The Cricket Thread

[doo_much]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/current/stats/

[Stuart]

*shakes head*

Who is good with cricket stats here now that Ron has left? I would love to know the percentage of South Africa wins when batting second vs batting first...

Since readmission (in ODIs):

Batting first: Played 233; Won 149; Lost 84
Batting second: Played 243; Won 155; Lost 88

[Anakha56]

Thanks Stu. So we don't favor either one interesting.

Oh well lets hope our batsmen come to the front in the next game.

[Mystical_Titan]

Oh well lets hope our batsmen come to the front in the next game.

I've been hoping that for the last five games. South Africa, if my memory serves, have been out for under 200 in four of their last five games. What a contrast to the India vs. Australia series, where only two of the innings in the entire series did not go over 300. I don't think I've ever seen a series where the bowlers got hammered so much!

[Stuart]

Oh well lets hope our batsmen come to the front in the next game.

I've been hoping that for the last five games. South Africa, if my memory serves, have been out for under 200 in four of their last five games. What a contrast to the India vs. Australia series, where only two of the innings in the entire series did not go over 300. I don't think I've ever seen a series where the bowlers got hammered so much!

It's rather sad considering our actual batting performance compared to what it should be on paper.

[Mystical_Titan]

Considering South Africa's performances in the first two games and Pakistan's batting implosion in the first ODI notwithstanding, it's hard to believe that the difference between the two sides could be so great after the fifth game. It was fantastic to see our batting operate with such confidence in the last three games and not look like a deer in the headlights.

One thing that perplexed me greatly was the decision to leave Imran Tahir out of the final ODI. Dale Steyn and, to a lesser degree, Morné Morkel I can understand, but Imran Tahir has finally found his feet in international cricket and then you leave him out of the final game to bring in Robin 29-runs-in-5-overs Peterson. That he still ended as the highest SA wicket taker of the series, along with Ryan McLaren (four games for Tahir to McLaren's five), is certainly a testament to his new-found confidence. On that note, McLaren impressed me greatly during this series and it was also great to see De Kock come good and be more consistent.

[Mystical_Titan]

I just saw on Cricinfo that both Tahir's wickets were stumpings off wide deliveries. That definitely doesn;t happen too often.

[Mystical_Titan]

Mmm... I definitely wasn't expecting this from Australia. They are very much pounding England here.

[doo_much]

And no comments about the Proteas? Or did the word filters eat all the honest opinions?

[Stuart]

And no comments about the Proteas? Or did the word filters eat all the honest opinions?

I don't think that the word filter blocks "choke."

[Anakha56]

I find it interesting that Kalliz & Steyn have been released from the ODI squad. Steyn I can understand but Kallis needs the game time to get back into form otherwise come the World Cup he will be as effective as he was in the last two games <_<.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-te ... s_released

[Mystical_Titan]

I find it interesting that Kalliz & Steyn have been released from the ODI squad. Steyn I can understand but Kallis needs the game time to get back into form otherwise come the World Cup he will be as effective as he was in the last two games <_<.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-te ... s_released

Um... how do you read? They are injured.

[Anakha56]

Must have skipped the part about Kallis being injured. Still it doesn't bode well for the World Cup, 2 games and he gets injured? What's he going to do in the World Cup? Sit out every game and choose who to play against?

[Mystical_Titan]

Must have skipped the part about Kallis being injured. Still it doesn't bode well for the World Cup, 2 games and he gets injured? What's he going to do in the World Cup? Sit out every game and choose who to play against?

Where is the face palm emoticon?

Steyn has a mild left side strain while Kallis, who made his comeback to the 50-over format at the start of the series, has a badly sprained joint on the little finger of his right hand.

Kallis' injury is not the type of injury you get from being unfit or old, but from being hit by the ball in the field or whilst batting.

[KALSTER]

[Anakha56]

Yeah facepalm . I see I still have a lot of unresolved issues to clear away first...

[Mystical_Titan]

Yeah facepalm . I see I still have a lot of unresolved issues to clear away first...

No kidding...

[Tiza]

Hey Team

I was having a few beers with mates last night and a strange argument arose. Hopefully you guys can assist, a few years back probably 10 or so think I was still in primary school South Africa played cricket against someone think it was Australia. I can not remember the details but I think it was a tests and on the day maybe 4th or something they only played for 10 minutes and the game was won. The players then mixed the teams and had like a 10 over mini friendly game or something. Can anyone remember this or does anyone maybe have some extra info? Details are sketchy might have been a one day all i remember is the game finished really early teams were mixed and a friendly was played.

