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Stretching their legs ... the Aussie players inspect the Gabba outfield. Source: Adam Head / News Limited
Day two of the first Test between Australia and South Africa has been abandoned without a ball being bowled.
1st Test - Gabba
9 November 2012 - Day 2, Session 3
South Africa 1st Innings
| H. Amla | 90 | 207 | 6 | 1 | 43.48 |
| J. Kallis | 84 | 135 | 8 | 1 | 62.22 |
| M. Hussey | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 5.25 |
Australia would have been looking for early wickets against South Africa at the Gabba, but rain put paid to those plans as it fell persistently throughout the day.
Stumps
First ball: 11:00 AM November 9, 2012
Location: Gabba
Match Summary
Australia:
South Africa: 2/255
It wasn't all doom and gloom for foxsports.com.au users though, with former Tasmania and Australia all-rounder Brett Geeves joining us for a chat on Saturday morning. Read on to see what Brett had to say about the first Test, sledging, and one of the greatest dressing room pranks of all time!
Follow the action with our LIVE and INTERACTIVE blog, and join the conversation by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page or sending an email to blogs@foxsports.com.au!
You can also check out all the stats, pitch maps and wagon wheels at our Cricket Match Centre.
Latest comments (all times AEDT)
1711: This is Antony Pinshaw signing off from Fox Sports Blog HQ. See you tomorrow!
1709: There's also been confirmation that play on day three will start half an hour early - that's 10.30am EDT (9.30am local time). That means we'll be kicking things off on the live blog around 10am EDT, so make sure you join us then!
1706: STUMPS (SA 2-255, Amla 90*, Kallis 84*). So it turns out the umpires were out there to confirm that abandoning play was the right decision, and they've agreed that it is. So that's the end of day two, and what a disappointing one it was.
1705: The groundsmen are teasing us now - are they standing next to the covers because they're about to take them off, or because they're about to add more covers?
1701: The three umpires are now conferring with head groundsman Kevin Mitchell Jr. There is a fair amount of pointing and looking at the skies. Asad Rauf has his shirt untucked and sunglasses on his head - looks like one cool dude.
1658: Weather update: The umpires are out on the ground! Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden are inspecting the pitch area, while Paul Reiffel seems to have seen enough as he's walked off the ground already. Could we see some play today, or are they simply double-checking that calling the day off is the right decision? We'll keep you posted.
1651: Kendog of Newcastle says: Khawaja's form has continued by scoring a century on the Bellerive greentop. Surely he must be close to another call up if Cowan, Quiney or Warner fail.
Antony says: Kendog is right, Khawaja just brought up his ton on the same day and same ground that Tasmania were bowled out for 96! He looks to be in red-hot form.
1642: bowling man has written in on a slightly different topic: worrying times ahead for the aussies with test in Adelaide another road ahead so Kaliis and amla will be licking their lips
Antony says: That's a fair point, bowling man. Both sides could struggle to take 20 wickets at Adelaide Oval, but if one of the sides was more likely, you'd have to say it's the Proteas.
1634: For those that missed it, we had a great chat with former Tasmania and Australia all-rounder Brett Geeves this morning (you can read it in full if you scroll down the page). Brett made a pretty bold statement by saying South Africa's Jacques Kallis is the greatest cricketer of all time. Not just now, but EVER. What do you think?
1623: Worried about pace attack says: Bird and Cutting. Even Copeland would be better. Siddle and Hilf bowled with no bite yesterday.
Antony says: Not sure if Siddle and Hilfenhaus bowled as badly as many people are making out - if he was having a bit more luck, Siddle would have got both Kallis (caught of a no-ball) and Amla (dropped a relatively straight-forward catch) out, and they're two of the very best batsmen in the world.
1613: Weather update: it's still raining up in Brisbane. The day's play can offiicially be cancelled at 4pm local time, which is 5pm EDT. If something doesn't change dramatically in the next half hour or so, I think we're heading for that scneario.
1601: While I'm handing out links for you to read, it would be pertinent for those that are passionate about the DRS debate to read what the man in charge of the system has to say about it: click here.
1555: The 3rd Man of The 19th Hole says: Jim of Brisbane, yeah a roof would be great but unfortunately it would be easier to build a roof over the Gaba than it would to get the ICC to agree on a colour for the ball under lights. Add that to the way they are handling the DRS and it makes you wonder if the ICC is controlled by the same people who are running the ARLC. There's a thought, I hear Bill Harrigan is looking for a job, maybe the ICC could give him the job of the Umpires coach, that way he can change the rules every new over and then after Bill explains the decisions in the carpark after the match the Umpires could never be seen to make the wrong decision. But then again maybe not, that would mean that cricket would have 2 Bill the Dill's and god help us we all know 1 is more than enough.
