Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA

South Africa : 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickleton, 3 Wiaan Mulder, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 David Bedingham, 7 Kyle Verreynne, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Marnus Labuschagne, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

SA won the toss and will field.

Marnus apparently opening with Usman. Oz batting looks a bit experimental.

Not surprisingly there's a bit of movement.

SA start with two maidens.

Little Kane having a cup of tea in the pavilion.

Not a lot happening in the first half dozen overs - but, then Waj nicks one from Rabada and gone for a duck.

Marnus done all the scoring at the other end.

12/1

Green glances his first ball for four - but, nicks his third and Markram holds an excellent low catch.

16/2

Cat and mouse cricket.

41/2 after 17 overs.

Oz obviously cautious not wanting to lose another wicket before lunch.

There's a bit of movement, but not a lot of pace or bounce in the pitch. The odd false shot.

It's not scintillating cricket for the neutral....

And Marnus nicked one while I was typing that.

47/3.

Head comes in and things will doubtless happen more quickly for a bit!

@Chris-B said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

And Marnus nicked one while I was typing that.

47/3.

Head comes in and things will doubtless happen more quickly for a bit!

For a bit. Down the leg again...

South Africa is a world of pain at the moment. 43-4. This might not last to the weekend.

@sparky said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

South Africa is a world of pain at the moment. 43-4. This might not last to the weekend.

Oz were in a lot of trouble when I went to bed at lunch. Head just out and the rookie Webster next in.

I thought the big stumbling blocks might be Smith and Carey, but Webster looks to have played a blinder.

South Africa quite a way behind now.

Is lords in June really the best time for this game? Still, I'd take 14 wickets over 400/2 on the first day.

@Cyclops said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Is lords in June really the best time for this game? Still, I'd take 14 wickets over 400/2 on the first day.

Best time and place to guarantee a crowd who'd watch two neutral teams. And every cricketers dreams of playing at Lords and getting their name on the honours board.

@sparky said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@Cyclops said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Is lords in June really the best time for this game? Still, I'd take 14 wickets over 400/2 on the first day.

Best time and place to guarantee a crowd who'd watch two neutral teams. And every cricketers dreams of playing at Lords and getting their name on the honours board.

If you can make it there you. can make it anywhere....

South Africa don't like playing in cricket finals much

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

South Africa don't like playing in cricket finals much

@canefan said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

South Africa don't like playing in cricket finals much

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Australia are also a much, much better team.

Rabada for Starc is probably the only guy who would make a combined team.

Great catch, hugely important wicket for Aus. I don't mind who wins but hoping SA can get at least par to set up the second innings

Not many runs.

Australia close on 144-8, 218 ahead after South Africa were all out for 138.

South Africa will need to make the highest score of the match batting last.

I think what it probably demonstrates most is the fairly rude combination of two good bowling attacks in favourable conditions versus two batting lineups that haven't played test cricket in a while.

it's good to finally hear the Australian selectors coming under pressure. Their conservatism has made the AB selectors look like reckless mavericks in comparison. For far too long the Aussie test side's MO was 4 of the top 5 failing, one getting runs in conjunction with someone from the lower middle order, and getting all out for about 280. Then their all time attack giving them a 100-run lead.

Khawaja, and Marnus continuing to be selected. Warner given a year longer than he deserved. Ignoring all evidence and pretending Green is no only undroppable, but a top order player. Giving young players a game or two before reverting.

The side will now go to the Windies and get runs, fooling the selectors in to giving all these guys their desired Ashes farewell. If England actually show up in Australia for once, they could be in for a rude shock.

Well, except the Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will take 80 wickets at 22 between them.

Going to be intriguing viewing tonight, SA will be absolutely desperate for the final 2 wickets as anything above 250 is going to be extremely tough. Despite conditions, they'll be chasing on a day 3/4 pitch so will back themselves.

That said, I can't see them getting up. As they've been doing for some time now, the Aus bowlers will bail their batsmen out and roll through SA again. Cummins in particular is too good for them.

@mariner4life said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

If England actually show up in Australia for once, they could be in for a rude shock.

