Cricket

[Alex]

Stokes not being there is a massive problem too. He is a great big dirty hole in the middle of the order.

Bit of aggression is needed sometimes.

[Buzzo]

Stokes not being there is a massive problem too. He is a great big dirty hole in the middle of the order.

Bit of aggression is needed sometimes.

hasnt helped, but even when he was playing England were starting games 4-5 wickets down for less than 100. When was the last time England put on a decent first wicket score? Thats bad preparation and that has to be on the coaching set up.


Re. This match, England probably need 2 more days of rain to secure the draw

[Zapater]

Newlands crowd abuse 'disgraceful'- Lehmann

Personal abuse directed by Newlands spectators at the Australian side during the third Test has been labelled "disgraceful" by the coach Darren Lehmann, as Cricket South Africa responded to a written complaint from Cricket Australia following taunts about the partners and families of Steven Smith's team.

David Warner's post-dismissal exchange with a spectator on day two was the visible tip of an iceberg's worth of abuse over the first two days of the match, with nine spectators ejected on day two, after three had been blocked from entry on day one for wearing offensive t-shirts on the opening day. None of the ejected spectators have been banned from returning later in the match.

Lehmann said the abuse, typically directed at the nearest Australian fielder to the boundary when the South African side was batting on days one and two, was the worst his team had witnessed anywhere in the world. "We accept it all around the world, but as soon as they cross the line and they talk about players' families the whole time and getting abused like that, it's just not on," Lehmann said. "There's been various incidents throughout the Test series but this one has taken the cake.

"I think it's been disgraceful. You're talking about abuse of various players and their families and personal abuse, it's not on at a cricket ground anywhere around the world, not just here, it shouldn't happen. You can have the banter, that's fine, banter is good-natured, fun by crowds but they've gone too far here. We've written to Cricket South Africa, Cricket Australia have done that, we'll see their response, but it's been poor. We'll see what happens, hopefully something."

In response, South Africa's acting chief executive, Thabang Moroe, said fans on both sides needed to behave. "Cricket South Africa and the players appreciate the fans' passionate support displayed at all our games," he said. "However the events that transpired today were not tolerable and something that we don't want to see at any of our Test matches.

"We have since taken it upon ourselves to beef up our security personnel to ensure that players from both sides don't have to endure such unfortunate behavior. Both CSA and the players encourage supporters to continue rooting for their teams and also to behave in a decorous manner that will allow this Test series to be played in true spirit of the game."

Australian touring teams have long acknowledged that they receive some of their harshest treatment from spectators in South Africa, although up to this point Warner's tour had involved more exchanges with opponents than fans. In Durban he was captured on CCTV cameras exchanging words with Quinton de Kock, then responding angrily to the response from the South African wicketkeeper and needing to be physically restrained by team-mates as he climbed the stairwell at Kingsmead.

That incident saw Warner fined and handed three demerit points under the ICC code of conduct, meaning he is one further disciplinary infraction away from a ban. De Kock was also fined over the episode, albeit on a lesser charge. Warner had alleged that his aggression was sparked by de Kock making personal remarks about his wife Candice.

Between Test matches, offensive masks were distributed by fans in reference to her brief bathroom encounter with the rugby league player Sonny Bill Williams years before she and Warner became a couple. Two Cricket South Africa officials, Clive Eksteen and Altaaf Kazi, were suspended by the home board after allowing fans wearing the masks to be admitted to St George's Park in Port Elizabeth and then posing with them for a photograph. In Cape Town, the t-shirt fans were barred from wearing into the ground stated "Warner where's your wife? She's just gone to the toilet for a minute", while abuse of other players and their partners ramped up.

