MCG motivates Proteas
24 Dec 2008
Graeme Smith says his side can’t wait to play in front of a capacity crowd on the opening day of the second Test in Melbourne on Friday.
The MCG ranks alongside Lord’s and Eden Gardens as one of the dream venues to play a Test. However, the Proteas have never won a Test in Melbourne and will need to make history again if they hope to wrap up the series with a match remaining.
“We have had three of the toughest tours this year with India, England and now here,” said Smith. “We drew in India, we won in England and, if we can close off this series here in Australia, it will be an incredible performance for this team and probably the most successful season ever for South African cricket. That is what we have the chance to achieve and to beat Australia in Australia is something everybody would like to have in their career.
“As a sportsman, a Boxing Day Test is one of those great occasions. We will obviously discuss a few things and be as well prepared as we can from that side but on the day it is a motivation to perform well. There is no greater occasion to perform well.”
The South African captain said it was also a chance to reflect on his own life and career and the changes he had gone through since his last tour to Australia in 2005.
“It is nice to come back here and see how far I have progressed in my life and my career and how things have changed,” said Smith, who is playing with a chronic elbow injury.
“Mentally you look forward to coping with it as best you can. Fortunately I have been batting well through it and I have been able to adapt my game quite well. But it is something that we need to deal with in the longer run because I can’t keep treating it like this over a long period of time, so we need to plan the way forward. At the moment our focus is purely on this Test match and we don’t want anything to get in the way of that.”
Smith also commented on the pressure the Australian team has been subjected to since Perth.
“I was surprised at some of the media reports and statements after the test match. It wasn’t something I expected. Having played against Australia for some time they are always composed and well directed, so it did come as a surprise. But it does not affect our preparation or the way we think. They have picked a formidable team for this test match and they will come out to play an aggressive game and take the game to us, so we will have to be focused and ready.
“We put our peg in the ground at Perth and we have made them respect us a huge amount as we do respect them. But from a psychological aspect we know we have got a lot more petrol in our tank. It took something special to win the test match and I expect much the same again with a pretty even contest.”
– Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s other casualty with a cracked thumb, had a try out in the nets on Wednesday and a decision on his availability will be taken after Christmas Day’s practice.
PROTEAS’ TEST RECORD AT THE MCG
1993: Match drawn
Australia 342/7 dec (Mark Taylor 170, Mark Waugh 84); South Africa 258/3 (Hansie Cronje 71, Andrew Hudson 64 retired, Kepler Wessels 63*)
1997: Match drawn
Australia 309 (Ricky Ponting 105, Steve Waugh 96) and 257 (Paul Reiffel 79, Mark Taylor 59); South Africa 186 (Gary Kirsten 83) and 273/7 (Jacques Kallis 101, Hansie Cronje 70)
2001: Australia won by 9 wickets
South Africa 277 (Neil McKenzie 67) and 219 (Jacques Kallis 99); Australia 487 (Matthew Hayden 138, Steve Waugh 90, Justin Langer 85) and 10/1
2005: Australia won by 184 runs
Australia 355 (Ricky Ponting 117, Michael Hussey 122) and 321/7 dec (Matthew Hayden 137, Andrew Symonds 72) beat South Africa 311 (Herschelle Gibbs 94) and 181
293 Comments
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25 Dec 2008, 18:25 pm
#179 jerimiyah: I hope that I do not cast the first stone ever, and I pray for strength not to cast any stones at all
I suggest that you also change to a little more accommodating to others, surely life is about the living. I am neither here nor there to tell you what to do with your life, but hopefully you have googled what I have said
#176 SpringbokSarah: Pardon me young one
#177 church – like chch but pronounceable: You could be right, I think we have seen the best of Ricky, he started to slide against India and he has gathered momentum
#178 Puma: I am still concerned that we could not clean up their tail for less than 100 runs in both innings, we really need to get that killer instinct
25 Dec 2008, 18:25 pm
#196 jerimiyah: Are you trying to tell Sarah not to celebrate Christmas now? Give it a break Skop. You have taken it too far now. You are trolling now. Have respect for yourself.
25 Dec 2008, 18:26 pm
#197 church – like chch but pronounceable: 100 years
25 Dec 2008, 18:26 pm
# JL1: It’s okay… you didn’t know
25 Dec 2008, 18:27 pm
# JL1: Thats what I am worried about aswell. About us not bowling their lower order out quick. Hope we have sorted it out. Fielding will be harder on a huge field aswell.
