Hashim Amla - Man of the series - Picture from Graeme Smith's Twitpic

The Proteas beat the West Indies 5 -0 in the One Day International series for the third time since readmission to international cricket, the West Indies should be relegated to the ‘b’ league. According to CricInfo’s stat’s guru, since 2000 the West Indies have lost 46 games from 75 played… at home! That’s a disgrace. Never mind the useless West Indies lets look at our boys, the controversial decision to drop Mark Boucher become a farce when David Miller was injured in practise, they brought Boucher back into the team as a specialist batsman. Boucher has played 292 games as a keeper and they bring him back into the team to field at third man? what a disgraceful end to a magnificent ODI career.

Boucher did stick it to the management by taking a blinder of a catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Darren Bravo and claim his 400^th ODI catch.

How can the team management allow themselves to get into a position where they are left exposed by the injury of one player? They released Loots Bosman early, on the same night as the 5^th ODI he scored 94 off 49 balls for Derbyshire in FP T20 in England. More poor leadership and team management …

Enough criticism, oh wait Graeme Smith only managed to score 119 runs in five innings, this man is under pressure – but we believe Graeme, we wait in anticipation for your return to form.

AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, world class batsmen, both of them played fantastic cricket. Amla scored 402 runs at an average of 80.40 and a strike rate of 101.25. Which is a new record for a South African batsman as his 402 is the highest total score over a 5 match ODI series. Amla received the man of the series award and 5 Blackberry’s for his efforts, he shot up the ODI rankings to no. 4 in the world.  Could Hashim Amla be come the best batsman South Africa has ever produced?

de Villiers scored 283 runs at 70.75 and a strike rate of 95.60 – and kept wicket, the importance of this batting display is that keeping wicket hasn’t affected his abilities with the bat. AB needs to work on his keeping, he gave away a few runs and a catch or two behind the stumps.

It was a good outing for our bowlers as well, Morne Morkel took the most wickets in the series even though the didn’t play every game.

There are two areas of our game that concern me, firstly when the West Indian batsmen did get in and started scoring runs freely, we didn’t seem to have a plan to stop them. It’s as if we wait for the batsmen to get themselves out… And the run chase in the last game, that was dismal, our middle to lower order did not perform with the bat.

Well played boys, 2 from 2 in the T20 series, 5 from 5 in the ODI series, now can we take the Test series as convincingly? I think we can.

AB de Villiers playing for the Delhi DareDevils pulled off this stunning one handed catch deep in the out field to dismiss one of the Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen.

Doug Bollinger emulating the antics of this Aussie team mate, David Hussey, managed to keep his head as he took an impressive catch on the boundary, he then had to throw the ball into the air as he fell over the boundary rope, and still managed to recover and complete the catch.

The one day international series against Australia has proved to be the only thing separating the two teams. Over the summers series both home and away, the teams have shared the test series 3-3, the Pro20 series 2-2, but South Africa took the ODI server 7-3.

AB de Villiers was named player of the home series for his contribution of 240 runs at an average of 60, with a strike rate of 95.61. His highest score was 84. Herschelle Gibbs was the top run scorer, with 256 runs at an average of 50.60 and a strike rate of 82.14. Gibbs highest score was 110.

Spinner Roelof van der Merwe, who made his ODI debut at his home ground in Centurion, was the leading South African bowler, taking eight wickets at an average of 18.62. Dale Steyn (ten) took more wickets than Van der Merwe, but Steyn’s average was 23.30, he was more expensive, going for 5.04 runs per over compared to Van der Merwe’s four.

South Africa end the summer ranked number 1 in ODI cricket, AB de Villiers is ranked number 6 in the world, with Graeme Smith at number 8. Unfortunately none of our bowler are in the top 10, Johan Botha is ranked highest at number 11.

The Proteas side has matured, at the same time new players were given a chance, Roelof van der Merwe, Wayne Parnell, and Lonwabo Tsotsobe all made their debuts. Every game in the five match series was sold out, I can’t remember going to a game in South Africa where the game wasn’t sold out. The public came out to support a winning team, and they delivered.

The Delhi Daredevils relied on the bowling of the miserly Glenn McGrath and batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir – considered by many as the best opening batting pair in the world today – as they reached the semifinals last year.

The destructive Sehwag is the only Indian batsman to have two triple centuries in Test cricket, while Gambhir played a key role in India’s ICC World Twenty20 victory with four half-centuries and a match winning 75 against Pakistan.

