2nd Test

The Proteas could win this one weather permitting if they can score around a minimum of 350+(non negotiable) which I think would be a competitive score or even better would be around 450 which would be a winning score. Right now as I speak Dassie is on a gevrek 25(86) and Kyle is on 4(6). However, the main thing is to keep wickets in tact and to build a big score. The wicket has slowed down after earlier nip and slip so our bowlers are going to find it tough as they won't be getting any assistance from a flattened out pitch.

Go the Proteas!!!

A bit better than 50-50 for us ATM...Ok, more than 50-50, but still some way to go....GO BOYS!!!!

Yep, there's a long way to go as the players go for lunch on D3. Mike is right, they've stuffed the team by dropping Olivier and replacing him with not test quality Sipamla so effectively we've been reduced to a 3 pronged attack in Rabada, Jansen and Maharaj. Olivier if you remember was dissed as useless by our resident "No"F'allabout cricket even though he took wickets in every innings of every test that he's played. Also, we might get way with it but I thought we're a batsman shy and for that reason I preferred Rickleton ahead of Mulder.

There's still a few twists and turns in the game and I'm still not convinced that our batting is sorted, a close look at our innings and it's really only four players who stood out and of the four two were lower order non specialist batsmen. A lead of 150 would have been very handy in securing a win but as for now what we have is plenty of interest and plenty of unanswered questions.

Go the Proteas!

OK, if Verreynne, Mulder and Maharaj can put together 2 good partnerships tomorrow, we can still do this...GO BOYS!!!

You forget Jansen, Best scenario is that we have to bat almost all of the day scoring a total of 350+  then letting them bat the last hour and a bit of play. Not impossible but it's a tough ask from an inexperienced lower order. It would be a magnific ent win.

"You guys do understand that losing right now, and losing heavily, is the best thing for cricket long-term in SA?"

No Plum, that would only make it easier to get rid of Bouch and Biff...we have to play the hand we're dealt...like with rugby, the only real progress will be if we do it "their" way...I thought Rugby was gone too, but Rassie showed the way...maybe Biff & Bouch can do the same for cricket...we are already much better off than we were a bit more than a year ago 

Back to the second test.   After doing well in the first innings out batsmen again collapsed in the second test.   

Never fear the great "Wisden of SA cricket" also know as "cut and paste" has predicted a win.

That was prior to the second innings which has shown the failures with the top batting order once more.

Weather holding off cannot see the Marigolds winning this test.

But it is great to see ex SA players  scoring "Tons" and taking wickets even it is for another team.

Vasbyt.

As the players go for lunch on D4 it's fair to say that the Proteas won the morning session at the expense of two valuable wickets. Jansen fell to a brilliant catch......what a pity when he was just about settled in and about to launch. Mulder played some immaculate shots and I wouldn't give up on him just yet but young Kyle Verryenne is the star of the morning. He is at his best when he plays straight which is the tell tale sign of a good batsman.

Three most important things for the Proteas to secure a win......one is as I've mentioned.....they must score 350 plus and they mustn't be bowled out, the third is the timing of the declaration which is crucially important.

Bring it home boys!!!

Your prediction was spot on.

Well done.

As I understand it New Zealand lost four of their five specialist batsmen and the used their wicketkeeper and one of the two remaining all rounders to augment their batting,     So the secret is to get the wicketkeeper and the batsman all-round er out and the game will be over before teatime tomorrow.      

Where did Quisling predict a win….all I saw was comments like our bowling was doomed because Olivier was dropped. Quisling doesn’t get it right very often so we should observe the occasion if it occurred.

Thanks AJ, knowing our past history your comment is mighty big and it goes a long way to show the decency in you. 

Also glad to see that you're enjoying the Proteas but I caution that it's not over until till it's over and while in all probability weather permitting they should win....cricket as they say is a funny game.

There's still much to enjoy besides an anticipated victory.......have a look at the kiwi lower order batsman Colin de Grandhomme when it's his turn to bat. Now before the little puppies on here get anxious and sour again and start snarling away, Colin is an ex Zimbabwean, does not have great stats, is 35 years old and was a centurion in the first innings. But here's the thing, have a go at how simple he makes batting look. In all the time I've watched cricket there's only two batsmen whose made batting look effortless......he's one of them, Mark Waugh is the other. Simple and effortless. I'm obviously not hoping for him to repeat his first innings performance but I'm hoping that he stays in the middle long enough for those of us who enjoy cricket artistry.

Enjoy and thanks once again.

No doubt Arthur is being nice….but show us where did you predict a victory. It shouldn’t be hard.

So the Proteas after all and a rain break did win the test and levelled the series against New Zealand.   Rabada was MOM and I would have said it should have been Verreynne - his batting in SA second innings was crucial to the win.   Without that SA would definitely have lost the test.     

364 minus 136 equals 228…..NZ scored 227. My guess is even if Verrynne scored 25 runs we would probably have won. But it was certainly nice to have a keeper that can bat under pressure, a welcome change.

There's a long road ahead for Verryenne, no-one knows at this point what lies ahead for him and as the saying goes "One swallow doesn't make it summer" but that hasn't stopped Pompous Piles from jumping on the band wagon and U Turning on his earlier call of Verryenne being bog ordinary and it also hasn't stopped him from once again spewing his malicious and bitter hate of the one he calls de Ock with an opportunistic comparison. Where was his praise of Verryenne when said batsman suffered successive failures? According to his rediculous rule Verryenne should have been dropped after his first test debut.

Has there ever been anyone on this forum filled with as much hate of a particular player?

Denny

Mozart is a complex person.   In cricket yr jared is concentrated on De Kock - in the case of rugby it is Du Toit, De Allende  and De Jager and  and   and .....

In the case of tennis it is hatred of anybody opposing Djokovic and Nadal.   In the recent tournament this hatred was extended  to an 18 year-old by the name of Carlos Alcaraz.

But you should know yourself - the moment you turned against the stories spread by Mozart on site you became a "quisling"   

Denny

Mozart is a complex person.   In cricket yr jared is concentrated on De Kock - in the case of rugby it is Du Toit, De Allende  and De Jager and  and   and .....

In the case of tennis it is hatred of anybody opposing Djokovic and Nadal.   In the recent tournament this hatred was extended  to an 18 year-old by the name of Carlos Alcaraz.

But you should know yourself - the moment you turned against the stories spread by Mozart on site you became a "quisling"   

"But you should know yourself - the moment you turned against the stories spread by Mozart on site you became a "quisling"  

Oh I do know, too funny Mike, it's so obvious......... for over 20 years I could say or do no wrong.

Thanks Denny.