Antony says: Note for non-NRL fans: Bill Harrigan was a rugby league referee who became the referees' coach for the NRL, until he was sacked a couple of weeks ago. You can read more about that here.
1548: Fred says: all i can see happening for the next 3 days is batting practice so the draw is going to happen. Do we know a replacement for JP Duminey who is here. When do they cancel play for the day and what happens for the next 3 days with more overs.
Antony says: Francois (Faf) Du Plessis will take Duminy's place in the field for this Test, and I'd say he'd be next in line to take Duminy's place for the second Test as well, unless they decide to go with an extra bowler. In regards to extra overs, I'm not 100 per cent sure on this, but I think they are allowed to start up to an hour early for the remaining days in order to make up the lost time.
1540: Good commitment shown by Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon here.
1532: Martin of WA says: I agree with the use of technology to get the decisions right, but do not agree with reviewing to see if it is a no ball or not. Games can be won or lost by one run, not only by the fall of a wicket. Every delivery is as important as another as they all influence the outcome of the game. If wicket taking balls are reviewed for legality in regard to no balls, every ball should be reviewed. Can't be done - impracticale, so don't review any for no balls. Keep the review simply to the issue whether it was out or not.
Antony says: Some would even argue that the third umpire CAN realistically check every ball. It only takes about 10 seconds to check, and then he can just radio down to the field umpire.
1528: Weather update: It's still raining in Brisbane, unfortunately. We've got confirmation the South Africans have headed back to their hotel, although the Aussies are still holding out hope. They even went out for a wander on the field.
1519: jim wheeler of Brisbane says: I agree with the roof, just seems every time there is an international game in Brisbane it just rains, even the state games last year and the onedayers, im sick of rain spoiling the games.
Antony says: I would say cricket grounds are generally too big to have a roof, but then again Etihad Stadium in Melbourne has one, and they've played cricket there ...
1513: cricket fan who hates the rain of brisbane: When is it going to stop raining. Hardly rained in months and as soon as cricket comes it pours down. Typical Brisbane weather.
Antony says: They've got mean-spirited clouds up in Queensland.
1504: Sam of Brissy is back for more on the DRS: 2.4cm of the ball is pitching in line. A stump is 3.5cm in diameter. So using simple maths if that ball continues in a dead straight line from where it pitched (which it wasn't. It was going for middle) it cleans up 70% of off stump. If that's not out, I don't know what is. You can't disagree with the maths. As far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong) the zone for pitching inside the line is the left edge of off stump to the right edge of leg stump. It doesn't take a lot to dislodge the bails. Agree to disagree but as far as I'm concerned (and the laws of cricket are concerned) that's out. If we're going to ignore technology when it shows an incorrect decision because the umpire was "nearly right" then what is the point in having the DRS system?
Antony says: All valid points Sam. I think what the ICC is trying to do is to get the way the DRS is used to mirror the way umpires have adjudicated in the past. In other words, give the benefit of the doubt to the batsman. I agree that it's not a great look when technology tells us that it's out but we have to give it not out, although in some ways that fits best with the spirit - and history - of cricket.
1449: Jack of MEL says: 2 things - Why do they not have in place an extra (emergency day) with every Test match in case of rain? Especially now that Test match series predominantly consist of 3 tests...Why not construct retractable roofs at Test venues? It'll cost money but losing a day of cricket during a test almost always results in draws.
Antony says: A spare day would be nice, but it would be a tough one to get past the ICC. It would totally change the dynamics of a Test match. Not the worst idea though.
1438: jc of sydney says: shame about duminy. good player, would've liked to see him play.
Antony says: I agree, jc. Was looking forward to seeing how his batting has changed since he was so impressive over here back in 2008-2009.
1430: Robbie BIggest Fan says: is Robbie Q going to be a one test wonder?
Antony says: There's a chance he could be if Watson is fit for the second Test. Having said that, if Cowan racks up a couple more failures, then Quiney is probably next in line for the openers' spot as well. It all depends on timing - just ask guys like Brad Hodge and Chris Rogers.
1422: Daniel of Wollongong says: The Lbw decision was technically correct according to the rules. Less than 50% of the ball was impacting in line. BUT. I think the drs rules should change. 50% is way too much, 25% would be far better.
