Boland in for Cummins…
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Two aging spinners become the key players in the latter part of this test. Puffs of dust are visible and the ball is turning square. Lyon needs to strike regularly in the morning session with support of the fast bowlers at the other end. Runs are gold. Australia would not be wanting to have to chase much more than 100. 150 is too much on that track
Fascinating test cricket
Lyon couldn’t turn the ball even if he had 11 fingers in his hand
Connolly is the weapon here turning it away from the Boer RH’ers
But you watch the George McDud foundation turn a blind eye as usual
It’s there in front of them with Connolly
I reckon the winner here is the curator, pitch has helped everyone at some stage and its only stumps on day 3
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Head may be an important part of a small run chase if he can quickly trim 30 or 40 off a tricky target
Depends when he chops one into his Stumps,….
Cummins has had 2 very average tests, out of 76 tests played…has 326 wickets at 22…geez talk about some hard task masters on here…agree Boland didn’t deserve to be dropped…but sport like everyday life, ain’t always going to be fair some times…anyway if folk are Mona Lising about Aust test team being too old…isn’t Boland the oldest of all the 4 fast bowlers?
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I didnt see Boland jumping out of the way of the ball like Cummins last night when he dug in to score that 40 as a nightwatchman and bat half the day to frustrate the Saffa bowlers!
Scott Boland has become a national hero
Just a gutsy guy who gives it everything
Everything every time
I haven’t seen an average like that for us
Slowly but surely South Africa are taking control of this match. If ever they needed a bagful of wickets from the Captain its now.
Cummins finally broke his duck but tbh it was another dreadful shot by a SAFFER batsman
Surely time to pension Lyon off, he is not causing any problems on a day 4 pitch
One wicket (Matthew Breetzke) is at least a good start, mikeh.
According to the cricinfo website commentary, it’s been 374 balls and 210 runs conceded since Pat Cummins’ last wicket.
I can relate to that from those long-ago days playing farmyard cricket with my more talented brothers.
However, the Proteas bat deep, so we’ll need to take wickets in regular clusters rather than here and there.
That horrible little collapse will come back to haunt this old side
AD I think that the trump cards for South Africa in the 2nd innings won’t be Rabada and Jansen rather Mulder who bowls stump to stump and Harmer who will enjoy bowling into Starcs footmarks. If SA get to 300 for a 200 lead, it may be a bridge too far for this shaky batting line up
If the Australians lose this series they will reflect on a litany of poor decision making, starting with the ludicrous decision to pick Maddinson and in this game, leaving Boland out, the stupid decision to bowl first, a refusal to consider any spin option other than Lyon and indulging Marnus even though he was not performing. The warning signs were clear when they lost to Bangladesh in August but they were obviously ignored or dismissed as a blip
This is a team selected on reputation rather than form and if defeat in this series leads to a realisation that things need to change then I think most Aussie supporters would be able to wear that
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ahhh the good old George McDodderald Foundation
the iPad wielding experts on the cricketer who never ever ages
the gift that keeps on giving
New ball has had a positive impact … for South Africa. 1 for 104 so far today. Australian bowlers have not fired a shot.
Credit to the SAFFERs. They have ground the aging attack into the dust
And ground that Cummins/McDonald/Bailey regime fan boy club in to the dust as well…
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The Saffers might aim to extend their current lead of 194 runs to 300 and then have a crack at us for a few overs before stumps.
Not looking good from an Aussie perspective at this stage.
There seemed to be an air of resignation in the team once the new ball was seen off. Bowling guys like Head and Marnus before tea seemed to be an effort to catch up with the over rate rather than an attempt to get anyone out. I think that the South Africans may well get more out of this pitch than the tired group of bowlers currently using it. If I was a selector this would be Nathan Lyons last test but they are going to give him a farewell tour like they did with Warner to the detriment of the up and coming spinners. Its been a great band of players but the time to refresh is long overdue
We were just a bit unlucky to lose the toss and have to field on the first day.. oh hang on?
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Pat was just honouring Bob(Willis)with that pearler,…
Lyon may have 500+ wickets but I cant consider him a great.
The amount of times in the second innings on a worn pitch when all set up for him he has hardly ever bowled us to victory by running through a side.