Australia vs South Africa

[Kusal Flyer]

Australia vs South Africa

Apparently McDonald's pace averages less than 70 mph.

Meanwhile, Australia are flying in their butler as cover.

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

What a great test this is turning out to be. Going into the final day, all four possible results in test cricket are reasonably conceivable.

It looks like a decent batting wicket, but Australia have the benefit of the new ball still.

Kallis has been playing in ways that will make Raskolnikov quite angry: bowling keenly and successfully, scoring at a fast rate.

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

229/5. It's pretty much over now...

[Duncan Gardner]

Australia vs South Africa

No chance of rain then?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

McDonald got De Villiers, maybe he's better than he looks.

Amla and Kallis were poor dismissals.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

You need some of this:

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

That's what I thought yesterday, but than that eternally springing hope turned up.

Ah well, SA also lost the first test to the West Indies last year...

(there's that fucking eternally springing hope again!)

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

Not a great start in this one either. Ball currently flying to all quarters.

[San Bernardhinault]

Australia vs South Africa

Good lord, South Africa. Do you hate KP and England so much that you're deliberately playing the worst Australian team in living memory into some kind of form?

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

Ugh. Cricket is dead to me.

[The Purple Cow]

Australia vs South Africa

WOW! Brilliant performance by Dale Steyn this morning. He had the Aussies seriously rattled, and his bowling compadres profited. I've never seen Mike Hussey that shaken and upset, he was running his mouth off at a 100 mph, and next over Morkel got him.

Hussey missed a trick in not asking for a new helmet. The makers say you really should get rid of a helmet after it has been hit at 90+ mph. But more importantly it would have brought him five minutes time to calm down.

Brilliant test cricket, Saffers right back in this game. If only they had bowled like this yesterday.

[The Purple Cow]

Australia vs South Africa

Ok, cancel that.

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

Fucking hell. 0/2 in the first over. Fucking hell.

I HATE CRICKET!

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

Mitchell Johnson's good. I don't like to pick on Andrew McDonald, because he seems an honest enough player, but it's quite a drop-off to him. Do Australia really need a batting number 8 that badly, especially given Johnson's 96 not out in the last game?

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

I reckon the cricketing authorities should allow substitutes for injured batsmen. The test is becoming a farce if Australia need to take only 16 or 17 wickets. Safeguards to prevent cheating could be easily implemented. Broken or dislocated fingers can be proved by x-ray. Sub allowed. A back strain can't be proven, no sub allowed.

[Gangster Octopus]

Australia vs South Africa

Oh well...

[Etienne]

Australia vs South Africa

Understand your frustration, G-Man, but I don't see what's changed now after 140 years to make batting substitutes more necessary. If anything, fewer batsmen should be retiring hurt these days with flatter, covered pitches and better protective gear.

If replacement batsmen weren't going to be brought in after this game then I don't see it happening now.

[Rory Bunk]

Australia vs South Africa

I can't let this one go. What a turnaround!

The difference in having some runs come out of the openers is huge. We still need a spinner though. You can't be relying on Simon Katich to locate some rabbits in that cap of his every time.

[Havencheese]

Australia vs South Africa

I've immensely enjoyed not seeing everyone's favourite flat track bully, Brett Lee in this side lately - the man's a flog and probably past it. Seeing Johnson and Peter Siddle 'Vicious' both steaming in and just going about their business instead, has been refreshing.

Add to that Victoria will wrap up the Sheffield Shield later on today.

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

After the massive frustration of losing the home series so meekly, it's nice to see SA administering Australia's first innings defeat in 11 years.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

Brett Lee was good against the West Indies last year. I'd be surprised if he'd turned shite in that time. He's certainly a better bowler than MacDonald who makes Chris Tolley look like Jeff Thomson, so I think he'll get back in the side. He can bat 8, I reckon.

[Etienne]

Australia vs South Africa

Ahead of Johnson?

[G-Man]

Australia vs South Africa

If Lee replaces McDonald, Johnson would presumably move from 8 to 7.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

Ah I didn't mean to give Lee a fixed place in the order. Just meant that he can bat at 8, and this will help him as opposed to Siddle/Hilfenhaus. I reckon he's more likely to do 9, behind Haddin and Johnson. Or with Haddin up to 6, perhaps to chase a series, Lee could do 8.

Lee might benefit from less macho fields which mean he concedes 5 an over even when bowling OK, via third man for example. Maybe as he gets older, he'll get more economical.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Australia vs South Africa

Ah Etienne's linked to one of my favourite test match cards.

Have you ever read Letting Rip by Simon Wilde? He mentions that game. India after 1 day had only lost one wicket, I think.