Eh with a Kookaburra ball on home pitches can't see Aus being troubled by what doesn't exactly seem an especially good England squad right now

@mariner4life said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

For far too long the Aussie test side's MO was 4 of the top 5 failing, one getting runs in conjunction with someone from the lower middle order, and getting all out for about 280. Then their all time attack giving them a 100-run lead.

Exactly right - and it's pretty much happened again in both innings off this game.

They're going to have just enough runs thanks to Smith and Webster/Carey and Starc.

Jaapies need it to dawn bright and sunny and have three or four guys bat out of their skins - after wrapping up the Oz tail in super-short order.

If it's overcast and swinging they'll fall well short.

Batting conditions are going to be good today in North London.

@sparky said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Batting conditions are going to be good today in North London.

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Starc and Lyon to score half-centuries then put South Africa in before lunch.

Pick up 3 quick wickets in 6 overs, then have it done by tea.

@NTA said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@sparky said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Batting conditions are going to be good today in North London.

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Starc and Lyon to score half-centuries then put South Africa in before lunch.

Pick up 3 quick wickets in 6 overs, then have it done by tea.

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Lyon has never got one, averages 12 which puts him slightly above the bunny category but that's definitely helped by a truckload of not outs.

Rabada to skittle them and get another Michelle but Oz to still win pretty comfortably.

Cummins will get four, Starc three and Lyon two. The other will be run out.

Just on batting bunnies, I see only 33 guys in test history have averaged less than 10 with the bat.

Woulda thought there'd be heaps more than that given how long test cricket has been played.

Chris Martin still a relative Bradman given he averages nearly half of the next worst in the list.

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Oz to still win pretty comfortably.

You'd think so, but chasing a low total you just need one person to go big and it's done. I like low scoring games - runs are properly valuable and the bowlers are in the game. Better than 19 sixes in an innings ...

@nzzp said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Oz to still win pretty comfortably.

You'd think so, but chasing a low total you just need one person to go big and it's done. I like low scoring games - runs are properly valuable and the bowlers are in the game. Better than 19 sixes in an innings ...

Yep, I love a big hitting innings as much as anyone but a half century is worth over 200 in a game like this.

Very easy to see the Australia bowling line up clean them up.

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Chris Martin still a relative Bradman given he averages nearly half of the next worst in the list.

And there it is - a thread with zero to do with NZ has been carefully steered onto the rocks of Slack Craps cricket.

Classic!

:winking_face_with_tongue:

@NTA said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Chris Martin still a relative Bradman given he averages nearly half of the next worst in the list.

And there it is - a thread with zero to do with NZ has been carefully steered onto the rocks of Black Craps cricket.

Classic!

:winking_face_with_tongue:

celebrating our worst ever batsman. That's some derailment!

@NTA said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@MN5 said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Chris Martin still a relative Bradman given he averages nearly half of the next worst in the list.

And there it is - a thread with zero to do with NZ has been carefully steered onto the rocks of Slack Craps cricket.

Classic!

:winking_face_with_tongue:

That's the fucken inaugural test champions you're talking about. You show some god damn respect.

But yeah, back to this game. The Oz bowlers will clean up. 200 odd may as well be 1000 in a game like this.

Sunniest and warmest day of the year so far in these parts. 22 degrees at 09:30. It should be 28 by mid-afternoon.

Aussie tail frustrating the jaaps.

Starting to get near 250 lead which will be difficult to get.

@MajorRage said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Aussie tail frustrating the jaaps.

Starting to get near 250 lead which will be difficult to get.

It's been difficult to get for a long time. Proteas don't have the batting class against this all time bowling line-up.

The South African fielders need to practice their slide a bit more. That's two very awkward landings in half an hour trying to save boundaries

Yeah, it's through 250 now. The pitch is clearly pretty good for batting but the winning of this game will be all about the head (not Travis).

And when sport gets to that, especially in cricket, the Australians basically become unbackable favourites

@NTA said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

@sparky said in Cricket: WTC Final Oz vs SA:

Batting conditions are going to be good today in North London.

View embedded content

Starc and Lyon to score half-centuries then put South Africa in before lunch.

Pick up 3 quick wickets in 6 overs, then have it done by tea.

View image

Good work

50 for Starc
50 partnership
200 up

Yea boi

This is fucking hilarious btw

I'm sure fans of other countries feel like this when our much-vaunted attack can't get them out