Third ODI: Australia v South Africa – as it happened!
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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2014/nov/19/odi-australia-v-south-africa-live Version 0 of 1. 10.13pm AEST11:13 Finale And that, in the spirit of self-evident statements, is that. The classic variation on the modern “it is what it is”. Hard to argue with, unless we’re in a fourth-year philosophy tutorial. Australia have won comfortably in the end, they take the series lead by a game, and the teams now travel to Melbourne on Friday to see what’s next, before what will either be a series decider or a dead rubber in Sydney on Sunday. Let’s hope for the latter, eh?We shall of course be with you on the OBO for both those games, so make sure to log on again when the balls are being bowled and the bats are being hurled. Thanks to Russell Jackson for his work during the first innings, and from Geoff Lemon it’s goodnight. 10.10pm AEST11:10 El Bowling, as the Spanish would say Morkel 10-0-84-2Philander 10-0-70-1 Steyn 10-0-53-0 Behardien 8-0-39-1 Tahir 6-0-40-0 de Villiers 6-0-42-1 Starc 8-1-32-4 Hazlewood 9.3-0-51-3Watson 6-0-47-0 Richardson 8-0-49-1 Doherty 6-0-31-0 Marsh 7-0-41-1 10.04pm AEST11:04 It looks like a dominant win for Australia on the scoreboard, but earlier in the evening South Africa looked menacing, when Hashim Amla had cruised to a century and AB de Villiers had belted 50 from 30-odd balls. Once Australia knocked them off in consecutive overs, it was goodnight Irene.Steve Smith is awarded man of the match for his 73 from 55 balls, a sparkling innings from him. It could probably have gone to Aaron Finch, 109 from 127 to set the innings up from opening.Warner and Finch put on 118, Warner making 53, while Shane Watson helped with 40 to get Australia to 329.For South Africa, Amla made 102, and de Kock 47 in an opening stand of 108. AB de Villiers made 52, but there wasn’t much else to write home about, as the rest of South Africa’s batsmen made 47 between them.Bowling figures to follow. 9.59pm AEST10:59 Australia win, take a 2-1 series lead We’ve just been informed that Imran Tahir will not come out to bat, having suffered a knee sprain while fielding. So Australia win by 73 runs, having bowled 44.3 overs of a possible 50. Australia lead the five-match series. 9.57pm AEST10:57 WICKET! Behardien 12 (12 balls), c Finch b Hazlewood Behardien doesn’t have much to work with, it’s like getting to art class and finding that there are only HB pencil stubs left, and he tries to lift a slightly short ball over mid-off, but only chips it to the man stationed there. 9.55pm AEST10:55 44th over: South Africa 252-8 (Behardien 8, Morkel 0) Starc picks up his fourth wicket in that over, and makes Morne Morkel look very confused. A yorker that nearly sneaks through, a ball outside off that Morkel fans at. Leftie round the wicket to leftie. The tall fellow with the bat survives. 9.51pm AEST10:51 WICKET! Steyn 12 (6 balls), c Marsh b Starc It was brief but beautiful. Steyn gets a full ball, tries to drive it high for four, and can only lift it toward mid-off. Marsh darts back outside the circle to take a good catch. 9.49pm AEST10:49 43rd over: South Africa 251-7 (Behardien 8, Steyn 12) Whack! Dale Steyn has come to play. He likes the full ball so Hazlewood stays shortish, but Steyn goes baseball style and crashes the first one over mid-on for four, then flat-bats the next directly down the ground for six! Two more to long on to complete the over, with a third-umpire check on the run-out for that last ball. Behardien is not out. 9.46pm AEST10:46 42nd over: South Africa 238-7 (Behardien 7) Starc has enjoyed this later part of the match. Behardien produces a nice cover drive to the boundary first ball of the over, got some width and used it. But the dot balls mount, each one adding another handful of straw to the struggling dromedary, and eventually it collapses on top of poor Vernon Philander. RIP. 9.44pm AEST10:44 WICKET! Philander 1 (12 balls), c Finch b Starc There he goes. The pressure was mounting, the dot balls too much. Philander got one barely short of a length, tried that swooping pull shot with lots of lift, and only skied it to Finch running in from deep midwicket. One more down. 9.39pm AEST10:39 41st over: South Africa 233-6 (Behardien 2, Philander 1) Purple Hazlewood enjoys a bit of respite, a nice quiet over while the two new batsmen get used to the middle. Six dot balls and a wide. Sighs of relief from the Aussie bowlers. 9.36pm AEST10:36 40th over: South Africa 232-6 (Behardien 2, Philander 1) Starc did the trick, Bailey has used his bowlers well recently. South Africa looked impenetrable with Amla and de Villiers there, but it can be deceptive with so many runs yet to score. The inswinging yorker from Starc was a nice ball, but it would have missed leg comfortably. SA need nearly 10 an over from here. 9.33pm AEST10:33 WICKET! Miller 3 (6 balls), lbw Starc It sure ain’t Miller time, I’ll tell you that. That is a terrible call. Starc bowls over the wicket, swings it way down leg side, it hits Miller on the toe almost in line with leg stump, and would have been missing leg by about four light years. Plus he might have inside-edged it. Will await the replays. The review has already been used. 9.29pm AEST10:29 39th over: South Africa 229-5 (Behardien 1, Miller 2) Only two singles and a leg bye from that Hazlewood over, and finally the run-rate pressure told. He has swung the match. 9.25pm AEST10:25 WICKET! Amla 102 (115 balls), b Hazlewood That’s the one! Amla’s vigil comes to an end, it was a bit of a Pietersen v Johnson shot, went the big on-drive slog to try to hit a boundary, missed it, maybe a change of pace did him, and it splatters the stumps. Australia’s game now, the two crucial strikes in quick time. 9.24pm AEST10:24 38th over: South Africa 222-4 (Amla 102, Behardien 1) Behardien emerges ahead of Miller, and Amla immedaitely looks to go up a gear, trying to hit big but not getting much of it. Three from the Richardson over. Updated at 9.27pm AEST 9.19pm AEST10:19 WICKET! de Villiers 52 (34 balls), lbw Richardson. There’s the one they needed! AB down on one knee again, trying to sweep Richardson for six, he missed the ball, it skidded onto him, and pins him in front. AB reviewed but there was no joy for him there, all the lights were red. He stays out at the crease for a good 30 seconds giving instructions to Amla. Oh, how the mighty Jenga tower of this game trembles. 9.17pm AEST10:17 Century! (and half century) 37th over: South Africa 222-3 (Amla 100, de Villiers 52) It’s Milestone City. AB raises his 50 from 32 balls with a single, before Amla mimics that to raise his hundred. 