Kingsmead caning
3 Apr 2009
An all-round South African capitulation allowed the Aussies to strike the first blow of the five-match ODI series.
Given the Proteas’ ascendancy when the visitors were reeling at 115-4, one wonders how they managed to lose by a whopping 141 runs. Poor bowling towards the end allowed Mike Hussey and James Hopes to boost the Aussies’ score beyond the expected, and the South African batting effort was just as erratic.
Credit must go to the Aussie bowling attack as they overcame a steady 74-run partnership between Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs to decimate the middle order. With that fellowship broken, the slide began, South Africa losing their last eight wickets for just 54 runs.
Hopes was just as solid with the ball, his tight bowling forcing both Gibbs and JP Duminy into false strokes. But it was the spinner Nathan Hauritz who proved decisive, his constrictive effort squeezing the life out of the Proteas and earning him four wickets.
South Africa will lament poor bowling at the end of Australia’s innings and the poor concentration of their middle order. It’s truly a case of the Proteas losing rather than the Aussies winning.
However, with the momentum of a win, the Aussies will be that much better in Sunday’s match at Centurion. South Africa need to find their mojo, and they need to find it fast.
Australia – 286-7 in 50 overs
Mike Hussey 83*, Brad Haddin 53, James Hopes 38, Dale Steyn 2-45.
South Africa -145 in 33.1 overs
Graeme Smith 52, Herschelle Gibbs 33, Nathan Hauritz 4-29.
Australia won by 141 runs
For the full scorecard click here.
30 Comments
3 Apr 2009, 14:28 pm
Toss-losing dragons!
3 Apr 2009, 15:18 pm
#1 siener: Yip, lost the toss again. Going to be tough batting there at night.
Go Proteas.
3 Apr 2009, 15:37 pm
Australia 80 / 2 after 15 overs.
3 Apr 2009, 16:54 pm
Australia 174 / 5 after 35 overs. Beautiful day here now. Thought there was going to be rain later but it clouds seem to have moved on.
Go Proteas.
3 Apr 2009, 17:34 pm
No coverage on the net or on free to air TV in Aus (but I can stangely watch IPL reruns or Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
3 Apr 2009, 19:44 pm
Hi Puma – we not doing so good here are we ….do you know if we are keeping up with the run rate. I am not watching the game all the time.
3 Apr 2009, 20:30 pm
#6 Zulusharkess: Hello Zulu, I think we are up with the run rate but have lost 3 wickets so far. AB give out unfair. No way was he LBW. The replays shows he got a nick to the bat and it was above the knee. So we lost that wicket due to a bad umpire call. Not good enough. Smith is going well at the moment. I just think though after JP we only have Boucher and Albie then not much batting after. Instead of M. Morkel I would have played Van der Merwe that done well in the 20/20 he can bat and spin bowl. Also would never play Amla in a odi. Would have opened with Pieterson. Lets hope we can do it. Not good to loss the toss in Durban. Always much better to bat first.
3 Apr 2009, 20:31 pm
#7 Puma: loss = lose
3 Apr 2009, 20:33 pm
Okay not many on but will keep you all updated with the odi against Oz from time to time.
3 Apr 2009, 20:38 pm
119 /5
Don’t think we will do it. They need to rethink the opener. Amla is not a opener for odi. Also M. Morkel has to be dropped for a all-rounder. Maybe that new guy Van der Merwe. In Durban we should have probably played Van der Merwe being a batter and a spin bowler.
Next odi at Centurion.
3 Apr 2009, 20:39 pm
Thanks for the info Puma. I agree with the call on Amla. Also, he never seems to perform on his home ground. Even in the tests. That Roelof van der Merwe, what worried me was he seemed to close his eyes and hit. Not a very good technique Lol…
3 Apr 2009, 20:40 pm
oooh – just had a peek and 6 wickets down now. Albie striding to the creases, hope he can to better with the bat than he did with the ball earlier
3 Apr 2009, 20:40 pm
Cheers Zulu, Good luck to our Sharks tomorrow. Hope we can win and also Stormers so it can be a good result for SA. Hoping for a Lions win but maybe playing Chiefs it will be huge ask for them.
Cheers out of here now. Enjoy your evening all.
3 Apr 2009, 20:41 pm
that would be one crease .lol
3 Apr 2009, 20:43 pm
#11 Zulusharkess: He always plays like that in the 20/20 but seems to hit the ball somehow. Maybe thats the way he plays. I would have had him instead of Amla or M. Morkel. Both those guys have to be replaced.
Cheers Zulu catch you tomorrow. I wont post during the game of the Sharks. Will be out with some friends to watch tomorrow.
Enjoy your evening. Nice to catch up with you again.
3 Apr 2009, 20:55 pm
South Africa capitulating nicely here.
3 Apr 2009, 21:17 pm
That was shoking
3 Apr 2009, 21:32 pm
Lyk my Keo is reg, al wat goed is van Durbs is sy rugbyspan … wanneer laas het ons krieketspan daar gewen ?
3 Apr 2009, 22:48 pm
Hashim Amla is so off form it’s about time we let him concentrate on Test cricket only.
Although I hate to admit it, we badly missed Neil McKenzie. Kallis’ return will be greatly appreciated and it was nice to see Makhaya get wickets.
Damn!
4 Apr 2009, 03:52 am
“It’s truly a case of the Proteas losing rather than the Aussies winning…”
Does your bias know no bounds, JC?
Hell, if we’d been in commanding positions, really commanding positions, and “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory” I might concede.
