Saffas thwart hosts
20 Dec 2009
Despite a late onslaught from Friedel de Wet, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott provided enough earlier resistance as England forced a draw at Centurion.
The South African-born and -schooled pair came together during the first hour at 27-3, but then looked to have taken the sting out of the hosts’ attack. They batted for over a session and a half after South Africa had got the ideal start as Alastair Cook and night watchman James Anderson were dismissed early.
During the middle session, the South African attack looked largely harmless, but Pietersen committed batting suicide as he took a run straight to the fielder and was left stranded on 81. That sparked a period where six wickets fell in the final session and five with the new ball.
De Wet sent a late flurry in the England changing room with his wickets of Trott, Ian Bell and Matt Prior, aided by brilliant catching from AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher, but ultimately it was too little too late. Morne Morkel trapped Graeme Swann LBW, and the hosts had 19 balls to claim the final wicket.
Captain Graeme Smith then allowed emotion to get in the way as he handed centurion Makhaya Ntini the final over the day, when De Wet had taken three wickets in his seven over spell. Graham Onions had little trouble seeing off Ntini, who was wicketless throughout the innings.
It could have been so different for the South Africans as they missed two earlier chances in the middle session. De Wet had Pietersen plum LBW but was no-balled for over-stepping the mark, and JP Duminy fumbled the ball when Trott was stranded after another crazy Pietersen single.
South Africa will be happy that they could possibly have Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis – who bowled three overs throughout the match – to return to bolster their attack, but will realise this was an opportunity missed.
The South African selectors will also have a big decision to make in deciding what role Ntini has to play in the next Test after De Wet’s success.
South Africa – 1st innings – 418
Jacques Kallis 120, JP Duminy 56, Mark Boucher 49, Graeme Swann 5-110.
England – 1st innings – 356
Graeme Swann 85, Paul Collingwood 50, Andrew Strauss 46, Paul Harris 5-123.
South Africa – 2nd innings – 301-7 declared
Hashim Amla 100, AB de Villiers 64, Mark Boucher 63*, James Anderson 4-73
England – 2nd innings – 228-9
Jonathan Trott 69, Kevin Pietersen 81, Friedel de Wet 4-55
The match was drawn
Click here for full scorecard.
137 Comments
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24 Dec 2009, 10:22 am
Ntini needs to be dropped, the bowling line up should be De Wet, Steyn, Morkel, Harris and Kallis..
24 Dec 2009, 11:29 am
@Tbozknows: Hi Tboz, I agree with you. Ntini has served SA cricket really well but he has slowed down now. I would play the players you mentioned above too. Though I do like Parnell and would liked to have seen him start in Durban. Gets good swing and his bowling would suit the Durbs pitch.
Season greetings to you Tboz.
24 Dec 2009, 11:41 am
@wpw_: Ok Einstein….whom do you suggest then, we desparately need a leftie in the side and the guys I’ve mentioned are all young and have the potential to improve.
24 Dec 2009, 16:00 pm
Only sentiment and other extenuating factors will keep Ntini in the side. Not form.
24 Dec 2009, 17:27 pm
Jozi …what about Fourie du Preez :p
25 Dec 2009, 10:42 am
Ntini should be in the team as far as I am concerned. Nothing to do with sentiment or other factors. That was reserved for Shaun Pollock when he bowled at 120 km/h and could not buy a wicket for the last three years as an international cricket player.
Funny how you can change your tune within the space of three days, WP. One set of rules for some players and another set for others is the only conclusion I can come to.:lol:
Ntini is 11th on the all time list of wicket takers in tests. He has reached 300 test wickets in exactly the same amount of test matches as Shaun Pollock (74), quicker than somebody like Courtney Walsh who only reached that target after 80 matches. Pollock reached 400 wickets in his 103rd test. What are the odds that Ntini will reach that target by the end of the series against England which will also coincide with his 103rd test if he is selected for all the matches in the series. He is “only” 32 years old. I think he still has about 2-3 years left in the tank. He could still become only the third fast bowler after Glen Mc Grath and Courtney Walsh to take 500 wickets in his career.
AI would agree that he has not been at his best lately but I think it is largely due to the fact that his role has changed this past few years. Where in the past his primary job was to take wickets without having to care about runs scored of his bowling, he is now charged with the task to stop runs from being scored at one end. That obviously has a big influence on his wicket taking capabilities as you have to bowl in a totally different way.
Ntini is still the best bowler to left handers in the world. Strauss was identified by Greame Smith as the glue that holds the England batting line up together. With Ntini in the mix you always have the chance to get him out early with the new ball if the slip catchers can hold on to the opportunities presented to them.