"Yep it was personal and it was poor and he wasn't the only one," Lehmann said of the taunts at Warner. "There's always going to be banter, as long as it doesn't get personal, but it has gone too far with the crowd here and they've got to be better than that when they're coming to international arenas to watch a game of two quality sides playing against each other. They go hard on the ground, there's no doubt about that, but off the ground you don't expect that when you're leaving the ground or you're having a go at someone's family. It's just disgraceful."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/...darren-lehmann

Seeing it's raining in NZ, just thought I'd mention the irony of any Australian complaining about opposition crowd abuse, let alone Darren Lehmann. Not only is he a horrible individual, he has no foot to stand on based on the fact he shouted racial abuse at Sri Lankan players and staff after getting out.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/jan/17/cricket.davidhopps

Lehmann, marching into the Australian dressing room after he had been run out, was accused by Sri Lankan reserve players and management of exclaiming: "Cunts, cunts, ****ing black cunts."

And every time SA tour Australia, our players are racially abused by the crowd. FFS when they called Ntini the k word and Amla a terrorist, on top of all other things and there was not one complaint. There players didn't even say anything against it. I remember Andre Nel losing his **** on the pitch once. Yet having a go at someones wife is unacceptable? Especially after Warner's partners encounter with Sonny Bill was so well publicised.

[Zapater]

[ame]https://twitter.com/DaleSteyn62/status/977529080768843777[/ame]

Australia are a disgusting cricketing institution. Blatant attempt at cheating. Bancroft rubbing the ball with what looks like sandpaper, then placing it in his pants when he realised the cameras were on him. When the umpires question him, he pulls a cloth (completely different colour) out of his pocket. Considering that Faf du Plessis got in all kinds of trouble for having a mint in his mouth and shining the ball with 'infused' saliva there should be serious consequences for this. It looks like the whole team was in on this and Darren Lehmann appears to be involved too. Despite all of this the score is 166/3 regardless

[Alex]

He’s admitted it and smith has fronted up to it too.

Ball tampering is bollocks. Why the **** do they think cheating is the way to ‘get an advantage’

[Buzzo]

At least something is actually happening in that game though.

[Yozza]

Yellow tape in his pocket!
Not even the Pakistani lads would be so bold

[Buzzo]

Smith and Warner step down as captain and vc.

[Alex]

Only for this match. Smiths been given a one match ban too. But he will be back I bet.

[Zapater]

Well I'm glad that went to plan. Would have been a travesty to choke to those horrible *******s. Bancroft's ICC punishment is unacceptable. 75% of his match fee and 3 demerit points. Faf du Plessis got fined his entire match fee and 3 points for shining the ball with a mint in his mouth. India, England and Australia will always get a free ride whilst the rest will always get ****ed over.

Happy Morkel got some wickets. He shouldn't be retiring, he's still one of our best players. Hopefully he goes out with a bang in Joburg next week.

I feel sorry for the 'captain' Tim Paine having to take this post match interview!

[Fernandinho]

I don’t bother coming in here much because we are a joke half the time, but we really are a joke now... how did they ever think they would get away with it and what the ****ed possessed them to try and do what they did..

[Buzzo]

Some performance today. The stands must have been rocking in Cape Town as Morkel ripped through the batting line up.

The punishment from the ICC is embarrassing. If he were Pakistani or indian he’d be getting the book thrown at him. Will be interesting to see if CA have the balls to suspend him? They have to surely.

It’s cheating FFS.

[Les Zeffelin]

Utter ****ing disgrace is what it is, my blood is still boiling.

Steve Smith should be stripped of the captaincy if he doesn't have the actual decency to resign. They were making comparisons to Don Bradman during The Ashes. Steve, that whirring sound in your ear is the sound of The Don spinning in his grave.

The rest of the so=called leadership group can **** off too. How any of you thought this was a good idea leads me to think if you had one more brain cell between you, you might have enough to outwit a goldfish.

Cam Bancroft should consider himself a lucky boy needs to sent to the naughty corner to have a long hard think.
I assume the ICC penalties for this are standard for ball tampering, Cricket Australia instead of taking their usual piss weak stance need to make a statement.

[Harv]

Nothing in it. All a bit OTT this reaction, they didn't even get any advantage out of it.

Seriously though, WTF were they thinking!!!

[Kenneth]

Nothing in it? It was such a contrived and premeditated attempt to cheat, the reaction is completely understandable.