and Macgill can spin it on any surface! Proof is that one of Stueys best grounds is the WACA! That is a pace pitch!

 

[Tommy Smith]

MacGill has 6 wickets at the WACA with a best return of 2/37. Hardly conclusive evidence.

 

[lockyno1]

MacGill has 6 wickets at the WACA with a best return of 2/37. Hardly conclusive evidence.

FIRST CLASS I'm talking. He takes a lot of wickets in Perth in comparison to other leggies, Warne included if I am not wrong.

 

[JJ]

regardless, RSA clearly have the better pace attack (Pollock, Ntini, Nel and Kallis), so they'd reasonably expect that a surface favouring quicks would be better for them than one that favours McGill and Warne- Boje is no world-beater

 

[waltzing Meninga]

regardless, RSA clearly have the better pace attack (Pollock, Ntini, Nel and Kallis), so they'd reasonably expect that a surface favouring quicks would be better for them than one that favours McGill and Warne- Boje is no world-beater

on current form I would say our quicks are better, Pollock aside

South Arifca's best chance of winning the test is to prepare a flat deck and bat first.

Clark is unproven on flat wickets, Symonds would become useles if he is not already and Brett Lee is pretty useless on flat decks in test matches.

 

[Twizzle]

you cant put Pollock aside, he is in their team

 

[JJ]

no, Pollock's obviously in their team...

But "current form" obviously refers to Clark's one test...

All I was saying, quite fairly IMO is that

Pollock, Ntini, Nel and Kallis >> Lee, Kasper, Clark and Symonds..

I stand by that, and don't really see how anyone could disagree with it.

Aust's batting lineup is much better, and their spinners very clearly superior

 

[aussies1st]

That Kasper better do something this time.

 

[JJ]

That Kasper better do something this time.

he's a decent bowler... the problem with that pace attack is they're all "decent" or "mediocre" test bowlers - without McGrath and to some extent Gillespie they lack class... Very similar to NZ without Bond - the kiwi trio went very well against the Windies, the Aust attack was good in test 1 - the question is can they do it consistently?

SA's attack looks (on paper) very good...

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

Does South Africa ever look on the mirror. Played 4 tests v Australia this summer, lost 3 including flogged at home in the last one. They'll be down 0-2 in this series having lost 4 of the last 5 and still be pretending to be some kind of opposition.

Last 4 Tests, Drawn, lost by 184 runs, lost by 8 wickets, lost by 7 wickets. Hello Sarf Afrika, see a pattern here ?

Australia would get a better contest if they played 5 days in the nets.

 

[JJ]

Does South Africa ever look on the mirror. Played 4 tests v Australia this summer, lost 3 including flogged at home in the last one. They'll be down 0-2 in this series having lost 4 of the last 5 and still be pretending to be some kind of opposition.

Last 4 Tests, Drawn, lost by 184 runs, lost by 8 wickets, lost by 7 wickets. Hello Sarf Afrika, see a pattern here ?

Australia would get a better contest if they played 5 days in the nets.

In one of those 4, Aust couldn't bowl them out and over generous declarations in pursuit of an unlikely win cost SA dearly.

They also have been hampered greatly by injuries...

to me that means 2 convincing wins to Aust, 1 draw and 1 was was a draw for all money

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

In one of those 4, Aust couldn't bowl them out and over generous declarations in pursuit of an unlikely win cost SA dearly.

They also have been hampered greatly by injuries...

to me that means 2 convincing wins to Aust, 1 draw and 1 was was a draw for all money

Their declarations were put upon them by pressure of having to risk bailing their own arses out of losing previously.

As for injuries/not playing, well McGrath's not playing, don't see any excuses from the Aussies do you ? I see a 7 wicket victory against Sarf Afika on their home soil instead. But hey, keep making the excuses.

 

[JJ]

As for injuries/not playing, well McGrath's not playing

McGrath's not playing because he has more important things to do - but as I've said, you're pace attack looks ordinary without him - they went very well in the first test - I'd reckon it won't last, but who knows

don't see any excuses from the Aussies do you ? I see a 7 wicket victory against Sarf Afika on their home soil instead. But hey, keep making the excuses.

Nope, never heard an excuse from an Aussie.. ever...

just "facts" like poor umpiring, inapprorpriate use of reserve fieldsmen etc etc... never excuses

 

[Red Bear]

Australia bowling line up should be Lee, Gillespie and Clark which compares pretty favourably to SA's wich, despite reputation, hasnt done that much. Pollock doesnt do much at test level these days and hasnt for some time anyway (fantstic one day bowler but).

 

[wildmooka]

Australia bowling line up should be Lee, Gillespie and Clark which compares pretty favourably to SA's wich, despite reputation, hasnt done that much. Pollock doesnt do much at test level these days and hasnt for some time anyway (fantstic one day bowler but).

Pollock is the best cricketer in the world by a furlong...

 

[JJ]

Australia bowling line up should be Lee, Gillespie and Clark which compares pretty favourably to SA's wich, despite reputation, hasnt done that much. Pollock doesnt do much at test level these days and hasnt for some time anyway (fantstic one day bowler but).

Pollock's still a very fine test cricketer, to suggest anything else is ludicrous.

It's interesting that you suggest Pollock doesn't do much at test level these days (I'd reckon he still does more than any of the current Aust attack, bar Warne), and suggest that Gillespie and Clark compare favourably with the RSA attack. The RSA attack has done more in tests in recent times than Gillespie, who currently doesn't play them and was ordinary by his high standards for quite a period before he was dropped. Clark has played 1 test - most people would agree that Pollock, Ntini, Nel, and Kallis all compare well with him at present...

As for Lee, his test record remains pretty ordinary... much more ordinary than Pollock and Ntini who are the fairest comparisons

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

McGrath's not playing because he has more important things to do - but as I've said, you're pace attack looks ordinary without him - they went very well in the first test - I'd reckon it won't last, but who knows



Nope, never heard an excuse from an Aussie.. ever...

just "facts" like poor umpiring, inapprorpriate use of reserve fieldsmen etc etc... never excuses

You know you're losing an argument when you can't stay within the series being discussed.

People are pretty tired of Smith's talk about getting closer to the Aussie's with each game blah blah.

If you want to keep buying into his talk that losing 3 out of 4 tests gives Sarf Afika good momentum go right ahead. Tee off is at 8am Monday morning BTW.