111 balls, 9 fours, and I fancy almost all of those were in his first 50 runs. Since then he’s dropped anchor at little, provided the stability, and turned over the strike. It’s been a masterful performance of team play.Five runs from the Hazlewood over, and de Villiers is dropped from the last ball. Skewed it to mid on, tough tumbling chance for Marsh. Updated at 9.20pm AEST 9.13pm AEST10:13 36th over: South Africa 217-3 (Amla 99, de Villiers 47) Amla is back to working in singles as he proceeds through the 90s. He and Virat Kohli have been racking up ODI centuries at will, and there’s another in the offing. They milk Richardson: 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1. AB’s last shot is a biggie, but Smith saves at deep midwicket after the big slog.Required rate down to 8 an over. SA need 113 more to win, Australia need these two out. 9.08pm AEST10:08 35th over: South Africa 209-3 (Amla 97, de Villiers 41) Couple of singles, Marsh has been tidy, but then de Villiers lights up. One: leading edge over point for four. Two: down on one knee and playing that sweep shot off the stumps through fine leg, four. Three: full swing of the arms behind backward point. Then a brace to finish off. 16 from that over too. Big numbers. He has 41 from 25 balls.Apparently it’s all the rage to do a Viewer’s Poll on things that are in the future that no one can know. Really useful. So: who’s going to win? How long will it take? Will AB get out? How many will Miller make? What will Imran Tahir name his next child? 9.04pm AEST10:04 34th over: South Africa 193-3 (Amla 96, de Villiers 25) Back we are, newly hydrated. Kane Richardson, looking like a woodcutter who got lost and wandered into the wrong cabin, is continuing. His first four balls are tidy but you get the feeling AB is just sizing him up. Amla gets an inside edge into the body, that was some handy lift from Richardson. He’s got the line right, keeping them crowded. AB tries to go big at the last, but mis-hits it (see that hyphen in mis-hit? Please use one, cricket writers, for clarity).Like a bad double date, there are four singles, and it’s over. 8.56pm AEST09:56 33rd over: South Africa 189-3 (Amla 94, de Villiers 23) That’s a bit more convincing. Watson continues, de Villiers plays the charging cover drive, you know that basic easy cricket shot. He is the best in the world for a reason. Cracks it for four, then a dragged single as he advances and drives again. They still need 8.6 an over so de Villiers is targeting that as he plants the front foot and mows across the line to deep midwicket. Four more, then...Six! AB comes outside his off stump, gets down on one knee, and plays arcing lifting slog sweep shot to lift Watson over deep backward square. Onto the hill and it’s gone. 16 from the over. That’ll help. Drinks. Updated at 8.57pm AEST 8.51pm AEST09:51 32nd over: South Africa 173-3 (Amla 93, de Villiers 9) For all that, Amla might be a bit fatigued. His composure is fading, his shots getting less picturesque, though he’s still effective. Nearly checks a drive to Starc at mid-off but it didn’t carry. Then he drives out to extra cover where Warner runs a long way to save on the dive for two. It’s Marsh bowling, and the next shot is ugly as well, the bat twisting a bit as Amla lifts it out to wide long on. Then another run behind square. There’s a leg bye as de Villiers tries to sweep, Marsh appealing extensively, but in fact there was an edge on it. Updated at 8.56pm AEST 8.45pm AEST09:45 31st over: South Africa 167-3 (Amla 88, de Villiers 8) Nice shot from Amla, drives four through cover, it wasn’t far overpitched from Watson but Amla got his balance right, brought the bat into his body and played the inside-out shot using his wrists. He’d rather dropped off the pace, Amla, until that shot - hasn’t had much strike for the last few overs, and has been in the 70s a long time. But he’s still tracking a strike rate of nearly 90, so that tells you how well he started.Two more to backward square, then three down the ground. Doherty puts in a good slide to save what would have been four, a hard-hit drive, not Amla’s most elegant. So he’s raced on toward the 90s now. 8.41pm AEST09:41 30th over: South Africa 158-3 (Amla 79, de Villiers 8) Crash. Told you it wouldn’t take long. AB gets on the advance to Starc, then plays the lofted off drive down the ground for four. Runs through wide long off. He’s shuffling back and forth along the crease like a tin gallery duck, messing with the bowler’s line. I reckon he knows the run rate is a bit high, and the Aussies might be feeling good, so he wants to puncture that. He still has a willing ally in Hashim Amla. Couple more singles to round it out. 8.38pm AEST09:38 29th over: South Africa 152-3 (Amla 78, de Villiers 3) Josh Hazlewood to continue, he got de Villiers the other night in Perth, and has an lbw shout against him very early here. No love from the hatstand. AB looks a little uncomfy against a fuller ball too, but he rarely looks uncomfy for long. Annoyingly good. Even got a wicket today.Four runs from Hazel’s over, and the Lawrence Springborgs need about 8.5 per over. 8.33pm AEST09:33 28th over: South Africa 148-3 (Amla 77) He’s back, the big beanpole himself, Monsieur Starc. He has a bit of a dirty M. Stache going on his upper lip, straggly like him. Amla got off strike first ball, but Rossouw got stuck for three balls, edged one past his stumps, then edged the last of the over behind. 8.32pm AEST09:32 WICKET! Rossouw 2 (5 balls), c Wade b Starc There’s another one. The new man Rossouw pokes away at one outside off, Starc getting a bit of shape - left-hand bat versus left-arm bowling - and it takes a nick with some really nice bounce and carry. ABDV to emerge, game really on. 8.26pm AEST09:26 27th over: South Africa 145-2 (Amla 76, Rossouw) The batsmen cross while the catch is being taken, so Amla resumes the strike, but Marsh is managing to cramp him for room with balls on his pads. Eventually Marsh scuffs one and sends down a full toss for a single. Rilee Rossouw is Amla’s new partner. Required rate is past 8 runs per over. 8.24pm AEST09:24 WICKET! du Plessis 17 (21 balls), c Warner b Marsh They needed that one! Marsh has been the hardest to get away, and he comes good in the wicket column to boot. Faf saw that early, got the big flat pull shot away, didn’t bother hitting it along the ground, and perhaps only realised too late that little Davey Warner was out there, blending in to the boundary rope. He squatted out there like a grinning gremlin and swallowed the catch that came straight to him. 8.21pm AEST09:21 26th over: South Africa 142-1 (Amla 74, du Plessis 17) Ricardo’s Son, the wild woodsman, carries on. A couple of lbw shouts in that over are the most excitement the bowlers have had since de Kock was de knocked off. Suddenly they can’t quite collar Richardson. Faf is advancing and missing pulls, both batsmen are hit on the pads. They get two singles and the leg bye.Amla though still there on 74. Aaron Finch scored a nice hundred earlier today, Amla is well on the way to matching him. 8.18pm AEST09:18 25th over: South Africa 139-1 (Amla 72, du Plessis 17) We’ve got Mitchell Marsh back, and he’s going alright today. Again keeps them to a handful of singles, he’s gone for 16 from his four overs. Keeping the pressure on, required rate 7.6, but as long as they have ABDV in the shed you wouldn’t think any run rate was too high. 8.12pm AEST09:12 24th over: South Africa 135-1 (Amla 70, du Plessis 15) Richardson is back from exile to see if his Second Coming will be any more successful than the first. I’m hazy on this subject but I think it worked for Jesus. Or he was crucified. Can’t quite recall. Amla smashes a couple of drives to full balls, but one is straight to cover and the other to the sweeper. Four singles. 