5th ODI: South Africa vs Australia @ Johannesburg, Sunday 12th March

[LukeParkerno1]

The Ashes will be the funniest of them all

The unlosable series is lost, that will be great

Yeah it will be funny Eddie when we smash your one-series' wonders back to where they deserve to be! You are NOTHING without reverse swing and Vaughns lollies!

 

[eddiesmith]

Yeah it will be funny Eddie when we smash your one-series' wonders back to where they deserve to be! You are NOTHING without reverse swing and Vaughns lollies!

Yeah because it never reverse swings in Australia

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yeah because it never reverse swings in Australia

Not as much as in England you tool! Plus you need a spinner to win a series in Australia! Giles isn't one!

 

[eddiesmith]

Not as much as in England you tool! Plus you need a spinner to win a series in Australia! Giles isn't one!

McGrath seems to do it with ease by the 8th over, we shouldnt have a problem getting it to reverse enough to win 2 tests

 

[Borry]

double post

 

[Borry]

Have just spent the last half-hour or so reading through this thread, and if ever you want some ammo against a group of BigFooty posters for being complete nitwits, this is the thread to bookmark. Human nature at its most dire (Take particular note of the work of the likes of Drummond ... it's priceless).

The first three or four hundred posts are saturated with pitiful gloating over an opposition country whose bowlers were clearly outclassed by the best batting attack in world cricket, garnished with personal sledges against various South African players. (It was a bit like listening to the Adelaide radio commentary on Friday night's game - apparently the premiership's in the bag over there!)

Yet in the first 30 pages, no mention of the flatness the wicket was made ... none at all. Until the Proteas starting clocking up some runs of their own, that is. In fact, it was at about Post#430 where the "road" references first began to appear. Then they starting rolling out a bit like an opening bowler - thick and fast.

Not long after this, they (the posters) began turning on their own team. The Aussie players went from roosters to feather dusters within about forty minutes in real time. Ponting's brilliant innings was suddenly a distant memory, and poor Mick Lewis had his epitaph already pencilled for him.

In the end it was just a shambles of cursing, threatening, self-recrimination and dribble ... hardly befitting of one of the most classic contests of all time. Hell, a couple of blokes are even trotting out the "match fixed" chestnut ... as if they remain in denial that their team are neither beatable nor resilient to the lure of dirty cash.

Thankfully and ironically, however, it was Ricky Pontng who saved the day for me. Congratulations on a fine post-match speech Rickster ... acknowledging the magnitude of the game without being dragged into any mud-slinging or bitter recriminations, enjoying the moment for what it was - a freak of cricketing nature - and displaying the sort of sportmanship that has been sadly lacking in more than one of our cricket leaders of the last few decades.

Punter has won new respect in my mind ... maybe a few posters here could take a leaf of humility and sportsmanship out of his book.

Brilliant post. Summed up magnificently.

I admit I was one of those deluded posters that sledged Smith earlier in the thread, but in the end it was just a remarkable game where nobody really deserves to be ridiculed. Great effort from both teams, great win by South Africa and great sportsmanship from Ponting.

Nothing more hilarious than when supporters start slagging off opposition players when the opposition are getting pumped by their team, then dramatically turn and bag the crap out of their teams players when it doesnt go their way.

 

[Refried Noodle]

Brilliant post. Summed up magnificently.

I admit I was one of those deluded posters that sledged Smith earlier in the thread, but in the end it was just a remarkable game where nobody really deserves to be ridiculed. Great effort from both teams, great win by South Africa and great sportsmanship from Ponting.

Nothing more hilarious than when supporters start slagging off opposition players when the opposition are getting pumped by their team, then dramatically turn and bag the crap out of their teams players when it doesnt go their way.

I have to admit as well that I thought the game was well and truely over (and there was a bit of slagging off at Telemachus being a hack), but the first thing I said when I heard that Australia was on 300 after 40 via a text msg was that it must be a complete road.

 

[lincsPJ]

Originally Posted by Renegade at 9:30pm
Now now....South Africa might still be in this


Posted by myself at 12:30am in response to renegade
.... doesnt seem so funny right now... hmmmm

faaaaaaaaaaaark

but this made me laugh.. some vintage eddiesmith...
"5 dot balls, Lewis is the best bowler Aus have"

 

[krisholio14]

i hate both of these teams, but that was without doubt the greatest game of ODi cricket ive ever seen. i really didnt think the jaapies could get the runs until they actually got the runs. just amazing to watch.

