NZ v SA Test Series

[No Quarter]

@mimic said in NZ v SA Test Series:

Why is Neesham at first slip? Is he usually a first slip catcher?

Santner making things happen

Ross is usually 1st slip. I'd pefer Kane there, Neesh is tall and standing too upright.

[Chris B.]

Last ball before tea - Elgar gets given out but reviews and he's hit his pad and missed the ball.

Looked great in real time!

So SA 124/3 with 4 sessions left. It's going to take the weather holding off and a nasty collapse by someone and/or a very bold declaration by SA to get a result.

Would they be brave enough to set us just 250 on this pitch?

[MN5]

Faf Du Plessis playing an innings that makes Trevor Franklin look like David Warner.

He sure won't die of a stroke.

Jeets fighting hard for a well deserved Michelle, just five wickets to go.

Who says test cricket can be boring?

[canefan]

Is it time for another fire alarm?

[Chris B.]

Take the fucking new ball, Kane. Even with the spinners on.

How many hours since we got a wicket?

[Virgil]

Now Boult is off injured, best days cricket ever

[nzzp]

@Chris-B. said in NZ v SA Test Series:

How many hours since we got a wicket?

Got a wicket, or created a chance?

[Virgil]

Finally...

[booboo]

@Chris-B. said in NZ v SA Test Series:

And while I'm typing BJ drops another edge from Watling. He ended up having to go a long way because 1st slip is standing very wide - but he looked very slow and awkward in going for it.

But he must have done really well to get down the other end after he bowled it.

[canefan]

@booboo said in NZ v SA Test Series:

@Chris-B. said in NZ v SA Test Series:

And while I'm typing BJ drops another edge from Watling. He ended up having to go a long way because 1st slip is standing very wide - but he looked very slow and awkward in going for it.

But he must have done really well to get down the other end after he bowled it.

The man's a one man wrecking crew

[canefan]

Go mitch!

[Chris B.]

Santner gets Bavuma with one that trickles off the bat and onto the stumps.

Bavuma tries desperately to kick it away, but his leg is too short and he has to wander off.

Right - Jeets straight into the attack at his bunny!

[Cyclops]

What's South Africa's plan here? Are they happy to take the draw after being down on the first innings? Because at the moment their only path to victory seems a spectacular black caps day 5 collapse which I'd never rule out but equally isn't that sound a strategy

[Chris B.]

de Kock can't believe it, but Jeets pitches leg, spins it past the bat and knocks over his off stump.

[mimic]

Patel gets de Kock with a beaut

[Chris B.]

@Chris-B. said in NZ v SA Test Series:

de Kock can't believe it, but Jeets pitches leg, spins it past the bat and knocks over his off stump.

...leaves the field to have a quick word with his batting coach...Daryl Cullinan.

[booboo]

Patel to de Kock looked like Bracewell to Border back in the day

[Chris B.]

@Cyclops Probably all changed in the last 10 minutes. For a while it looked like Elgar and Faf were trying to up the tempo. I think the idea would have been for Bavuma to get himself set and then continue to play some shots - maybe set NZ something like 270 in 60 overs.

Now I think they'll just hang on as long as they can and take a draw.

[canefan]

@Chris-B. Yeah. Those last two wickets probably saved the test

[Chris B.]

@canefan As long as we don't clean them up too quickly in the morning.

Philander didn't look comfortable in his brief stay, so if we got Faf early it wouldn't be hard to envisage the tail folding pretty cheaply.

For the Jaapies, I'm not sure how comfortable they'd be setting us, say, 250 off 60 overs.

You could hopefully go at 3 an over for 40 overs and keep wickets in hand. Leave yourself the chance to have a dart at 130 off the final 20. That would be the sort of equation that would worry me if I was Faf.

Then again, their bowlers may turn out to be unplayable on the 5th day and roll us for 100.