Final thoughts
That doesn’t leave us with a whole lot to say, except that Australia will resume bowling tomorrow in the same difficult position that they would have started in today. That is, 86 runs behind, needing another five South African wickets before knowing the scope of the task ahead.
Best case, they can run through South Africa and face a recoverable deficit of around 100, then bat well enough to set a decent target. Worst case, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma will push the lead out to 200 or more, and Australia will be knocked over once again for an innings defeat.
These are very difficult times for a team that seems to be unprepared to play Test cricket in any kind of difficult batting conditions.
I’ll leave you with Adam Collins’ piece from after play finished yesterday, which may be the only Guardian article to lead off with referencing the early 90s sketch show, Full Frontal.
Geoff out, we’ll see you tomorrow on the OBO. In the meantime, here’s an excuse for a report of the day’s proceedings:
Updated
Play is abandoned at 2pm
The umpires have made the call, with the field sodden and the forecast grim. Play is abandoned for the day, and will start half an hour earlier for each of the next three days.
So that means a 10am start local time, Australian eastern daylight savings variety, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
I also have to credit Mitchell Starc with actually making a decent joke in another radio interview conducted in the rain.
“It’s a lovely day, if you’re a duck, I guess.”
Some interesting points in that Sutherland chat - he’s a pretty straight shooter compared to many administrators. Whately wants to know if the scheduling and preparation was awry, with very little first-class cricket before the Tests. “The South Africans have had the same preparation that we’ve had,” counters Sutherland. “If you draw that comparison, the team that we’re playing against hasn’t had any different preparation.” So the difference is in the fundamental quality of the teams on the field.
When asked if they had considered replacing Rod Marsh as chairman of selectors immediately after he announced he would retire next year, Sutherland says no, but is measured in his language to avoid hollowly saying that the selectors have been doing a great job.
The pair also discuss whether Steve Smith needs more support as a young captain, whether Test cricket has enough support itself in balance with commerce, whether this is a crisis point that will bring drastic change or whether CA will try to hold things steady, whether Tasmania will keep getting Test cricket.
The television is now screening Australia’s 1999 World Cup win over South Africa. Brings to mind the comment yesterday from cricket’s most comprehensive online video archivist.
My YouTube channel is turning out to be quite the archive of a golden era of cricket before it turned to complete and utter shit.
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) November 12, 2016
Plenty of questions on exactly that subject of Australian disarray today. Gerard Whateley had Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland answering some tricky ones on ABC radio earlier today.
“Cricket is a funny game - not funny ha ha, certainly not over the last week anyway,” is Sutherland’s sad-sounding intro.
You can hear the full audio here.
Still raining at Bellerive, obviously - Jim Maxwell’s usual description of bowlers coming from the Antarctic end is especially apposite in today’s meteorological circumstances for those of us shivering in Hobart.
The Australians may well be enjoying a break from being humiliated on the field. Here’s a great little note from reader Ian Forth on the current situation.
“Not sure if this helps but the ECB were in a similar situation to Australian cricket in 2001. Their solutions were wide ranging. 20/20, central contracts, community engagement being the headlines (I did the qualitative research on their behalf).”
“For a fusty crew the First Class Forum did “vote for change”. What they couldn’t fix was a lack of national success and hero personalities. Coincidentally or otherwise, however, the team improved and the likes of Flintoff and Pietersen provided fun role models for the kids. Five years later everything looked different.”
That ties together all of the South African Petersons / Petersens / Pietersens in the current discourse, given that Kevin with the latter spelling is commentating this series on TV, and Alviro with the middle spelling has just been charged with match-fixing by the South African cricket authorities.
Updated
Seeing some highlights from the WACA Ashes Test back in late 2013, and one of the all-time great cricket records.
Namely, George Bailey, who played five Test matches in his career, but shares the record for the most runs in a single over. Shares it with... Brian Lara. Not bad.
I like Bailey’s 28 more than Lara’s anyway, because Bailey took them off the pace of James Anderson where Lara was facing the less accomplished spin of Robin Peterson. But, you tell me.
Back to the present day, a guy who was run out for 1 in that botched run chase is banging a favourite drum on TV. “In all sport there are too many coaches,” is the sage position of Shane Keith Warne. “There’s too much information from too many people. It gets confusing.” He must have loved high school.
The beloved Tasmanian Good Boy George Bailey is more conciliatory toward the mentor class. “It’s great, you get different information about how to do things. A good coach is a good coach, if you’ve got lots of them around you that’s great. but a good player should be able to coach themselves.”
WICKET! McGrath c & b de Villiers (Australia all out 111)
Calamity for Australia! The young rangy paceman gets off the mark with a glided single, but once back on strike he chips a defensive shot back to the bowler. Utterly hopeless, he’ll never make a Test fifty.
Australia falls six runs short of what should have been a routine chase, in a game that will surely be replayed for years to come.
As for Fanie, who took 6-43, we’ve seen the best player named de Villiers who will ever turn out for South Africa.