BTW, I would love to see the stats of catches dropped from Ntini’s bowling throughout his career. I think it must be well over 20 or 30.
Seasons greetings to all.
I hope that you and your family have a great day. If you are on your own, just remember that you are not alone.
25 Dec 2009, 11:31 am
Arthur said there was no question of dropping Makhaya Ntini, who celebrated his 100th Test in last week’s drawn match, if Steyn returns.
“He can play an important holding role, and he comes in at a different angle to the left-handers,” he said.(news 24)
25 Dec 2009, 14:12 pm
the golden rule in cricket is … quit while you’re at the top
Players who left it too late & damaged their records are :
Shaun P
Ntini
Dave Richardson
Andrew Hudson
Cullinun
Players who quit at the right time :
Gary Kirsten
Kepler Wessels
Fanie
Donald
McMillan
Jonty
25 Dec 2009, 14:14 pm
Ntini just hasn’t got the pace or variation to trouble batsmen anymore, his fist class & test record in the last 2 years says it all. Last 3 – 5 years he was SA’s best at the time …. but now he must make way
25 Dec 2009, 17:51 pm
nama
That is pathetic.
Polly bowled at 120 kph and didnt get any wickets during the last 3 years of his career?
That is kak and you know it! Or you should. Polly was always more than a contributor with the ball. Plus you are forgetting quite a large thing: he was a great batsman. You might have forgotten that he averaged 30 with bat during his test career.
Ntini to do a holding role? That’s bullshit from Arthur as usual! Since when does a opening bowler do that? Even polly didnt do that.
If you hadnt noticed, Harris does that role in the side.
Sure, I’m happy for Makhaya to get another chance but I reckon if he doesnt perform it could be his last test.
25 Dec 2009, 21:14 pm
Maybe Parnell can get a chance when he gets his FC bowling average under 40 eh? I’d rather have Quinton Friend as backup – the guy’s on fire! Even Rusty Theron.
25 Dec 2009, 21:53 pm
lets be honest….. Ntini is a icon for black SA kids …. if he doesn’t play we go 500 steps back in the transformation etc process …. only a zulu/xhosa player will replace Ntini
25 Dec 2009, 22:10 pm
Ntini’s test stats over the last 2 years (his so called bad years) is still better than those of Morkel. He took more wickets, has a better bowling average average and a better economy rate.
Therefore, if we judge the players only on bowling performance over that period, Ntini deserves his place in the team ahead of Morkel.
25 Dec 2009, 22:38 pm
Good point rob, but Morkel is the future. And Ntini is in the twilight of his career. So it’s fair enough to look the future
26 Dec 2009, 11:42 am
@WP_: #110
Do me a favour and dig up Polly’s stats for the last three years of his career before you say I talk kak.
Fortunately or unfortunately cricket is one of those games where the stats can back you up (or not).
The way I see it, Harris is used as an ATTACKING spin bowler and he is not in the team to do a holding job. Watch the test that starts today and you will see that. You are still stuck in the time where spinners in SA were used to do a holding job like in the days of Pat Symcox.
If you hadn’t noticed, Polly was used to do a holding job in the latter part of his career. He was an opening bowler also.
Make sure of your facts before posting. People will start to doubt your credibility.
26 Dec 2009, 12:18 pm
#115
If you think that Harris is an attacking bowler. Then I doubt you’re credibility and intelligence, quite frankly.
For the vast majority of Pollock’s career, he played without a spinner in the side. He he had to do a holding role at times. But you cannot just say blindly that he did it for the last 3 years of his test career. That is just plain stupidity.
Plus you cant choose to ignore Polly’s batting. Another reason he was kept in the side.
Ntini will not last as a “holding bowler” as he has always been a wicket taker throughout his career.
27 Dec 2009, 03:56 am
@WP_: WP
All you need to do is to have a look at the field placings set for Harris and compare it to those set for someone like Symcox to see that Harro is more of an attacking spinner than anyone else before him.
I really don’t know what my intelligence has got to do with my observations of what’s going on on the cricket field. You don’t know me and you don’t know what my academic qualifications are. But if it gives you an erection, you can go ahead and question it. I just hope that you are able to use it while you have it. I suppose that somebody at your advance age don’t get it too often.
Polly was always selected for his BOWLING first. His ability to bat was always regarded as a bonus.
If/when Duminy is dropped because he does not make runs, I hope that you will defend him because he can bowl some off-spin.
I doubt it however.
PS: Polly was one of my favourite players and what I am saying is in no way meant as an attack on him.
