2ND TEST MATCH AUST V STH. AFRICA AT THE MCG

[Adelaide Hawk]

We could win Tests in the past with 320 on the board, but we had Warne and McGrath. We can't get away with sloppy batting any more. When we get on a 400+ deck (like Perth and Melbourne), we have to make 450, not 350.

The thing that will decide this series is how the top 6 perform from each team in batting. The fielding is similar, the bowling is similar, and so is the batting. However, Aussies' batting is underperforming and making the South African attack look a little more penetrating that they actually are.

Watching Perth and now Melbourne, I am fed up with seeing batsmen getting out trying to force shots and not playing balls on their merits. That's 20/20 stuff, not Test cricket.

If batsmen like Smith, Kallis, deVilliers, etc get in on this deck, we are in heaps of trouble.

[Hondo]

I agree that it's frustrating watching him get out the way he does at times but you can't drop him for the way he gets out. You can't drop the guy because he has the potential to make more runs than he does if despite that he is still making more runs than the next best option would. Roy is a very much needed player in the Australian side in all forms of the game and it's time those who don't agree get over it. FFS no-one will get stuck into Hussey (and nor should they) and what's he done lately?

The rumblings on Hussey are starting already Rod. And rightly so. No player should be such a favourite son that he's picked just because of who he is or what he did a few seasons back.

"You can't drop him for the way he gets out" ... Of course you can ... that's what lead to many before him getting dropped - Martyn, Hookes, Jones, to name a few. If you look a $m but only score 27 and get out to a blinder you've contributed nothing more than the guy who spends 2 hours struggling to 27, at the end of the day.

Roy doesn't bowl much anymore, is great in the field, and is a good tonker of the ball at number 6. That works great when the first 5 have got the team off to a great start. But he comes off looking like a T20 slogger when he has to come in at 4-80 and actually build an innings.

IMO he will eventually lose his test spot but continue to be a force in T20 and ODI's. He's playing mostly as a specialist batsman so there's several guys around the country who would be ahead of him purely as a batsman. D Hussey for one.

Roy's safe for a little while longer but you make it sound like he's the most important player in the side, which he's simply not.

[Dutchy]

Only 63000 at the MCG today, like to know if that is close to the smallest Boxing Day crowd in the last 10 or so years

would suggest its one of the biggest crowds in the past 10 years Locky (barring the Ashes possibly the biggest)

[Thiele]

6/302

[locky801]

Aust 6/322

Clarke 56*

Lee 21* off of 17 balls

Bright start this morning

[locky801]

2 quick wickets to Steyn

Aust now 8/332

Clarke 62*

Hauritz 0*

[locky801]

8/347

Clarke 65*

Hauritz 12*


another 50 odd would be invaluable to say the least

[locky801]

9/352

Hauritz now gone to Steyn as well ( didn't someone say yesterday he wasn't that good )


Clarke 70*

Siddle 0*

Steyn 5/84

[dinglinga]

bloody hell!!!!!!

who can i bag in the australian attack and turn karma on me

[locky801]

bloody hell!!!!!!

who can i bag in the australian attack and turn karma on me

[FD88]

This is a good score - our attack in even half-decent touch would take us into the second innings with a lead. Just one quick to help Johnson out would be enough.

People bag Bill Lawry (well they tend to bag anyone with a mic near them) but he was right on the money last match about the target set for South Africa not being enough. This time around he thinks we've made a good fist of it; hopefully he's right.

[NFC]

This is a good score - our attack in even half-decent touch would take us into the second innings with a lead. Just one quick to help Johnson out would be enough.

People bag Bill Lawry (well they tend to bag anyone with a mic near them) but he was right on the money last match about the target set for South Africa not being enough. This time around he thinks we've made a good fist of it; hopefully he's right.

It's not a bad total but I'd feel more confident if we had Hilfenhaus. Still, if Siddle is ever going to perform it's going to be this match.

[locky801]

Aust fighting on

9/389

Clarke dare i say it on 87*

Siddle 19*

[RoosterMarty]

Come on Pup...

[locky801]

Aust akk out 394


Clarke 88*

Siddle out for 19

[FD88]

All out for 394 with Siddle edging it to de Villiers and that unfortunately leaves Pup stranded on 88. On the bright side he displayed the sort of temperament that will go a long way to making him one of the world's finest batsmen. Instead of holing out in frustration he recognised the need to grind it out and the talent ended up coming through. It gives you a lot more confidence in his ability to lead the side down the track and it says a lot about how much talent he really has.

[wycbloods]

394 is about 50 more than we should have got once Steyn knocked Johnson over. Once again our tail has done very well to help us post a very respectable total. Hauritz and Siddle batted very sensibly to form some very handy partnerships with pup. Lets hope some of the heat on Lee will bring out a great performance from him along with Johnson and Siddle lets hope they get stuck into the SA middle/lower order by the end of the day.

[hearts on fire]

That is a pretty good score considering where we were before, great knock by Clarke, hung in there when he was in trouble and made the runs.

Our top order batsmen need to take a look at Clarke's knock, when your in trouble, just hang in there and the runs will come.

[wycbloods]

Lets hope the bowlers capitalise on some of their own good work.

[hearts on fire]

If Lee doesn't get atleast one wicket in his first spell, he will be dropped for the next Test IMO.