Antony says: Maybe, but it would be a bit unfair on the on-field umpires - they would be made to look wrong when in reality they couldn't be sure of the decision, so had to give it not out.
1413: I wonder if these guys regret their dress-up decision?
1406: And here's another comment on the DRS from Mark Fletcherton, who emailed in: About the DRS decision, Was the umpire saying it wasn't an LBW because it wasn't in line or because he thought he hit it? I think that's what's going on here. The umpire needs to tell the 3rd umpire what he thought as well.
1404: Sam of Brissy: I would like to know why we are taking a backwards step away from technology. An incorrect decision is an incorrect decision. Either trust technology or get rid of it. If hawkeye says it's pitching in line, it's pitching in line. If it says it's hitting the wickets, it's hitting the wickets. All we're doing now is trying to justify a wrong decision and Australia is left wondering why didn't he give it out. And if he gave it out, South Africa are wondering why he gave it? A third of that ball pitched in line yesterday. That correlates to about 2.4cm. That's not minuscule. That's enormous. As Pup said, "Plum." Stop blurring the lines. Either accept technology or get rid of it otherwise we're all left here scratching our heads.
Antony says: I tend to disagree on some of those points, Sam. A third of the ball pitching in line with the stumps is hardly "plum". In almost every umpire's books, that's not out.
1358: Aussie fan says: @rippersportspro comment no. 2, this may be the 1 out of 10 mate. Personally I was hoping for tahir to play and starc to play instead of lyon. But i suppose its too early to justify that call. How lyon bowls tomorrow will probably decide whether he plays in perth or not. 'Tomorrow' because there is gonna be no more play today because of this STUPID rain!
1353: Weather update: it's still raining in Brisbane, and there's plenty more rain forecast for the rest of the day. We've heard unconfirmed reports that the players are back at their hotels.
1349: Mr of a place of Kalgoorlie: Anyone know how many recent tests in Brisbane have been rain affected? Maybe November tests should be played somewhere else!
Antony says: I can't give you an exact there answer mate, but I can tell you that of the last 10 Tests at the Gabba, only two have been draws, and the most recent draw (against England in 2010) wasn't rain affected. Draw was caused by England batting the Aussie bowlers into the ground.
1342: Paul of Tasmania: In regards to the DRS, is it any wonder some people get confused when they have rules of cricket explained to them for the first time? If you expect umpires to be perfect, then you should expect players to be perfect. Then cricket would be a fairly boring game. I can understand the intentions, to get rid of the 'howler', and applaud the moves to benefit the umpires. But I think cricket would be a better game if we reverted back to the old system where you take the good with the bad. For example, over-rates are slow as it is and waiting for a few minutes for a review doesn't help that.
Antony says: Very good points Paul, and I think our special guest this morning, Brett Geeves, would agree with you.
1333: SooperStu of Denmark: Not sure what all the warm and fuzzy hearts are thinking here?!? How long has cricket been played? How long has the rule regarding substitutes been in place? Why is there even a debate about Duminy being replaced? Similarities to Glenn McGrath in 2005 although his was before the test. It's just unfortunate for all concerned, but another stark reminder to players to be more careful at test time - perhaps NOT playing touch rugby? I do disagree with the ICC ruling - another sports board with has-been players making knee jerk decisions in response to the minority.
Antony says: Fair point Stu. Have you found any cricket in Denmark?
1316: Here's a good comment from Simon of Wagga: The problem with replacements is that they could be exploited. What if Nathan Lyon took 7 wickets on the first day, and then South Africa decided to fake an injury to a quicky and bring in Imran Tahir?
Antony says: I tend to agree, Simon. Allowing injury replacements could open up the proverbial Pandora's Box.
1311: bowling man says: why dont we pack up and move to the next test and call it a draw?
Antony says: Even if today is lost to rain, the match is very much still alive, especially for South Africa if they can dismiss Australia cheaply in their first innings.
1259: An interesting question has come in from Jayvee: why oh why do bowlers feel the need to push the no ball boundaries? Surely 20cm back, giving them some room for error, would make sense?
Antony says: Like any professional sport, cricketers known that every inch counts, and I suppose bowling from right on the popping crease means batsmen have a split second less to play their shots. So from a pace bowler's point of view I can see why they push the no-ball boundaries. For spin bowlers, there's no excuse.
1250: LUNCH (SA 2-255, Amla 90*, Kallis 84*) For those that are interested, it's technically lunch on day two. Still no sign of play unfortunately, the rain is steady. I wonder what the players are eating for lunch - what are the odds of the South Africans finding a place in Brisbane that does good biltong?