27 Dec 2009, 04:49 am
@WP_: #110
“Ntini to do a holding role? That’s bullshit from Arthur as usual! Since when does a opening bowler do that? Even polly didnt do that.”
@WP_: #116
“For the vast majority of Pollock’s career, he played without a spinner in the side. He he had to do a holding role at times.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m totally confused.
@WP_: #115
“For the vast majority of Pollock’s career, he played without a spinner in the side.”
Polly played in 108 test between 1995-2008. Can you PLEASE tell me in how many of those tests there was no spinner in the team?
“He he had to do a holding role at times. But you cannot just say blindly that he did it for the last 3 years of his test career. That is just plain stupidity.”
I never said that he had to do a holding job for the last three years of his career, STUPID. I said that he did not TAKE WICKETS for the last three years of his career. Yes, his job throughout his career was to dry up runs at one end. His stats will confirm it. Look it up, as I suggested to you.
As a cricket follower you will remember that Polly had for the most part of his career the best average of any bowler in the history of test cricket in SA. There even was a time where he was one of only four bowlers in the world who had an average of less than 21 runs per wicket. He was in the company of people like his hero, Malcolm Marshall(20.94), Joel Garner(20.97) and Curtley Ambrose(20.99). However, he ended his career with an average of 23.11.
An indication that he did not take wickets in the last few years of his test career.
As I previously said: “Fortunately or unfortunately cricket is one of those games where the stats can back you up (or not).”
I did not see you providing any stats to back up anything you claim.
Yet.
27 Dec 2009, 08:56 am
nama
The fact that you think that Harry is an attacking spinner, tells me all I need to know about your cricket knowledge. LIMITED.
Is copying and pasting what I have said you can do? It’s very boring.
27 Dec 2009, 10:47 am
Ok mate.
This is what you said:
“An indication that he did not take wickets in the last few years of his test career.” (See I can do it too)
Ok, lets look at Polly last year. Because that was when he was at his worst, right? Of course, according to this wally.
His last 6 tests from 15 Dec ’06 to 10 Jan ’08:
Analysis:
4/39 (17.5) , 3/33 (16) , 1/17 (14.5)! , 0/20 (9) , 4/75 (29.1) , 1/24 (15), 1/38 (18) , 3/60 (22) , 2/42 (14) , 2/47 (13), 4/35 (11), 1/50 (17)
That is:
Wickets: 26
Runs: 400
Overs: 196.5
Average: 15.38
SR: 45.42
ANd you said this:
“An indication that he did not take wickets in the last few years of his test career.”
What complete an utter BullSh1t mate!!!
Lets’s compare that to Polly’s career average of 23.11 and career SR of 57.8
Hmmm?
To put it into perpective Makkaya has got 16 wickets in his last 6 tests.
27 Dec 2009, 10:50 am
@WP_: That is Makhaya, my apologies.
27 Dec 2009, 10:55 am
Nama:
“Ntini should be in the team as far as I am concerned. Nothing to do with sentiment or other factors. That was reserved for Shaun Pollock when he bowled at 120 km/h and could not buy a wicket for the last three years as an international cricket player.”
Wow, you look like a real idoit now.
27 Dec 2009, 11:08 am
@nama1: Harris an attacking spinner:
hahaha
His career SR: 69.9
Compared to a real attacking spinners:
Ajantha Mendis : SR: 58.7
SK Warne: SR: 57.4
Murali: SR: 55.1
Harry is a tidy spinner and he does a great job for us. However, he does more of a holding role than an attacking one.
28 Dec 2009, 01:15 am
@WP_: #123
In a SA context, Boetie.
If you look at how Harris is used in comparison to the spinners in the past, it is obvious that Smith believe that he is a wicket taker and not just in the team to do a holding job while the quickies have a rest.
I can still remember Hansie declining Pat Symcox a fielder close to the wicket because his role was to contain the batsman. The Aussie commentators were absolutely dumbstruck by Hansie’s reaction when Symcox asked him for a fielder near the bat.
The three spinners you mention are cricketing freaks that will only appear on the scene once in a generation. I’m not too sure that SA will ever produce a spinner like that given our pitches and our preference for fast bowlers.
But hey, what the hell do I know. You are the expert on this site as far as cricket is concerned.
28 Dec 2009, 01:25 am
nama
And what about Pollock? Wont admit you’re wrong hey? I suspected that.
