ODI final: SA vs AUS.

[ReppohC]

First lets set the scene... Aus lost the first two matches, but managed to win the second two. 2-2 coming into this match, the "grand final" of the series.

And Wow... Simply amazing. Literally the best ODI in history and we lost

I was laughing when we got to 300 with 10 overs to go... 434 was simply amazing. Then SA came out swinging and that smile on my face slowly turned upside down... they where constantly getting boundry's and 8 - 9 / over. I thought we could do it, heck they still needed 9 an over the whole match. But then they showed the "worm" graphs... SA was always a good 40 run infront, at one point it was 60 I believe. Then Brachen dropped Gibbs on 130, Gibbs then slaughtered us and ended up belting 175 off 111. Boucher played a great knock as well, kept the boundries coming.

Then it went something like this;

36 off 21 balls

30 from 18 balls
26 from 17 balls
20 from 15 balls
17 from 13 balls
13 from 12 balls

(17 off that Mick Lewis over !!!)

Wicked catch from Hussey. 423 - 8 need 12 from 10

9 from 8 balls
7 from 6 balls
6 from 5 balls

Lee got pegged on the foot saving 4 runs.

2 off 4 balls

"OMFG WICKET"

2 off 3 balls

1 from 2 balls

SA win by 4 runs with 1 wicket and 1 ball to spare.


I fell really bad for Mick Lewis tho. 113 runs off 10 overs (new WR for worst ever). He had 5 overs where he got knocked for 17 / 18 runs.


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee!!! how could we lose ?!

This is just like the Ashes, some stupidly exciting match in which it comes down to one run and we lose. The games are scripted I tells ya !!111

[Nigel]

Sounds like a good match

[matticooper]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee!!! how could we lose ?!

Gonna state the obvious here but McGrath. He bowls tight and makes the batsmen think. Mick Lewis ain't there yet and neither are a few of the other guys that were played during the summer series over here. Granted, they're doing a good job, but to bowl the 2nd last over in that position having just been belt for 17 runs in the past few overs... banging your head against a brick wall ain't gonna change anything.

But that all falls back on the people that make those decisions in the first place... selectors/captain. You decide.

[pixelboy]

Sounds like a bit of a joke.

Do the South African groundsmen not know how to prepare pitch's?

[Righteous]

What is even more hard to comprehend is why with 5 overs left, didnt brett lee come on to bowl? Lewis's last 2 overs he got smashed for 30 runs or something. Brett lee didnt even bowl his 10. WTF

[norbs]

My thoughts here.....

http://www.theslab.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=225

[Nigel]

Sounds like a bit of a joke.

Do the South African groundsmen not know how to prepare pitch's?

Blaming the pitch ??

[Scuderia_Alan]

Crazy but in an impressive way seeing a score that would look fantastic for a test innings being replicated in 50 overs, twice. I'm no expert so what I say doesn't carry much with cricket but that field looked a little smaller than normal. Is it a regular international cricket ground because from the name it sounded like it belonged to a Super 14 team. Pretty poor captaining but do you think 20/20 is creating a new mentality which is creeping into the one day game? You know bat big then bowl for wickets.

[somebloke]

Blame the selectors, persisting with this pre-World Cup bullshit with a younger line up (so they claim, yet Lewis is 31). Frankly we're fucked for the WC in my opinion with who we're playing or trying to play.

Tait, Gillespie even 35 yr old Bichel is better then the crap we've got as bowlers. Lee and Bracken are the only ones i could put in that side. MacGill would be another. There is clearly better talent but once again our selectors are costing us games with their decisions that only they must understand.

Not defending a total such as what we got shows the lack of depth in the bowling. So we claim to give the younger guys a run yet we hold out on Cosgrove in the batting ranks. I've never understood the selectors except for their double standards and NSW bias.

Same can be said for Brad Hodge? What exactly did he do wrong this summer just past? Last test was a double century, yet we use Martyn who's well past it and done fuck all since The Ashes (except for a big 20/20 knock).

As for who bowled in the current game, generally a common rule of thumb is to bowl your least getting slogged bowlers.... Even then what stopped trying Ponting, Martyn for an over to get a wicket as the batsman were having to get themselves out slogging....

[pixelboy]

Blaming the pitch ??

Damm straight..... If BOTH teams can get 40 runs above the world record then the pitch/oval has got to be to blame.

The media are calling it the greatest game ever... Its stupid if you ask me. Slog slog slog...

Test cricket is the only form of the game that should be called cricket IMHO.

[Righteous]

You old fart pixel

Get with it man, soon it will be 5 overs each and it wil be on everynight of the week, it'll go for halfan hour on channel 10 just after the simpsons.

[norbs]

I tend to agree with Pix. The bowlers are being taken out of the game in 1 day cricket. Small grounds and run friendly pitches are making it too batsmen friendly IMHO.

That pitch was a belter. It allowed the batsman to chance his arm and get away with it 99% of the time. Not good for the game.

[Vilante]

I think you're right there Norbs, it wasn't that long ago that getting to 300 was a huge feat. Now the mark is 400, where does it end? Poor bowlers - lol

[Nigel]

I tend to agree with Pix. The bowlers are being taken out of the game in 1 day cricket. Small grounds and run friendly pitches are making it too batsmen friendly IMHO.

That pitch was a belter. It allowed the batsman to chance his arm and get away with it 99% of the time. Not good for the game.

agrees with norbs and pix. Who would have thunk it.

[Montey]

I think this game (series) is another example of why Ponting is a poor captain. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a great batsman and a very fine fielder, but as captains go he is a long way down the list of qualified people.

Persisting with Lewis when he was getting carted around the park was the dumbest idea ever. I realise everyone was getting carted, but not to that extent.

It's also worth noting that England have not won a series since they beat us in the Ashes, so whilst the English pitches were doctored it does demonstrate that we did not get beaten by a vastly improved team.

[Bauer]

Test cricket is the only form of the game that should be called cricket IMHO.

50/50 cricket is just not cricket.

but its prolly only the last few years that I have lost the 'gotta get in front of the telly cos the cricket is on' desire for 50 over matches. For me test cricket is where the true sportsmen shine

[matticooper]

Test Cricket - The thinking man's game
ODI - The pressure game
20/20 - The slog game

[Sarsippius]

I didn't see the game but Ponting has always been a bit suspect with his bowling options near the end of a one day innings.

[somebloke]

In his defence he doesn't have the McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowich, Bichel, Lee, Warne etc line up that he had a few years back. It's slim picking already but there is better out there then our selectors are choosing. Still not bowling your main strike bowler is a strange one.

Fortunately Test cricket is still where it's at for ultimate form of the game. Just took The Ashes to show it for many people with Aus usually thumping a team by an innings of late on home turf. Come November i think we're in for a classic showdown against the Poms.