Proteas fall short
18 Feb 2010
India secured an innings and 58-run win as they dismissed South Africa for 289 late in the final session on day five in the second Test.
So near yet so far. That was how the Test series ended for the Proteas in Kolkata.
It seemed that ton hero Hashim Amla and Morné Morkel were on their way to a miraculous fight at the death to salvage a draw and earn South Africa one of the greatest Test series victories on Indian soil. But their efforts were made in vain and their hopes dashed as Harbhajan Singh trapped Morkel in front for the final wicket.
The Proteas started the day trailing by 232 runs with seven wickets remaining. The goal was to bat the day out, the way England did against them twice in South Africa last month.
Amla and Ashwell Prince started the resistance with a 47-run partnership off 28 overs, but Prince fell victim to Singh, hitting one to Ishant Sharma.
The Proteas then suffered a collapse in the middle order as AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Dale Steyn lost their wickets in quick succession to the Indian spin attack of Singh and Amit Mishra.
Amla’s patient innings kept South Africa’s hopes alive but he needed a partner to support him at the wicket. Call up Wayne Parnell. The tail-ender did superbly to build a 70-run stand with Amla, but he threw away his wicket with a loose shot to mid-on.
Paul Harris was dismissed cheaply and with that, it seemed all hope was gone. But there was another side to the story as Morkel provided the backing Amla required.
The two batted through 21 overs as the sun started to set in Kolkata. It seemed that a draw was achievable with light in the sky fading, but Singh proved to be the hero as he claimed the wicket of Morkel to secure victory. Amla (127* of 499 balls) was left last man standing.
The result saw South Africa and India draw the Test series 1-1.
South Africa (first innings) 296
Hashim Amla 114, Alviro Petersen 100, Zaheer Kahn 4-90.
India (first innings) 643-6d
Virender Sehwag 165, VVS Laxman 143*, MS Dohni 132*, Morne Morkel 2/115.
South Africa (second innings) 289
Hashim Amla 127*, Ashwell Prince 23, Harbhajan Singh 5/59.
India won by an innings and 58 runs
For a full scorecard click here
483 Comments
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18 Feb 2010, 14:12 pm
@Dawn: Amla has really worked his way into the hearts of the CSA supporters. But you’re right. December 2008 Duminy was the golden boy and now he is on the voetsek list. Hahahahahaha
18 Feb 2010, 14:19 pm
@rossoneri:
You KNOW what I mean girlfriend.
18 Feb 2010, 14:26 pm
@TheTackler: 403. No need to translate poonce. We all learn German war songs at assembly.
18 Feb 2010, 14:31 pm
Duminy is a class player who is going through a form slump. If players in that state are dropped back to Domestic level it achieves a lot of positive things.
1. They get the chance to refocus, away from the pressure of international cricket, against weaker opposition, which allows them to build up confidence.
2. It reminds them that places must be fought for.
3. It gives others who have earned an opportunity to play at the top level.
JP is a star talent and he will come right. The current approach is not helping anyone.
18 Feb 2010, 14:56 pm
@Dawn:
Its only fair that people call for him to be dropped Dawn.
Remember when Mckenzie’s form took a dip last year, everyone was calling for his head and he got dropped.
This after a season where he averaged over 50 in the unfamiliar position of opening the batting.
He had an unbelievable season that year, helping SA win in Aus, draw a series on the subcontinent and then helped SA win their first series in England for god knows how long when him and Smith batted for almost 2 days to help draw the final test match.
His form took a dive and then he was dropped. I think the same should apply to Prince and Duminy.
18 Feb 2010, 15:32 pm
Morne van Wyk should be in the middle order…AB playing like k@k days of old,JP and Ashwell not up to it at the mo’…how many chances must they get..?..How many matches must we lose..?
18 Feb 2010, 17:09 pm
Prince must lose his spot for sure. And unfortunately it looks like JP will have to too.
Bring in more hungry youngster who have earned their spots like Alviro
18 Feb 2010, 17:59 pm
Great game. A drawn series is fair. It was played in a good spirit.