8.09pm AEST09:09 23rd over: South Africa 131-1 (Amla 68, du Plessis 13) That Doherty quiet spell is over, clobbered over midwicket by Faf. A single and a double follow. Henry wants Doherty to develop the Zulfiqar Babar slider. Anything Australians can do to be more like Zulfiqar is fine by me. Man of carbon-fibre.Robert Wilson is curious: “I have to go and give a lecture in a management school in 40 minutes. Obviously preparation is out of the question (and certainly futile). My question is this. Another half an hour of OBO or a shower? I’m not a strong-smelling type but there are limits. What do you think? Perhaps Geoff Foley can suggest something.”Robert, some advice handed on from my great-aunt Florence to me: If in doubt, always shower. 8.06pm AEST09:06 22nd over: South Africa 123-1 (Amla 65, du Plessis 8) Marsh cops his first bit of tap for the day - he bowls a rank fully on leg stump and du Plessis sweeps him away for four. Henry Lawson on ABC Radio is more concerned with du Plessis’ mismatching green pads - apparently too lime-like for his spruce-coloured Safrican uniform. 8.03pm AEST09:03 21st over: South Africa 117-1 (Amla 64, du Plessis 3) Doherty is starting to weave his not very deceptive but accurate net as we get into the middle overs. Just three singles from this one. 8.00pm AEST09:00 20th over: South Africa 114-1 (Amla 62, du Plessis 2) What’s On is continuing with his medium pace. Woof du Plessis is in the middle now and there’s nothing he likes more than beating Australians - at pool, in queues, staying on the bus longer, whatever you like. They work five singles from the over. The required rate up past 7, that’s still not a threatening mark in this day and age. Updated at 8.01pm AEST 7.56pm AEST08:56 19th over: South Africa 109-1 (Amla 59, du Plessis 0) A relieving comeback over, just two runs from it and the wicket of de Kock. I called the ball that dismissed him as short, but really it wasn’t, and that’s what brought him undone. He pulled on line more than length and got the top edge. Updated at 8.00pm AEST 7.52pm AEST08:52 WICKET! de Kock 47 (53 balls), c Marsh b Hazlewood I only had to ask! Hazlewood drops slightly short, de Kock pulls, it lobbed out behind point for the left-hander and Marsh took a comfortable catch. The opener has done a great job. Updated at 7.53pm AEST 7.48pm AEST08:48 18th over: South Africa 107-0 (Amla 57, de Kock 47) Road-testing the Canberra stadium lights, and the verdict is thumbs up. Nice and clear out there for play this evening in the national capital. Shane Watson is back, almost every bowler has copped some treatment so far today. They milk him easily, five singles worked all round the wicket. That’s drinks. South Africa need 222 more runs, with 10 wickets in hand. Their required rate is 6.96, there current rate is just under 6. But that’s well in hand considering they haven’t lost a wicket. What does Australia do, loyal readers? Where do the wickets come from? Updated at 8.03pm AEST 7.43pm AEST08:43 17th over: South Africa 102-0 (Amla 54, de Kock 45) Doherty has got through four over for 20 runs now, but he’s usually relied on to put the brakes on a bit more than that. This over only goes for three singles, and he manages to tie down de Kock for a couple of balls. But there’ll be more changes as Australia search for their first wicket.The 100 opening partnership is up, 17 overs faced. Updated at 8.03pm AEST 7.40pm AEST08:40 16th over: South Africa 99-0 (Amla 52, de Kock 44) Again Marsh bowls a slightly quieter one - three singles, but two leg byes swell South Africa’s return. They need a shake-up, at the moment they’re in the zone. Updated at 8.03pm AEST 7.37pm AEST08:37 Half century! 15th over: South Africa 94-0 (Amla 50, de Kock 43) What an innings so far from Hashim Amla. Effortless, stylish, barely a hair out of place. Not that he has any up top. 50 from 46 balls, 8 boundaries.De Kock sweeps four from Doherty’s last ball, and they have seven from the over in total. Still ticking. Updated at 8.04pm AEST 7.33pm AEST08:33 14th over: South Africa 87-0 (Amla 48, de Kock 38) So it’s another change, Bailey a bit short of options here, but he hasn’t tried Mitchell Marsh yet. Richardson is in the naughty corner, or rehab, or whatever you choose to call it. For once South Africa pass an over with no Amla boundary, as they decide to have a cautious look at him first. Three singles. Updated at 8.04pm AEST 7.30pm AEST08:30 13th over: South Africa 84-0 (Amla 46, de Kock 37) So the Manuka pitch has looked beautiful to bat on. They work three singles from Doherty, plus Amla finds time to cut another boundary to what was barely a short ball, he just made it work for him. They’re going comfortably at 6.5 runs per over, which was their target when they started. It is game on, ladies and gents. 7.27pm AEST08:27 12th over: South Africa 77-0 (Amla 40, de Kock 36) Oh dear. Richardson is having a nightmare. Not even one of those unsettling sweaty ones, a full-blown screamer. He bowls de Kock into form: first a leg-side clout for four, then some singles, then a high leg-side bouncer that de Kock just gets under and lifts on the pull shot for six. 28 runs from Richardson’s three overs so far. 7.22pm AEST08:22 11th over: South Africa 65-0 (Amla 39, de Kock 25) Spin o’clock, now that pace o’clock has proved such a terrible time for all. Xavier Doherty emerges, he’s a left-arm orthodox type, and his first over is quietly worked for three singles. 7.19pm AEST08:19 10th over: South Africa 62-0 (Amla 38, de Kock 23) Such a good start here from South Africa, they’re rolling them along like a downhill pool table. Amla’s seventh boundary as he drives Richardson through the covers. They’ve gone at better than six an over through the first ten. Only a bottom edge from Amla from the last ball, into the ground, is less convincing. 7.15pm AEST08:15 9th over: South Africa 56-0 (Amla 32, de Kock 23) Amla is playing with Amla-like touch. Gets a fraction of width from Watson and crunches it through cover point for four. Six boundaries now in his 32.Phil Withall has an important question for us: “Do you see any point in knowing how fast a bowler is running or what his heartbeat is? Is it just another excuse for pointless comment? God I wish I could send a positive email but, well I am English so whingeing comes naturally.” 