Was It A Good Draw?
Australia had South Africa on the ropes in Adelaide in the 2nd test match but down a strike bowler in Pttinson, they couldn't deliver the final punch required to seal the victory. Many in the media have spent the day talking about how great an effort it was by both sides but in particular South Africa for holding onto a draw but I would beg to differ. Whilst a close draw can be exciting and have you on the edge of your seat, it can also be crowd killing. Like it or not the modern game is constantly under threat from the shorter format with society now demanding results and exciting cricket.
After a draw in Brisbane it was looking like Adelaide was going to end in a result after Australia scored so quickly in the first innings.On a pitch that produced a first innings score of 550 @ 5.12 runs per over, South Africa seemed to dawdle in their first dig to score 388 @ 3.18 rpo. Maybe the pitch was starting to slow up but with Australia scoring at 3.81 runs in their 2nd innings it seemed that it wasn't a testing pitch to score runs on.
This is where I get frustrated with South Africa. Their run rate ability. Although they lost early wickets on day four, no one would have expected a run rate of 1.68. To highlight how slow they went, AB de Villiers faced the most balls without scoring a boundary in test cricket. His return of 33 runs off 220 balls is not going to attract people to test cricket.
You may think I am being overly critical but I look at it differently. If South Africa took a more pro-active approach to their batting they may have even changed the result of the first test match when Amla & Kallis meandered along once they were settled into their innings. Then you take the 2nd test match. There were no demons in the pitch so if they managed to get an extra run every second over in the first innings there is another 60 runs. Then take the second innings and if they look to score at a pedestrian 3 an over there is an extra 140 odd runs. South Africa at the close of play were 181 runs short of the target Australia set. Although attacking cricket may have seen more wickets and a loss to South Africa, it is a sign that their negative mindset when at the crease is not going to win them matches like this. Considering they are the number one test match it is an interesting scenario. Imagine how exciting the game would have been if South Africa were close to the target.
Where Now For The Roar
Something is amiss in Brisbane and the team is on the verge of imploding. Every other team and the media are more than happy to stick the daggers into Brisbane during the struggle they are in, so they need to show resolve and not tear each other apart in the down times. Comments that have been coming from the coach are some that may be better said behind closed doors. If Brisbane keep on playing like they are I expect them to be chasing a coach soon. As everyone knows, it is easier to change a coach then a playing roster. Look for a mention of the McBreen tackle on Smith in Friday's pubcast.
Up And Away
On a beautiful Friday evening typical of Queensland, my sideline reporter and I sat down to record the first pubcast for Sporting Sport Opinions. We were venturing into unknown territory but had great faith in our idea and after 44 minutes a calypso high five was produced. With no hitches during the show we will recording our pubcast every Friday afternoon at the Coral Cove Resort in the bar area. If you are ever in Bundaberg feel free to drop in and watch and hang around for a chat. Who knows you might even feel the urge to participate and discuss the sporting world.
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