Plan B Forum

With Aus 3 : 1 up in a 5 match series, why play game 5?

Hello and welcome to the start of the fifth and final ODI between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This is a dead rubber as we all know with Australia already winning the series 3-1. South Africa have had their chances in this series but somehow, they just haven't been able to get over the line. In the last game, they had Australia at 98/5 but let it slip thanks to a magnificent hundred from Steven Smith and an enterprising knock from Matthew Wade.

AB de Villiers has been rested for this game which means Hashim Amla will lead the side in his absence. He is off to a perfect start here, wins the toss and elects to bat. They have brought back Rilee Rossouw for de Villiers. Morne Morkel comes back in place of Dale Steyn. Australia have made just the one change. The injured Nathan Coulter-Nile being replaced by Josh Hazlewood.

In case you missed them, here's a link to some more of my images from the Canberra match

12-16 Dec '14 AUS v IND Adelaide Oval

26-30 Dec '14 AUS v IND MCG

3-7 Jan '15 AUS v IND SCG


23 Nov '14 AUS v SAF SCG

16 Jan '15 AUS v IND MCG

18 Jan '15 AUS v ENG SCG

23 Jan '15 AUS v ENG Blundstone Arena

26 Jan '15 AUS v IND SCG

MATCH 1
Sri Lanka V New Zealand
Match 1, Pool A, Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
Saturday February 14th 2015
11:00

MATCH 2
England V Australia
Match 2, Pool A, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Saturday February 14th 2015
14:30

MATCH 3
South Africa V Zimbabwe
Match 3, Pool B, Seddon Park, Hamilton.
Sunday February 15th 2015
14:00

MATCH 4
India V Pakistan
Match 4, Pool B, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
Sunday February 15th 2015
14:00

MATCH 5
West Indies V Ireland
Match 5, Pool B, Saxton Oval, Nelson.
Monday February 16th 2015
11:00

MATCH 6
New Zealand V Scotland
Match 6, Pool A, University Oval, Dunedin.
Tuesday February 17th 2015
11:00

MATCH 7
Bangladesh V Afghanistan
Match 7, Pool A, Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Wednesday February 18th 2015
14:30

MATCH 8
Zimbabwe V United Arab Emirates
Match 8, Pool B, Saxton Oval, Nelson.
Thursday February 19th 2015
11:00

MATCH 9
England V New Zealand
Match 9, Pool A, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington.
Friday February 20th 2015
14:00

MATCH 10
Pakistan V West Indies
Match 10, Pool B, Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
Saturday February 21st 2015
11:00

MATCH 11
Australia V Bangladesh
Match 11, Pool A, The Gabba, Brisbane.
Saturday February 21st 2015
13:30

MATCH 12
Sri Lanka V Afghanistan
Match 12, Pool A, University Oval, Dunedin.
Sunday February 22nd 2015
11:00

MATCH 13
V South Africa V India
Match 13, Pool B, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Sunday February 22nd 2015
14:30

MATCH 14
England V Scotland
Match 14, Pool A, Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
Monday February 23rd 2015
11:00

MATCH 15
West Indies V Zimbabwe
Match 15, Pool B, Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Tuesday February 24th 2015
14:30

MATCH 16
V Ireland V United Arab Emirates
Match 16, Pool B, The Gabba, Brisbane.
Wednesday February 25th 2015
13:30

MATCH 17
Afghanistan V Scotland
Match 17, Pool A, University Oval, Dunedin.
Thursday February 26th 2015
11:00

MATCH 18
Sri Lanka V Bangladesh
Match 18, Pool A, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Thursday February 26th 2015
14:30

MATCH 19
South Africa V West Indies
Match 19, Pool B, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
Friday February 27th 2015
14:30

MATCH 20
Australia V New Zealand
Match 20, Pool A, Eden Park, Auckland.
Saturday February 28th 2015
14:00

MATCH 21
India V United Arab Emirates
Match 21, Pool B, WACA, Perth.
Saturday February 28th 2015
14:30

MATCH 22
England V Sri Lanka
Match 22, Pool A, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington.
Sunday March 1st 2015
11:00

MATCH 23
Pakistan V Zimbabwe
Match 23, Pool B, The Gabba, Brisbane.
Sunday March 1st 2015
13:30

MATCH 24
South Africa V Ireland
Match 24, Pool B, Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Tuesday March 3rd 2015
14:30

MATCH 25
Pakistan V United Arab Emirates
Match 25, Pool B, McLean Park, Napier.
Wednesday March 4th 2015
14:00

MATCH 26
Australia V Afghanistan
Match 26, Pool A, WACA, Perth.
Wednesday March 4th 2015
14:30

MATCH 27
Bangladesh V Scotland
Match 27, Pool A, Saxton Oval, Nelson.
Thursday March 5th 2015
11:00

