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South Africa vs Pakistan 2nd Test

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 04:23:40 

At Newlands.

Philander in. Maharaj out.

Abbas in. Hassan Ali out.

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 04:28:05 

Lawdy Markram is gonna have a tough time against Abbas given the form he's in.

The plan seems to be bowl Pakistan out as quickly as possible in both knocks to avoid playing Shah on 4th/5th day as Newlands will start turning by then.


PAK 19/2

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 04:31:00 

Ali goes.

Olivier does for Azhar once more, cramped on the back foot by a lifter, angled back in from wide on the crease, a flaccid rellexive push, and Amla pouches the nick in front of his nose at first slip. It's been a woeful hour for Pakistan, as South Africa's quicks strike in unison


PAK 19/3

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 04:32:02 

In reply to djdrastic

Fakhar out to Steyn for one.

Imam out to Philander for eight.

Olivier again! Azhar out for two.

Four prong pace like fire!

Do you think Gibson and the selectors made the right call leaving out Maharaj?

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 05:03:19 

In reply to mikesiva

It's a bit of a gamble.Given all the pacers they've selected they seem to think they can roll them out for cheap and not require a spinner.



Will have to see how this goes.

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 05:04:49 

Rabada to Asad Shafiq, OUT, gone, Rabada gets among 'em! Sooner or later you felt he was going to get one in the right area and there it is... Rearing from a length, 137kph and straightening enough to squash a fat outside edge, before diverting to second slip where Elgar holds a stinger!

Asad Shafiq c Elgar b Rabada 20 (33m 26b 4x4 0x6) SR: 76.92



PAK 51/4

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 05:07:31 

In reply to djdrastic

Rabada gets in on the act.
cool
Who would you have left out for Philander?

Steyn or de bruyne?

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 05:11:30 

Olivier to Babar Azam, OUT, pace and bounce, Babar tries to gets his hands down... but this balloons to slip off the glove!

Babar Azam c du Plessis b Olivier 2 (7m 5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 40.00

PAK 54/5

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 05:13:36 

In reply to mikesiva

Would have left Steyn out tbh.
Can't go a batsman light given how terribly they've been batting for a while.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 05:37:01 

In reply to djdrastic

I agree. I would have done the same. Let's hope Steyn proves us wrong.
razz
Pakistan 75-5 at lunch.

Shan 17 not out
Sarfraz 16 not out

 
Walco 2019-01-03 06:38:25 

In reply to mikesiva

You guys need to leave old man Steyn alone. He is still bowling consistently in the 140s and he is an all-time great.

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 06:51:33 

Rabada to Shan Masood, OUT, what a catch from de Kock! There's the breakthrough, and it's Masood's only error in what had been a fine innings. Too tentative outside off this time, a fat nick, and de Kock dives to his left to scoop in both gloves, low in front of flirst slip

Shan Masood c †de Kock b Rabada 44 (71b 5x4 1x6) SR: 61.97


PAK 114/6

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 07:31:08 

In reply to djdrastic

Sarfraz plays a captain's innings...that's his half-century.

Olivier again! Sarfraz out for 56.

Olivier get his fourth! Yasir out for five.

 
Discourse 2019-01-03 08:03:58 

Another 5fer in the making...wow

 
Emir 2019-01-03 08:04:56 

In reply to mikesiva

Sarfraz plays a captain's innings...that's his half-century.

But not good enough- the shot he got out to was totally avoidable, as Mikey Holding in the commentary said.

He got to 50, and he should have been eyeing a century

Pak need a par score of 220 on this pitch

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 08:09:53 

In reply to Walco

Old man Steyn gets his second!
big grin
Abbas out for a duck. Nine down.

 
Emir 2019-01-03 08:13:55 

In reply to mikesiva

Well if you count Abbass as a wicket big grin

Steyn cannot hold his place purely on merit with a 3 man seam attack. He is lucky to be playing.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 08:26:16 

In reply to Emir

lol
Steyn gets his third!

Pakistan 177 all out

Olivier 4-48
Steyn 3-48
Rabada 2-35
Philander 1-36

 
djdrastic 2019-01-03 08:37:49 

More or less gone to plan though I think they made around 25 odd too much.

