Proteas fall short
18 Jan 2009
South Africa squandered the chance to go 2-0 up in the series as Australia won the second ODI in Hobart by five runs.
Chasing 250 for victory, the Proteas would have backed themselves for the win but their inability to lift their run rate proved to be their undoing.
Mark Boucher tried in vain to see South Africa home, but needing 17 off the final over the Proteas fell just short.
Jacques Kallis played well for his 72, but both he and AB de Villiers could be criticised for failing to push on when South Africa required it, and in the end, left the likes of Boucher and Albie Morkel with too much to do.
Earlier in the day, South Africa pegged the Aussies back when youngster David Warner was caught behind off the bowling of Dale Steyn, but skipper Ricky Ponting and Shaun Marsh put on 135 for the second wicket taking Australia past the 150-mark.
Having reached this milestone with plenty of wickets in hand, 300 looked on the cards, but some disciplined bowling from the Proteas restricted the Australians to 249-9 off their 50 overs. Nevertheless, the total proved to be enough as Australia levelled the series at 1-1 with three to play.
Despite the Proteas’ disappointment, the match was once again a wonderful showcase for 50-over cricket with the game keeping fans on the edge of their seats right until the last over.
Australia 249-9 (50 overs)
Shaun Marsh 78, Ricky Ponting 64, Makhaya Ntini 3-39.
South Africa 244-6 (50 overs)
Jacques Kallis 72, AB de Villiers 44, Ben Hilfenhaus 2-60.
Australia won by five runs.
For a full scorecard click here.
369 Comments
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18 Jan 2009, 08:26 am
#195 superBul: I said it earlier instead of Boucher they should have sent in Morkel. Big mistake not have done that. These two just cant get the runs.
18 Jan 2009, 08:27 am
#199 Puma: they need to let those hands go a litle bit…however another wicket has just fallen( JP Duminy)
18 Jan 2009, 08:27 am
JP out. Its just too late now anyway to get the runs. Only 3 overs left.
18 Jan 2009, 08:28 am
why not dance down the wicket and loft it somewhere , no these guy will give me a heart attack. Just try it.
18 Jan 2009, 08:29 am
#200 Puma: I am still confident, though I must concur with you, its not looking as bright as the sun…
18 Jan 2009, 08:30 am
husband trying to give me heart failure now, he left early to play competitive bowls at Richards Bay and just phoned to say he can’t find the club ! Was joking the bugger, gave me a real rev !
18 Jan 2009, 08:30 am
#205 Plegend007: Need 44 off the last 3 overs. Cant see it happen. Then it could but its going to be very tough. They batted just so slow up the order today then when we should have sent in a guy that can hit big they send in Boucher. Morkel should have come in at that time.
18 Jan 2009, 08:32 am
29 out 14? its on…
18 Jan 2009, 08:33 am
#207 Puma: It will my friend, watch it happen…lol
18 Jan 2009, 08:37 am
#209 Plegend007: Not so sure. Only 8 balls left now. See when Morkel comes in he gets the runs. Big mistake not sending him in earlier.
18 Jan 2009, 08:37 am
Why is Boucher batting ahead of Morkel, in fact, why is he playing in the ODI in the first place, surely AB can keep wicket like Kumar is doing for Sri Lanka
18 Jan 2009, 08:38 am
Need 17 off the last over.
18 Jan 2009, 08:42 am
2 balls left. Just hit two sixes please.
18 Jan 2009, 08:44 am
Thanks Boucher, we owe, as a nation, you have been a hero
18 Jan 2009, 08:44 am
its over…Aus wins
18 Jan 2009, 08:44 am
Boucher is a passenger!!!!!!!
18 Jan 2009, 08:45 am
Oz win by 5 runs. This should have been a win for us. We batted just far, far to slow.
18 Jan 2009, 08:45 am
Losing by 5 runs is no disgrace and watching Dave Hussey do the Whew thing with his hand pretending to wipe the sweat from his brow tells you that the Aussies are not comfortable yet. This was too close.
