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Post by stryker on Feb 7, 2023 17:49:47 GMT
Garry Ballance rescues Zimbabwe from 7-192 with 137no as they declare on 9-379. Awesome return to test cricket for Gary Ballance, I'm so happy for him. Playing and living in the beautiful Zim could be just the soul food his game needs.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 7, 2023 18:45:47 GMT
Tournament leaders Pretoria Capitals posted a blistering 226, but Paarl Rocks only have to score 163 to qualify for the semis. After a few bruising boundaries Paul Stirling is out for 19 and Jos Buttler joins Jason Roy in the middle at 30 - 1. OMG, Roy is out LBW to Nortje, make that 30 for 2 after 3 and a bit overs. Do Paarl Rocks go for the win, or will they settle for reaching 163? They probably should have done the latter. Right now they're looking like doing neither.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 7, 2023 20:35:46 GMT
Or Buttler could give his impersonation of Superman and carry Paarl into the semi finals.
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Post by stryker on Feb 8, 2023 18:11:09 GMT
Or Buttler could give his impersonation of Superman and carry Paarl into the semi finals. LOL, Buttler was magnificent at the end - taking his team through, and Paarl Rocks have just restricted Pretoria Capitols to 153 in the semis. The second half should be fascinating, or a walkover for the Paarl Rocks.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 3:44:11 GMT
Head dropped. Murphy in. Australia win the toss and bat.
Aussie XI: Warner, Usmam, Marnus, Mother, Renshaw, Handscombe, Carey, Cummins, Murphy, Lyon, Boland.
India XI: Rohit, Rahul, Pujara, Kohli, Sky, Srikar, Axar, Jadeja, Ashwin, Shami, Siraj.
Batting looks thin for India. Not an impressive bowling line up for Australia on paper.
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Post by stryker on Feb 9, 2023 4:24:21 GMT
And Warner fails again. Methinks the Aussie brains trust are going to regret dropping Travis Head.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 4:54:26 GMT
And Warner fails again. Methinks the Aussie brains trust are going to regret dropping Travis Head. I don't think so. Even if Handscombe has a shocker, he'll still have contributed about the same as Head would have. India is the left handers grave yard, particularly a leftie like Head who struggles in general outside Australia. What I think they will regret is Warner scoring that double ton in Melbourne. If he scores 200 combined in either series I'll be shocked. As a matter of fact I'd be less shocked if he failed to compile 200 in both series combined.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 5:00:42 GMT
India doing a good job of drying up the runs here. Usually, I'd say I can sense a wicket coming, but Smith and Marnus are both unusually patient for modern batters.
On the wickets, not much Khawaja could have done. Got one around the wicket that pitched leg and cut back to hit leg. If they're in line you're screwed. Warner played late and on the move and basically got out twice in one ball (lbw and bowled). Still looking at sea to straight fast bowling over the wicket.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 5:11:54 GMT
Nearly brought them a wicket. Kohli drops a sharp one at slip. Should have held it.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 6:04:21 GMT
Australia's session. Trouble coming for India if they can't break this partnership. These two could take it to 2-200 odd.
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Post by weststigersbob on Feb 9, 2023 6:16:17 GMT
Saw a little bit on my phone (I’m at work) - the pitch looks much better than I thought it would 2 days ago.
India’s batting looks incredibly strong (Ashwin a proven batting commodity at 9) but incredibly weak at the same time (None of them have any sort of red ball form at all, and this pitch looks hard work)
I hope Murphy goes well. Don’t want yet another few tests of mediocrity and you’re done Test spinner…..
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 7:09:36 GMT
Marnus never came out of the shed. Poor Renshaw.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 7:28:56 GMT
Knock me over with a feather, Smith bowled by a straight one from Jadeja. He did set him up, spinning a couple past the edge then Smudge played outside the sucker ball.
To be fair to myself I did say it 'could' be trouble for India 'if' they can't break this partnership. Broken with interest now. Right on top at 5-114.
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Post by stryker on Feb 9, 2023 7:39:18 GMT
Knock me over with a feather, Smith bowled by a straight one from Jadeja. He did set him up, spinning a couple past the edge then Smudge played outside the sucker ball. To be fair to myself I did say it 'could' be trouble for India 'if' they can't break this partnership. Broken with interest now. Right on top at 5-114. Test cricket is never boring.
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Post by weststigersbob on Feb 9, 2023 9:19:48 GMT
Australia fold like a deck chair - all out 177
India get to 300 and this is game over.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 10:53:50 GMT
They just put up the most useless stat I think I've ever seen: degree of turn. Australia's spinners have turned the ball 3.4° on average, while India's spinners averaged 2.9°. So Australia wins! In a more important stat, India's spinners have combined for 8-117 off 47.5 overs. Australia's have taken 0-35 off 14.4 overs. So I guess India wins.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 11:07:51 GMT
Australia might have won the first session but that was the last thing they won today. India dominant, trailing by just 100 with 9 wickets in hand. Rohit 56no and looking good for at least another 44 tomorrow. Murphy took his first test wicket, Rahul chipping one to him off the 8th to last ball of the day. Cummins bowled 4 overs of pies, which was weird.
Jadeja hero of the day for India with 5-45.
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Post by Power Ranger on Feb 9, 2023 14:48:19 GMT
The match was rigged by the groundsmen.
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Post by hoskotafe3 on Feb 9, 2023 17:24:14 GMT
The match was rigged by the groundsmen. That was completely over egged nonsense as it turned out. The ball wasn't spinning sideways. There was movement with the new ball which did for Khawaja who got a good nut and Warner who's done and should have retired after Sydney. Marnus and Smith looked completely at ease until Marnus missed one that didn't turn much and got stumped. Renshaw was a tad unlucky. Smith missed a straight one. Carey looked comfortable sweeping until he dragged one on. Handscombe looked comfortable until he missed a straight one. Cummins has deteriorated a long way as a batter and is not a test #8 any more and none of the other 3 bowlers can bat to save their lives. It was a poor batting performance which they then exacerbated by bowling poorly. Cummins 4 overs were rubbish. Boland's couple of overs were innocuous. Lyon and Murphy really gave the ball a rip in comparision to India's spinners but it's not a spinning pitch yet.
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Post by stryker on Feb 9, 2023 17:32:49 GMT
My team is on fire, the Eastern Cape Sunrisers have posted 213 - after being sent in to bat, in the second semi final of the SA20, thanks mainly to an electrifying 57-ball 100 from Aiden Markram. No team has scored over 180 to win a match in this tournament yet, but it's is Centurion Park at night, it's on Highveld, nothing is impossible, and Johannesburg Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis is not going to roll; over without a fight - and a little help from the big hitting likes of Reeza Hendricks, Leus Du Plooy and Matthew Wade. Breaking News. Faf is out first ball, caught Hermann (who was superb with the bat today), bowled Simon Magala.
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