South African cricket at the moment is a little slow but I see there is a nice spat developing between the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) and Cricket South Africa. The GCB have been quite vocal in their criticism of Gerald Majola and the handling of the IPL in South Africa.
The full story can be found here but I think the general impression was that the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament held in South Africa was an unequivocal success. Will have to try and drill down into the specifics around the GCB's complaints.
I see that Cricket SA has taken a tough stance as well - no more games at the Wanderers until the GCB withdraws their threats and accusations. Good to see strong leadership at the helm of SA cricket.
The big story of the moment is of course the first Ashes test which looks like it is leaning toward a draw unless the pitch offers something to the Australian bowlers in the last two days. At this moment in time the Aussies are 53 runs ahead with 5 second innings wickets in hand with North and Haddin in and Mitchell Johnson to come in.
I suppose cricket purists can take a bit of solace from the fact that the Poms showed a bit of backbone in their first innings to post a respectable enough target. Good to see that they didn't just depend on Strauss and Pietersen to get them somewhere. Unfortunately I think that Ponting and Katich have showed that it is imperative to actually go on and make big scores if you get a start.
Hilfenhaus with the new ball surprised me a bit - I would have gone with the more bustling Peter Siddle and given Hilfenhaus a slightly older and softer ball and see what he could get it to do. Will be interesting to see what the Australians do in the second innings.
If the Aussies put their foot down in this session I might not like to be the English management in the next few days...
Showing posts with label Peter Siddle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter Siddle. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sorry Pete...
I'll be the first to admit that I think I got Peter Siddle wrong... When he bowled in Australia I was pretty scathing of him calling him "not good enough".
I think he got a fifer in Sydney which I dismissed as him bowling on a bad pitch as well.
Having watched him bowl on SA pitchers, I think
A) I misjudged him slightly
B) He's made the step up to international test cricketer
He bowled fast and dangerously and has been a big contributor to the Aussie success over here. I can imagine a few of our guys are rubbing bruises courtesy of him... eina!
Sorry Pete.... Now just bowl nicely to us today so we can knock off the next 302 runs and square up the series....
Wouldn't that be a nice outcome!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Whatever Trevor...
I've got a lot of respect for Aussie cricketers. They play the game well and they play it hard. They're also good students of the game.
However watching all the back patting and talk about how well Peter Siddle bowled earlier today really got my back up.
With all due respect - if you are sending the ball down at 145km/h on a bouncer length and its skidding through at ankle height, I think you have to be a little more circumspect about the result...
Yeah he bowled okay but would he have achieved the same results on a more reliable track??
Am I being unfair?
However watching all the back patting and talk about how well Peter Siddle bowled earlier today really got my back up.
With all due respect - if you are sending the ball down at 145km/h on a bouncer length and its skidding through at ankle height, I think you have to be a little more circumspect about the result...
Yeah he bowled okay but would he have achieved the same results on a more reliable track??
Am I being unfair?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Selection dillemma
I don't think anybody could have predicted that South Africans would be 2-0 at the conclusion of the Melbourne test but heck here we are...
It's been amazing cricket so far and I can tell you now that Aussie pride is not going to let them just go through the motions in Sydney on the 3rd of January - reputations are on the line....
Going to start with the SA side because they have an intriguing selection dillemma - Prince is back but who goes? Duminy who turned the second test? Mckenzie who has had a torrid series but the first choice opener... I suppose either Amla or Devilliers can open and then Mckenzie will be canned but not sure if I'd agree with dropping him now for a couple of reasons.
The Aussies on the other hand have problems aplenty. Injuries to Brett Lee, Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds (who is out of form) and problems with Matthew Haydens and Michaels Husseys form...
Matthew Hayden,
Simon Katich,
Ricky Ponting (Capt),
Michael Hussey,
Michael Clarke (Vice),
Andrew McDonald,
Brad Haddin (Wk),
Mitchell Johnson,
Nathan Hauritz,
Ben Hilfenhaus,
Peter Siddle,
Doug Bollinger
Bollinger and McDonald are in the Aussie side and I suspect Peter Siddle will also get dropped....
