Cricket is such BS

SA wrecked in the first Test and England wrecked in the second.
Aside from a few personnel changes not much changed between the two games and yet the outcomes were so different. 
If the captain choses correctly on day 1 and his team performs averagely then a win is all but guaranteed. The team batting last is at a huge disadvantage most times.
I suppose cricket really isn't about the result but more about the individual battles during the game. Even in the shorter format. 
Rugby is just so different . Results between similar teams always seem relatively consistent. When last did we see a team on tour lose by thirty points and then win the next game against the same opposition by 30. It just never happens. 
I guess rugby is good beer and a steak while cricket is some five million year old brandy and fossilized cheese.

 Plum, cricket is probably the most statistical game out there. There are so many variables to consider, the only real way to measure performance is by stats over a few years. In test cricket there are many battles over 5 days...even more so over years. A perfect blend of a team and individual sport twined into one with various conditions and venues. Huge mental aspects to boot. Remarkable that there is some sense to make of it all.

That is what makes test cricket so facinating but you have to understand the dynamics. Some of the most nail biting matches were ones that actually ended in draws. Two of the most memorable draws that I can remember was the one at the Bull Ring where we had that epic battle between Alan Donald and Michael Atherton. The other was the test at Lord's in 2008. That was the one where Smith, McKenzie and Amla scored a ton each to draw the match for us from an almost hopeless situation. England put up a massive 593/8 d in 688 minutes of batting. They then dismissed us for only 247 to enforce the follow on. It was them that Smith and Mackenzie dug in and soldiered on for 81 overs and a partnership of 204, followed by Amla and McKenzie with a partnership of 125 off 52 overs. In the end it was Amla and Prince who managed to hold on and force the runrate down to just 1.87 rpo without loosing their wickets to ensure the draw. The Saffers said afterwards that it felt as though they had won the match and the England players said that it felt like a loss to them. We then went on to win the series. Sadly we do not have a team that can compare with this at the moment: Smith, McKenzie, Amla, Kallis, Prince, AB, Bouch, Morkel, Harris, Steyn, Ntini. I'm talking of the team as a whole and not the individuals on their own, of course.

Cricket is more like old wine. Oops I'm not supposed to say "old".

Wine that is not old is called vinegar.

 I guess the title should have read "Cricket results are such BS" 
I played the game every season since the age of seven until 3 years ago so it's not like I dislike or don't understand the game. The external variables just get to me, mostly in the longer format but also in ODIs. For example in rugby, dew on a ball is an issue for both teams. In cricket it's just an issue for the bowling side.

Plum, I get where you are coming from. Very often a cricket test is won or lost with the toss of a coin...before one ball has even been bowled. I wonder if an argument could be made for a non deteriorating pitch? Concrete covered with astro turf or something to that effect. Same consistent pitch regardless of batting order. But even then the weather could dictate the result. It is just the nature of the beast I guess. T20 in this regard is probably the fairest form of the game...but in T20 the mental part of the game is completely lost. 
A wee conundrum. 

 Blue, the behavior of the pitch and the reading and exploitation thereof is half the fun of the game.

 @Draad, that is why the captain plays such a massive roll in test cricket. There was a remark elsewhere about the SA team for the first and the second test being virtually the same. There was one important difference. The return of captain Faf.

....and the omission of JPD...but Faf in the lead has made a massive difference...in the ODI side too. We did much better while AB was out injured. Fine bat, but not the best skipper IMO.

Bloo many sports are 'unfair'. In golf a player could be in the morning group and playing in calm conditions...the afternoon group could experience heavy wind. Rub of the green.