Plan more or less seems to have been bowl them out for less than <150 and bat by 14:00 today.

 
Narper 2019-01-03 09:38:35 

Day 1: 3rd Session

PAK 177

RSA 54/0 (11 Ovs) CRR: 4.76

Markram 35(41)
Elgar 18(25

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 09:39:46 

In reply to Narper

Elgar out to Amir for 20. One down.

 
Narper 2019-01-03 09:41:17 

1.5
Amir to Elgar, out Caught by Sarfraz!! Oh extra lift and the edge is found. Short of a length delivery just outside off stump, Elgar pokes at it in his defence and gets a thick edge that flies straight into the hands of the wicket keeper. He couldn't control the bounce on this and played away from the body. This is the length to bowl on this pitch. Have Pakistan finally learnt? South Africa troubled them with bounce

Elgar c Sarfraz b Amir 20(30) [4s-2]

 
mikesiva 2019-01-03 10:15:10 

In reply to djdrastic

Markram gets his half-century!

 
Narper 2019-01-03 10:15:38 

Day 1: 3rd Session

RSA 78/1 (19.0 Ovs) CRR: 4.11

Markram 52(66)
Amla 5(18


South Africa trail by 99 runs

 
CricketLuva4 2019-01-03 11:07:23 

In reply to djdrastic

Markram handled Abbas well. Batted way outside, surprised the keeper didn't go up to the stumps.

 
Narper 2019-01-03 11:08:54 

29.6
Masood to Markram, out Bowled!! Can you believe it? Shocker. Sarfraz's out of the box move has reaped dividends. Out of nowhere the ball explodes off the surface, rolls like a dice and disturbs the woodwork. Masood has picked a wicket out of nowhere. Markram tried to bend down and keep it out, but could not keep it out. He is shell shocked and so are his family members who had come out to watch him bat. Last ball of the day and it is an eventful end.

Markram b Masood 78(96) [4s-14 6s-1]

 
Narper 2019-01-03 11:09:59 

Day 1: Stumps

PAK 177
RSA 123/2 (30.0 Ovs) CRR: 4.1

South Africa trail by 54 runs

Amla 24(54

 
Walco 2019-01-03 16:02:29 

In reply to CricketLuva4

Amla was batting out of his crease to Abbas also. That Markham is easy on the eyes. He's a class bat.

 
Walco 2019-01-03 16:06:13 

In reply to Narper

The delivery that got Markham was unplayable. In moved in to the batsman off the seam and kept low. It's the kind of delivery that leads the nonstriker to thank God he did not have the strike.

 
BeatDball 2019-01-03 20:17:26 

How is it that Mohammed Abbas is wicketless?
confused

 
mikesiva 2019-01-04 03:39:16 

In reply to BeatDball

Abbas strikes! Amla out for 24.

 
djdrastic 2019-01-04 03:44:54 

In reply to BeatDball

You were saying lol
Some days you go past the edge and some days you take the edges wink

But that ball was crazy.Pretty much unplayable.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-04 04:27:54 

In reply to djdrastic

Afridi strikes, and de Bruyn out for 13. Consistency seems to be Theunis's problem....

South Africa 188-4 at lunch.

Du Plessis 33*
Bavuma 15*

 
Drapsey 2019-01-04 05:54:51 


... His team have edged into the lead, with six wickets standing, though Pakistan felt aggrieved that Temba Bavuma was still there alongside his captain, after another contentious low catch was ruled not to have been taken by the third umpire. ...

Umpire Joel Wilson again?

Looks like controversy just follows this guy around.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-04 07:03:47 

In reply to Drapsey

lol
Now du Plessis gets his half-century!

Bavuma also gets his half-century!

This is a match-winning partnership....

 
djdrastic 2019-01-04 08:02:43 

100 lead on the boards.

Time for Faf and Temba to ton up now.


SA 281/4

 
mikesiva 2019-01-04 08:21:43 

In reply to djdrastic

Tea...

Du Plessis 80*
Bavuma 60*

 
Oilah 2019-01-04 09:05:01 

That ground/area must be one of the most beautiful in test cricket. Would love to watch a test match there smile

 
mikesiva 2019-01-04 09:29:01 

In reply to Oilah

My wife's best friend who's an English woman who used to be married to a Saffer went to Cape Town a few days ago for her usual three months stay in South Africa. She told me she planned to be at Newlands.