On a side note good to see Ajmal and Afridi have signed to played domestic T20, should help the guys batting as they will face some quality spin.

[Stuart]

Back in those days it was not uncommon to organize an ad hoc one day game if a test finished early. I even remember one where just two players came out for each team and had a quick two over game. Pollock played keeper and came in for some heavy stick with the commentators.

But yeah, it happened back then, and more than once. I think the ICC has actually outlawed it now.

[hamin_aus]

I remember in the 90's the Windies bowled Pakistan out for 49 runs (still the record low in ODI's IIRC) then made the runs for no loss in a couple of overs.

The crowd were not too happy, so they all came back in and played a quick 12 over per side game which was actually 100 times better than the proper fixture

Not sure about the SA vs Aus exhibition match tho

[Anakha56]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-afric ... 96621.html

South Africa faced with Kallis conundrum
With Jacques Kallis being part of South Africa's plans for World Cup 2015, they have to work out the best way to build their eleven around the veteran allrounder - no easy task at the moment

The harsh truth about Johannesburg is that the city only exists because of goldmines. Everything else - the sprawling suburbs, the shopping malls, the largest man-made forest in the world (or so they say) - was built around the need to develop a town for the people who worked the mines and their families.
It fits nicely then that South Africa will start their one-day series against India in this city, where they will begin figuring out how to build their team around its own goldmine - Jacques Kallis. The allrounder made his one-day comeback in the series against Pakistan, although he sat out the final match with a finger sprain, and is expected to play the full series against India in a bid to enter stage two of World Cup 2015 planning. Everyone else will have to fit in around him.

Now that Kallis has recommitted to 50-overs cricket, the shape of South Africa's one-day team has to change again. So far, they've made room for Kallis by leaving out Faf du Plessis, who will have to score mountains of runs to be recalled, especially given the already tight squeeze for places, and there's a chance more will have to fall by the wayside too.

"Having Jacques back does pose some selection challenges because if Jacques is fit and available and in good form, any coach would love to have him," Russell Domingo, South Africa's coach, said. "The issue is figuring out whom to leave out."

...

Follow the link for further reading. My personal thought is that Kallis should be out and that we should get the new blood up and running ASAP if we can't do that then at least look at focusing him on being a bowling all rounder instead of batting as Cullinan suggests. I do feel that since our success rate at World Cup level has been a mixed experience changing it up drastically might not be a bad idea...

[Mystical_Titan]

Follow the link for further reading. My personal thought is that Kallis should be out and that we should get the new blood up and running ASAP if we can't do that then at least look at focusing him on being a bowling all rounder instead of batting as Cullinan suggests. I do feel that since our success rate at World Cup level has been a mixed experience changing it up drastically might not be a bad idea...

We DID change it drastically in 2011 and that still got us nowhere. That was the most balanced and variety-filled squad I'd ever seen for the Proteas and they still couldn't get over the line. It's not a skills problem.

I'd have Kallis drop down to 4, where he has been batting in tests with awesome success, and get de Villiers to come in at 3. If AB gets going, which he does more often than not, that will give Kallis a lot more freedom to express himself, which I think is just what he needs at this stage of his career. The success of Amla at 3 in test cricket has been one of the biggest contributors to Kallis' success at 4.

[Stuart]

look at focusing him on being a bowling all rounder instead of batting as Cullinan suggests

He's a better batsman than a bowler.

[Mystical_Titan]

look at focusing him on being a bowling all rounder instead of batting as Cullinan suggests

He's a better batsman than a bowler.

If you're going to bat Kallis at six, then you may as well just drop him. Kallis' value is as a batsman first. Personally, I think he deserves to go out on his own terms, he's earned that. Having said that, I wasn't a fan of what Tendulkar did and I don't believe Kallis should hang on too long and I am certain that if Kallis feels he is no longer up for the battle or contributing to the team's success, he will call it a day.

[Anakha56]

Well I got some nice conversation going here .

I still think Kallis is taking up space but then I am biased to the fact that he is allowed to come and go as he pleases... <_<

Well here's hoping today's game goes off stunningly and Kallis scores big and gets a massive wicket haul and that he does it in the next game .

Side note wouldn't it be funny if the cricket team didn't make it due to e-tolls...