Australia v. Sth. Africa. Test series.

[Donny]

Patto (2/20) claims Abbott, finally.

5/95.

[woftam]

You got to hand it to the South African curators. They know how to prepare a pitch that holds together brilliantly well for 5 days. 5 day pitch that is still bouncing very true.

[Donny]

Harris claims de Villiers.

6/139.

[Donny]

Smith traps Faf in front.

7/183.

[Donny]

Johnson again. He has 3/80. Duminy out for 43.

SA 8/247.

[Donny]

They did it !! Harris takes the last two wickets.

Test win. Series win.

[Donny]

Man of the Match AND Player of the Series is David Warner.

543 runs @ 90.5 over the 3 Tests.

3 centuries and 2, fifty+ scores from 6 innings.

[Donny]

When Harris closed it out, there were just 27 balls left.

[Dave The Man]

[Pies4shaw]

^^^ Yes, Dave - in exactly the same way that, for Collingwood, 2010 was almost 1977 all over again!

[Donny]

Ryan Harris played the whole series with a very sore, bone-on-bone, knee. He's now heading for Melbourne and major knee surgery but he's keen to do the rehabilitation and, once again, spearhead the Aussie attack.

Donny Croft - Harris: "There was a spell where I think at times I was really struggling to get to the wicket. I was working on different ways to run. I haven't really run with a proper running action because the knee won't let me fully extend my leg. I worked out ways of trying to dull the pain, some balls were really painful and some weren't. I had to keep going and if Michael said to me I had to bowl I had to bowl, simple as that, it's my job."

https://www.facebook.com/pages/AussieCricket/278637879094

[Johnno75]

Harris is a warrior, had been down on form but responded when Australia needed him.

That spell after lunch to with the new ball especially to de Villiers was superb. Asked questions of de Villiers almost every ball beat him a few times then just got one to move and got the edge and then got the old ball reversing again at the end when it looked like SA would hang on.

Great series and great summer by the Aussies after winning none of 9 tests in India and England they have won 7 of 8 to now be the No 2 Test team in the world.

[Pies4shaw]

Here's a fabulous account (by Jarrod Kimber) of Harris' heroics:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2013-14/content/story/725727.html

Just two extracts to whet your appetite:

Australia thought they'd get eight or ten overs out of him in the entire second innings. The wicket of AB deVilliers was in his fifteenth. You should never call this dismissal anything as dismal as a wicket. It was a triumph of man over superman. De Villiers is currently batting like the laws of physics don't apply to him. It is as if he has learnt to see into the future and decides on his shot as the bowler is coming in. Getting him out in this form, with his assistance is virtually impossible. Getting him out without his assistance from a busted down old man who should be on crutches should be impossible. The only thing impossible was the Harris outswinger.

Ryan Harris winces in the face of impossible.

....

In the years to come it will read 24.3 overs, 15 maidens, 32 runs and four wickets. But unless it was written in synovial fluid, tears, bone, tendon and blood, no one will ever understand how good Ryan Harris was today. Whatever is in that knee, I hope they remove it, and get Ryan Harris fit again. Then I hope they show the removed item in a museum and schoolkids are bussed in to see it for years to come.

Please read the whole of it. This was plainly an effort for the ages.

[Donny]

Somewhat exaggerated ("busted down old man who should be on crutches" ?) but fun, nevertheless.

[Jezza]

Great match of cricket. I watched a little bit of it on the final day and I must say I wasn't disappointed in the end!

Well-played by Ryan Harris and well done to Graeme Smith for a great career overall for South Africa!