Bavuma out for 75 to Afridi.

 
CricketLuva4 2019-01-04 09:39:15 

Faf has played unbelievably well.

 
BeatDball 2019-01-04 09:52:05 

In reply to mikesiva Glad for him. He's very measured & consistent with line & length. I'm taking back, measured!

cool

 
Narper 2019-01-04 10:05:38 

102.2
Mohammad Abbas to du Plessis, no run, slips the ball down leg and du Plessis misses the clip. Sarfraz drops the ball down leg and that seems to be off the bat. Dropped on 96 and that too down the leg-side. Can you believe it? Pakistan and their ill-luck continues to grow fonder to each other. Mohammad Abbas had his hands on his head straightaway. Sarf has been gobbling up everything but drops that sitter despite getting both hands

 
Narper 2019-01-04 10:07:02 

103.1
Amir to du Plessis, 3 runs, that is the ton for the skipper. Twin ducks to end 2018. And a ton to start 2019. Fortunes change overnight in this glorious game of cricket. On 97, dropped down the leg-side and this time when he saw a full ball, he was in no mood to let it go. Drove the ball away and immediately knew there was three in it. While completing the third, he had his hands aloft in the air as he knows the value of this knock. Take a bow, skipper!

 
Narper 2019-01-04 10:10:38 

Day 2: 3rd Session

RSA 339/5 (104.0 Ovs) CRR: 3.26

South Africa lead by 162 runs

du Plessis 100(211)
de Kock 21(31

 
mikesiva 2019-01-04 10:40:30 

In reply to Narper

Afridi strikes again and du Plessis is out for 103.

Now de Kock gets his half century!

 
mikesiva 2019-01-05 03:44:28 

Amir strikes and de Kock out for 59.

Amir again! Philander out for 16 and Rabada for 11.

South Africa 431 all out.

Amir 4-88
Afridi 4-123

 
mikesiva 2019-01-05 04:43:18 

Steyn strikes! Imam out for six. One down....

Azhar out to Rabada, also for six. Two down....

Pakistan 37-2 at lunch.

Assad gets his half century!

 
djdrastic 2019-01-05 07:53:45 

Spinner would have been handy right about now.



PAK 148/2

 
Narper 2019-01-05 09:01:04 

Shafiq c de Kock b Philander 88(11cool [4s-12 6s-1]

 
Narper 2019-01-05 09:04:53 

Day 3: 3rd Session

PAK 201/4 (47.0 Ovs) CRR: 4.28

Pakistan trail by 53 runs

Fakhar Zaman 7(7)
Babar Azam 18(23

 
Narper 2019-01-05 09:17:42 

Fakhar Zaman c and b Rabada 7(8 ) [4s-1]

 
mikesiva 2019-01-05 09:40:26 

In reply to Narper

Olivier again! Sarfraz lbw for six.

 
Narper 2019-01-05 09:55:32 

Amir c de Kock b Steyn 0(5)

 
Narper 2019-01-05 09:59:10 

Day 3: 3rd Session -
PAK 223/7 (57.1 Ovs) CRR: 3.9

Pakistan trail by 31 runs

 
Narper 2019-01-05 10:08:15 

58.6
Olivier to Babar Azam, FOUR, pulled away just to the right of square leg and it's four more, 18 runs scored off the over, Pakistan almost ensuring South Africa will have to bat. Babar Azam has raced to another fighting fifty
58.3
Olivier to Babar Azam, FOUR, it's too predictable from Olivier and Babar Azam is camping back looking for the short ball, pulled in front of square this time and there's a big open space there as well, hat-trick of fours
58.2
Olivier to Babar Azam, FOUR, short ball down the leg-side and he's helped this away fine to the fine leg boundary, back-to-back fours
58.1
Olivier to Babar Azam, FOUR, he's cut this in the air and gully flies to his left in vain as he tried to grab that ball. Would have been a stunner because it came so quickly. Shortish delivery outside off stump, short delivery, Babar Azam guides and gets away with it