28 Dec 2009, 02:21 am
@WP_:
year 2004
Matches 11
Wickets 43
Average 29.62
Economy rate 2.71
Strike rate 65.5
year 2005
Matches 7
Wickets 13
Average 30.43
ER 2.50
SR 72.7
year 2006
Matches 8
Wickets 16
Ave 40.10
ER 2.89
SR 83.1
year 2007
Matches 3
Wickets 6
Ave 22.00
ER 2.57
SR 51.3
year 2008
Matches 1
Wickets 2
Ave 17.00
ER 3.03
SR 33.6
So, for the last FIVE years of his career Polly’s stats read:
Matches: 30
Wickets: 80
Ave: 27.83
For a person who averaged less than 21 runs per wicket and also averaged more than 4 wickets per test for the most part of his career, that is a huge drop. Agree?
PS: I count from 2005 because he played his last full season of test matches in 2007.
28 Dec 2009, 02:24 am
Sorry, count from 2004.
28 Dec 2009, 06:15 am
2008
1 MATCH, 2 wickets?
That’s blatantly wrong! He got 5 wickets in his last game, idiot. Which was in 2008!
Get your facts CORRECT at least!
28 Dec 2009, 09:31 am
124 nama
Kepler Wessels has JUST said : ” Smith can rotate his three quicks from one end, while Harris does a holding job at the other”
Has it sunk in yet idiot?
28 Dec 2009, 12:36 pm
We’re into name calling now?
You’re right. I got his wicket stats mixed up with the innigs’ in which he bowled. An honest mistake. Sorry.
@WP_:
year 2004
Matches 11
Wickets 43
Average 29.62
Economy rate 2.71
Strike rate 65.5
year 2005
Matches 7
Wickets 23
Average 30.43
ER 2.50
SR 72.7
year 2006
Matches 8
Wickets 19
Ave 40.10
ER 2.89
SR 83.1
year 2007
Matches 3
Wickets 13
Ave 22.00
ER 2.57
SR 51.3
year 2008
Matches 1
Wickets 5
Ave 17.00
ER 3.03
SR 33.6
So, for the last FIVE years of his career Polly’s stats read:
Matches: 30
Wickets: 103
Ave: 27.83
His averages regarding wickets per match and runs per wicket still took a huge dip. I see that you have conveniently chose to ignore that part. I did not expect anything else.
28 Dec 2009, 12:49 pm
wp is a dooos and should not be taken seriously!he and his mate hondo only brings up statistics when it suits their racist agendas.
28 Dec 2009, 12:59 pm
So it was 103 wickets in the last 30 games? Not 80 like you said earlier! How can I take you seriously if you cant even get you facts right?
So polly’s bowling dropped off slightly towards the end of his career? So what? If you look at YOUR own stats above you will see that this only happened in 2006… The rest of the years mentioned were great.
If you trying to stick up for an out of form Makhaya by dragging out old Polly stats, who was an all rounder anyway. That’s quite sad and pathetic, mate.
Poor memory too I see. You started the name calling…
I fail to see how you can compare an out an out opening bowler (Makkie) and an all rounder (Polly) ?
You cant really, and as I pointed out, he got 26 wickets in his last 6 matches so he DID NOT, as you wrongly say, “could not buy a wicket in his last three years”
You really are full of drivel sometimes. Anyway i’m tired of this discussion. It’s boring…
Lets hope Makhaya gets some wickets in this test cos he hasnt looked like it yet…
And i’m sure Arthur wont be as patient as you mate…
PS : what about post 129? Chose to ignore that did we
28 Dec 2009, 13:03 pm
131
Save your breath you racist bigot. No one cares what your small underdeveloped brain has to offer.
28 Dec 2009, 13:45 pm
@WP_: #132
So you never make mistakes. Good for you. I do sometimes and if I do, I don’t mind apologising for it.
RE #129: That may be what is needed according to the captain at the moment.
There were a few questions I asked of you that you chose to ignore. I’m still waiting on your stats regarding Pollock playing without a spinner in the side for the vast majority of his career. Plus you still cannot explain how you can move from categorically stating that Pollock never did a holding job to Pollock doing a holding job at times within the space of a few posts (110 & 116)
You’re right, I’m tired of this discussion. This is my last contribution re this matter.
28 Dec 2009, 14:05 pm
Good. We’re bigger than childish name calling. Lets move past it.
I could look up those particular stats but as I said i’m tired on this so I wont. Maybe I will at some stage.
One thing I’ll admit, fine, Polly might have done a holding role at some stage. But only when the situation demanding it. And I still believe he always looked for wickets (i.e not just bowling outside off)
But enough of this.
28 Dec 2009, 14:17 pm
Good.
28 Dec 2009, 14:23 pm
Good.
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