Cheers JL1. Chat tomorrow during the cricket.
25 Dec 2008, 18:27 pm
#185 Puma:
how old are you little Puma boy you sound about as old as 5, and yet somebody here told me you were actually 53
this young girl Sarah is far more mature than you are and she is about 1/4 your age.
25 Dec 2008, 18:28 pm
#205 Puma: Cheers, have a good one
#204 SpringbokSarah: Scary to think of
25 Dec 2008, 18:31 pm
#207 JL1: Why? I’m young doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions and I’m allowed to share those opinions and you people are more interesting than poeple on other blogs
25 Dec 2008, 18:32 pm
I can’t find when Australia last came from behind to win at home and I went past 1970
25 Dec 2008, 18:35 pm
#209 church – like chch but pronounceable: Now that’s sad… yet it make me feel good… now I feel bad
25 Dec 2008, 18:36 pm
#205 Puma:
Cheers Puma … catch you tomorrow
25 Dec 2008, 18:36 pm
#210 SpringbokSarah:
? don’t go EMO on us now
25 Dec 2008, 18:37 pm
The problem with old skoppie here is that in his own blinkered eyes he is infallible, and thinks he’s always right. Everyone else has it wrong, apparently
Only problem is, no matter how much he believes in his own views (and his alone), he is the one trying to convince everyone the world is flat and not round. A totally pointless crusade if you ask me.
25 Dec 2008, 18:38 pm
#206 jerimiyah: You very bitter. You know how old I am. You sit here the whole day and read everyones posts. You have a mental problem skop. I am serious about that. You speak the most stupid things I have ever read and you actually believe in them. You need to be in Tara mate. You you just want to troll here. Make people upset. But I have always just ignored you. Today it was just a little too much what you had said in your posts here. You don’t respect Christmas but you know we all do that come on here. Why do you keep coming onto this site when you are banned? You have no respect for yourself or anyone else. You are just a little too pathetic to even speak too. How anyone here can say the respect and want to speak to you it is beyond me. You are a complete utter fool and a waste of space and you know it. Go and crawl into your lonely little hole. You pathetic little bitter and twised man. If you don’t respect Christmas then don’t bother to speak to people who do. Now try and creep upto the ones that show you just a little respect. Thats what you do creep. Mental case you are.
25 Dec 2008, 18:38 pm
#212 church – like chch but pronounceable: I can’t! I tried to make my parents feel bad but I can’t do it!
25 Dec 2008, 18:40 pm
#213 wooden spoon:
I don’t really understand his crusade. He just seems anti.
25 Dec 2008, 18:41 pm
Merry Xmas to all you bloggers, now for an early braai to be ready by 02h00 for another exciting test! Cant wait!
25 Dec 2008, 18:41 pm
#215 SpringbokSarah:
That is not a bad thing
25 Dec 2008, 18:42 pm
#217 AB:
Isn’t it 1am?
25 Dec 2008, 18:42 pm
#201 JL1:
at least it seems you have enough sense to hold some little bit about your indoctrinations in reserve before make false sweeping judgments on others, not that I can say the same for most of your blogging mates on here.
The infinitesimal amount of information you may have picked up about me (and it goes the same for anyone here) from my participation on this blog site hardly gives you nor anyone any real handle by which to judge anyone at all.
No I have not googled your christian website, I may or may not do, but it would if anything be purely out of some passing interest to see where you equate your humanness from.
I am already well sorted, as you may hardly be aware of my actual state of mind or my state of being, some of you people honestly believe you can deduce fact from fiction or truth from fallacy from some debate on a blog site
your frame of references are so minutely limited you would not be able to recognize such falsity or truth even if it bit you in the backside
As an example, if you, the devout Christian that you are, were to met JC today face to face, I am almost certain without much doubt, you may be one of the very first to either call for his head again, or else cast him into a lunatic asylum post haste, because I will tell you frankly and categorically, he will most definitely not be coming here again to appease your limited sense of sanity or enlightenment, nor will he be coming in the garb you might think he will be in some burning bright chariot or other, he may surprise you so confoundedly, you will be forced to reassess all that holy indoctrinated Christianity all over again.
That is if you are fortunate enough even to recognize him at all.
Now thats it, enough confounded religious debate for this 25th of December 2008, after all its just another day in the cycle of this universe.
25 Dec 2008, 18:43 pm
#208 SpringbokSarah: I agree, you do have an opion and it is great to hear it
#209 church – like chch but pronounceable: 100 years
25 Dec 2008, 18:43 pm
#217 AB: to you too AB!
