The VB Series 2006

[Brett_Lee]

Yes a great team back then but these players have lost form. Its like saying we should bring back guys like Waugh, Border and co. We can't live in the past.
If Kasper and Dizzy are good enough they will get back in.

Dizzy, Kasper and Bichel have been in excellent Form in domestic cricket though!

 

[kodos]

I think Gillespie is still in contention for the ODI side if they can't find another seam bowler but I don't see Bichel and Kasper back.

 

[aussie1st]

Dizzy, Kasper and Bichel have been in excellent Form in domestic cricket though!

I think all 3 of those players have been in good form for Pura. None of them are even near the top wicket takes for the ING.
So they don't warrant selection. Bollinger deserves a shot as he has been in excellent form. His stats are better than Dorey.

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005-06/AUS_LOCAL/ING/STATS/ING_2005-06_BOWL_MOST_WKTS.html

Also found this interesting article where the selectors will review the side after every match. So if Lee fails he could be dropped! And all other players.

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17919831-23212,00.html

 

[James219]

Taking these past players back is a negative step, even if they're performing in the domestic arena, they're expected to. You can't just go back to former winning combinations and hope for the best. I agree that Ponting always has been a poor captain, he fails to take leadership effectively and is lucky that he has good players at his disposal. A captain like Hussain was quality as he was disciplined and brought the best out of his players, even if they weren't up to the standard. Michael Vaughan is also good because he thinks about his plans and knows his bowlers well and can rotate them accordingly, hence they execute it to full effect. And obviously Steve Waugh had all the qualities. No way am I saying it's an easy job, however he should try and learn from those sort of captains.
Bollinger should be getting a serious look in based on his solid ING performances and pretty much his surprising pace.
(Note how Bollinger hasn't been given the opportunities as frequently as when Steve Waugh was in charge of NSW, as Waugh liked the option of extra pace. The same with Lee, he liked him in the Australian side, however when Ponting took over he was absent for over 18 months)
Match: South Africa are currently 3/210 in the 44th over, hopefully they can push on now and really lift the total as the batsman are established at the crease. After all this is a crucial match for them and I feel that they cannot let SL dictate their game at too many points.

 

[aussie1st]

SA 263/5 from 50 overs Kemp only hitting one 4 in his short stay.
Dippenaar was the star of this show with 125.
Murali reaches 400 ODI wickets today.
I think SA need to take a leaf out of the Aus book and rest Smith as he is terribly out of form. Hall is a more than capable opener too.

 

[James219]

Well they've ended up with 264, a decent recovery from their foundations set up by Dippenear. He paced his innings quite well and all credit to him for a very good century. Fantastic play by Gibbs also, his attacking approach not phased by the situation. Smith never really got going in his pursuits of finding form again, though very sharp keeping by Sangakkara who can really read Muralithran's bowling behind the stumps (which is why I don't understand Mark Boucher's selection over him in the Super Test), I wonder how he faces him with the bat

 

[irottev]

Good batting by SAF but good bowling from SL. This is gonna be a close one I would say. Still very evenly poised.

 

[kodos]

I still feel Sri Lanka are on top since Jayasuriya and Sangakarra are on pretty good form. Good recovery though by the Proteas considering they were only going at 3.7 an over. Geez the boundaries were a rarity until the last 11 overs.

 

[aussie1st]

A very whacky move promoting van der Wath up the order, Hall to me is wasted down the order.
I reckon SL are in the box seat as SA scored real slowly in the opening overs and SL who have Murali as a spinner only managed 5 wickets. SA spinner in Botha isn't the greatest spinner so SA may struggle if their pacemen can't take wickets.

 

[vizard]

If Jay has his way again then i think SL have a good shot. Their skip put it nicely other night saying his side just lost their way and simply, didnt know how to win. Now with their new-found confidence maybe they just might...and push SA in trouble to make it to finals.

1 player who does deserve a comeback is Matt Hayden..5 test tons in 3months is plenty proof and even the manner in which he was prepared to play himself in is good to watch from a player so used to just dominate bowlers left right & centre.Katto's doing a decent job, but if you'd ask most bowlers who would they bowl to ,they'll be happy sending down to Katich.

 

[irottev]

Whats the + in between the 5 and the 0 (5+0) for on Princes back? I have always wondered that.

 

[BigCrickNan]

I think maybe because he wants it to add up to 5? I've seen a lot of football shirts with plus signs.

Decent total for SA, Jayasuriya needs to play well.

 

[James219]

Yeah Hall is definitely wasted down the order, not enough time to play himself in or come to any effect. Despite him having succeeded up the order, I can't see where he would bat apart from where Van De Wrath was at three today. They have alot depth down the order to finish a game off or stabilising an innings with Hall at 8. However I don't know enough about him to say how he would cope with the burden of both roles and still maintaining good form.
I don't know about SL being on top, recently they haven't shown the world their ability to chase down totals regulary. But if you put in the pressure Smith is under to back up his comments and their position on the table, this is an evenly balanced match.

EDIT: Pollock strikes, Muburak out, this unsettles the middle order's approach. Lets see how they respond to the early loss.

 

[aussie1st]

Sangakkara is the form keeper, Jayasuriya refer to the SCG So no big loss losing Mubarak.
The thing you have to remember is SL have Atapattu batting at 5 so they have a very strong middle order.

 

[James219]

But still a stable opening partnership boosts the confidence of the middle order as it eases the pressure of chasing a total. But still a formidable middle order to come. Talk about Hall being wasted, Atapattu is wasted down the order, however this is his decision.

Well two quick wickets and some tight bowling has put SA on top. Great work in stumping Jayasuriya by Boucher, he was on the platform of another game snatching knock.Very quick hands, he seemed to do it in one motion, even more difficult seeing as Hall has decent pace. They'll have a hell of a job re-building from here, but it's possible. (That's a left handed opener from both sides stumped now.)