1247: Here's another nice pic of Ricky Ponting with a fan at the Gabba. Good to see the players mixing it with the fans.
1238: Rain Sucks of Newtown says: How about this... replace Duminy, as soon as you show me a test card that has 12 batsmen, or a test card with different batsmen on it innings to innings ... while he hasn't batted yet and could technically be subbed without repercussion, Test cricket is like a cycling tour - you cannot simply replace an injured cyclist after the first race. The starter's pistol has blown, the first ball bowled, the team is the team until the end of the match.
1233: Quick score update from the Sheffield Shield game between Tasmania and Queensland at Blundstone Arena: Tasmania were bowled out for just 98 in under two hours! Yesterday's play was cancelled due to a tornado warning in Hobart - looks like some kind of storm struck now!
1225: BlinkyBill of Adelaide says: So he (JP Duminy) was doing a warm down and ruptured his achilles tendon, while he warming down from the bench?! seriously come up with a better excuse! like oh we don't need him to beat Australia.
Antony says: Apparently he was playing touch footy when he did the injury. Maybe there's a story in there about the next code-hopper? Duminy the new Israel Folau perhaps? Or more accurately, the new Jeff Wilson?
1217: OzMongrel of Macclesfield says: Surely we can do the right thing and offer the South Africans a replacement for JP? as long as the player is a reserve batsman, I don't think it would be fair for them to now pick Tahir. Sportsmanship should win out.
Antony says: That does seem fair OzMongrel, although what would happen if an all-rounder got injured? Would you then have to replace him with another all-rounder? What if you didn't have one?
1205: Weather update: There has already been almost 10mm of rain in Brisbane over the past two hours, and unfortunately the forecast for the rest of the day isn't good. Plenty more rain predicted for the rest of the day, and even for Sunday morning.
1200: Australia players Peter Siddle and Ricky Ponting have been signing autographs to keep the fans happy while it rains. Good on them.
1154: There's a fair bit of debate around the JP Duminy injury situation, with some suggesting Australia should allow South Africa to have a full replacement (i.e. someone that can bat and bowl, not just field) given Duminy was yet to play any part in the Test. What do you guys think? If a player hasn't played any part in a match yet, should he be allowed to be replaced?
1147: Fred of basking in Glory says: what is the rule/law with JP Duminy? Can he bat with a runner or did he take the injury into the game so no runner.
Antony says: Technically Duminy could bat with a runner as he definitely didn't take the injury into the game, but I don't think the poor guy can even stand up at the moment - a ruptured achilles is fairly horrendous - so I don't think we'll be seeing him out in the middle. In fact, the South Africans said he's undergoing surgery today and should be on the first plane back to Jo'burg after that.
1140: Apologies to all those that didn't have their questions for Brett Geeves answered. We're hoping to speak to more of your cricketing heroes throughout the summer, so keep those questions up your collective sleeves!
1135: They're made of stern stuff in Queensland ...
1125: Weather update: It's still raining at the Gabba unfortunately. On the plus side, it's given fans the opportunity to mingle with some of the Australia players!
1122: Unfortunately that's all we've got time for in our 'Ask Geeves' segment. Thanks to all the users for sending in their questions, and a HUGE thank you to Mr Brett Geeves for his insightful and entertaining thoughts! A true cricket character.
1120: Rippersportspro of NSW asks: Looks like Warney's philosophy of having a spinner in all conditions (at least 9 times out of 10) may be right after all. What do you reckon?
Brett Geeves says: It's probably handy to have a spinner up there at the Gabba, particularly given the nature of the wicket. The wicket can flatten out nicely there for batting, and I think a spinner is a good option. Lyon hasn't been that effective, but I would have liked to have seen Clarke bowl himself, he's probably a bit underrated with his off-spin. It could be his back that's the problem. If he actually can bowl more, you can probably get away with four quicks.
1116: Arthur of Caulfield asks: Did you ever bowl to Jacques Kallis? And what do you reckon, second best player ever behind the Don?
Brett Geeves says: Kallis is No.1 in my opinion. If you look at his batting and bowling records in Test and one-day cricket, even his fielding, in terms of a genuine cricket player, Jacques Kallis is the greatest of all time. You can't really compare him to Bradman as Bradman didn't bowl. In terms of all three components of the game, Kallis is number one. I actually played a one-day game against him, and I got him out! James Hopes took the catch on the square leg boundary and said, "I've never caught a ball going so fast". I was probably a bit lucky there.
1112: Just a reminder for those just joining us, it's still raining at the Gabba and we're not sure when play will get underway. We will keep you posted with all the latest updates.