25 Dec 2008, 18:43 pm
Is Melbourne on the same time as Sydney?
25 Dec 2008, 18:43 pm
#221 JL1:
25 Dec 2008, 18:44 pm
Cheers all. Sorry I had a outburst today with that idiot Skop. He is a complete utter fool and a real creep that creeps upto people that feel sorry for him. He rants and raves and calls everyone names. I just don’t respect a creep of a guy like that.
25 Dec 2008, 18:44 pm
#218 church – like chch but pronounceable: No I guess not…
#221 JL1: Thank you
25 Dec 2008, 18:44 pm
#217 AB:
Cheers AB …. I think it is 1am your time
25 Dec 2008, 18:45 pm
#225 Puma: Bye Puma
25 Dec 2008, 18:45 pm
#223 church – like chch but pronounceable: I just got the time off Supersport, but I can not vouch for it!
25 Dec 2008, 18:46 pm
#214 Puma:
Like I said a 53 year old baby of about 5 who should be in his play pen twaddling with his baby friends
25 Dec 2008, 18:46 pm
It is 1:30am SA time … just checked
25 Dec 2008, 18:49 pm
#217 AB: Respect from me to you
#220 jerimiyah: But aurely respect should play a role or maybe just respect for you and all your actions.
Time to think and reflect on truths, the date means nothing but the meaning behind is what it is all about. Surely it is about peace, live and let live and having a relationship with The Creator and to help those who need help, to be the salt of the earth
25 Dec 2008, 18:51 pm
#230 jerimiyah: Really a mature way to make friends and influence people, but I will keep on trying
25 Dec 2008, 18:51 pm
#225 Puma:
That is the reaction he is after. Just pretend he is not here. He may reply to this … bit I will ignore
Right now he is just looking for his next angle to get his next reaction (like the age thing)
25 Dec 2008, 18:52 pm
#186 Pietman: #183 jerimiyah: I suspect that you would both get along very well. Neither of you are dof, both of you like rugby. That’s enough common ground.
So Piet you ou balsak calm down. Skops stop hurling dogma and dog dung around.
Go and have a few beers and celebrate your differences and rugby.
25 Dec 2008, 18:53 pm
#230 jerimiyah: Twat!
#231 church – like chch but pronounceable: First ball or start of transmission?
#232 JL1: I only have a gprs signal here and it is ssssssssooooooooooooooo slow!!
25 Dec 2008, 18:53 pm
#235 SodaJoe: Hear hear. Silly to hear grown men arguing like this.
25 Dec 2008, 18:55 pm
#224 church – like chch but pronounceable: Not meant to be a joke, please read the following:
IT IS 15 years since Australia has lost a home series, 20 since it lost the first Test of a home series. In that time, it has only once before arrived at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test trailing its opponent. Australia has never won a three-Test series anywhere after losing the first.
25 Dec 2008, 18:57 pm
#236 AB: Explain, after 5 days of cricket you only get the result by day 8?????
25 Dec 2008, 18:59 pm
#236 AB: First ball
#238 JL1: That is 130 years for Australia then
25 Dec 2008, 18:59 pm
May I suggest Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama on this fine day. Appropriate.
25 Dec 2008, 19:00 pm
#236 AB: 10:30am Melbourne time
25 Dec 2008, 19:00 pm
got to go guys
Merry Christmas!
25 Dec 2008, 19:00 pm
#239 JL1:
My internet connection here on the farm is gprs so I am very frustrated as I am used to 3g. But it is still nice to chat to the mates!
25 Dec 2008, 19:02 pm
#242 church – like chch but pronounceable: Thanks matey!
25 Dec 2008, 19:03 pm
#243 SpringbokSarah: Cheers Sarah!
25 Dec 2008, 19:03 pm
#237 wooden spoon: I would absolutely love to join them.
I do envy guys actually meeting each other in the flesh.
2011 in NZ?
Or when you move to the US. I recommend the sunny climes of Minneapolis.
25 Dec 2008, 19:05 pm
#238 JL1: We go in to the game with a lot more confidence than before. But Aussies are the most competitive sporting nation on earth, and their cricketers illustrate that quality more than any other sporting code. Going to be tight.
I deeply envy you guys getting up early.
25 Dec 2008, 19:06 pm
#244 AB: That makes sense hehehehe, the farm sounds nice
25 Dec 2008, 19:06 pm
#243 SpringbokSarah:
Cheers Sarah …. see you online tomorrow
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