7.11pm AEST08:11 8th over: South Africa 49-0 (Amla 26, de Kock 22) A double change, with the broad-shouldered Kane Richardson coming on. He can’t get his line right in this first over - he’s coming right-arm around the wicket to the leftie de Kock, and keeps going at the legs and a bit short. Quentin works two away to leg, then again, then to fine leg for four, then a single. Productive stuff. Amla gets a single from his only ball. 7.06pm AEST08:06 7th over: South Africa 39-0 (Amla 25, de Kock 13) Watson is soon on for a trundle, hoping he can sneak one through. He does that from the last ball, but there’s no joy from the ump against Amla. At least they don’t ping him to the rope, but he gets worked around for five runs here and there. 7.02pm AEST08:02 6th over: South Africa 34-0 (Amla 24, de Kock 9) De Kock gets pinned down for four overs, but they get a lazy overthrow that gets him off strike from the fifth. Lobbed over the keeper’s head. Hazlewood loses his nerve, and Amla glances to fine leg for four. Terrible fielding. 6.57pm AEST07:57 5th over: South Africa 29-0 (Amla 20, de Kock 8) Wow. Another lift off the pads from Amla, this one a lofted lift. The last ball of the over, Starc puts it down leg, and Amla serenely placed the bat in its path and sent it aerially to the midwicket boundary. 6.54pm AEST07:54 4th over: South Africa 24-0 (Amla 16, de Kock 7) Amla likes Hazlewood so far today. Gets one on the pads and strikes that as cleanly as the shots on the off side. Then takes a couple over midwicket. 6.48pm AEST07:48 3rd over: South Africa 18-0 (Amla 10, de Kock 7) Boundary for de Kock against Starc, glanced fine. The next ball is a no-ball, but Starc manages the free hit in the best way possible, bowling de Kock leg stump. Like a friendly game of beach cricket, everyone just reassembles the stumps and carries on. 6.45pm AEST07:45 2nd over: South Africa 13-0 (Amla 10, de Kock 3) Amla does not mess around. Josh Hazlewood comes on to bowl and Amla smacks a back-footer through point, and a front-footer through cover. Two crisp boundaries. None crisper. He’s half man, half apple. 6.39pm AEST07:39 1st over: South Africa 5-0 (Amla 2, de Kock 3) Mitchell Starc gets us going, a bit wayward and keeps them guessing. Third man gets a workout, and there’s nearly a mix-up with the running for de Kock’s third. 6.37pm AEST07:37 Yes indeed - it’s that old pairing, Lemon Ruski, here for the cricket, and the citrus-based half of the equation will take you through the South African reply. Australia cruised along relatively nicely through most of their innings, and Smith finishing it off played the most assured innings I’ve seen from him in the 50-over game. Can the visitors produce another high-chasing classic? 6.12pm AEST07:12 The Aussies finish on 329... And if their doubters needed any reminding, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith just flipped them a double bird. The Victorian finishes with 109 to anchor the Aussie innings, his 5th ODI ton in 34 games, while Smith iced things off with a resourceful innings that was full of the kind of improvisation and stroke-making that should make him an ODI regular. Most of the Aussies got starts; Dave Warner (53) was perhaps unfortunate to have been denied strike and momentum when Finch had struggled early and Shane Watson (40) played his part. There was not much to write home about for the Proteas. After his game-winning spell at Perth, Morne Morkel crashed back to earth with 2-84 from his 10 overs and Vernon Philander went for 70. With his own bowling, South African skipper AB de Villiers gave hope to park cricketers everywhere when he jagged an unlikely wicket. The question that remains now though is whether Australia has posted a defendable score. If de Villiers gets going (will he bat higher than 5? Surely he has to at some point) there is no total too big to reel in. Joining you after the dinner break to take you through the Proteas reply will be the one and only Geoff Lemon. 6.02pm AEST07:02 Faf and Smith making this an over I'd like to watch again... #AUSvSA 6.00pm AEST07:00 50th over: Australia 329-4 (Smith 73, Wade 8) If you speak the obscure language known as Slater, you’d know that an inside edge centimetres past the stumps is a “wonderful one-day shot”. Matthew Wade plays a beauty for 3 and then Steve Smith is only denied a six by the acrobatic work of Faf du Plessis. The latter dives in the air on the long-on boundary, reels in the flying ball and hurls it back into play to restrict the batsman to one. What follows is a little bit mad and involves the same two men. Smith pulls a four, then Morkel bowls ANOTHER FRONT FOOT NO BALL, from which du Plessis takes and celebrates a spectacular diving catch while not realizing the no ball had been called. Thus the batsmen get through for two and Smith then flicks the free hit through mid-wicket for another boundary. It’s a disaster zone for the Proteas. The Aussies scrap 19 from the last over, all told, and suddenly they’ve conjured 36 from the last 3 to set a far more imposing total than they might have. 5.52pm AEST06:52 49th over: Australia 310-4 (Smith 60, Wade 3) To put it mildly, Dale Steyn is very happy that Mitchell Marsh is back in the pavilion. His first 4 deliveries bring only singles but Smith then flicks him from a foot outside off stump to thread the gap between square leg and fine leg. Steyn looks to the heavens in frustration and you can hardly blame him. 310 is locked din now, is 325 gettable? We’re now getting Robert Wilson cheese updates via Twitter and it just looks glorious, doesn’t it? @rustyjacko EXTREMELY busy cheese shop during ODI rush pic.twitter.com/O8aDw24GWv 5.47pm AEST06:47 48th over: Australia 303-4 (Smith 55, Wade 1) Morkel continues to Smith and the latter brings up a busy and iventive half-century when he turns the bowler down to fine leg for two. New man Wade is on a hiding to nothing here but looking to give his well-set partner the strike, a decision that is immediately vindicated when Smith goes inside-out to whack Morkel over cover for a boundary. That is 300 for Australia, but is it enough? 5.44pm AEST06:44 WICKET! Marsh c de Villiers b Morkel 22 (Australia 295-5) Marsh was hear for a good time not a long time and perishes with the kind of slog that was required in this scenario. He attempted to club Morkel toward the long-off fence but didn’t quite get a hold of it, so de Villiers circles around and takes a straightforward catch. 5.42pm AEST06:42 47th over: Australia 293-4 (Smith 48, Marsh 20) There is another thing about Mitchell Marsh that helps in this situation: he relishes batting to Dale Steyn in the same way that Mark Waugh liked facing off-spinners. I can’t explain it really, expect to say that he’s developing quite a knack for belting the South African champion for sixes. He doesn’t quite manage one here, but goes 2,4,2 to put some pressure on the Proteas. A developing master of improvisation, Steve Smith finishes the over by dragging Steyn from well outside off stump to the mid-wicket boundary. This is more like it from the Aussies. 