Updated
WICKET! Martyn c Hudson b Donald 6
Oh no! Martyn may have undone his team here. He sees the wide ball, plays a big cover drive but he can’t keep it down. Hudson reels it in at cover, set well back - catches it on his chest. Glenn McGrath walks out at No11 in his third Test.
Surely selectors won’t blame this disarray on Martyn, though.
Updated
Seven runs to win, two wickets in hand.
Nearly caught! McDermott just clears cover for a biffed two runs. Martyn is then dropped at mid-off.
Unknown over: Australia 105-8 (Martyn 6, McDermott 24)
Great stuff from Craig McDermott, bashing several boundaries in the last few minutes as Australia narrows the gap to 12 runs required. Should be fine now with young gun Damien Martyn still at the crease.
Updated
Hello champs and champettes. Geoff Lemon back with you after what feels like a long time off the OBO. Lovely to be here.
Unfortunately though, I bear bad news for Australian fans.
Fanie de Villiers is running through Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1994.
They’re 8 for 75 chasing 117. Tension is high.
In case you’ve not stumbled across it yet, the champs who combine to inhabit The Grade Cricketer have started a podcast. If this rain keeps up it might be worth a listen.
The good news is you’ll have the erudite Geoff Lemon to guide you through the afternoon session. The bad news is he’ll be narrating the same ark-inducing scene I have been. Although with more wit.
Here he is playing cricket somewhere even colder than Hobart.
12.10 update:
Updated
Speaking of Mr Manthorp:
Michelle, go to sleep. Close your eyes and dream of yesterday. We'll start again on Monday... :) OK - 5% chance we might play last hour... https://t.co/q6wgVQR3DZ
— Neil Manthorp (@NeilManthorp) November 12, 2016
Tom Hopkins, great to have your correspondence.
“Morning Jonathan, lovely to hear that Jim Maxwell is on the mend. I think one of the things that TMS does really well over here is getting interesting voices from the touring side - gives a whole different perspective - and Jim’s always a highlight of an Ashes summer.”
I agree wholeheartedly Tom. The different accents and accompanying stories and specialisms are what makes each commentary series interesting. Neil Manthorp is doing a sterling job on the ABC at the moment filling that niche.
Channel 9 have woefully ignored this aspect for years, failing to provide any counterbalance to the cheerleading ex-players it employs. At least this year we have a South African accent, even if it belongs to an ex-England international with an ECB coat of arms tattoo.
Things to do while it’s raining #6 - enjoy cricket played somewhere drier. If you’re not familiar with the name Haseeb Hameed, get used to it, because it’s one you’ll be hearing for the next decade or two.
For anyone not watching Channel 9...
Underrated sights of 90s cricket: Dave Richardson's tan leather keeping gloves. pic.twitter.com/4hmQb9Vzgi
— Russell Jackson (@rustyjacko) November 13, 2016
Things to do while it’s raining #5 - visit MONA. Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart is so brilliant, on its own it can justify a trip to the Apple Isle. Even if you don’t appreciate traditional galleries, there’s an excellent craft brewery on site (Moo Brew) and the easiest way to get there is by a splendid 30-minute river cruise.
11.35 am update
The rain is not relenting and puddles are now starting to form on the outfield.
Chris Morris (not the satirist, or the South African allrounder) is the latest to distract me from contemplating the resemblance between Pat Symcox and Ray Illingworth...
“Bugger of a day to be doing the OBO,” Chris correctly begins. “Really enjoyed yesterday’s pitch, had something for pace and spin, a rarity in test cricket. Made every over interesting to watch.
The question I have is, is their any light at the end of the tunnel for Australia? There appears to be no obvious replacements in either bat or ball? Does Australia go for youth (like an AFL team rebuilding) or can that ruin a promising career by bringing talented but unproven players into the game too early?”
This might take a while...
As per Norman’s question below, I think context is everything. What are Australia trying to achieve? Presumably a glib ‘number one ranking in all formats’ can be trotted out, but is that alone enough? I would be setting targets around winning in India and England, and my team building approach would be with those goals in mind.
Therefore, I’d be concerned less with raw numbers and more interested in technique and character. We know (usually) that Australian batsman can plunder runs in home conditions, but who are the ones that can do it when the situation is at its most unfavourable?
Whether this is shuffling the pack a little, or wholesale change, depends on who’s available. I wouldn’t be afraid of making a raft of changes if the talent is available. Names that spring immediately to mind include Handscomb, Head, Bancroft and Maxwell, but there will be more.
The challenge then is to communicate to the public that this is a project, and one that needs time. This will be a hard sell for a cricket community that knows only winning and now seems disengaged beyond the brief summer months.
But, this is an opportunity to resolve another of the long-lamented issues in the game, the lack of characters. If these young colts are sold to us smartly, we’ll want to back them in and give them the benefit of the doubt, especially if they reveal the type of characteristics we’re looking for. Using the AFL analogy, look at how much goodwill the Western Bulldogs carried into this season’s premiership.
It might fail, but this near-permanent state of transition the team’s been in since about 2005 doesn’t seem to be working.
