SA vs Zimbabwe

Looks as if this game is half competetive with a target of over 200 for South Africa to chase without Kallis, Smith and Pollock though they should still have enough strength to chase the total down though maybe thelights might come into it?

Yeah i hope to have a good time thanks JP. Its more work and business than anything else to be frank though i should get a day or two to myself. I'll be leaving tomorrow and i'll be spending 5 nights there. I'll be back here for a day and then i'm off again for 10 nights to Brazil so i probably won't be posting all that much over the next fortnight or so. I'll take my computer with me like always though i think i may be a little exhausted from all the flying.

Yeah i completely agree about Streak and Blignaut. i think the pair of them are complete and total cowards. They took a stance against the policies of the admistrations department of their national team which co-incided with what the regime of Robert Mugabe supported and if anything the situation has gotten entirely worse since they left the cricket scene last year. The only person with any real conviction is the Zimbabwe team is Andy Flower. Now that guy really did have a career and was sure Zimbabwe's greatest ever cricketer no? He had the opportunity to mark himself in history but he chose to take a moral stance during the World Cup in South Africa in 2003 and he sacrificed his career and his life then as he knew it to stand up to the regime that Robert Mugabe and his governement have upheld in Zimbabwe. Granted nothing has changed but Andy hasn't wilted and returned to the cricketing lifestyle he used to have, instead he joined Essex and played alongside Nasser Hussain who himself (with himself) boycotted Zimbabwe during the 2003 World Cup campain. Andy then went on to play for Western Australia in the Pura Cup and now has no associations what so ever with Zimbabwe. He is a man of his word and he didn't succumb to the lackless greed that surely now will incapsulate all the rebels now that their former captain has returned to the ranks? Heath did play county cricket last year but not for Hampshire. I don't remember who it was for actually i think it mau have been worcestershire but i'm not entirely sure on that so feel free to correct me anybody. He started of well taking 13 for 155 on his debut which is a record in English county cricket and is the best ever bowling figures by a debutant in history. Though after that things have not only gone downhill for him but also for his nation and his career in England sort of went down the drain. Even still he really has surprised many people by going back to Zimbabwe. I think many people were shocked that he was even allowed back into the country leave along allowed to play cricket again.

Oh yeah i know what you mean now yeah. he did play a game or two and then just went off without playing anymore in the season.

The game just showed howbad Zimbabwe are like you said. They couldn't even beat a reserve South African side and when i say reserve i mean reserve! No Pollock, Kallis, Smith, Ntini. Why this series has gone ahead is beyond me.

Boy i'm glad i'm going away now for a while, enjoy the Test Series which i'm sure will be truly competitive.

Oh and yes they should indeed lose their International status, but i think they should lose it on moral grounds for cricmes against humanities etc etc and should only be re-instated into the International circuit by the ICC if there is a complete Regime change in Zimbabwe and if Robert Mugabe is taken out of power. I think the man deserves to rot in hell.

An interesting development in the Streak saga fellas. An article in today's Guardian states that his rejoining the fold as a Zim cricketer just happens to coincide with his family's farm having its Section 8 goverment repossession order removed. If that's correct , then he's doing no more than any good family man would do - the farm has been in the family for over 100 years.

    Sadly , it also illustrates how life is in Mugabeland - the ever present threat of losing your home , livelihood and even your life are never far away.

    Cricket suddenly doesn't seem so important......

This is embarrassing, first Test and Zimbabwe are 37/7 after 26 overs. This could be over in record time.

South Africa made 340/3 declared, and Zimbabwe are now 88/2 in their second innings. Two day Test anyone?

Originally posted by Inducker His stand took a lot of guts (and I mean a LOT , visit Zim and see the fear) - that he's come back into the fold doesn't mean he's reconciled with the government in any way

His original stance did yes but his latter behavior showed that of a coward. I was twice asked to visit Zimbabwe and formalise a report on the country but both times i turned it down for i knew i couldn't give an objective opinion.

Yes it doesn't neccessarily mean he has reconciled with the goverment.

Originally posted by Inducker What needs to be understood is that Mugabe takes what he wants , and no sound reasoning or even pleading will change that.

