Cricket

[backontrack]

Yes. Remember this?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/image/527336.html

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Amla's batting average as a captain was over 49. as a non-captain over 51, so I don't think his batting could really have been proved to deteriorate once he was appointed. He probably wouldn't have been pushed ( at this stage, anyway) but he obviously thought someone else could do it better. It's usually England captains who stand down during a series with SA - Hussein, Vaughan and Strauss most recently!

True that, after the Smith's departure, SA need some what an attacking captain like him, who can read the situation and make things happen for the SA. Amla is a great batsman, but as a captain, he is not that aggressive in his approach. Sometimes, he does think out of the box, like the first test, when he asked England to bat first, but then again, it's too much of a risk taking. SA needs a more balanced captain like Faf..AB is going to retire and there is already too much burden on his shoulders, as he is captaining ODI and T20...
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Wow! Dwayne Bravo hits the ball, it hits Peter Nevill's bat as he starts running, ricochets off Adam Zampa (the bowler)'s nose and hits the stumps! Nevill is run out.

I saw that run out.. that ball almost took the nose of the bowler..So painful..Good to see he was back on track and started bowling after a some first aid treatment..
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Virat Kholi has scored first fifty against Australia in Australia, whereas Rohit Sharma racing towards the century..Indian openers putting up a very spectacle show here at WACA.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Virat Kholi has scored first fifty against Australia in Australia, whereas Rohit Sharma racing towards the century..Indian openers putting up a very spectacle show here at WACA.

India recovered from 36-1 with a good stand by Rohit Shama 170 not out (7 x 6 / 13 x 4) and Virat Kohli 91 (1 x 6 / 9 x 4) which took the score onto 243-2 when the next wicket fell.

India have completed their 50 overs, finishing on a total of 308-3.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

India recovered from 36-1 with a good stand by Rohit Shama 170 not out (7 x 6 / 13 x 4) and Virat Kohli 91 (1 x 6 / 9 x 4) which took the score onto 243-2 when the next wicket fell.

India have completed their 50 overs, finishing on a total of 308-3.

308 was quite a target, but Aus chased it quite easily in the end. Aus were 2 down in the first 10 overs, but then Baily and Simth put up a long partnership. Smith is an absolute class and the way he has converted himself from an orthodox leg spinner to an opening batsman, that is just impeccable.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Third Test Match...Day 1 of 5

South Africa made a good start, reaching 117-1, but then saw wickets fall on a regular basis until the score was 225-7 at the fall of the last wicket. England then seemed not to be able to administer the coup de grace at that point and Morris and Rabada took the score along to 267-7 at the close of play.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

In the second ODI India have completed thier 50 with 8/308.
More controversy with the lack of DRS. Rohit Sharma couldn't of edged it any harder. Clearly out but the umpire was unmoved. Snicko shows quite clearly he hit it.

Australia do it easy again.
winning by 7 wickets with 6 balls left.

 

[Busaholic]

NZ somehow contrived to lose their 20/20 match with Pakistan - take a look at the scorecard and you may see what I mean. Swap the sides over and there would be immediate suspicions!

Regarding Ben Stokes, it may be instructive to compare his test stats at the end of the last (second) test to those of Ian Botham at the same stage of his career. So, after 21 tests each, both at the age of 24:-

Botham runs 1035, ave 38.33, 4 centuries, highest score 137
Stokes runs 1282, ave 33.73, 3 centuries, highest score 258
Botham wickets 107, ave 19.60, 5-wicket innings 10 times, best bowling 8-34
Stokes wickets 47, ave 41.93, 5-wicket innings 2 times, best bowling 6-36

There's no doubt then that Botham was a much better bowler at that early stage in his career, but Botham, not a man given to false modesty, considers Stokes to at least be his equal in the batting stakes. Flintoff, who doesn't like getting drawn into these sorts of comparisons, has apparently said that Stokes is a better batsman than him, with more natural talent.
Scyld Berry, the veteran cricket correspondent, had also in his newspaper column compared Stokes to Garry Sobers. So what, you may ask, but the column in question was written and published after only the first day's play in the Cape Town test, with Stokes 74 not out. Extremely prescient!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Third Test Match....Day 2 of 5

