SA Test tour of Oz, Dec 17 - Jan 8

[bigfluffylemon]

Looks set for a potentially interesting final day. South Africa held out for 16 overs before the first wicket went down, 80 overs left and 13 wickets for Australia to take (surely even Australia will enforce the follow-on here, just looked at the stats and in the last 15 years they have only enforced the follow-on 5 times out of over 20 opportunities).

[Arthur Crabtree]

Harmer batting for an hour now though.

[bigfluffylemon]

Maharaj and Harmer showing their top order how it's done. 30 to avoid the follow-on now, 3 wickets to get.

Of course Australia could forfeit (or declare after 10 overs), but would they bother? Increases the risk all-round for little benefit, chances of forcing a result are dwindling dramatically.

[alfie]

Result never a serious chance once Harmer and Maharaj had batted for twenty-five overs or so. Showed their top order how to resist...rather makes up for their ineffective bowling

SA can at least take some comfort from surviving this one - but you'd have to call that a pretty dominant performance from Australia. Not totally locked in yet for the WTC final but would take some very unlikely results to avoid an India/Australia final now. (Something like India 4-0 and Sri Lanka 2-0 in NZ - or Australia winning the series in India and SA 2-0 over West Indies)

[bigfluffylemon]

Apparently that draw breaks a run of 46 consecutive games with a result for South Africa, absolutely destroying the previous record (somewhere in the 20s from Waugh's Australia).

[mikesiva]

South Africa 255 all out

Maharaj 53
Harmer 47

Hazelwood 4-48
Cummins 3-60

Follow on enforced.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not much of a return for Agar, with no wickets and didn't bat. But I enjoyed the nostalgia of the Aussies going in with two spinners/two seamers at the SCG.

[bigfluffylemon]

10 years since Agar's 98 not out from number 11, he hasn't really kicked on as an international player. A reasonable enough T20 player, but nothing overly special, and he hasn't made a mark in other formats.

Lyon's just hit 35, so wonder how much longer he has to play at the highest level.

[alfie]

Might be a bit harsh to judge it on this one game : but nothing I saw of Agar in this match suggested to me he would be an asset for the India tour. I reckon they should look elsewhere for assistant/backups for Lyon. Swepson didn't tear down trees in Pakistan and Sri Lanka but I think he'd be more likely to actually take a wicket - even if he can't bat. Hearing Todd Murphy might be a chance but really know very little about him.

Australia need Lyon to continue and thrive as there just isn't anyone else around at present. Unlike the pace bowling situation , exceptionally good spinners don't really grow on trees here.

[Gingerfinch]

Do you think Cummins should have allowed Khawaja to get his double ton? I know time was against them but batting for one over and not letting the South African openers to prepare may have been a good tactic.

[alfie]

Do you think Cummins should have allowed Khawaja to get his double ton? I know time was against them but batting for one over and not letting the South African openers to prepare may have been a good tactic.

Guess it wouldn't have made any huge difference to the prospects of a win (only costing three or four overs - and as you say , rushing the SA openers) and would have been nice for Khawaja. But I suppose Cummins wanted the maximum possible number of overs to bowl : after the rain delay on day four I think it was - on balance - the best decision. Showed intent , putting the team first...good messages.

To be honest , I always thought bowling SA out twice was a bit of a "hopeful" project - especially with only four regular bowlers. Which I suppose means it wouldn't have hurt to bat on

[mikesiva]

South Africa 106-2

Erwee 42*

Hazelwood 1-9

Match drawn

[bigfluffylemon]

Following on from my comment about Lyon, one has to wonder how much longer many of this line-up will carry on.

Khawaja and Warner are both 36, and until the MCG Warner had big question marks. Khawaja has a strong home record in recent years, but has always been a bit feast-or-famine. Smith is 33. Lyon 35. Starc and Hazlewood both 32 - not that old, but they're both starting to become more injury affected, and there are not very many specialist pace bowlers who continue long after 34 (Broad's just turned 34 and is constantly fending off retirement questions). Boland seems to be an obvious replacement, but he's actually 33, so there is unlikely to be a long international career there.

I'm not expecting everyone to walk out the door immediately, but after a period of relative stability in selection, Australia's test side could look very different in 2 years.

[bigfluffylemon]

Astonishes me that Sri Lanka are even in the running for WTC - haven't they been bad for ages?

Then you look at the numbers. 5 2-test series, 3 of which have been at home, and one of their two away series was Bangladesh. They've beaten West Indies at home, Bangladesh away, drawn with Pakistan and Australia at home, and lost to India away, and that pretty modest return is enough to be third in the WTC ranking

Just goes to show how ridiculous the fixture list is, really. England have played 22 tests in that time.

Still, they play New Zealand away (another 2-test series), and their only realistic chance of overtaking India or Australia is for them to win that series 2-0. If they can clean sweep NZ away, good luck to them, maybe they will deserve a place in the final. That said, NZ have gone on a bit of a horror run recently, so maybe they will. Bit of a turnaround from the WTC champions now only having won 2 from 11, but they've played three away series during this cycle, then only played one last time.

I'm sensing a pattern here.

[bigfluffylemon]

Further musings - South Africa are only going to play 2-test series between now and 2027. New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh only ever seem to deal in 2-test series (with the occasional 3-test series for West Indies when they play England). The stands were almost empty in Australia this summer hosting West Indies and South Africa (although the appallingly uncompetitive nature of the matches didn't help). South Africa are clearly more focussed on franchise cricket, and have shoved their first class competition out to the margins of the summer to accommodate it - sound familiar? . And have had the results that a move like that is expected.

I said this to a friend the other day, but I do wonder if we're witnessing the beginning of the end of test cricket, and the slow takeover of T20 franchise. It'll be a slow decline, but I wouldn't be that surprised if it gradually dwindles over the next 10-20 years until the Ashes is all that remains. It's already heading in the direction of something that only England, India and Australia really care that much about.