Yeah we all know what a complete b a s t a r d he is. Its a shame they don't have any valuable commodities in their country like oil or steel or else we could invade couldn't we and orchestrate a regime change?

Originally posted by Inducker Don't judge Streak as a Mugabe supporter

I'm not.

Originally posted by Inducker An interesting development in the Streak saga fellas. An article in today's Guardian states that his rejoining the fold as a Zim cricketer just happens to coincide with his family's farm having its Section 8 goverment repossession order removed. If that's correct , then he's doing no more than any good family man would do - the farm has been in the family for over 100 years.

Yeah that was the case but Heath Streak was offered by the regulatory sports body in the UK a residential home for him and his family to live in if he wished (with an opportunity to make a living) for them to leave Zimbabwe but he took the other option which was to return to Zimbabwe and play for the national team.

Originally posted by JP Originally posted by Inducker Cricket suddenly doesn't seem so important...... ...which is why his decision to come back is all the more perplexing.

Precisely.

Oh i dunno maybe i am being to harsh on him? I don't really know what to say anymore concerning the situation in Zimbabwe to be honest, i am at a loss for words.

11th shortest Test match in terms of balls played. Says it all really. We should send these snow clouds that seem permanently lodged over North-East France down to South Africa.

Cape Town gave this one a miss , we like our sport played competitively down here.

    The records will stand , but the players know they mean very little. Kallis' 50 overtaking Botham's made in 81 in India is a travesty. Having said that , it's not the South African's fault - or their problem. Just when will the ICC wake up and sort out this shambles before Wisden will be overflowing with meaningless stats?

     Another record , not published was also established on Friday at this test. The head barman (of the solitary bar opened inside Newlands) told me on Saturday that they sold the precious total of 47 pints of lager in the whole day - and the temperature was 34C on Friday!!

   Of course , there was only one man and his dog watching the massacre !

They sold a handful of tickets for days 1 and 2 JAL , no-one in their right mind would have bought tickets for this fixture knowing they could walk in anytime they liked.

    And so on to Centurion Park (sorry Supersport park !! _ all the grounds here have daft names now!!) What's the chances of another 2 day farce?? I for one won't be reserving my seat in front of the TV , come Sunday morning!!

well they're only playing the 2 tests (thanks God!!)

As for the ground names , they've gone crazy here and no-one much likes it. The IT company Sahara (the same lot that sponser India) have taken over as main sponsers along with the TV Satellite company . Supersport is that company's sporting channel , so hence the name. As for who owns the grounds , I'm not altogether sure for the rest of SA , but I do know that Western Province Cricket do own Newlands.

I think the schoolchildren that were brought in by bus doubled the attendance, I think I read somewhere.

JALRC, let's not get too offensive against the French. I was only joking, following on from my pre-series observation that I'd rather see the series washed out. And anyway, they all seem to like the snow anyway!!!

Originally posted by -JP- I think the schoolchildren that were brought in by bus doubled the attendance, I think I read somewhere. JALRC, let's not get too offensive against the French. I was only joking, following on from my pre-series observation that I'd rather see the series washed out. And anyway, they all seem to like the snow anyway!!!

1600 kids were brought in JP - the paying public didn't number 50 ! That neatly sums up the appeal of this match - nobody cared. Cape Townians are THE best supporters of SA sport - especially cricket and rugby. Remember the England test here was sold out ofr the first four days and almost full on day 5 - a lot of lads were off sick that day!

South Africa have announced their team for the second Test. No Pollock or Ntini:

South Africa 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 AB de Villiers, 3 Jacques Rudolph, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Herschelle Gibbs, 6 Ashwell Prince, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Nicky Boje, 9 Monde Zondeki, 10 Charl Langeveldt, 11 Andre Nel.

Rain around Centurion today , probably in the afternoon , typical summer highveld weather.

No Pollock or Ntini , but more than enough firepower to make sure we don't have a contest again. Hopefully the runout in Cape Town will have blown a few cobwebs out of both Streak and Blignaut and they'll be sharper today.

   The track at Centurion is always a good batting wicket , with decent bounce and a little seam movement. It's not a big ground , so always plenty of boundaries and a lovely place to watch cricket.

Sa to win easily methinks , but at least three days toil this time around !!