 
Narper 2019-01-05 10:09:13 

Yasir Shah c (sub)Zubayr Hamza b Steyn 5(12) [4s-1]

 
Narper 2019-01-05 10:11:02 

Day 3: 3rd Session

PAK 247/8 (59.3 Ovs) CRR: 4.15

Pakistan trail by 7 runs

 
Narper 2019-01-05 10:43:46 

Day 3: 3rd Session

PAK 262/8 (67.0 Ovs) CRR: 3.91

Pakistan lead by 8 runs

Mohammad Abbas 1(21)
Babar Azam 64(81

 
Narper 2019-01-05 10:46:54 

Babar Azam c Amla b Rabada 72(87) [4s-15]

 
mikesiva 2019-01-05 10:51:34 

In reply to Narper

Rabada cleaned up the lower order...Pakistan 278 all out.

Steyn 4-73
Rabada 3-58

Oops...no ball!

All out now...294.

Steyn 4-85
Rabada 4-61

 
Narper 2019-01-05 11:09:28 

Day 3: 3rd Session

RSA need 41 to win

 
mikesiva 2019-01-06 03:34:54 

In reply to Narper

Markham injured so de bruyne opens the batting with Elgar.

Abbas strikes and de bruyne out for four.

Amla hit by Amir and retired hurt on two.

 
djdrastic 2019-01-06 04:12:26 

Looks like Hamza or Hendricks is starting the next game.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-06 04:14:08 

In reply to djdrastic

Zubayr Hamza did well in your 2017-18 domestic season didn't he?

Fourth highest aggregate of 828 runs at an average of 69.

He's 23 and the three guys who scored more than him played a game more and are 29 or older. Hamza is more of a prospect for the future you'd think.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-06 04:23:41 

South africa 43-1 and win by nine wickets.

Elgar 23 not out
Du Plessis three not out

 
djdrastic 2019-01-06 05:27:34 

In reply to mikesiva

Will have to see how the selectors go.
Given recent form they will probably go with Hamza.

 
mikesiva 2019-01-06 10:00:00 

In reply to djdrastic

It looks like both Markram and Amla are suffering from just bruises, and both should be fit for the final Test. However, du Plessis has been suspended for a slow over-rate...in a match South Africa won in just over three days!
rolleyes
That rule is nonsense, and was designed to punish teams for selecting a four-prong pace attack. It was done to undermine the great West Indies teams of the past, and it's nonsensical ruling is still having it's stupid effects today.

More here

South Africa will be without captain Faf du Plessis for the third Test at the Wanderers after he was suspended for one Test and fined 20 percent of his match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during South Africa's nine-wicket win over Pakistan at Newlands. Du Plessis' team-mates were also fined 10 percent of their match fees.

An extra half hour was added to all of the first three days of play at Newlands, while South Africa's use of an all pace attack contributed to the time taken to get through allocated overs during days on which they bowled. South Africa's seamers bowled almost 122 overs across two innings in the match.

In the absence of du Plessis, South Africa may call on the captaincy experience of Hashim Amla or Aiden Markram, both of whom sat out the latter stages of a bruising effort in the second Test against Pakistan, but are expected to be fit to play at the Wanderers.

 
djdrastic 2019-01-06 10:26:12 

In reply to mikesiva

That rule is total horsechit.Do they want the bowlers to bowl at 150 clicks with 2 yard runups ?


Luckily the series is won so not the end of the world.

 
Emir 2019-01-06 10:33:26 

In reply to mikesiva

I agree the rule is dumb when applied without allowing for context. For example, if the authorities were allowed to apply the specific context to this match, mainly the match was over early on day 4, then he would have been spared.

Having said that, one must note that Faf knew the rules before the game started and he knew by each passing hour that his 4 prong was under the required rate.


So no, I do not feel sorry for SA because thus far, they have gotten the benefit of all the marginal decisions and then two catches that was incorrectly over-ruled at critical times. In the first test, it could have change the result, while in test two, it allowed the Saffies 156 runs partnership.

I like the fast pace series thus far and the cricket has been highly exciting although Pakistan batters have been close to disgraceful for this level.

 
trev114 2019-01-06 11:52:51 

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