MATCH 28
India V West Indies
Match 28, Pool B, WACA, Perth.
Friday March 6th 2015
14:30

MATCH 29
South Africa V Pakistan
Match 29, Pool B, Eden Park, Auckland.
Saturday March 7th 2015
14:00

MATCH 30
Zimbabwe V Ireland
Match 30, Pool B, Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
Saturday March 7th 2015
14:30

MATCH 31
New Zealand V Afghanistan
Match 31, Pool A, McLean Park, Napier.
Sunday March 8th 2015
11:00

MATCH 32
V Australia V Sri Lanka
Match 32, Pool A, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
Sunday March 8th 2015
14:30

MATCH 33
England V Bangladesh
Match 33, Pool A, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
Monday March 9th 2015
14:00

MATCH 34
V India V Ireland
Match 34, Pool B, Seddon Park, Hamilton.
Tuesday March 10th 2015
14:00

MATCH 35
VSri Lanka V Scotland
Match 35, Pool A, Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
Wednesday March 11th 2015
14:30

MATCH 36
V South Africa V United Arab Emirates
Match 36, Pool B, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington.
Thursday March 12th 2015
14:00


MATCH 37
Bangladesh V New Zealand
Match 37, Pool A, Seddon Park, Hamilton.
Friday March 13th 2015
14:00


MATCH 38
England V Afghanistan
Match 38, Pool A, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
Friday March 13th 2015
14:30


MATCH 39
India V Zimbabwe
Match 39, Pool B, Eden Park, Auckland.
Saturday March 14th 2015
14:00


MATCH 40
Australia V Scotland
Match 40, Pool A, Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
Saturday March 14th 2015
14:30


MATCH 41
West Indies V United Arab Emirates
Match 41, Pool B, McLean Park, Napier.
Sunday March 15th 2015
11:00


MATCH 42
Pakistan V Ireland
Match 42, Pool B, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
Sunday March 15th 2015
14:00


QUARTER FINAL 1
Quarter Final 1, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
Wednesday March 18th 2015
14:30



QUARTER FINAL 2
Quarter Final 2, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Thursday March 19th 2015
14:30


QUARTER FINAL 3
*If Australia qualifies for a quarter-final they will play in this match.
Quarter Final 3, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
Friday March 20th 2015
14:00



QUARTER FINAL 4
Quarter Final 4, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington.
Saturday March 21st 2015
14:00



SEMI FINAL 1


Semi Final 1, Eden Park, Auckland.
Tuesday March 24th 2015


SEMI FINAL 2

Semi Final 2, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
Thursday March 26th 2015
14:30


FINAL
TBD V TBD
Final, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Sunday March 29th 2015

Not forgetting the World cup!!

Gob wrote:

With Aus 3 : 1 up in a 5 match series, why play game 5? ... "

An imposing run chase became that little bit more difficult when rain resulted in Australia being docked two overs with only six runs taken from their mission. That did not prove the case thanks to another impressive innings from Aaron Finch and a welcome return to form by Shane Watson.

Finch's 76 off 67 balls ensured the asking rate hovered no higher than a run a ball before Watson, with his best knock of the summer, and Smith saw them within reach of the finish line to allow a stumble.

It was a timely knock for Watson and not just because the first Test is less than a fortnight away.

The seasoned campaigner had averaged just 13.8 in his six previous ODI innings and with the emergence of Smith in this format, not to mention James Faulkner's rise as an all-round option, the selection squeeze was on.

After failing to convert a string of starts this series, Watson drove with authority and hooked with power on his way to 82 off 93 balls. So well was he striking the ball, his demise was unexpected when it came, holing out in the 37th over within sight of a 10th century.

Again it was left to Smith to take the game away from the Proteas. He chose his bowlers wisely, targeting the inexperienced Abbott and the inconsistent Wayne Parnell.

It was a shame he was not there for the winning runs though the result was no longer in doubt by the time he was out.

Glenn Maxwell could have done worse than to follow the Smith's calm lead but despite the run rate required well below five the man they call The Big Show lost his head, and his wicket, trying to slog Morne Morkel.

His sloppy dismissal took the gloss off his useful contribution with the ball. He picked up the important wicket of Hashim Amla for 18 and returned the useful figures of 1-30 from eight overs.

Cummins was the star with the ball for Australia, taking the momentum out of the Proteas' innings by removing Rilee Rossouw and Faf du Plessis in the space of five balls and de Kock.

Gob wrote:Yet more stunning ignorance from our world champ!

rubato wrote:

Gob wrote:Yet more stunning ignorance from our world champ!

More ignorant accusations from an asshole who cannot back up his statements.

Why play the remaining game(s) when the series is done? Eh, Moron?

No explanation? Pure shit.



yrs,
rubato