The Daredevils started the 2008 tournament off well by winning four out of their first five games, but were unable to sustain their good form and finished the round-robin portion of the tournament with a record of 7-7. Still, it was good enough for a semifinal spot, but the Delhi franchise lost out by 105 runs to eventual winners, the Rajasthan Royals.

After an admirable showing in 2008, the Daredevils will be hoping to go better this time around and have again secured the services of McGrath, now aged 40, as well as the tactical nous and wily spin of New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

Other additions likely to boost the Daredevils’ chances of success include the signing of exciting Proteas batsman AB de Villiers, who has been in sparkling form for South Africa in the one-day international series against the visiting Australians, and is one of the form batsman in world cricket at present.

De Villiers will likely line up with two Australians against whom he has spent the summer doing battle in all-rounder Andrew McDonald and pint-sized opener David Warner.

The signing of the latter could be a masterstroke as Warner announced himself on the international stage in blazing fashion late last year when as a unheralded state cricketer he was called up for the first T20 match against South Africa and proceeded to bludgeon his way to 89 off only 43 balls in Melbourne.

Expect fireworks from this Daredevil. – Info by Wikipedia and IPL’s official website

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Asked and answered. Herschelle Gibbs was under pressure to score runs to retain his spot in the Proteas side and boy did he do it in style, scoring 110 runs from 116 deliveries. The century from Gibbs and the 84 runs from AB de Villiers lead South Africa to a massive 317/6 and a series victory. The Australian team was unsure of themselves going into the fourth MTN ODI at Sahara Oval St. George’s in Port Elizabeth on the back of two comprehensive losses. The Aussies showed their hand before the game by including Shane Harwood (35) making his debut as the third oldest Australian to make the ODI team.

A further sign of the lack of confidence came when Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and choose to field first, unsure of what a good total was.

Smith and Gibbs started the innings in a nervous and unsure manner, both played at balls that should have been left alone with Gibbs chasing the ball on almost every occasion. Luck was on Gibbs’ side as he made it through the first ten overs though, Smith unfortunately departed early for just 20 runs. The further departure of Kaills (17) brought AB de Villiers and Herschelle Gibbs together.

The pure class of Gibbs started to show, with AB putting in a fine performance at the other end. The Australian bowlers had no answer to the onslaught during the pairs 136-run third-wicket partnership. Gibbs, Morkel, de Villiers lost their wickets between the 38th and 42nd overs, JP Duminy and Mark Boucher ensured that they lower order played a significant role with Duminy scoring 40 runs from 25 balls.

Chasing a total of 318 for victory it was always going to be a huge task, but as usual the Aussies were up for a fight. Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin put in an opening stand of 129; Ricky Ponting was also on a mission with the bat, knocking four fours off Dale Steyn in one over before he was caught by Albie Morkel for 53. The bowling of Roelof van der Merwe must again be applauded for turning the game as he took the wickets of Clarke, Ferguson and Michael Hussey within five overs. Dale Steyn took the key wickets of Ponting and David Hussey, ending the innings with four wickets. Australia was all out in the 46th over for 256.

Over the home and away ODI series South Africa have won 7 and lost 2, with the ODI No. 1 ranking changing a few times. South Africa has now won three ODI series in a row against Australia and retains the ODI No. 1 ranking. Onwards to the ICC World T20… Forever  Proteas.

In the previous MTN ODI at SuperSport Park the bowling from Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell lead to the demise of the Australians. At Sahara Park Newlands in Cape Town it was the batting of Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers that put the game beyond the reach of Ricky Ponting’s men. After finally winning a toss in the home series, Graeme Smith elected to bat first, knowing well that chasing a total at Newlands is an almost impossible task. The opening pair of Smith and Gibbs was ineffective; they gave way for Kaills and de Villiers to take control.

It must be said that the bowling from Mitchell Johnson built the pressure on the openers, Johnson finished with figures of 10 overs, 2 maidens, 32 runs taking 4 of the 6 wickets that fell in the Proteas innings.