Ashwell and JP need time out to work things out.
JP doesn’t seem to know how to play spin or the rising ball. He must own up and take it on the chin. It will mature him and he’ll benefit from it.
We still lack real killer instinct and consistency. We are miles behind the OZ minset of take no prisoners.
Hashim Amla has really been incredible. He has the mind of a very disciplined man. Huge respect. We are proud of his rise to the top. It’s so good for the game in SA. I’m sure he grabbed many a nod in India. It’s very healing what he did in India where his ancestors came from.
The SA Indian community will have extra spices on their food tonight. Hashim did us all proud but the Indian folk in SA will feel a tremendous and special healing. White folk are healed of scars by their (the Indian community’s) healing. We are growing our country often more than we realize.
Hashim is a major hero.
One long shot into the future: Will Gary Kirsten ever be the coach of SA? We shall see.
18 Feb 2010, 18:09 pm
@The corridor of uncertainty: Good spirit..?…mirrors in the crowd reflecting into a batsman’s eyes..?..I call that cheating..!!
18 Feb 2010, 20:01 pm
@John Galt: 455
Mac wasn’t called a “quota” or “non merit” selection then. Believe me, Amla will be called that when he struggles to score runs, just like JP and Prince are called that now.
You think that’s fair?
18 Feb 2010, 21:31 pm
anyone with half a brain can see that Hashy was never ever close to a quota. Prince neither, and JP definately not
The next Ricky Ponting Greg Chappell called him if I recall….
18 Feb 2010, 22:40 pm
The most important match in a long time and the worst performance in a long time (despite the heroics of today that came too late)
I guess it was inevitable. Just another choke.
18 Feb 2010, 23:00 pm
@Robzim:
I am so flipping disappointed.
18 Feb 2010, 23:13 pm
Poor batting cost us in this test. Two liabilities unfortunately, and the only difference in this one was that Kallis, AB and Bouch didnt save the blushes of the aforementioned two.
We need change.
18 Feb 2010, 23:14 pm
Obviously I didnt mention the efforts of Hash and Petersen. They were superb, but more was needed to not lose the test match
18 Feb 2010, 23:23 pm
You guys need to remember that India hardly ever lose test matches at home. Even the mighty Aussie teams of the recent past have struggled to win over in India.
The boys did well to come so close. I think Duminy should be dropped from the test side but Ash should at least get another chance in his preferred position in the middle order.
19 Feb 2010, 01:15 am
@nama1: There has to be, by edict of the government via Cricket SA, a certain number of non-white players in the team, not so?
Therefore EVERY non-white team player is — by definition — a “quota player”.
Amla IS a quota player, just like all the other quota players.
That’s how it will always be, until the day when there is no longer any insistence to pick a team which has to “reflect demographics” via any race quota.
19 Feb 2010, 01:45 am
@TheTackler: Are you still on this?
Dude you sound like a total douche and what makes it worse is that you know it and don’t see anything wrong with it.
If I wasn’t an atheist I’d be praying for……
19 Feb 2010, 03:47 am
@Ezee-23:
Much as it may irk you and nama1, Tackler is 100% correct in his ‘quota’ comments…and the powers-that-be in South Africa are the ones to take full credit!
After all, the team has a government and sporting body agreed (enforced, some will argue) quota of players of a darker hue. By definition, every player of a darker hue who fills these positions, allows the powers-that-be to say their imposed quota has been satisfied (or not satisfied, as the case may be) is, by definition, a quota player.
It’s cruel and unfair on many of the players. But don’t blame Tackler for the unfairness of it all. Blame politics, hell-bent on racist selecion policies.
Merit, and merit alone, should dictate who makes the grade.
19 Feb 2010, 04:06 am
@TheTackler:
NZ is struggling against the Banga’s, should you not be degrading them and their pathetic ranking rather than any of the top 3 teams in the world?
Yes your take on quota’s is spot on, unfortunate for all players of colour. Shame on the RSA government!
19 Feb 2010, 06:01 am
NZ are cruising against the Banglas, pilgrim. Cruising, sweet as, I tell ya.
