Let's replace T20 with S7

Looking at the scores for the last two international matches I had a great idea.  England and the Windies scored about 330 runs in a T20 over night.  Just before that the Aussies and the Proteas scored almost half of that in a "S7"- a T20 shortened by rain to a 1 hour slog-fest.  A match about 1/3 the length resulted in about half the runs.  Perhaps we need to move to S7 matches permanently.  That way we cut out the boring middle overs of the T20 format.  It also means that with a bit of planning you could hold 3 or four matches a night- in different stadiums if you like.  That way we could have the whole Big Cash League in about a week, and the IPL in a fortnight, so we can get back to real cricket.

SAvAUS 2014: Ghost of Cricket Past

As the teams take the field for the fourth day at Newlands, one of them will be haunted by the Ghost of Cricket Past.  Or perhaps more accurately, the Ghosts of Cricket Matches Past.  The first such ghost will be the last Newlands test between these two nations.   Captain Clarke score a 150 that most who saw it agree was his best innings to that date, one of his best ever.  The Aussies knocked over the South Africans quickly, leaving themselves a solid lead.  All that was needed was two or three sessions of quick scoring to put the game out of reach, and then to take 10 wickets.  To date, this match has gone to a similar script.  Last time the Aussies only reached the lofty heights of 47 because of a spirited, fighting innings by Lyon.  South Africa won convincingly.  Admittedly Warner scored more in the six overs they faced last night than the first nine partnerships scored last time, but their last experience here shows that there is still a fair bit of work to do.  The Aussies need a couple of hundred more as quickly as possible today.

A second match that will haunt them, especially given Faf's first innings effort here, is Adelaide 2012.  There the Aussies led convincingly, and gave themselves what looked like plenty of time to win.  Then Faf stood up and scored an excruciating 100.  He basically batted time- more than a day- to save the match.  A bowler down, the Aussies couldn't do anything about it.  So the Aussies need to give themselves plenty of time to bowl.  But then again, they don't want South Africa to do a Perth 2008, and chase down 400 plus either.  Clarke, being Clarke, will declare earlier than most would, and hope that they can bowl well enough.

The South Africans will face their own Ghosts.  Theirs is the Ghost of Cricket Future.  A future that was already looking less rosy with the departures of coach Kirsten and all rounder Kallis looks more dire with the loss of their captain and batting mainstay Smith.  He has been out of form thus far this series, but his contribution as captain and opening batsman with an average near fifty, not to mention a safe pair of hands, will be missed.  It is a very long time since South Africa took to the field without either Smith or Kallis.  They still have De Villiers and Amla (for the moment), so they are not bereft of batting stars, but for a while their numbers are diminished.  There is also the increasing prospect of life without Steyn- who has looked less than superhuman in most of this series.  After all he has been struck down by both illness and injury, when he is usually impervious to these things.  And The South African bowling looks half as menacing without him.  It is quite possible that the spectre of this future might inspire a last effort- a fitting send off for Smith.  The timing of his announcement seems calculated to do just that.  However, they may also find this Ghost daunts them.

Of course the match will be decided by how well each team puts aside their ghosts and focuses on Cricket Present.  Australia's team of hitters will be looking to score quickly.  The Saffers will look to frustrate, hoping to induce errors, and maybe even panic.  Depending on the target set, the Proteas will bat either for the draw (more likely), or the win- if they knock the Aussies over cheap, or are set too tempting a target.  Whatever happens, the next two days are likely to be enthrall ing cricket.  

SAvAUS 2014: Newlands day 1

On the first day of the final test, Warner's bat proved to be more eloquent than, if just as belligerent as, his tongue.  His century in double quick time finally gave him significant first innings runs after more than a year of being largely a second inning specialist.  It also gave Australia the ascendency in The Decider, as this test is being called.  

Clarke started the good day for the Aussies by winning the toss, giving his team the first use of what was a good batting surface.  Warner and Rogers then set about their task like it was a short format game, racing to a fifty partnership inside ten overs.  While Doolan was struggling, Warner's run a ball fifty meant that the run rate stayed high.  However the most interesting passage of the day came after Doolan's dismissal.  First Steyn broke down with a hamstring twinge.  He was off the field for the rest of the day.  The South Africans were going to see how he pulled up this morning before working out what his involvement in the rest of the match would be- though the time he has been off the field should mean that he cannot bowl until well after lunch today at the earliest (however Morkel seemed to bypass this rule in Centurion, so who knows).  If he is ruled out of the rest of the match, that significantly weakens the South African attack, his importance to which the last test was evidence.  Following Steyn's departure Morkel finished his over and then continued with a hostile spell of bowling the likes of which I have not seen since the Windies were in the last days of their world dominance.  Seriously, if you haven't seen it, look at the highlight reel at cricket.com.au.  I realise he was imitating Johnson, but at his height he found bounce and accuracy to really worry one of the world's best batsmen for a prolonged period.  Clarke ended that five over spell battered and bruised.  But importantly, still there.  That was the main difference between Morkel on the one hand, and Johnson and the 

Windies on the other:  Morkel hurt his prey in every way but the one that counted- his wicket.  Clarke showed the kind of mettle that the English had lacked for much of the Ashes, and found a way through.  In fact, in spite of his "weakness" to the short ball, Clarke needs to be knocked over early by a vicious spell- while his back is still stiff, or it helps him focus and he often scores big.  The last time an attack really took it up to him in anything like this way was England at Adelaide: Clarke got 148.  He starts day two on 92.  Smith is with him on 50, and given his recent conversion rate, will seriously be looking for three figures again.  