Kaills and de Villiers both went to half centuries as they built their partnership, taking South Africa from 50/2 to 164/3. This partnership was the foundation that allowed the rest of the batsmen room to play shots. Duminy, Morkel and Boucher all scored at more than a run a ball. In the final over of the innings Roelof van der Merwe came to the wicket, with four balls remaining everyone was suggesting he take a single and let Boucher do the rest, but Roelof had other plans. He flashed at the first one, swung wildly at the second, and then knocked a massive six to square leg. This man has passion; he wears his inexperience on his sleeve. I can’t wait to see this young player mature into a regular in the Proteas side. South Africa posted 289/6 after their 50 overs.

With the knowledge that the highest successful run chase at Newlands was 229, the South Africans were confident. The spectacular bowling carried over from the previous game, with Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell restricting the run rate. On the back of the good work the pace bowlers had done, the new spin bowling partnership of Botha and van der Merwe came into play. Roelof van der Merwe, taking 3 wickets for just 37 runs from his 10 overs, was the pick of the bowling attack.

Australia batted well in the end to score 264/7, something the Proteas should keep an eye on. Looking forward to the fourth MTN ODI in Port Elizabeth on Monday the Proteas will be confident, both their bowling attack and middle order batting attack have performed well. It’s time for our openers to perform, leading 2-1; I’ll back them to win the series.

The South African batsmen have shown what they can do when they decide to come out and play cricket. In the South African innings of 651 there were three centurions in one innings, Ashwell Prince 150, Jacques Kallis 102 and AB de Villiers 163.

Ashwell Prince was promoted to opening batsman; He came out to bat in the last hour of the first day and played like a man on a serious mission scoring 37 runs from 36 balls in the last hour of playon day one. Returning to the crease on day two Prince scored his 11th test century from 152 balls. Ashwell Prince was eventually out having scored 150 off 249 balls with 19 fours and two sixes.

Stand-in captain Jacques Kallis scored his 31st test century, Kallis had to put up with some fearsome bowling from the Australian pace attack at the start of his innings.

AB de Villiers, having scored a century in the first Castel Test Match repeated his heroics in Cape Town top scoring in the South African innings with an impressive 163. De Villiers, began day three on 39, he got stuck into the Australian bowling attack as he earned his ninth test century, and his third against Australia, off 149 balls with ten fours and one six.

De Villiers then needed just 32 balls as he raced to 150 off 181 balls with 11 fours and seven sixes before he was eventually caught by Andrew McDonald off the bowling of Katich.

Not to be forgotten was the half century scored by Albie Morkel on debut from 59 balls, shared a fantastic seventh-wicket partnership of 124 off 120 balls with De Villiers before Morkel got out.

This brutal batting attack left one seriously wounded Australian bowler Bryce McGain. McGain is a leg spinner who made his debut in this Castle test match. McGain got hammered by all the South African batsmen ending his first bowling effort in test cricket with the following bowling figures:

18 overs, 149 runs, 0 wickets at an average of 8.27 per over

The Australians set South African a massive 545 for victory in the second Castle Test match.

With Smith sitting in the changing room Neil McKenzie and Amla opened the batting, they did well to see off the new ball but they both got out just as they were settling in. We have to ask if that will be the last time we’ll see Neil McKenzie play for South Africa, he’s scored one half century in his last 17 innings.

Enter Jacques Kallis, dropped first ball by North at slip off Siddle. Could that be the mistake that South Africa needed to get out of jail? Kallis went on to score 84 from 161 deliveries and in doing so went past Graeme Pollock as South Africa’s highest run-scorer in Tests against Australia.

AB de Villiers played well for his 68 from 166 deliveries to see South Africa end the day on 244-2, the best batting position that South Africa has found themselves in this series. There is still a mountain to climb, we’ll know by lunch what the result is going to be, the new ball has done the work every time that it’s come into play and I’m sure tomorrow will be no different.

The pride in South African cricket has been saved, now for the series

AB de Villiers hit an unbeaten century, this was his eighth century of his Test career. AB saved the Proteas from a poor batting performance on the third day of the first Castle Test match.

de Villiers ran out of partners to finish on 104 (185 balls, 9 fours and a six) with Neil McKenzie’s 36 being the next best contribution. The result was that they never got a decent partnership going and their total of 220 left them 246 runs behind on the first innings.

The poor display of batting from the Proteas has resulted in another record being broken to win this game. Our bowlers have done very well in the second innings restricting the Aussies, they are currently 139/6 and 385 runs ahead.

The Australian batsmen have struggled in their second innings as the ball has started to move around. Our batsmen are going to have to show serious discipline today if we going to compete for a result.