It was as good a start as Graeme Smith could have asked for. After losing every toss against Ricky Ponting over the summer, he finally won one and had no hesitations in batting on a good Newlands track under sunny skies. So far Australia’s tour has been a mirror image of when South Africa visited, and if things stick to sequence Australia will take back the No. 1 tag in one-day cricket. Smith, however, was determined to break the pattern and win the series.
South Africa fielded an unchanged side from Centurion, where they squared the five-match series 1-1. “We don’t need wholesale changes,” was Ponting’s assessment after Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell blew Australia away for 131 in 40.2 overs. And indeed there were no massive modifications, except that Australia brought in Brett Geeves for Ben Laughlin.
Two days ago Ponting blamed himself for Australia’s batting predicament, saying it was about time he scored another ODI century. It’s not just Ponting, but the makeshift opening pair of Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke who will need to provide a platform.
South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Roelof van der Merwe, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Albie Morkel, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Wayne Parnell, 11 Dale Steyn.
Australia: 1 Michael Clarke, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 Callum Ferguson, 7 James Hopes, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Bracken, 10 Brett Geeves, 11 Nathan Hauritz.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo
© Cricinfo
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Go Proteas!!!
Heeheeheeheeheehee
@Rahul (Comment 2) :
Huh??
4-1
@Rahul (Comment 4) :
What are you talking about??
@wpw (Comment 5) : 3-1 and Gerrard is injured
@Rahul (Comment 6) :
Bru, this is a cricket thread. Please stick to the topic at hand.
Wanted to go but a bloody sell out. Hope we eat them.
@wpw (Comment 7) : Thats the last you will hear of it.
Was wondering why they playing on a Thursday, Then I realised its easter and Ive arranged work for tomorrow and Monday
Gibbs OUT
SA 51/2 after 14.5 overs
Kallis 15*
AB 0*
cricket is a tosser sport
c’mon Kallis
YEEEESSSSSS
SA 112/2
Kallis 50*
AB 26*
@PaarlBok (Comment 8) : Aussies are too rubbery and taste like sh…
AB bowled behind his legs….
@Rahul (Comment 10) : hey there Rahul, sure the Easter Bunny will pop in for a visit work or no work
Hey why u flirting with Rahul??
@wpw (Comment 19) : hey there wpw … you jealous
asalaam wa luikoem
Come Parnell…and the rest..
@Claytie (Comment 21) :
Aleikum Salaam.
These Aussies are going to be 2 – 1 down after this match. They are batting slower than Boucher did in Aus.
True that Andries!Is it ok to have a whisky now?
@Claytie (Comment 24) :
Aiwa on the whiskey.
Duminy does a direct hit for an excellent run out.
@Claytie (Comment 24) :
I discovered a new beer in Egypt. “Meister” it’s a local beer but has an 8%
alcohol content. 
drinking was cheap. 
kette on the otherhand went all the way to Cairo to drink a South African Wine.
Only coz the local wine “Obelisk” was only available as a dry red.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 26) : hey I wasn’t the only one asking about SA wine as a preference, many many many colleagues all swear by it – we make good wine, whats wrong with that
@KSA Shark © (Comment 26) :EIGHT?!
@Claytie (Comment 28) :
JA BOET!!!!!!!! EIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, what did i miss?? Where is klempie vanaand?? Just had a lekker stukkie pickled fish now. Mmmm
@KSA Shark © (Comment 29) :
@Claytie (Comment 28) :
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/boozer.htm
Meister Max.
Meister
Meister is a European brand, but the beers is licensed for, and produced in Egypt. However, it has the European quality and taste. It attracted many drinkers because of this, and its alcohol content which is higher than many of the other beers. It comes in two varieties, the first of which is Meister regular which is a good traditional strong beer with strong flavor.
Alcohol content: 5.2 %
Bitterness: 13 EBU
Height: Bottle 249 mm, Can 117mm
The second type is Meister Max which is the strongest beer in Egypt, even though it has a very smooth flavor
Alcohol content: 8 %
Bitterness: 20 EBU
Height: Bottle 241 mm, Can 117mm
Botha gets Ponting’s wicket. Caught and bowled!! Hell yeah!
@wpw (Comment 30) :
No more than I have missed.
My connection is about to give my laptop wings.
Ponting out after a great caught & bowled by Botha.
Clarke bowled by Roelof vd Merwe!
Aus 80 for 3 wickets down. Both Hussey brothers at the wicket!
im drinking windy lite and u talking 8
Mike Hussey OUT! Another wicket for vd Merwe
bad call ump!WELL DONE!
We got one of those inside edge shockers in the previous match so its all good…