Flying Saucer Jones

The series was lost but the final test match at Sydney was very much alive. For Australia there was a chance to restore a litlte pride; for South Africa there was a chance to wrest the number one spot in the world rankings. What we got was another wonderful example of the best that only test match cricket can offer.

The roller coaster ride that began in Perth and continued in Melbourne didn’t stop at Sydney. Every time one side looked like taking the initiative the other side would wrest it back. This was test cricket at its very best and when Ponting declared with Australia 375 ahead he gave us every opportunity for a finale that was worthy of a remarkable series.

Granted, the pitch was dicier than both Perth and Melbourne. Granted, the injured Graham Smith was unlikely to bat, so South Africa were effectively one wicket down before they even began the second innings. The question was not so much could South Africa win but could Australia take nine wickets — or ten if Smith decided to fight through pain.

The scorecard shows that the Aussies did take the wickets. The scorecard does not show the drama that we witnessed after tea: the threatening dark clouds; the ninth wicket stand between Steyn and Ntini that took their team to within ten overs of saving the match; the fact that Smith braved the pain in his finger to try and save the match. These are memories that will live on long after the shorter games are forgotten.

So well done South Africa for winning the series in such emphatic style and grace. Well done Australia for salvaging some pride in the final test. The world rankings show Australia still at number one. What this summer has shown is that the ranking is shaky. The prospects are exciting for world cricket.

Long live test cricket.

The giant that was Australian cricket fell long before Hashim Amla hit the winning runs at the MCG today. Even the most optimistic of fans would have to admit that the cracks which appeared early this year are now gaping wounds. Gone are Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist and Langer, and gone with them is the mighty Australian juggernaut.

The retirements of so many great players was supposed to pull us back to the pack while the depth of our domestic system was supposed to keep us in front. That was an illusion. Our new team has been outplayed by India and outclassed by South Africa. The records show us at number one still but no one is under the illusion that the ranking reflects reality. We are, at best, number three, now, and sliding.

The giant has fallen. The fair weather fans are starting to jump. The rest of us will see it through just like we did in the eighties. Hopefully, unlike the eighties, we won’t have long to wait before the giant rises again.

C’mon, Aussie, c’mon.

It’s all over. The South Africans ended up losing just four wickets in getting to the target of 414. Now come the repercussions and the realization that Australia is no longer the world beater it used to be. Everyone in the team has to take the blame: Ricky Ponting’s captaincy is suspect; the batsmen are playing foolish shots; the bowlers can’t take twenty wickets.

So we look forward to the rest of the summer. Can our boys lift from this demoralizing defeat and win the next two tests? It’s a hard ask.