5.37pm AEST06:37 46th over: Australia 278-4 (Smith 44, Marsh 9) Mitchell Marsh takes what I would consider the right approach to the bowling of Farhaan Behardien and tries to snot everything he bowls out of the southern hemisphere. That means a two, a four and a single before Steve Smith plays a sliced lob over backward point for an equally unconventional two. Robert Wilson is back. “Don’t be sad, Russy (can I call you Russy?). [No] There’s always tomorrow morning. The hairdryer idea will eat away at me all day and all night. It’s inevitable. And like your frightening hair-loss afternoon a few months ago, it will be left hanging, unresolved, in the ether. Another tragically untold story.” An update on that: things have settled a little, which is a relief. “Incidentally, the cheese shop thing is a good idea but they only open for forty five minutes once a fortnight and if you say hurry up because Finch is just about to get his tonne, they just stare.” 5.31pm AEST06:31 45th over: Australia 267-4 (Smith 41, Marsh 1) Now even 310 is slipping away from Australia, though it’s not the fault of the hyperactive Steve Smith, who is always shifting around the crease and turning the strike. New man Mitchell Marsh can give it a little bit of tap, as the kids say, and he’ll really need to do it in these final five overs. Reader Daniel McDonald has a haiku for us and I am such a lowbrow swine that I’m not strictly sure if it is a haiku in technical terms, so I’ll just trust him and his accurate sentiment. De Villiers bowled?What utter dross! Not unlikeNine’s commentary. 5.29pm AEST06:29 WICKET! Bailey c du Plessis b Morkel 12 (Aus 264-4) George Bailey needed to get things moving in a hurry but when he hits out against the returning Morkel, he only manages to sky a catch to Faf du Plessis at long on. The late order hitting will need to come from elsewhere. 5.25pm AEST06:25 44th over: Australia 262-3 (Smith 39, Bailey 11) I can’t help but feel as though this is precisely the situation in which Glenn Maxwell could do some pinch-hitting for the Aussies, but it’s a little hard for him to do that when he’s not in the side. Dale Steyn, meanwhile, looks like he is suffering from some cramp. I know the feeling; been hunched over this laptop for three hours now without moving. Keep me in your prayers. 5.21pm AEST06:21 43rd over: Australia 255-3 (Smith 36, Bailey 7) Following his success of the previous over, de Villiers naturally drags himself in favour of Farhaan Behardien. The latter does his job as with de Villiers, you assess the raw materials and wonder how the hell that is even remotely possible. At a much lower level they’d both probably get hit for 25 an over. 5.17pm AEST06:17 42nd over: Australia 249-3 (Smith 32, Bailey 5) Not that I’m particularly listening, but Nine’s coverage has disintegrated into a comparison of the respctive sizes of Mark Taylor and Brett Lee’s boast. I think they’re talking about fishing but who can really say? Dale Steyn has returned, meanwhile, and concedes a quartet of singles in a tidy effort. My 350 from only half an hour back looks ludicrously hopeful now. 310? AB now turns to the part-timer Steyn to see if he can jag another wicket. #AUSvSA 5.13pm AEST06:13 41st over: Australia 245-3 (Smith 30, Bailey 3) Robert Wilson survived. “In the end, I went down to the bowels of the building and stole a coffee machine, assisted by a very nice Portugese cleaning-lady who was a little frightened by my pink eyes and Belfast French.” “The Lord be infinitely praised, for if I had seen the hairdryer idea (which was inspired!), i’d have definitely given it a go.” Well that makes me both happy and sad at the same time. 5.11pm AEST06:11 WICKET! Finch b de Villiers 109 (127) (Aus 242-3) Oh dear. Having just given him so much grief, I am now very sad to report to you that AB de Villiers has taken a wicket with his park-grade, round-arm mediums. Again his delivery is flat, slow and lacking in any noticeable virtue but despite or perhaps becuase of Finch’s eyes ligting up, the batsman’s attempt to heave another six ends in disaster when he misses it and gets clean bowled. 5.07pm AEST06:07 40th over: Australia 241-2 (Finch 109 Smith 29) Steve Smith is flying now and he flays Philander for another eye-catching boundary square of fine leg and also takes the mickey slightly with a bunted single that he plops down on the leg side when it had pitched two feet outside off. That is quite an effort against Vernon Philander. Geoff Foley has advice for Robert in his coffee dilemma. “Robert’s in France, therefore can only be about 100m away at the most from a fromagerie.I’d suggest going to said shop, purchasing a heel of cheese which comes in a cloth, and using the cloth as the filter. Would work even better if it previously housed a very runny Camembert.” 5.04pm AEST06:04 39th over: Australia 231-2 (Finch 105 Smith 23) Vanilla Ice stops, doesn’t collaborate and doesn’t listen, comes back with brand new bowling invention, something grabs a hold of the ball tightly, flies like a harpoon in this day nighter. Will it ever stop? I bloody hope so. Only six from this over, mind you. 5.00pm AEST06:00 38th over: Australia 225-2 (Finch 103 Smith 19) Philander follows de Villiers with the ball, which is a bit like Chuck D grabbing the mic away from Vanilla Ice. Ironially he’s treated with a little less respect than his skipper and gets flicked over mid-wicket and then run down to third man for a pair of Steve Smith boundaries. 4.57pm AEST05:57 37th over: Australia 214-2 (Finch 102 Smith 9) AB de Villiers has a sense of both humour and charity, so quite amazingly brings himself on for another bowl. Neither batsman wants to suffer the indignity of being dismissed by such limited practitioner of the art of bowling, so they both play it disappointingly safe. 4.54pm AEST05:54 36th over: Australia 209-2 (Finch 101 Smith 5) The question now is whether Finch is out of gas or whether he can use this as a launching pad for something truly huge. Can you make a Daddy Hundred in ODIs? He’s got the best part of 15 overs to cut loose, though he must also balance that potential against the need to guide his side to a defendable score. It’s feeling very ‘350’ right now. 4.51pm AEST05:51 35th over: Australia 206-2 (Finch 100 Smith 3) Aaron Finch will not be denied today. In his 34th ODI he brings up his 5th ton with a scampered single after he’d crunched Tahir for successive fours. It came from 117 balls and featured 9 fours, 3 sixes and a whole heap of resilience given he struggled so badly for timing early on. It won’t go down as a classic but he should be very happy that he stuck it out through the tough early periods and did the job for his side. 4.48pm AEST05:48 34th over: Australia 196-2 (Finch 91 Smith 2) Behardien keeps at it and his over costs just a trio of singles, which is a good job done well. The thing I love about regular OBOer Robert Wilson is that he will not let any potentially rewarding life experience get in the way of wasting his time reading a cricket blog. From the city of love no less, he asks, “I’m marooned in a plastic hotel in the French provinces. Settling