18 Jan 2009, 08:46 am
#216 XhosaKid: No he is not. He batted well. Just that when the sent him into bat should have sent in Morkel instead. Would have got the runs quicker. It was AMLA and GIBBS mostly that were the passenger here. Go take a look who cost us this game.
18 Jan 2009, 08:48 am
#216 XhosaKid: I would love to hear Boucher respond to this comment, and he would probably do so in fluent Xhosa which I believe he can.
18 Jan 2009, 08:49 am
#219 Puma: That is the reason I advocate that we shloul be saying our good byes to Gibbs…the man has had better days…
18 Jan 2009, 08:49 am
#218 Zulusharkess: Not good enough for us. We had this game all the time but gave it away with our slow batting. Had enough wickets in the end aswell. Hardly anyone loses like that ever. We just never batted well. Should have picked up the runs a lot earlier and when we need the runs should have sent in a bigger hitter like Morkel. Hope we have learned by this today. We should have won this. We gave it away. They never bowled that well to keep us out like that. Kallis and Ab too batted just far too slow.
18 Jan 2009, 08:49 am
#218 Zulusharkess: this was unnecessary we should have taken this one now its them on a roll. Well easy to criticize but there is something wrong about this game plan. You cant win all your games in the last 3 overs, rethink boys.
18 Jan 2009, 08:50 am
It has been a long time since I have seen a team make such a pigs ear of a run chase.If you cant catch and hit a boundry until the 46th over you dont deserve to win,this was a very poor Ausie team and didnt deserve to win either,Kallis and De villiers have to take most of the blame for their glacier like scoring rate,you just new they were going to go out just when the tempo neede upping.
Aperfect opportunity to go 2?0 up lost, proteas looked clueless like a bunch of debutants if they not careful that chokers tag will be firmly around their necks again.
18 Jan 2009, 08:51 am
#219 Puma: For me it was Gibbs, and maybe it was too early to send AB back as to me he seemed stiff and still maybe sore. Also, Duminy did not fire which is okay as he can’t be expected to do it everytime. I agree with you that maybe Morkel should have come in earlier but how many times has Boucher saved this team, does anyone remember who was standing at the other end of the wicket when we won the big ODI in Jozi and also when we won the test series against England last year ????
18 Jan 2009, 08:51 am
#221 Plegend007: If they want to keep Gibbs in for the rest of this odi’s they must open with NM and Amla and bring in Gibbs around number 6 when he can just go in and hit big. Maybe he will play better down the order. I think if Gibbs came in when Boucher did we may have won there. Just don’t let him open anymore.
18 Jan 2009, 08:52 am
Cricinfos comments,
What fun. Australia look relieved. South Africa look miffed. Hilfenhaus bowled a tidy last over, despite the six, but he can credit plenty to that man Bracken. The players all shake hands. This was a tense match. Hats off to Australia. South Africa, like the home side earlier in the day, simply lost steam. Australia, led by Bracken, curbed the runs and took wickets.
At one stage it appeared that Australia would have only themselves to blame. They were 1 for 131 half way through their innings, and 300 was on the cards. Even after half-centurions Marsh and Ponting departed in relative succession, surely Australia should have got 280 from there. But South Africa took five wickets for 53 runs in the last 10 overs, and 7 for 92 in the last 20. It was a tremendous comeback to restrict Australia to 249, but there was never a sense of urgency in their chase and they ended up losers. Kallis and de Villiers were batting decently but like Marsh and Ponting, they were separated and the chase lost steam. Credit to Bracken and Hilfenhaus and Harris.
Well folks, its been a terrific match.
18 Jan 2009, 08:52 am
#223 superBul: that is what I said earlier, we let the middle to lower order take the pressure by batting too slowly up front. Yes, Kallis got runs today but too slowly.
18 Jan 2009, 08:54 am
#223 superBul: Agree there. We just gave the game away. Hardly ever do you see a team lose with still wickets in hand. They never boweled that well. We just took our time batting we really should have won it. The top order left a lot for the lower order to do. Not good enough.
18 Jan 2009, 08:55 am
#224 4moreyears: if you dont play your shots and all of a sudden wants to up the rate that is exactly what happens. I dont understand the reluctance to try and go over the top. With such a good batting line up one must at least have 2 players trying that.