Oh, and keep the bowlers fit. An attack of Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Pattinson has the potential to be a decade-long attack of fearsome quality whatever the conditions. Also, this safety net with the ball should paper over some of the batting cracks.
Updated
Rain still falling but not hard. We'll have another update soon. #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/4aDrYWYK4o
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) November 13, 2016
Things to do while it’s raining #4 - listen to rainy songs. Can anyone improve on The Beta Band?
Norman Burns has tuned in, and he wants to throw some pebbles into the pond.
“Hi Jonathan, just like to stir the pot out there and see what - if any - rule or format changes you would bring in to keep Test cricket relevant.”
My bugbear is over-rates. The ICC has to do more to make a day’s play more continuous and action-packed. 90 overs is the minimum number of required overs to be bowled, not a mythical target to be staggering towards in twilight. Once that nettle has been grasped, more radical ideas like four-day Tests can be countenanced.
I think day-night Tests are a no-brainer. It means the game will be accessible to spectators at venues and on TV at times when they’re best able to turn up and tune in. I sympathise with players in the transitional period while they’re effectively guinea pigs for ball lacquer, floodlights and so on, but not enough to delay the widespread introduction where possible.
As for relevance, clearly there needs to be a periodic finish line somewhere along the way to give context and rivalry beyond the historic. The year-end mace doesn’t really seem to hit the mark, but I’m yet to be convinced of any alternative suggestions. However, I’m open minded about trialling them.
But that is a largely moot debate anyway until the ICC gets to grips with the international game’s basic organisation and the reliance on India as a source of revenue. As Gideon Haigh so elegantly put it in Death of a Gentleman: “Does cricket make money to exist; or does cricket exist to make money?”
▫️Yes it's raining in Hobart.
— Cricket Tasmania (@crickettas) November 12, 2016
▫️Contrary to popular belief it doesn't "always" rain here.
▫️We are the 2nd driest capital
▫️Tweet nicely 👍
Channel 9 showing highlights of the second Test between Australia and South Africa from 1994 in Sydney. Spoiler alert - the Proteas win. It made me wonder, is this the first time C9 have ever shown a package where Australia lost?
Things to do while it’s raining #3 - enjoy cricket’s capacity to bring communities together.
10.35 am update:
Still bucketing down at Blundstone Arena.
Well this is not very promising #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/sZnSO8XEG5
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) November 12, 2016
Things to do while it’s raining #2 - marvel at Jim Maxwell. The commentary chat is a nice segue into Russell Jackson’s predictably excellent interview with the avuncular voice of summer.
Which raises a worthy topic for debate - the Channel 9 commentary team after its rejig this winter. The departure of Brad McNamara means the broadcast has a new director, and there are a couple of new voices with the inclusion of KP and Michael Clarke.
My own observations are that there’s a much greater focus on cricket than previously - revolutionary, I know. The tedious locker-room asides into pizza toppings and who-did-what-to-whom-on-tour-in-the-good-old-days seem to have been jettisoned in favour of talking about what’s happening. Who knows if it will last, but it’s an improvement.
Phil Withall is one of the hardy souls braving the wet and wintry conditions on the OBO today.
“Morning Jonathan,” he writes. “Even if there is play today I feel we may well have had the high point of the day. The sight of Kevin Pietersen looking at Mark Taylor as if he was a demented simpleton as they discussed the reason for Australia’s poor batting choices. May well be a highlight of KP’s illustrious career.”
Things to do while it’s raining #1 - riff on Australia’s pain. Here’s Adam Collins laying the misery bare after yesterday’s debacle. Notable for coach Boof failing to offer anything in the way of a defence. Much like his top order.
10.10 am update:
The umpires have just fronted the cameras and they’re not optimistic. “It’s not looking great,” Richard Kettleborough said from beneath an umbrella. “The ground-staff expect the rain to get heavier during the afternoon.”
Aleem Dar then joked about Hobart sitting alongside Durham and Dunedin as the coldest places to officiate in international cricket.
Looks pretty unlikely for much play this morning...#AUSvRSA pic.twitter.com/8LzO2Bqf4x
— Matt Clinch (@matt_clinch) November 12, 2016
It's raining, it's pouring ...
Good morning and welcome to the second day of the second Test in Hobart. After yesterday’s thrill a minute Aussie-bashing expectations are great for another day of high intensity Test cricket.
Or maybe not. It’s raining in Tasmania - really raining. Play will not start on time (10.30am local) and it’s unlikely there’ll be any play this morning. The forecast is bleak for this afternoon and evening too.
I’m not going anywhere though, so if there is any cricket, you dear reader, will be the first to know about it.
Until play begins it’s up to us to make our own fun. If anything’s on your mind please share it via Twitter @JPHowcroft or email jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
There’s plenty to sink our teeth into, be it Australia’s demise, South Africa’s rejuvenation, or even England unearthing 19-year old Haseeb Hameed. Don’t be shy, I’ve got nothing better to do.
Jonathan will be here shortly so in the meantime, catch up on an eventful first day of play in Hobart that saw 15 wickets fall:
Updated
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