Roar Rookie

mactheblack

Roar Rookie

12,847 Article Reads
14 Articles Written
6 Comments Written

About

Member Since:: August 2009
Based In:: south africa
Favourite Sporting Team:: all blacks
Favourite Sports:: Rugby, Football, Cricket,

Latest Articles

Showing articles 1 - 6 of 14 | More Articles >

Adam Gilchrist bows out Gangnam Style

3 days ago

Whatever career Adam Gilchrist tries to pursue as a day job after retiring from all forms of cricket following a stint in the IPL, he should give dancing a shot. For Gilchrist proved on a balmy night in Dharmsala that he can swivel his hips as fast as he can wave his cricket bat. He [...]

Russell Domingo to coach Proteas

14 May 2013

Assistant coach Russell Domingo has big shoes to fill when he takes over from Gary Kirsten as Proteas coach after the Champions Trophy in England and Wales. Kirsten unexpectedly gave notice last week he would not renew his two-year contract that expires in August and would stand down after next month’s tournament . Cricket South [...]

Guptill rivals Gayle, Warner as world's best limited overs opener

26 Dec 2012

New Zealand’s Martin Guptill showed on Sunday at East London’s Buffalo Park against South Africa that, next to Chris Gayle, he remains one of the most explosive opening batsmen in limited overs cricket. Guptill’s smash-and-grab 101 not out was the main reason that the visitors managed to secure victory, chasing down a D/L reduced total [...]

New Zealand in Sevens heaven after title win

16 Dec 2012

The New Zealand Sevens team showed their dominance of the South African leg of the Sevens world series after winning their fourth consecutive World series Sevens title in Africa last weekend. France were annihilated 47-12 in the final at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium by New Zealand claim the title. In so doing, New [...]

Kiwis choked, but give Jesse Ryder a break

25 Feb 2012

The finger-pointing is rife after South Africa pulled off a miraculous win over New Zealand in a T20 decider in Auckland earlier this week. Needing only 17 to win off four overs with six wickets in hand, the Kiwis choked, allowing the Proteas a get-out-of-jail pass that gave the South Africans the win by three [...]

Where to from here, Australia?

13 Dec 2011

It’s obvious the main problem with Australia’s national cricket side is that they are struggling to play as a cohesive unit. Usually one would expect Australia to have achieved the victory target set by New Zealand in Hobart in the second Test. But such is the mental state of the Aussie batsmen at the moment, [...]

mactheblack's Recent Comments

mactheblack has written a total of 6 comments

Giteau welcomes Carter challenge

the all blac ks will be a much tougher proposition after their sa sojourn. just don't think wallabies have a mental toughness on a par with their two counterparts in trinations. great as giteau and the new breed of youngsters are, together with sharpe and co. they still have a long way to go. there's too much hyping up of the carter, giteau factor as brilliant as what they are you can only play when you have the ball. something tells me dan's being rushed, sign of desperation perhaps? club match is different to trinations, dan knows that. just feel that he has become a target for over robust play due to his reputation. giteau''s going to need lots of help from his forwards to hold onto the ball, play in the opposition half for him to be effective. wallabies have gone soft, the all blacks just have their number. all blacks I think will win all matches down under.

15 Aug 2009

The rise and fall of Brett Lee

I agree Lee will find himself a spent force in Tests as Aussies now have something to build on. Cricket purists, having to put up with the erratic Akhtars and Harmisons of the world, it is always great for us to see Brett Lee steaming into the crease at full tilt, putting back the excitement into the art of fast bowling. An out an out quick, this guy always seemed to put 110 per cent into his bowling effort and should be applauded for that. Never mind the wicket-taking histrionics, we've seen far worse on a cricket field. Lee could also wield the willow and he saved the Aussies' blushes in many a Test innings. It's funny to observe how when top Aussie cricketers seem to be on the wane, the extent to which they are criticised. Many forget the contributions cricketers like Brett have made to the game of cricket. I think Brett put his body on the line with every delivery he bowled and probably didn't get the number of Test wickets he deserved. More than 300 Test wickets takes some doing though. And though being part of at times abrasvie Aussie sides, Lee according to feedback is a good approachable bloke. At many Test venues he could apparently be seen signing autographs for the kids during breaks in play. A Test career on the wane indeed, but should the axe fall, I don't think anyone can deny his total commitment to the art of fast bowling, as well as to Australia's cause. I wonder if the same could be said of many of his fast-bowling counterparts in world cricket today.

12 Aug 2009

Ricky Ponting has to win this Ashes Test

Yeah ... I think Mitchell Johnson has paid the price for an Australian set-up that has overbowled their key bowler against the South Africans in the previous series. Just look at the number of overs he has bowled over the past few months. The stats may prove to be alarming. Pundits are constantly blaming a technical flaw in Johnson's bowling that suddenly has become one of the reasons for his slump in form. His arm is too low they say. Fact is, Australia since the retirement of Glen McGrath, the Gillespie's and others, has struggled to find a strike bowler, who can well put up his hand when the chips are down. Of course, they have Brett Lee in their armoury, but unfortunately he is once again on the sidelines, as seems to be the case as age becomes a factor. What the heck is Stuart Clarke sitting out for? Is he injured? Peter Siddle puts it down hard and that worked in South Africa for him. However in England where wickets seem to be more susceptible to swing than bounce, Siddle could be found struggling. It seems blogger, Neil, who is wary of Proteas taking over number one ICC Test spot, actually presumes that the South Africans may well deserve that elusive number one placing. Imagine sitting on top of both the Test and ODI tables! And like hell, they may well deserve it as the most consistent team the past few seasons. Led by the in your face Graeme Smith, and a well-balanced team, who thrive on challenges - one could gauge from their success in Australia - and who have in their armoury out and out strike bowlers such as Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini and the 'golden arm' of Jacques Kallis at their disposal - and more than accomplished batsmen, could well run over both Ashes sides. England despite their talent, is coming off second best against South Africa these days. With Warne in their team, Australia had the psychological edge, and therefore it is pontificated the Aussies are battling to get twenty wickets in Tests. Nathan Hauritz has a lot of work to do in my opinion, one commentator labelled his bowling 'a lot of meat pies' Or as Geoff Boycott would put it, "dibbly-dobblers". He needs to bring an 'air of confidence' and spin them out convincingly. Cricket fans of Australia and anybody else who is battling to understand the conundrum Aussie is faced with, seem to forget very easily what the Aussies have lost in terms of manpower over the past few seasons. People say it, but don't really think properly about it. Players of the ilk of McGrath, Gilchrist, Martyn, Warne, Gillespie, and we go even further back to the Waugh era, cannot be replaced overnight. The problem is players like Warne probably come around once every generation - my, how time seems to have flown. We who have witnessed arguably the greatest ever wrist spinner, not to mention cunning at that,should be thankful and honoured for having been able to watch him (Warne) at play. It may be that we are trying to match the present Australian side, with the ones that immediately preceded them. That won't happen soon. England seem to move up a gear when the Ashes comes around .. but they are a side with talent, but little to show for it. Really, when they have to shore up their team with South African born players it really begs the question: Where is England's cricketing talent? Jonathan Trott is already 29-years-old. Golly, is there no younger players in England who coud step into the breach? With the number of South African born players on the county circuit, it won't be long before we have half the English side comprising "SA-born players". C'mon guys put some spike into the Ashes play.

7 Aug 2009

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