1110: Mike of Surry Hills asks: Did you ever use sledging as a tactic? And how effective do you think it is in the modern game?
Brett Geeves says: I reckon sledging is overrated. It's not all that successful now, you can only go so far within the spirit of cricket. Umpire get a bit antsy if you overstep the mark. At Test level, if you let those things affect your performance, you're probably not going to be there. Having said that, being sledged when batting was something I really enjoyed. I had a couple of verbal stoushes with Justin Langer, because he's the same, any kind of confrontation makes him up for the fight. Being a smart arse, I couldn't help myself a few times, but inevitably he would bat very well. It just doesn't work anymore. Unless you can get into someone's head about things outside of the game, I'm just not sure if it works. If it does work, they wouldn't be playing Test cricket.
1105: Scott of Adelaide asks: What are your thoughts on the "secret dossiers" affair? Do you think it had an impact on how either team played on day one?
Brett Geeves says: I think it was a genuine media beat up. I saw Mickey Arthur posted on Twitter that it was genuine media hype. Obviously someone from the local rag have thrown together their thoughts, or maybe they've spoken to someone that knows about the game. Those sort of things are usually spoken about with just 12 men in the dressing room, so who would have leaked it? I guess the thing about it was that it was fairly realistic - they would have been Australia's plan. I guess whoever put it together would have known a fair bit about South Africa's game plan, but to me It's quite obvious that it wasn't leaked by anyone within the setup. Those technical things are already known by everyone - if Graeme Smith isn't aware of his deficiencies by now, then he shouldn't be playing Test cricket. Everyone's aware of that sort of stuff.
1100: Matt Wood of Newtown asks: Brett, Rob Quiney was talking about how he lost 28kg to play in this Test match. Did this tactic ever occur to you?
Brett Geeves says: For me, the challenge was bowling 30kg over weight! If I was 30kgs less, I would have probably played 100 Tests and 700 wickets would have been a given, but where's the fun in that?
1057: Chin Music of Warilla asks: Hey Brett, who would you be more terrified to face, Quiney or Mike Hussey?
Brett Geeves says: I was having this conversation with former Shield player Tim McDonald. Bobby is quite deceptive, he does actually bowl a heavy ball, he probably bowls around 115-120km/h but hits the bat quite hard. He gets good bounce and quite good shape. Having said that, you'd probably be more fearful to face Hussey, because if you got out to him you'd be kicking yourself!
1052: Daka from NQ asks: The LBW referral that was denied yesterday for marginally pitching outside of the new corridor, was the wrong call. I would bet the only doubt in the umpires mind was whether the ball struck bat or pad first. Everyone could see the ball would have smashed into the stumps so therefore, do you think there is scope for the umpire to tell the man in the box why he didn't give it out?
Brett Geeves says: The whole DRS is a waste of time. It divides most followers of cricket. For me, there's no place for it in the game. Batsmen make errors, bowlers make errors, and for the umpires to be error free takes away a part of the game. It's starting to reflect in the way that the public perceive it. Yesterday there was a five or six minute delay while we waited for a computer to make a decision, and that takes away the traditions of the game, and I think slowly the public might turn on it.
1047: OK here's the first question for Brett Geeves, and it comes from Tracey of Broome.
Tracy of Broome asks: What's it like being in the dressing rooms watching the rain fall all day? I bet some guys cope with it better than others?
Brett Geeves says: Normally there's a card group. A group of four will go and play blackjack, a couple normally sleep. Everyone else had their headphones on. I was sleeper, Ben Hilfenhaus was into his cards, and was quite good too. George Bailey and Xavier Doherty were sleepers too. James Faulkner came close to getting punched a few times because he just had so much energy! One of my old teammates, Chris Duval got out lbw four straight times - so one day when it was raining someone cut a big hole in his pad and left a note that said: "your pad's been blown open for the last time!"
1040: Rain update: No word yet as to when play might get underway. We will keep you posted.
1036: Not even the rain can stop us from bringing former Australia and Tasmania all-rounder Brett Geeves to our live blog! Brett is going to be answering your questions from 10.45am (EDT), so fire in your questions now by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page, or send an email to blogs@foxsports.com.au!
1030: Hello and welcome to foxsports.com.au's LIVE and INTERACTIVE coverage of day two of the first Test between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba. I'm Antony Pinshaw, in the chair for another day of high-class cricket - although at the moment the signs aren't too promising, with the covers on the pitch at the moment! Hopefully the rain clears soon!