An ideal start by England saw Broad and Anderson dismissing Morris and Rabada, both caught behind by Bairstow, to give him six dismissals in the innings, leaving the score at 281-9, but an annoying last wicket stand took the score on to 313, before Stokes dismissed Morkel

Stokes had the best bowling return in the innings...18.1-1-53-3

 

[DarloRich]

England 98-4 in reply

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

England 98-4 in reply

Just lost the 5th wicket (Stokes) with the score now on 202-5.

Root 79 not out. Stokes scored 58 from 54 balls.
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Bad light has stopped play with the score at 238-5

Root 106 not out, with 17 x 4.

 

[Cletus]

Viewing the highlights, it seems Anderson was stopped by the umpire from bowling due to warnings for running on the pitch.

(Stokes replaced him mid-over and took a wicket 1st ball)

It looked like Anderson didn't think he'd been already warned. What was the outcome?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Day 3 saw Root out very quickly for 110 and England were soon all out for 323.

Rabada got a 5-wicket haul....23.1-5-78-5

 

[ainsworth74]

So, will South Africa last the rest of the afternoon session or will England dismiss them in one session?

Currently 46-7 (lead of 36) with Broad now having a rest after taking five wickets @ 1.40 runs per over and Stokes and Finn both chipping in with one apiece and looking likely to take more.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

South Africa (2nd innings) 83 all out

Broad 12.1-6-17-6

England now need just 74 to win

 

[Altfish]

And now over half way to that total without losing a wicket

 

[Greenback]

A good win for England there, and another of Broad's match winning bursts

 

[Abdul Rehman]

A good win for England there, and another of Broad's match winning bursts

Indeed, England is playing very good test cricket and captain Cook has really transformed England into the best test cricketing team.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

So Chris Gayle just scored 56 off 17 for the Renegades. Renegades need to win (171) before the 16th over to make the semi finals.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I am surprised that Pakenhamtrain has not made a posting about the 4th ODI match between Australia and India. Australia batted first and a very good opening stand of 187 between Finch and Warner was a sound base on which to build a good 50 over total, which they did, finishing on 348-8.

India then found the batting track to their liking and seemed well on their way to overhauling the Australian score, reaching 277-1....then a total and utter batting disaster occurred and India lost their last nine wickets for only 46 runs, leaving Australia as match-winners by 25 runs.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I am surprised that Pakenhamtrain has not made a posting about the 4th ODI match between Australia and India. Australia batted first and a very good opening stand of 187 between Finch and Warner was a sound base on which to build a good 50 over total, which they did, finishing on 348-8.

India then found the batting track to their liking and seemed well on their way to overhauling the Australian score, reaching 277-1....then a total and utter batting disaster occurred and India lost their last nine wickets for only 46 runs, leaving Australia as match-winners by 25 runs.

India has some sort of implosion. Was about an hour of carnage as they lost wicket after wicket. Maxwell had a bit of fun out in the middle with a switch hit or two.

Umpire Richard Kettleborough was taken to hospital after reviving a blow to his shin. Of note the umpire at the other end John Ward wore a helmet.

It was a motorway the pitch. You may as well have a bowling machine at the only end. Sad way ODIs have gone.

There's only 1 ODI and 3 T20s left in the Australian summer. A very very poor summer of cricket.
There seems to be more interest in the Big Bash league than the international stuff.
Of note The Finals start tonight.
Top 4 at the end:
Adelaide Strikers
Melbourne Stars
Perth Scorchers.
Sydney Thunder.