down for some cricket. I have a filter-holder, a jug (kind of), I have coffee but NO coffee filter. I’m thinking of using my socks or bunched-up toilet roll. Any advice? This is serious.” This sounds like the plot of either (a) an episode of MacGuyver, (b) a foodie-themed porno, or (c) a crap Bear Grylls’ adventure, I can’t decide which. Anyway Robert, I am a heathen and use pods so can’t really help on the coffee. Maybe neccessity will breed invention and you’ll discover a way of filtering it through the hair dryer. Might be a real surprise for the next guest in the room to use it. 4.41pm AEST05:41 33rd over: Australia 193-2 (Finch 89 Smith 1) Tahir is back again now and sprints his way through another tight over of varied leggies in the over leading up to the second drinks break. Paul Withall has another JB hypothetical: “I just wanted to ask what would occur if you found yourself stuck in a lift with James Brayshaw? And if it happens would you mind recording the moment for us? I’m sure it would be an enlightening episode.” Is the lift going to purgatory or hell? 4.39pm AEST05:39 32nd over: Australia 190-2 (Finch 87 Smith 0) Behardien’s wicket was just what the doctor ordered but Steve Smith is always busy and productive, so they can’t afford to let him get off to a quick start. Aaron Finch meanwhile, seems set for his 5th ODI hundred, touch wood. 4.37pm AEST05:37 WICKET! Watson c Miller b Behardien 40 (Aus 189-2) Common sense prevails when de Villiers reintroduces Behardien and it pays immediate dividends. The bowler cunningly tempts the belligerent Watson into thumping another six but instead he holes out to the man in the deep at long on. 4.34pm AEST05:34 31st over: Australia 187-1 (Finch 85 Watson 39) Dale Steyn returns to the attack now, instantly restoring the aesthetic of international-standard bowling and making things a little more difficult for the well-set Australian pair. “So what do you suggest SA do with their bowling?” asks Rudi Edsall. “Bring back Ryan McLaren to bat at 7? McLaren at 8 and Duminy as frontline spinner? It’s a curly one for them. I feel they’ve struggled with team balance a lot since Kallis retired, both in ODIs and tests. Quite understandable I suppose.” Kallis is certainly irreplaceable and the return of Duminy will help but I still worry that they’re a consistent ODI bowler short of a World Cup-winning squad. I sniff semi final agony, I’m afraid to say. P.S. I like Ryan McLaren. He’s got guts and he never yields. For evidence, look no further than this (he batted on!): Updated at 4.35pm AEST 4.29pm AEST05:29 30th over: Australia 184-1 (Finch 84 Watson 37) “You can see now that Australia will look to target that fifth bowler,” says Mike Hussey, and it’s not entirely certain which one he’s referring to. Right now it’s AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch this time takes the opportunity to paste him over the fence. Watson executes a follow-up boundary effort along the ground from one of the ropiest deliveries you’ll ever see in international cricket. Surely there is a better option for the Proteas? Is Behardien injured? 4.26pm AEST05:26 29th over: Australia 171-1 (Finch 77 Watson 30) Now Tahir cops some stick from Watson and gets hit for a rare swept boundary by the hulking Aussie number three. Even the batsman himself appeared surprised to have executed it so well and got up a little gingerly from his exertions. Say your prayers for his hamstrings. 4.24pm AEST05:24 28th over: Australia 162-1 (Finch 75 Watson 24) AB de Villiers, bless him, is staggeringly brilliant at every single thing he does in life...except for bowling a cricket ball. It’s heartening to know that there is a chink in his armour, to be perfectly honest. He gives himself another over here and promptly gets pumped for a huge six by Watson to relieve a little of the pressure Tahir had been building. 4.21pm AEST05:21 27th over: Australia 153-1 (Finch 74 Watson 16) Tahir is varying his line and his length to keep the Australian pair guessing and concedes just four runs in another frugal over. Meanwhile, the Brasman Museum will be hosting a commemorative service in honour of Ian Craig at 11am on Friday, November 28. Check their website for further details. 4.17pm AEST05:17 26th over: Australia 149-1 (Finch 72 Watson 14) Watson is rarely contained for prolonged periods of time and makes a statement when he rolls his wrists over a drive and sends it spearing past Morkel’s ankles for four. Two balls later Finch leans back a little and takes the aerial route, clubbing the bowler over long-on for a boundary. Less convincing is a slash down towards Dale Steyn at third man, but the fieldsman can’t quite get there in time to claim a catch and also nearly makes a hash of his ground fielding to boot. 4.13pm AEST05:13 25th over: Australia 137-1 (Finch 65 Watson 9) Tahir is doing a solid job for his skipper here and races through another over without offering up much for the Aussies to get a hold of. Both batsmen work a single but the Proteas are doing a sneaky job of restricting the run rate. Updated at 4.17pm AEST 4.12pm AEST05:12 24th over: Australia 135-1 (Finch 64 Watson 8) Morkel returns to the fold now and mostly ties Watson down until a loose one to finish the over is walloped over the head of point for a boundary. Updated at 4.12pm AEST 4.05pm AEST05:05 23rd over: Australia 128-1 (Finch 63, Watson 2) Steyn keeps charging in but it’s yeomen’s work on this track. He shapes it in and cuts it too at a pace slightly reduced from normal, indicating that he thinks guile will be rewarded more than outright venom. At the very least it’s keeping Australia quiet in this Power Play and the Australian run rate has slipped back to 5.56. 4.01pm AEST05:01 22nd over: Australia 126-1 (Finch 62, Watson 1) Aaron Finch is playing with greater freedom and timing now. He gets forward to Philander and almost effortlessly clips him over long-on for four with the ball bouncing only once before crossing the rope. It was a splendid stroke and in stark contrast to his efforts earlier, when he looked like he was playing with a piece of driftwood. 3.57pm AEST04:57 21st over: Australia 120-1 (Finch 57, Watson 0) Shane Watson emerges at number three for Australia but the returning Dale Steyn succeeds in cramping him for space and eating into this Power Play period of Australia’s. Not in the greatest form himself, Watson will need to get going here. 3.53pm AEST04:53 20th over: Australia 118-1 (Finch 56, Watson 0) “Gee, busting out the Canberra references today,” says Geoff Foley with a nod of approval. “Bring back the Cannons! How they didn’t get a run in the recent Joy of Six dead teams I’ll never know. South Dragons- useless.” I think I’d covered them off in another, Geoff, More of a Comets man myself: 3.51pm AEST04:51 WICKET! Warner c de Villiers b Philander 53 (Aus 118-1) A ball after bringing up a patient half-century, Warner gets a rush of blood and flat-bats Philander straight into the hands of South Africa’s best fieldsmen, AB de Villiers. He’d stationed himself at short mid-wicket for that one and it worked a treat. “He’s done his job,” says James Brayshaw of Warner. Anyone near a TV subsequently attempts to break it. 3.46pm AEST04:46 19th over: Australia 113-0 (Warner 49, Finch 55) NOVELTY BOWLER TIME! AB de Villiers decides that comedy needs to be the winner in these middle overs so brings himself on for more of his patented ropey I-don’t-quite-know-whats. Finch glances one of the uglier examples for a boundary but looks too stupefied by the filth in front of him to do much with the rest. I repeat: I don’t know how South Africa wins a World Cup with Behardien as its fifth bowler and especially not if de Villiers needs to bowl a few overs too. With that, Australia takes the Power Play early. 