schwab2clarkson
Banned
Aussies lost let's take the easy option and point the finger at the bowlers
Blaming Aussie bowlers is the easy option
Matt Byrnes
Blaming Australia’s bowlers for the opening Test loss to South Africa would be taking the easy option.
It would also be an opinion expressed by someone extremely naive or with very little knowledge of Test match cricket.
Sure, Australia’s bowlers failed to obtain the required 20 wickets and the team subsequently lost the Test mach by six wickets.
The second-innings bowing effort when Australia could only manage to dismiss four South African batsmen as the Proteas stormed to a 4-414 and a morale-boosting victory was below-par.
However, it was not the sole reason Australia lost the match.
Australia's batsmen should wear just as much of the blame and shame as the bowling contingent.
After gaining a first-innings lead of almost 100 runs, Australia should have put the match to bed in its second innings.
Put simply, Australia should have batted South Africa out of the match.
Australia's batsmen should have produced a concerted batting effort and taken the lead well past 500 to ensure South Africa could not possibly win the match.
The only possible results should have been a draw or an Australian victory.
But, Australia's batsmen failed to seize the initiative and at one point it appeared the team may have even been bowled out for less than 200.
Some late wagging of the tale – and a virtuoso innings for cavalier wicketkeeper Brad Haddin – saved Australia and South Africa required a near-record run-chase to win the match.
South Africa should have needed a world-record total to win the match.
Instead South Africa was left with aple time – and resources – to successfully chase down 414 on an unbelievably timid fifth day WACA pitch.
Throughout both innings of the match Australia's batsmen were guilty of trowing their wickets away at a crucial time.
Vice-captain Michael Clarke, all-rounder Andrew Symonds and Haddin all made starts in both innings before falling to questionable shots.
Even Haddin, the hero of the second innings, was guilty of this when he tried to belt spinner Paul Harris out of the park to bring up his century.
Sure, Haddin had just smacked two magnificent sixes and a cracking four but it was then he should have exercised restraint and reined in his stroke-play to ensure he made a century.
There’s nothing wrong with being dismissed by a great delivery but Clarke, Symonds and Haddin got themselves out at critical moments with poor shots.
On a flat pitch offering little assistance to bowlers, Australia’s batsmen should have dug in and worked the lead past 500.
Instead, after losing a few quick wickets, Australia somehow got arrogant and tried to blast up a quick total and throw the ball over to the bowlers – literally.
If Australia started celebrating once the lead go past 400 then it was premature and ridiculous in the extreme.
Australia’s bowling attack no longer strikes fear into opposition teams and it must now toil for long periods to take wickets. Champion bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath aren’t around anymore to get Australia out of jail.
Australia’s bowling attack is inexperienced and largely untried at Test level – especially when competing against the second-best team in the world.
This was even more reason why Australia should have made a greater effort to protect the bowlers by racking up a massive lead.
At no stage did the pitch look like deteriorating enough to trouble the team batting last and wickets were always going to be hard to come by.
Australia would have been for better off batting longer instead of throwing wickets away and then chucking the bowlers to the wolves.[/QUOTE]
This was from a friend of mine who allowed me to post this up on here.
Blaming Aussie bowlers is the easy option
Matt Byrnes
Blaming Australia’s bowlers for the opening Test loss to South Africa would be taking the easy option.
It would also be an opinion expressed by someone extremely naive or with very little knowledge of Test match cricket.
Sure, Australia’s bowlers failed to obtain the required 20 wickets and the team subsequently lost the Test mach by six wickets.
The second-innings bowing effort when Australia could only manage to dismiss four South African batsmen as the Proteas stormed to a 4-414 and a morale-boosting victory was below-par.
However, it was not the sole reason Australia lost the match.
Australia's batsmen should wear just as much of the blame and shame as the bowling contingent.
After gaining a first-innings lead of almost 100 runs, Australia should have put the match to bed in its second innings.
Put simply, Australia should have batted South Africa out of the match.
Australia's batsmen should have produced a concerted batting effort and taken the lead well past 500 to ensure South Africa could not possibly win the match.
The only possible results should have been a draw or an Australian victory.
But, Australia's batsmen failed to seize the initiative and at one point it appeared the team may have even been bowled out for less than 200.
Some late wagging of the tale – and a virtuoso innings for cavalier wicketkeeper Brad Haddin – saved Australia and South Africa required a near-record run-chase to win the match.
South Africa should have needed a world-record total to win the match.
Instead South Africa was left with aple time – and resources – to successfully chase down 414 on an unbelievably timid fifth day WACA pitch.
Throughout both innings of the match Australia's batsmen were guilty of trowing their wickets away at a crucial time.
Vice-captain Michael Clarke, all-rounder Andrew Symonds and Haddin all made starts in both innings before falling to questionable shots.
Even Haddin, the hero of the second innings, was guilty of this when he tried to belt spinner Paul Harris out of the park to bring up his century.
Sure, Haddin had just smacked two magnificent sixes and a cracking four but it was then he should have exercised restraint and reined in his stroke-play to ensure he made a century.
There’s nothing wrong with being dismissed by a great delivery but Clarke, Symonds and Haddin got themselves out at critical moments with poor shots.
On a flat pitch offering little assistance to bowlers, Australia’s batsmen should have dug in and worked the lead past 500.
Instead, after losing a few quick wickets, Australia somehow got arrogant and tried to blast up a quick total and throw the ball over to the bowlers – literally.
If Australia started celebrating once the lead go past 400 then it was premature and ridiculous in the extreme.
Australia’s bowling attack no longer strikes fear into opposition teams and it must now toil for long periods to take wickets. Champion bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath aren’t around anymore to get Australia out of jail.
Australia’s bowling attack is inexperienced and largely untried at Test level – especially when competing against the second-best team in the world.
This was even more reason why Australia should have made a greater effort to protect the bowlers by racking up a massive lead.
At no stage did the pitch look like deteriorating enough to trouble the team batting last and wickets were always going to be hard to come by.
Australia would have been for better off batting longer instead of throwing wickets away and then chucking the bowlers to the wolves.[/QUOTE]
This was from a friend of mine who allowed me to post this up on here.