South Africa vs Australia 2nd Test

[Dog_ger]

I can't see Lee getting back into the test team. I honestly don't think he should.

agreed

[Thiele]

South Africa 7/138 at Stumps

[Dirko]

Kallis' woman is a freaking stunner.

[hearts on fire]

Jeeze, this tour just keeps getting better!!

This doesn't even look like the side that played here a few weeks ago, but i am not getting ahead of myself, keep it up boys!

[wycbloods]

Anyone else notice that Kallis is the only right handed batsmen to score over 10 so far

[FlyingHigh]

OK to clarify my comment about Ponting being the worst captain since...I think the Duminy dismissal in the 2nd innings of the last test was a rare slice of Ponting genius as captain. So maybe he's getting better. Keep learning Ricky!

Just a further clarification.Ponting has the best winning percentage of any captain in the history of test cricket.Keep dishing up the rubbish Purch.

He has a great winning percentage but I agree with Purch. He reckons he's the worst captain since Kim Hughes.

AB
Tubby
Waugh

all ahead of Punter I'd suggest. I thought tactically he was very poor in England in 2005 and in India last year although the selectors didn't help a great deal in that series. Winning percentages aren't the complete picture of the how good a captain is, you need to have a look at the troops at their disposal and how they are deployed.

regards,

REB

Fair call,but the fact is that no team can be expected to win every series they play.There's no way I'd put Punter ahead of Waugh,who I believe is the greatest captain we've ever had,but I wonder if all the knockers will applaud Ponting after we win this series.He did have a lot of great players at his disposal,but now they're gone,and we're still playing some bloody good cricket.Look what happened when Chappell,Marsh and Lillee retired.Took AB 5 years to get us off the bottom of the heap.I guarantee every player in the Aussie team would feel ten feet tall knowing that Punter is their captain.And to put Tubby ahead of him is a joke IMO.

You're kidding aren't you? Tubby was the best captain of that lot by a country mile, and perhaps only bettered by Ian Chappell over the last 40 years.
Sure, AB didn't have the players at his disposal for the first few years as captain, but in the latter years was far too conservative, eg not being able to beat WI in 92/93 when they had already started their decline, or South Africa the next summer.
People will argue Taylor had the best "list", but McGrath was young and unproven at the time, Warne, while doing some great things was still young, Fleming and McDermott broke down in the West Indies, the opening position was unsettled after the selectors messed with Slater. How far do you think Warne may have got in the game if it wasn't for the help of Taylor and Mo Matthews whilst AB was still captain? Not to mention Taylor's attitude towards the way test cricket should be played is often overlooked in the renaissance of test cricket in the mid-90's.
Waugh had the absolute cream-of-the-crop list to choose from, great players at their peak ages.
Ponting has been rightly questioned as he has seemed to take over the attitude from Waugh that "we are the best" and crushing opponents into the dirt has been more of a focus than actual tactical aptitude. However, it appears he has taken stock after the Perth and Melbourne tests, realising the tactical side is going to be more important because of the player turnover, and inspiring, and being inspired by, the new players' enthusiasm.

[FD88]

So the first two days have belonged to us. No doubt Punter will make it abundantly clear again how crucial it is to keep the discipline up for the third day. What a golden opportunity to wrap the series up this is with Smithy out of the game.

[JK]

And another great start, Steyn gone 2nd ball of the morning.

[rod_rooster]

Ntini gone first ball as well. SAF all out 138.

Aussies not enforcing the follow on.

[JK]

All over for the Saffies, Siddle on a hattrick next inning.

Ponting decided not to enforce the follow-on .. Id wondered wether 2 wickets in only 3 balls might have swayed his decision, but obviously not.

Hard to tell from such a short bit of play in the morning, but I reckon the pitch will still do a bit early

[hearts on fire]

Excellent.

We need a strong start like last innings, so if we do fail again in the later stages of the innings, we have something to fall back on.

Are we looking at setting a similar total as the last Test for the South African's to chase?

[Dogwatcher]

That session between lunch and tea y'day was easily one of the best I have watched in a very long time.

Sustained aggression. Then Kallis fighting it out with Duminy. Gutsy stuff.
Pity Kallis got whacked - would've been nice to see if he could have continued the fight.

Great effort by the Aussies so far. The Saffies must be wondering why they couldn't get the same on the opening day.

[JK]

Meant to say earlier too, given the grief he's copped over a few errors, great catch by Haddin for the 1st wicket to get the ball rolling

[Dirko]

Excellent start. All out for 138, a lead of 214 for the Aussies.

Bat all day today hopefully, and be in front by around 500 odd by stumps !!

[NFC]

Well, safe to say that was a tidy start to the day for the Aussies.

Aus batting again.

[centrewing]

That session between lunch and tea y'day was easily one of the best I have watched in a very long time.

Sustained aggression. Then Kallis fighting it out with Duminy. Gutsy stuff.
Pity Kallis got whacked - would've been nice to see if he could have continued the fight.

Great effort by the Aussies so far. The Saffies must be wondering why they couldn't get the same on the opening day.

because they were crap... too wayward and they showed no aggression at all until after tea when steyn got katich

[NFC]

Kallis' woman is a freaking stunner.

Fine effort mate, well done. She's a beauty.

[NFC]

And let the commentators bagging of Hughes commence.

[Dirko]

No worries

Wish they bloody put the wickets FIRST on the scorecard....

Just had a palpitation thinking Hughes got out....

[NFC]

Question:

Could the commentators hate Hughes any more?