But it don’t mean a thing as they ain’t got that swing…
Doowop doowop doowop doowop wop…
19 Feb 2010, 06:16 am
Hojotoho! Hojotoho!
Heiaha! Heiaha!
Hojotoho! Heiaha!
That’s what fat Brunhilde sang for the Banglas and the Proteas.
19 Feb 2010, 06:33 am
@TheTackler:
Naaaah, dream on, fat Brunhilde is selective about where she sings.
Big match-ups she’ll entertain, non-entity fixtures between cellar dwellers don’t warrant a mention, have no chance of getting a slot in her diary.
I can but summise that what you heard was not your beloved Brunhilde but a cheap imposter, some fat, lazy and ugly Hickville resident mumbling on her wobbly way back from the boozer.
Hell, I think it was the boredom of an NZ v Bangladesh Test that finally tipped her over…
19 Feb 2010, 07:59 am
And so the Laurel and Hardy show continues…
2009/2010 season – Test match scores
Stan Laurel (aka JP Duminy): 56 11 4 duck duck 36 7 9 duck 6
Oliver Hardy (aka Ash Prince): 45 duck 2 16 duck 15 19 duck 1 23
19 Feb 2010, 08:02 am
Brunhilde certainly gave the yarpies in Kolkata a fair old warble…
Hojotoho! Heiaha!
19 Feb 2010, 08:11 am
@kwas: You could start a farm with that many ducks
19 Feb 2010, 09:42 am
@WP_: As they were called during Englands tour –
The batsman formerly known as Prince
Crash Test Dumminy
Classic apart from the fact its so freaking sad, there MUST be other options until these two spend some time in Oz/india learning to bat again.
19 Feb 2010, 12:11 pm
Im really gonna enjoy rubbing it in WHEN Prince comes good. He has too much class not to.
I think it is pathetic that certain folks are enjoying the fact that these players are struggling for form. What they need is our support. I think it is pathetic to call yourself a supporter yet you openly make distasteful comments or resort to name calling of these players… Grow up will you!!
19 Feb 2010, 13:01 pm
@wpw: Too right, he will come good at some point but at the moment we cannot afford him and Duminy at this point in time. Our investment in them is not bearing fruit.
Give us at leat one half-century gents, just one…..
@Joe Maher: You’re wrong dude. F**k it, argue with yourself cause I’m done with you and Tackler.
19 Feb 2010, 14:06 pm
What a disgraceful collapse after Petersen and Amla’s first innings heroics. Mentally weak bunch of saffa’s apart from the amazing Hashim Amla.
20 Feb 2010, 07:21 am
@John Galt:
McKenzie is not coloured.
20 Feb 2010, 22:25 pm
@TheTackler: 467
“That’s how it will always be, until the day when there is no longer any insistence to pick a team which has to “reflect demographics” via any race quota.”
Read this again and see if you don;t find any contradiction in what you’ve said here.
You can’t use “always” and “until the day when there is no longer any insistence” in the same sentence.
You are better than this.
“Racial quotas in employment and education are numerical requirements for hiring, promoting, admitting and/or graduating members of a particular racial group.” (Wiki)
Joe Maher, this one is for you also. (469)
It is up to you as a supporter and lover of the game, knowledgeable ones I might add, to decide for yourselves whether Prince and JP are there on merit (despite their colour) or whether they are just there to fulfil a requirement set by the powers that be. Afa I’m concerned their records (especially that of Prince) and talent speak for themselves. Jp has a lot of work to do still, but his talent is undeniable and I dare anybody on this forum to say unequivocally that he is only there because of his colour.
21 Feb 2010, 21:40 pm
Of course you can use “always” and “until the day when…” in the same sentence if you hold the view (as I do) that this theoretical happy day set sometime in the future is one which simply NEVER going to arrive.
It only exists as a theoretical construct. A possibility, not a likelihood.
So all non-white players are — and will always be in practice — “quota players”, regardless of how good or how poor they are.
Quota is based on your race, not your merit.
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