While Australia are clearly on top at the moment, the Saffers are not out of it yet.  They need a calamitous batting collapse or two to help them, but Australia are just the team to do it.  Look no further than their last test innings (90 runs between the last 9 partnerships) or their last effort on this ground (don't mention the number 47).  The first hour or so of day two will be very important.  If Clarke and Smith can survive, then the Proteas will struggle to get into the match.  If the Aussies get another couple of hundred, then the South Africans will be looking for a draw.  The Aussies however will be hoping that their bowlers will use the scoreboard pressure like they have most of the summer, and take wickets.  In this they might be helped by a pitch that has reportedly been a bit up and down already (I did not see enough of this myself to comment), and had at least one ball that spun on the first day, if a it slowly.  

*edit: Morkel was injured in Centurion, not PE.

SAvAUS 2014: Third Test Preview (plus)

Well it is time for the last match of the series: the decider.  The South Africans bounced back in PE, as only they could.  Steyn lifted that little notch from almost-at-his-best to at-his-best, Morkel did his best Johnson impression (WWJD- what should Johnson do) and the Australian batting showed just how brittle it was- 10 wickets for under 100 (if you ignore the runs from the opening partnership).  It proved again why first innings runs are so important.  Warner did his best, before throwing it away, but few others really contributed in the first innings, which left Australia vulnerable.  Rogers scored his third second innings century, but it was not enough.

So to Cape Town.  With the Saffers having found a way to neutralise Mitch, I expect that the pitch will be uncharacteristically slow and low.  They will be relying on Steyn to produce some more classic reverse, and Morkel to continue to use his height to get the venom that Mitch lacked.  The Aussies will be hoping that someone steps up and scores runs in the first innings.  Smith and Haddin still look the most likely, though Warner once again teased with potential.  We need someone else to show that can do it too.  The Aussies will also be hoping that Clarke comes back from being MIA at the batting crease.  His run since Adelaide has been downright awful.  Harris has had a (for him) poor performance this series, and will be looking to lift, and Johnson will want to bounce back after PE.  

However I think the biggest key to this match will be the toss.  Clarke will be hoping it is his turn to call right given Smith's two successes so far.  The Aussies perform far better batting first, and winning the toss gives them the best opportunity to make a real contest of this match.  Their batsmen seem to struggle under the weight of chasing, and score more freely when they are ahead.  Their bowlers seem to lift with a target to bowl at.  

I guess the other question is whether the win at Centurian was a combination of the afterglow of the Asjes combined with South Africa's habit of starting slowly, or if PE was just a slip in concentration after a long summer,  So to my prediction: I have no idea- there are too many variables at the moment, but I will tip which ever side bats first to win the match.  Clarke, try to call correctly.

Other points of interest:

David Warner.  Is it just me or is David Warner trying for the Stupidest comment by a Cricketer in 2014 award.  De Villiers is a highly respected international player.  Even if you think he is doing the wrong thing, bring it up with the match referee or the umpires, don't air it in public.  You end up looking petty and a bad loser.  And this is just the latest attempt to win the prise.  Look back at the press conferences and comments he has made this year or for that matter late last year.  He certainly adds colour to the usually bland commentary in the press.  However doing this to the best test nation on earth, and on that is as proud and determined as the South Africans may be counter productive.

Vernon Philander.  One of Warner's targets has been Philander- saying he only bowls well In a limited range of conditions.  This prompted someone on twitter asking why the Aussies don't rate Philander.  The answer is simple.  It is the same reason we never rated Cullinan, didn't rate Bell until the middle of last year, and the English were hoping to face Johnson in the Ashes last summer.  We haven't seen him at his best consistently.  Cullinan was a very good batsman who just happened to run into a bowler with a flipper he couldn't pick.  Philander is a player with a record that any Aussie would love to have.  He just hasn't shown it to the Aussies yet - at least not in Australia (when most of us are watching).  His record against the Aussies in South Africa is similar to his overall (averaging 19.95 as opposed to 18.87 overall).  However in Australia he averages almost 50 (4 wickets @49.75 at a strike rate of over 100).  This in spite of the fact that he bowled on the two best pitches for his style of bowling, and missed the match in Adelaide, where the pitch would not suit him at all (hence Warner's jibe).  This gives him an overall average against the Aussies of 24.91- still very good, if a third higher than his overall average.  He is one of the top bowlers in the world for a very good reason.  The Aussies will be hoping he doesn't regain top form in the last match of this series (in which he is averaging 34).