It's been amazing cricket so far and I can tell you now that Aussie pride is not going to let them just go through the motions in Sydney on the 3rd of January - reputations are on the line....
Going to start with the SA side because they have an intriguing selection dillemma - Prince is back but who goes? Duminy who turned the second test? Mckenzie who has had a torrid series but the first choice opener... I suppose either Amla or Devilliers can open and then Mckenzie will be canned but not sure if I'd agree with dropping him now for a couple of reasons.
The Aussies on the other hand have problems aplenty. Injuries to Brett Lee, Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds (who is out of form) and problems with Matthew Haydens and Michaels Husseys form...
Matthew Hayden,
Simon Katich,
Ricky Ponting (Capt),
Michael Hussey,
Michael Clarke (Vice),
Andrew McDonald,
Brad Haddin (Wk),
Mitchell Johnson,
Nathan Hauritz,
Ben Hilfenhaus,
Peter Siddle,
Doug Bollinger
Bollinger and McDonald are in the Aussie side and I suspect Peter Siddle will also get dropped....
Thursday, December 25, 2008
MCG Prediction
Our counterparts over at The Baggy Green are calling for an Aussie win in the second test match in Melbourne tomorrow.
According to the info we’ve got, the Aussies have decided to retain Siddle but replaced Krezja with Hauritz. The South Africans have announced an unchanged side with Prince not considered for selection and Duminy making his second start.
Our opinion for this test is that the outcome is likely to be based on two factors:
Whoever bats first will without question have the upper-hand and we’re guessing that the first innings for both sides will decide the test match – no second innings heroics and neither side wants to be facing either Hauritz or Harris on the last day in Melbourne.
We believe the Siddle move will hurt the Aussies and in a game where both sides are so evenly matched you’re basically weighing up pace attacks comprising Ntini, Steyn and Morkel vs. Johnson, Lee and … well Peter Siddle…. Enough said – hopefully I don’t eat my words.
Another great test match is on the cards and with South Africa striking a pretty big mental blow in the last match, we’ve looking forward to some seriously good cricket action.
Our prediction – A hard fought draw but like we said – he who bats first has the advantage…
According to the info we’ve got, the Aussies have decided to retain Siddle but replaced Krezja with Hauritz. The South Africans have announced an unchanged side with Prince not considered for selection and Duminy making his second start.
Our opinion for this test is that the outcome is likely to be based on two factors:
Whoever bats first will without question have the upper-hand and we’re guessing that the first innings for both sides will decide the test match – no second innings heroics and neither side wants to be facing either Hauritz or Harris on the last day in Melbourne.
We believe the Siddle move will hurt the Aussies and in a game where both sides are so evenly matched you’re basically weighing up pace attacks comprising Ntini, Steyn and Morkel vs. Johnson, Lee and … well Peter Siddle…. Enough said – hopefully I don’t eat my words.
Another great test match is on the cards and with South Africa striking a pretty big mental blow in the last match, we’ve looking forward to some seriously good cricket action.
Our prediction – A hard fought draw but like we said – he who bats first has the advantage…
Monday, December 22, 2008
Aussie 2nd test squad
Following on their loss in the first test to South Africa, the Australians have been quick to make some changes to their squad.
Krezja given the chop but amazingly Siddle was retained - however I'm not convinced he will stay in the starting lineup.
Australia squad
Matthew Hayden,
Simon Katich,
Ricky Ponting (capt),
Michael Hussey,
Michael Clarke (vice),
Andrew Symonds,
Shane Watson,
Brad Haddin (wk),
Brett Lee,
Nathan Hauritz,
Mitchell Johnson,
Ben Hilfenhaus,
Peter Siddle
Surprisingly no mention of Nathan Bracken - thought the Aussie selectors might carry on with the left armer theme....