Adelaide v Sydney, Adelaide Oval
Melbourne v Perth, MCG tommrow night

Melbourne Stars are in the 5th Finals series in a row. Thier record however is 0-4.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just looked in at 1030 (British time) and South Africa are consolidating matters in the morning session of day 2. The wicketkeeper, de Kock, is now on 85 not out, including 1 x 6 and 12 x 4.

Lunch now taken with the score 421-8.
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Latest update to the above.....

South Africa were eventually all out for 475, with Stokes taking the last wickets that fell and finished with 4-86.

In reply, England are 138-2 at close of play
Hales out for 15
Compton out for 19
Cook 67 not out and Root 31 not out

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

India won the 5th ODI at the SCG by 6 wickets. Australia set the tourists 330 which they chased down with 2 balls to spare.

In the BBL. Sydney Thunder had a suprise win against Adelaide. The Stars broke thier 4 year losing streak and beat the Perth Scorchers. With KP being MOTM for his 63.
Tonights Grand Final is between the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder from the MCG

Having seen KP play rather well this BBL is a bit strange England still have him on the outer. They are shooting themselves in the foot by not having a player of his class in the T20 World cup.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Day 3 started by England progressing to 208-3, then Rabada struck three times to dismiss Root, Taylor and Bairstow to leave England on 211-6.

Rabada now has figures of 5-76. Wicketkeeper de Kock has now four dismissals...all caught behind
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Close of play update

England were all out for 342
Moeen made 61
Rabada had a bowling return of 29-6-112-7

South Africa in their second innings lost Elgar c Bairstow b Anderson for 1 and at close of play were 42-1, with a lead of 175 runs.
Two interesting days in store if the weather holds.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Pakistan again sinking and tumbling, NZ with 70/6, managed to get 280 and 250+ is always a big score against Pakistan batting.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Pakistan again sinking and tumbling, NZ with 70/6, managed to get 280 and 250+ is always a big score against Pakistan batting.

Your summation of the Pakistan batting. was correct and from a position of being 118-2 at one stage, Pakistan were all out for 210.

Boult with 4-40 and Elliott with 3-43 certainly made their bowling tell in this first ODI match.
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Day 4 of the Test Match started so well for England with Anderson taking two very early wickets in the opening session to leave South Africa on 49-3, which then proceeded to 106-4, but Amla with 96 and Bavuma with 78 not out enable South Africa to declare with the score on 248-5.

South Africa then used the available time before close of play to leave England at 2-1 then 8-2 then 18-3, Cook, Hales and Compton all dismissed, before Root and Taylor took the score on to 52-3, which means that on the final day, England will still be 330 runs behind.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Your summation of the Pakistan batting. was correct and from a position of being 118-2 at one stage, Pakistan were all out for 210.

Boult with 4-40 and Elliott with 3-43 certainly made their bowling tell in this first ODI match.
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Day 4 of the Test Match started so well for England with Anderson taking two very early wickets in the opening session to leave South Africa on 49-3, which then proceeded to 106-4, but Amla with 96 and Bavuma with 78 not out enable South Africa to declare with the score on 248-5.

South Africa then used the available time before close of play to leave England at 2-1 then 8-2 then 18-3, Cook, Hales and Compton all dismissed, before Root and Taylor took the score on to 52-3, which means that on the final day, England will still be 330 runs behind.

For a very first time in this series, SA looked into a very solid position. They need to take those seven wickets on the last and with 330 more runs on the board, win is not an option for England. The best England can do is to draw this match and clinch the series with 2-0, but with SA desperate for win, that would be difficult.

 

[DarloRich]

England 101 all out inside an hour - they gave up and were on the plane last week.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

England 101 all out inside an hour - they gave up and were on the plane last week.

Rabada must take some pleasure from his total match bowling return of 13 for 144.

 

[DarloRich]

Rabada must take some pleasure from his total match bowling return of 13 for 144.

I am sure he does - it is a good return!

 

[ainsworth74]

He's a bit inexperienced and therefore occasionally inconsistent but I think Rabada is going to be one hell of a player.