 

[mcphee_is_a_gun]

i hate both of these teams, but that was without doubt the greatest game of ODi cricket ive ever seen. i really didnt think the jaapies could get the runs until they actually got the runs. just amazing to watch.

I actually thought it was an ordinary contest, i like it when bowlers actually have a chance of doing well.. I much preffered Friday's game.

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

I suggested pre-match that Hogg should have come in for Lewis. This is what eddiesmith had to say about that:

According to the commentators it does favour spin, but why drop your 2nd best bowler from the last game?

Good to see the selectors are smarter than Gunnar

Good one.

 

[mcphee_is_a_gun]

I suggested pre-match that Hogg should have come in for Lewis. This is what eddiesmith had to say about that:

Good one.

your a genius.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

your a genius.

comming from someone who said this

Lewis is actually bowling alright....

 

[mcphee_is_a_gun]

comming from someone who said this

At that stage he was, only into his 2nd over.

 

[Power21]

Shame Johnson and Watson arent playing in Lewis and Brackens place, we could see South Africa chase this down

Hahahahahahahaha.

 

[Cooldude]

Looking back at the match, when Smith and Gibbs were running riot (At that stage we were still in the box seat, mind), our lads looked so flat, nervous and had a worried look on all their faces. I couldn't believe that a bunch of fielders defending 434 for a 50 over game can appear so flat and lifeless out there when the score's still only 150/1 when a couple of quick wickets can change things quic kly

We just don't have that bloke who can gee up and inspire the whole side, something Warnie used to do all the time. All the current players we have are too introverted when the pressure's on

 

[Power21]

Ponting confirming why he is one of the worst captains in international cricket.
Lewis. WTF????

I realise the game is over now but how the hell anyone can blame this loss on ponting is beyond me, maybe defending 300 at the most can be a captains fault but 430 odd, get your hand off it, it's the bolwers fault, no one elses.

 

[eddiesmith]

I realise the game is over now but how the hell anyone can blame this loss on ponting is beyond me, maybe defending 300 at the most can be a captains fault but 430 odd, get your hand off it, it's the bolwers fault, no one elses.

Why bowl your most expensive bowler out? And even if he thought he could come back, surely after the 1st or even 2nd over of the final spell he should have realised he was wrong

Ponting is a manipulative bastard, wouldnt suprise me if he was happy to see Lewis go for 100+

 

[Quinz]

I agree Eddiesmith, he should've taken Lewis off. Gave away far too many runs and destroyed Lewis's confidence and self-esteem at the same time. Talk about multi-tasking.

 

[Marklar_33]

Why bowl your most expensive bowler out? And even if he thought he could come back, surely after the 1st or even 2nd over of the final spell he should have realised he was wrong

Ponting is a manipulative bastard, wouldnt suprise me if he was happy to see Lewis go for 100+

Because he is a great death bowler, who bowls great reverse swing with the old ball, well so you said 20 hours ago...

 

[skipper kelly]

As anyone would tell you, Lewis bowls best at the end with the old ball, so Ponting brings him on with the field up with Gibbs on Fire, he gets Gibbs yet bracken drops him, not Lewis is paying for Brackens ********ness

like to reconsider Ed?

 

[eddiesmith]

like to reconsider Ed?

Nope

 

[skipper kelly]

Nope

So Ponting made the right choice.

 

[94_Eagles]

I realise the game is over now but how the hell anyone can blame this loss on ponting is beyond me, maybe defending 300 at the most can be a captains fault but 430 odd, get your hand off it, it's the bolwers fault, no one elses.

How can the bowling side perform if he keeps No. 1 strike bowler Lee on the boundary while bowling out the most expensive bowler? It's clearly Punters fault.

 

[eddiesmith]

So Ponting made the right choice.

He ********ed up earlier, cricket is very much a mental game, Lewis confidence was completely shot, and Hackens dropped catch then getting spanked by Gibbs the following over didnt help. He made a mistake bringing him back, but he never should have bowled 7 overs with the field up in the first place