18 Jan 2009, 08:56 am
Maybe the answer to why Morkel did not come in earlier was answered in Botha’s interview, Morkel is injured ??
18 Jan 2009, 08:56 am
#227 superBul: We had this game for the taking.
18 Jan 2009, 08:56 am
#226 Puma: I personally do not think it will work either because even in the T20′s he just cant seem able to make those runs he use to, I’ll say he must go, besides he as a top order set up the tone for this horrible run chase
18 Jan 2009, 08:58 am
#230 superBul: Yes agree. We should have been trying to go over the top. Not just a few times but a bit more. Thats what this game is all about. Also whent they send in Boucher probably lost the game then should have sent in Morkel. Probably would have scored quicker then Boucher must come in after. But it was Amla, Gibbs, Kallis and AB that took far too long to get the runs.
18 Jan 2009, 08:59 am
#225 Zulusharkess: Ya too right but SA have always had a habit of not sending in the big men when needed just think Lance Klusener.To be honest Morkel should have come in when Duminy came in and finished off the game SA lacking imagination.
18 Jan 2009, 08:59 am
#231 Zulusharkess: Well then thats why. Well if we lose Morkel to injury we lose a all rounder.
18 Jan 2009, 09:00 am
Sorry to see XhosaKid has gone, wanted him/her to back up his comment.
18 Jan 2009, 09:02 am
#236 Puma: Botha said dislocated, not broken so hopefully he will be still here for the Sidney game on Friday, got several days to come right…thank goodness
18 Jan 2009, 09:02 am
#230 superBul: Ya proteas seemed to take their cue from aus and just dribble out runs,the proteas reluctance to take a risk in the middle is killing us.
18 Jan 2009, 09:03 am
#235 4moreyears: Yes you are right. Thats when Morkel should have come in. Should take our chances there.
#233 Plegend007: Who can take Gibbs place there now? Not sure if we have another batsman there on tour. Please not Van Jaarsveld he is not upto this level. Think when Oz come here they must give Loots Bosman a chance.
18 Jan 2009, 09:03 am
#235 4moreyears: Don’t think that Johan Botha can be credited with having imagination. But he is not making decisions alone. I agree, we needed to be attacking and innovative, not complacent.
18 Jan 2009, 09:04 am
What does Hopes do to deserve 10 overs for only 43 runs, he does not look menacing. Bracken is really a pain somewhere,
he ties us down too much. No we blew this great chance.
18 Jan 2009, 09:05 am
Going to be very tough to win in Sydney huge ground,and with our lack of boundry hitting ability wont be suprised to see our boundary total in single figures.
18 Jan 2009, 09:06 am
#236 Puma: There is a few Titan team mates that can replace him, maybe a good idea to bring Harris back. Did you watch the MTN final?
18 Jan 2009, 09:06 am
#241 Zulusharkess: Absolutely I am having a go at the whole team.
18 Jan 2009, 09:07 am
#242 superBul: Don’t like Aussies full stop, but I do like Bracken. Good committed player and and always a pain in our side or anywhere else you may like to feel it
18 Jan 2009, 09:07 am
#242 superBul: Bracken is bowling well. Not so sure about Hopes. Yip we blew this one big time. Could have and really should have won this one it was there for the taking. Should have been 2 / 0 up now.
I think we miss Polly aswell in these games. Was very tight in these games. Also A. Hall was hardly gave much away in the odi’s.
18 Jan 2009, 09:08 am
#240 Puma: you just mentioned is name, we will really only know if he is given a chance. Gibbs is old and not the player he used to be, he doesnt have the work ethic and discipline to improve on the player he used to be…I’ll say there’s never been a better time to say good bye to him
18 Jan 2009, 09:08 am
#240 Puma: Did SA ever tried Gulam Bodi in ODIs?
18 Jan 2009, 09:08 am
#244 superBul: What a boring game, what were the FS Eagles thinking ? They were at home, they should have made it a bit more interesting than they did. Did you see Corrie’s face ?? Glad I was not in the dressing room after the game. Air must have been blue.
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