< 1 minute readNow we have to admit that we don’t pay the closest attention to South African fortunes when they’re not playing England. Their Tests always seem to clash with crucial fixtures for Bangladesh A. Nevertheless, we were a little bit surprised when Herschelle Gibbs was dropped today. Pretty much the last
Continue readingCategory: South Africa
Did Graeme Smith try to be clever?
< 1 minute readSouth Africa are currently ranked second-best in the world. The West Indies are ranked second-worst. The Windies had also come into this Test on the back of defeat to South Africa A, so when Graeme Smith won the toss, he put his opponents in to bat. This didn’t turn out
Continue readingThe Chris Gayle era
< 1 minute readThe West Indies won a Test – and they were away. The West Indian batting is still woefully fragile. Their fielding, while far-improved in this match, will surely take a good while longer to repair from what we’ve seen in the past – progress can only ever be so fast.
Continue readingWindies’ early work keeps them on top
< 1 minute readIf there’s one cricketing nation that’s quite reliable, other than Australia, it’s South Africa – particularly at home. If there’s one cricketing nation which is quite unreliable, it’s currently the West Indies – particularly away from home. So how did the Windies rack up 400 and then dispatch South Africa
Continue readingIt’s Shiv and he’s scoring a hundred
< 1 minute readWe haven’t seen it, but we bet it was beautiful. We could watch him play those lithe, supple shots all day. He doesn’t look at all like the chimney sweeps in Mary Poppins when he’s at the crease. He doesn’t rock from side-to-side like a dancing cockney when he ambles
Continue readingDale Steyn’s bowling speed
2 minute readWe remember Dale Steyn’s Test debut. For his first wicket, he arced a yorker into Marcus Trescothick‘s middle stump. Not bad. While he touched 90mph during that Test, it was rare and we sort of put him to the back of our mind in our mental draw marked ‘South African
Continue readingJacques Kallis, interesting?
< 1 minute readWe don’t know what’s going on here. There we were idly reading a short piece about New Zealand quick, Mark Gillespie, when suddenly the writer makes the most outrageous claim imaginable. Will from The Corridor – who knows what he’s on about – describes Jacques Kallis as ‘dazzling’. ‘Dazzling’ is
Continue readingShoaib Akhtar overshadows South African series win
< 1 minute readIt’s one of those big looming shadows that’s accompanied by a low octave minor chord. You know what that shadow and that chord means – it means trouble. Apart from two Twenty20 internationals against Namibia, this was Shoaib Akhtar’s first international outing since January when he played a single Test
Continue readingEveryday cricket every day
< 1 minute readHere’s a comparison. The Rugby World Cup finished last Saturday. England played in the final. Their next international fixture will be on the second of February. England’s final match in the Cricket World Cup was on the 21st of April, against the West Indies. Their next international fixture, a Test
Continue readingShaun Pollock’s arms of expression
< 1 minute readThere is literally no cricketing event that Shaun Pollock can’t portray through subtle distinctions in his ‘arms aloft’ pose. An lbw appeal. Celebrating a wicket. Celebrating a hundred. You’ll also notice that Shaun tends to appear as a mirror image when celebrating a wicket.
Continue reading