Krezja given the chop but amazingly Siddle was retained - however I'm not convinced he will stay in the starting lineup.
Australia squad
Matthew Hayden,
Simon Katich,
Ricky Ponting (capt),
Michael Hussey,
Michael Clarke (vice),
Andrew Symonds,
Shane Watson,
Brad Haddin (wk),
Brett Lee,
Nathan Hauritz,
Mitchell Johnson,
Ben Hilfenhaus,
Peter Siddle
Surprisingly no mention of Nathan Bracken - thought the Aussie selectors might carry on with the left armer theme....
Test team reviewed
It is pretty tough to find fault when your side has just chased down the mighty Australians score and recorded the second highest run chase in Test cricket history.... but I thought I'd use this opportunity to touch on a couple of observations from the sidelines.
Batting lineup
Two failures from Mckenzie asks the obvious question about whether he is the right guy to be at the top of the order - the same questions are being asked of his counterpart Matthew Hayden who has hinted at retirement. Sure batters are there to get runs, but the value these guys bring in terms of steel, brains and intelligence is valuable and shouldn't be discounted too quickly.
Of concern for us is the brittleness and length of our 'tail'. Traditionally South Africa has always enjoyed an 8, 9, 10 who would guts it out for a 10, 20 or 30 but when your number 8 looks shaky then you have to worry. Morne Morkel doesn't look like offering any solidity here so we're going to have to be aware of where our batting starts and ends.
Lots of talk about the quality of AB Devilliers century - which was top notch - but lets not forget the role that JP Duminy played. Unlucky in the 1st innings, he came back well and proved that like Ashwell Prince he's a man for a crisis situation. I reckon this innings proved Duminy has the makings of a top test batsman - Herschelle Gibbs with a brain!?
Bowling
We bowled the Aussies out twice - not much more needs to be said, although I think Paul Harris needs to crack special mention for his contribution - he was awesome.
A balanced and capable bowling attack.
From the Aussie perspective, I don't think that the same can be said. Krezja looked ordinary and Peter Siddle looks like he has no idea how to bowl quality batters out.
The South Africans looked a little sucseptible to the left arm seam of Johnston but I reckon Ponting has to be a little careful about bowling him into the ground. 60 overs in a test match is a surefire way to wear out your premium strike bowler.
All in all - a great performance from SA typifying the new mental strength that the side has acquired and next up we've got the Boxing Day test...
Batting lineup
Two failures from Mckenzie asks the obvious question about whether he is the right guy to be at the top of the order - the same questions are being asked of his counterpart Matthew Hayden who has hinted at retirement. Sure batters are there to get runs, but the value these guys bring in terms of steel, brains and intelligence is valuable and shouldn't be discounted too quickly.
Of concern for us is the brittleness and length of our 'tail'. Traditionally South Africa has always enjoyed an 8, 9, 10 who would guts it out for a 10, 20 or 30 but when your number 8 looks shaky then you have to worry. Morne Morkel doesn't look like offering any solidity here so we're going to have to be aware of where our batting starts and ends.
Lots of talk about the quality of AB Devilliers century - which was top notch - but lets not forget the role that JP Duminy played. Unlucky in the 1st innings, he came back well and proved that like Ashwell Prince he's a man for a crisis situation. I reckon this innings proved Duminy has the makings of a top test batsman - Herschelle Gibbs with a brain!?
Bowling
We bowled the Aussies out twice - not much more needs to be said, although I think Paul Harris needs to crack special mention for his contribution - he was awesome.
A balanced and capable bowling attack.
From the Aussie perspective, I don't think that the same can be said. Krezja looked ordinary and Peter Siddle looks like he has no idea how to bowl quality batters out.
The South Africans looked a little sucseptible to the left arm seam of Johnston but I reckon Ponting has to be a little careful about bowling him into the ground. 60 overs in a test match is a surefire way to wear out your premium strike bowler.
All in all - a great performance from SA typifying the new mental strength that the side has acquired and next up we've got the Boxing Day test...
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