3.42pm AEST04:42 18th over: Australia 108-0 (Warner 49, Finch 50) I’m back on the 350 bandwagon now, and I also think that South Africa will be perfectly capable of chasing it. Meanwhile, Philander keeps plugging away but he can’t stop Finch progressing to an increasingly confident half-century. The Victorian has stuck at the task today and there is something to be said for batting through rough patches. 3.39pm AEST04:39 17th over: Australia 103-0 (Warner 48, Finch 46) Imran Tahir might have felt slighted not to get a run at the opening pair before Behardien, but appears now in search of the breakthrough. Quite predictably, Warner immediately looks to unsettle him by advancing down the wicket and then plonking him over cover for four. Two more follow, then a slog-sweep boundary out to a squarish fine leg to bring up the Australian hundred. 3.31pm AEST04:31 16th over: Australia 91-0 (Warner 36, Finch 46) Vernon Philander (still probably a vastly underrated entry in the pantheon of great South African cricketer names) returns and Aaron Finch welcomes him back to the fold by moosing him over mid-wicket a thumping six. With a man close by in the deep, it wasn’t without its risks but came off in this instance. ANOTHER FREE HIT! Now it’s Philander making AB de Villiers grind his teeth in frustration. Finch moves towards point this time and 9-irons it over mid-on for a boundary. That makes it a profitable over for the Aussies, who head to the drinks break in terrific shape. 3.28pm AEST04:28 15th over: Australia 80-0 (Warner 36, Finch 36) Behardien sends down another over of all sorts. Meanwhile... Good start from Australia. Can't wait to see what score we collapse to. #AUSvSA 3.25pm AEST04:25 14th over: Australia 75-0 (Warner 33, Finch 34) He’d been stuck on 23 for what seemed an eon (reality: only 6 balls) but Warner nudges Morkel for two and then licks his lips when the bowler over-steps, handing Australia their second free-hit of the innings. The resultant delivery is short and slow but Warner’s forceful pull is slightly miss-timed. Even off the toe it runs away for two and a ball later he crashes a lofted drive over the long-off boundary for six. The ball is not coming onto the bat nearly as well as predicted earlier but the Aussies are still very well placed to launch from here. 3.20pm AEST04:20 13th over: Australia 63-0 (Warner 23, Finch 33) Behardien, who has a worse comb-over than early 90s Phil Smythe, starts his next over with the kind of ball that I’d actually imagine Phil Smythe bowling; a rank half-tracker down the leg side that even the mildly-struggling Finch can turn around the corner for four. There follows some absolute dross from the bowler but Finch makes it look like very hard work, picking out fieldsmen and missing the opportunity to cash in. Warner can’t get on strike long enough to tuck in himself. Related news: AB or no AB, you might not win a World Cup with the likes of Behardien as your fifth bowler. 3.17pm AEST04:17 12th over: Australia 58-0 (Warner 23, Finch 28) The South Africans are looking a little ragged right now and there’s even overthrows in this Morkel over. It finishes with Warner trying to play a kind of slog hook from his knees, but instead of clearing the fence as intended he’s struck an awkward blow to the back of the head. He looks okay but it made you wince to look at it. 3.12pm AEST04:12 11th over: Australia 55-0 (Warner 23, Finch 25) It’s time for..no, not spin...I’m not exactly sure what Farhaan Behardien does but often it works quite well and he’s been brought on to do a bit more of it here. He mixes up his pace and bowls slowish leg cutters to tighten things up, conceding only 3 runs in a solid start. 3.09pm AEST04:09 10th over: Australia 52-0 (Warner 23, Finch 22) Yikes! Morne Morkel does appear and almost claims Warner when the Aussie dances down the pitch to a short one and nearly bunts his adjusted stroke into the hands of Behardien at short mid-wicket. That gives Aaron Finch the opportunity to cut loose and he lofts a drive over mid-off for a welcome boundary to heap the pressure back on the bowler. “I wonder if you could explain to me the point of the Channel Nine commentary team.” asks Paul Withall. “The infuriating hyperbolic bombast only goes to detract from the action. There are so many excellent cricket writers out there that could surely do a better job (feel free to ‘big up’ yourself here). We need a revolution!” More importantly, surely there are better broadcasters out there! Tom Moody has been a welcome addition to the Nine team, mind you. I guess we should hold onto the hope that his duties are extended and that he’s not siucked into the boys-club vortex. 3.04pm AEST04:04 9th over: Australia 46-0 (Warner 22, Finch 17) Now Finch does get off stike off the over-opening delivery but it’s an uneventful over with only a couple more singles. I think we’re about to see a little bit more Morne. 2.59pm AEST03:59 8th over: Australia 42-0 (Warner 20, Finch 15) Remember before when I said that Aaron Finch is magnificent when he is on song? Well, when he’s not he has an unfortunate habit of looking a bit like a tail-end slogger. At the moment his timing and footwork are amiss so he’s wafting at or mis-hitting more than he’s making solid contact. To Philander it’s not until the fifth ball that Finch (15 off 28 so far) gets off strike and Warner can’t follow suit, meaning he’s a little starved of opportunity right now. 2.55pm AEST03:55 7th over: Australia 41-0 (Warner 20, Finch 14) All David Warner needs at the moment is strike. With Steyn providing pace on the ball but three men strategically placed in the cover region he doesn’t so much thread the eye of the needle as obliterate the thread, the needle and everything else in a 50 metre radius when he smashes Steyn for four through that region. Warner is in the mood and thus Australia is off to a flyer. 2.50pm AEST03:50 6th over: Australia 37-0 (Warner 16, Finch 14) Philander keeps rolling in and Finch, it must be said, is not exactly doing a terrific job at turning the strike and visibly struggling to time the ball. Perhaps a key to this problem is his frantic footwork, which at the moment sees him running up and down the pitch in a jig. When he stays perfectly still to the final ball of the over it allows him to lean back and deposit Philander over mid-wicket for a pressure-relieving boundary. 