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Why the Proteas will prevail in South Africa

8th January, 2014
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Can the Proteas salvage a draw, or better, in Adelaide? (Image: AAP)
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8th January, 2014
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Party’s over boys, you’ve had your fun. The whole country appreciates your efforts against an English team so tired and weak, both physically and mentally, that it’s potentially put an end to some greats’ careers.

Australia’s fast bowlers bullied them, embarrassed them and sledged them into the ground. In reply England simply lay down.

Even captain Alastair Cook couldn’t give the boys a ‘good old-fashioned rev-up’. It’s hard to listen to a captain when he’s not scoring any runs and drops half his chances at first slip.

But in typical Australian fashion the victors are gloating about how good they were and not how good England weren’t.

Peter Siddle recently stated in an interview that he thought that Australia’s pace bowling attack are better than the feared South African trio of Steyn, Morkel and Philander.

To add fuel to an already dangerous fire, David Warner has openly admitted that lines were pushed (but not broken) when it came to sledging the English team.

He then went on to point out that the treatment would be no different come their impending tour across the Indian Ocean.

If there’s anything that playing fourth grade cricket in the Australian Capital Territory has taught me it’s that only the weakest teams can be sledged out (and in ACT fourth grade, that’s most of them).

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All of this would be music to the ears of the underfed pitbulls who comrpise South Africa’s pace attack. They could only be sitting back and licking their lips.

The coaches would have watched intently as Australia’s top order wobbled to 100 in most first innings of this recent series.

They’d have realised how different the series could have been had it not been for Brad Haddin. They’d be looking to steam through Australia’s shaky top order.

England’s bowlers couldn’t deal out some of the devastating pace that Mitchell Johnson found this series. Unfortunately for Australia, South Africa can.

Even though Australia’s batting list is completely different to that which South Africa embarrassed in the 2012/13 Australian summer, it’s hard to see any other result.

These Aussie bowlers are confident beyond all belief, threatening the same short and fast bowling that scared England into submission.

What they’re potentially missed is that not only are the likes of Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers among the best and most prolific run scorers in the world, but they’ve also got the scariest bowlers in the world bowling to them in the nets.

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When you get down to it, South Africa are still the No.1 team in the world – and with good reason.

Their bowlers have been bowling as a unit for long time now. The lower order have belief that the top order will do its job, and vice versa.

They’re disciplined, professional and have been operating as a very similar team for a long period of time.

Prediction: South Africa to take the series, winning two matches.

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