Austraia v. Sth. Africa - T20s.

[Donny]

2/81 after 10.1 overs.

de Kock 49*.

[Donny]

de Kock 50* from 31 balls.

[Donny]

Aussies need 159 to win.

[Donny]

0/29 after 3 overs.

[Donny]

`1/48 in the 5th. Finch out for 14.

[Donny]

9 overs gone. 1/81.

Warner 39*, Smith 21*.

[Donny]

2/116 after 15 overs. Smith 29 (26).

Warner 59*, Carey 6*.

[Donny]

18 balls to come.

The Aussies need 25 to win.

Warner 63*, Marsh 5*.

[Donny]

One of those superb catches on the boundary. du Plessis/Miller. Marsh out.

20 needed from the last 12 balls.

[Donny]

SA wins by 12 runs. Warner was 67 n.o. (56).

[Pies4shaw]

Following from my observations after the first game, the Australian middle order is a worry. From 1/98 chasing 159 for victory to 6/146, including losing 4/19 (Carey, Marsh, Wade, Agar). I understand that the pitch slowed down and it became harder to score in the second half of the innings but I wonder whether numbers 4 to 7 have the requisite talent to bat in those spots at this level. This looked like a repeat of the first game, where Australia fumbled a likely 240+ score and ended up with 196 - that just didn’t look as problematic because it was still a solid score and they won easily.

Certainly, though, Carey isn’t a number 4 on a difficult track, Marsh struggles to put a decent score together at the best of times, Wade isn’t up to it and Agar needs to bat much lower - 8 or 9, typically pinch-hitting from 6 to 10 balls, is probably his go

I suppose Maxy makes the team look better but if he bats at 4, as he should, it still looks like the team falls away drastically after that. That would give Australia just about the best top 4 in International T20 cricket but the tail shouldn’t start at 5.

As for the outcome of the game more generally, it was decided by not dismissing the SA batting lineup (QdK) early, as they did in the first outing.

[K]

They are all specialist positions in T20. This has been obvious for a long time now, but the seemingly clueless Oz powers have ignored it and are willing to just shuffle everyone, which means when favoured players get the cushy roles up the top, everyone else is squeezed down the order without the specialist skills needed for those spots.

Anything less than victory in the WC will be a failure, because the home advantage is so huge.

[Donny]

The decider.

de Kock won the toss and sent the Aussies in.

After 3 overs, 0/32.

Finch 20* (11), Warner 9*.

[Donny]

These two are so good to watch. Warner just smote 3 consecutive fours.

4 overs gone. 0/50.

[Donny]

Going at better than 12 r.p.o.

Finch 35* (17) Warner 23* (13).