2.46pm AEST03:46 5th over: Australia 31-0 (Warner 16, Finch 8) Dale Steyn appears now, fresh from further stoking the flames of acrimony in his ongoing battle with Michael Clarke. With the Aussie skipper still missing with injury the paceman will have to take his frustrations out elsewhere but again David Warner has different plans, slashing him between point and cover for another boundary. Two balls later Warner almost chops on and the Nine producers thankfully chop James Brayshaw mid-sentence and throw to an advert. That’s a double-win for Australians. 2.43pm AEST03:43 4th over: Australia 26-0 (Warner 12, Finch 7) There are a number of cardinal sins in limited overs games like these and front foot no balls would have to be the worst of all. Philander bowls one here, giving Aaron Finch a free hit in the process. The Victorian steps towards square leg and slogs high over cover from a ball that might have been a wide if he’d left it but it goes for two regardless. Much better is Warner’s effort off the overs’ final delivery, which he biffs over long-on with power and authority. It’s a massive six. Mike Hussey says 250 is a par score and he says the groundsman thinks 300. Maybe I jumped the gun a little, which is easy enough to do from the sofa. 2.37pm AEST03:37 3rd over: Australia 16-0 (Warner 6, Finch 4) Hang on, are we back in Perth? From the sight of Morkel’s brutish over-starter to Warner you’d almost think so. Dug in short on leg stump it rears up almost disastrously towards the Aussies’ ribs and trampolines through to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps. That one came from nowhere and you’ve got to think it will play on the mind of both batsmen. Or maybe not. David Warner finally gets moving when Morkel overpitches and with minimal fuss, the batsman smites it through cover for a boundary. Here is a debate for you: who is the current international bowler you would least like to face? On pitches like this, it would be Morkel and then daylight for me. 2.31pm AEST03:31 2nd over: Australia 8-0 (Warner 0, Finch 4) Another thing on Maxwell’s form in the last two games: it’s a little harsh to knock a guy who has been told he’s capable of being a Test number 3 one week, then shunted to 8 in ODIs barely two weeks later. Meanwhile, Vernon Philander pairs with Morkel to take the new ball and that is A-OK by Aaron Finch, who neatly clips a boundary to mid-wicket when the bowler strays onto his pads. Whisper it quietly, but Finch is in desperate needs to a spot-solidifying knock here with the World Cup on the horizon. When he’s good he’s sensational. You’re no mug if you’ve got 4 ODI centuries to your name. 2.26pm AEST03:26 1st over: Australia 3-0 (Warner 0, Finch 0) Morne Morkel takes the new rock for the Proteas and sends down a Harmisonesque wide to get things started. He’s straight on the mark with his next, extracting every bit of bounce that this surface will allow. After a leg bye from Finch, Warner doesn’t get given anything to clobber so resorts to just shouting his call of “no” with aggression and volume. “Your thoughts on the much maligned Maxwell being dropped?” asks Geoff Foley. “Poor form since UAE or just a realisation that he isn’t good enough yet against quality bowling?” I think that when on song, he’s got to be a lock for the limited overs sides but still a way to go until he’ll be confident in the Test arena. I like him though, and I’m not just being a contrarian. You can’t have a team full of Glenn Maxwell’s, but one is a whole lot of fun. I understand the frustration that he spawns but I am #TeamMaxi and will meet the #SackMaxi types in the car park for some biffo if need be. 2.18pm AEST03:18 Vale Ian Craig “You will not meet anyone who knew Ian Craig who’ll have a bad word to say about him,” says Mark Taylor before the two teams line up to honour the former Aussie skipper, who passed away this week. Hopefully Craig would be heartened to know that a man dressed like a yellow Oompa Loompa is currently remaining steadfastly respectful of the minute’s silence. 2.16pm AEST03:16 Our first reader email of the day Thankfully Rudi Edsall is making me feel like I have friends and his predictions today are also pleasingly optimistic. “On this pitch and with this bowling attack, Australia may need to make 600 to be safe,” he says. “One or both of Warner and Finch need to get a hold of South Africa today.” Being serious, I think 350 is par. Can you imagine what it would be like if Warner batted for the entire 50 overs. If that happens I will have RSI from changing the score and like Ken Bruce, might go a little bit mad. 2.11pm AEST03:11 Elsewhere in Australia It’s a little hard not let one eye stray across to Sheffield Shield scores because as we speak, Peter Siddle (4-20 from 8 overs this morning and counting) is sending a loud and clear message to Josh Hazlewood; “Get off my lawn.” After Victoria racked up 607-7 declared, Siddle’s decimated South Australia (currently 59-4) on a pitch that had looked as dead as Fred Spofforth only hours earlier. Ryan Harris has timed his run well too, as Mike Selvey points out here (money quote: “The rumour is that Vladimir Putin left the G20 summit early just to go and watch the phenomenon return.”) At present he has 4-49 from 10.4 menacing overs to go with those 3 wickets in the first innings. 1.58pm AEST02:58 The pitch Is an absolute belter, so much so that Nine’s Mark Nicholas has to stop himself predicting a bat-athon. His facial expression is less discrete. This all presents a double-edged sword for the Aussie bowlers chosen because they’ll be up against it. The name of the game for Doherty, in particular, will be containment and variation. It won’t give them much assistance. 1.52pm AEST02:52 The toss George Bailey wins it and Australia will bat first. Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and Xavier Doherty all come into the side for the first time this series and can all press their claims for a World Cup spot. “I’m not too worried about the wicket - I think it’s going to stay the same throughout the hundred overs,” says Proteas skipper A.B. de Villiers, who clearly has lofty opinions of Australia’s current batting line-up. His side is unchanged. 1.52pm AEST02:52 Good afternoon OBOers and welcome to this 3rd one-day international between Australia and South Africa at Manuka Oval, Canberra. Spoiler alert #1: I’m not actually there. Spoiler alert #2: I am in the minority of Australians who have not had their photo taken with our Prime Minister in the last few days. The toss for this game is only minutes away, and if you’d like to email in with observations, accusations and prognostications, remember that I will publish almost anything and there is no fame quite like the fame of having your name appear on a cricket blog. You can email me at russell.jackson@theguardian.com or via twitter on @rustyjacko |