But to get royally rogered, royally, royally rooted, by 140-plus runs with more than 15 overs remaining, and describe it as us losing rather than the Aussies winning in not only pisspoor journalism but churlish in the extreme.
Another wake-up call for the over-rated Proteas…here’s to a better performance at Centurion (from the team as much as from the keo.co.za news report on the match!).
4 Apr 2009, 03:58 am
#19 Ezee-23:
I see you’ve pretty seamlessly latched onto another scapegoat now that Neil McKenzie is not there.
Let me assure you, just as Neil McKenzie alone was not the reason for the Proteas’ demise, so Hashim Amla is not.
Indeed, in recent ODIs, Amla has batted very well, far better than Gibbs, De Villiers, Duminy (who sees to be in the process of being found out) and our ‘brilliant’ number six, MV Boucher.
Our bowlers have been dishing up tripe since returning from Oz and last night was no different.
But let’s blame Amla it all on Amla, hey EZEE-23.
4 Apr 2009, 05:17 am
Why are we so unhappy with the Proteas?
This back to back series is a complete mirror image
GAME……IN AUS…..IN SA
TESTS
Test1……SA……..AUS
Test2……SA……..AUS
TEST3……AUS…….SA
20/20
GAME1……AUS…….SA
GAME2……AUS…….SA
ODI,s
GAME1……SA……..AUS
GAME2……AUS…….?
GAME3……SA……..?
GAME4……SA……..?
GAME5……SA……..?
In the 12 games played so far it is 6/6
I hope the rest of the tour is not copied.
If it was a boxing match i would declare SA as the points winner at this stage because,
We chased down the 3rd highest 4th innings score
We came within 10 balls of making it 2-0 in Aus
We gave them a proper klap in the 3rd test here.
The rest is equal at this stage ,
So the next 4 games will determine who was overall the most successful tean in 08/09
4 Apr 2009, 05:53 am
#22 superBul:
Succinct analogy… here’s to winning the last 4 rounds emphatically…
4 Apr 2009, 07:17 am
CSA lauds Boucher, McKenzie
2009-04-03 14:33
Cape Town – Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday extended its congratulations to Mark Boucher and Neil McKenzie on being named two of the five cricketers of the year in the 2009 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
“Wisden is the bible of cricket,” commented CSA CEO Gerald Majola, “and to be named among its players of the 2008 season is indeed a singular honour and very well-deserved by Mark Boucher and Neil McKenzie.
“They were among the stalwarts of a memorable and historic summer in England when the Castle Proteas won a Test series for the first time since the unification of South African cricket.
“Mark Boucher has become a wicketkeeping legend and this is another extraordinary feather in his cap. For Neil McKenzie, this is something to treasure for a cricketer who is respected and well-liked wherever cricket is played.
“CSA is most grateful to them for their services to cricket, and to Wisden for giving them this wonderful place in cricketing history”.
Boucher said he felt honoured to receive the award. “It is not the reason why I play cricket but it is wonderful to receive this honour from a publication that is and has always been highly respected by cricketers around the world.
“I am particularly pleased for Neil McKenzie. I don’t think he always gets the credit he deserves for his contribution to our successes over the past 12 months.”
“It’s lovely to get the accolade and to be a part of Wisden is a great honour,” commented McKenzie. “2008 was a memorable year for me to get back into the national side and make a contribution to our successes in Bangladesh, India, England and Australia.
“This makes me more determined than ever to put the runs on the board to get back into the national side,” he added.
4 Apr 2009, 07:23 am
IMO the Protea’s problem is a mental one. At times they show tremendous mental strength to fight and win the unthinkable … and then we get the mental breakdown we saw yesterday where some players seemed to think the battle was lost and not worth fighting to the finish. The team’s mentally not consitent – and will therefore be susceptible to choking. We must get this right before the next WC.
4 Apr 2009, 08:15 am
#25 Katsesnor: Same with the Bulls they go into a sleep mode at crucial moments in crucial games. That bouncing ball that led to the Crusaders try was done a few times before , like in the semi in Australia against the Waratahs a few years back, and there is more such incidents.
4 Apr 2009, 08:50 am
Thank you Amla and Johnson. You are a credit to the game and a beacon in this day and age of liars and cheats who abound as bankers, politicians and unfortunately sportsmen and women in this world of ours. In the past, cricket was known as the sport in which you “walked” if you knew you were out and you got your just desserts from your fellow players if you didn’t. The loss of that trait and the acceptability of “let’s see what we can get away with” has caused this world to be in the desperate straits that prevail at present.
Thank you once again – and may you remain as role models for your fellow players, fans and kids – something which is sadly lacking at present now that Gilchrist has left the scene.
4 Apr 2009, 10:13 am
#21 Joe Maher: Maybe I might be too hasty in calling for Amla to be dropped but surely you cant not have recognized that Boucher is still just as important in the bottom order as Graeme Smith is at opener. I dont understand what you still expect the guy to do.
I agree with you about Duminy to an extent but I believe he may be able to turn it around. All it takes is one brilliant knock.
#27 grunk: I think the batsmen has the right to choose.
5 Apr 2009, 00:28 am
#28 Ezee-23:
In limited overs stuff, I care little whether Boucher is there or not.
In Test cricket, I feel strongly that he contributes next to jack-shite and should be dropped.
5 Apr 2009, 01:43 am
#29 Joe Maher: If you think about it there is no one else who would want to bat so low down the order because they’ll never get anywhere as a batsmen. Anyway Mark is good with the bowlers.
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