Australia vs South Africa - Apparently!

It was a very convincing win by the lads! An innings an 43 runs was the deficit and again we find ourselves with another day off, this time a day to relax before making the journey to Cape Town for the second test! Over and above all else, a big congratulations must be made to Shane Watson who made a magnificent century on first class debut for Australia!

It was a very convincing win by the lads! An innings an 43 runs was the deficit and again we find ourselves with another day off, this time a day to relax before making the journey to Cape Town for the second test! Over and above all else, a big congratulations must be made to Shane Watson who made a magnificent century on first class debut for Australia!

OK, the bowlers were dropping half rat power, half track, donkey drops that Watto dispatched to all parts of the ground and occasionally outside the ground, but nonetheless it a marvellous to see and be able to cheer for the young man! Shane was as pleased punch as the ball sailed yet again into the terrace to bring up the three figures, seconds before Steve Waugh declared!

It wasn't long into the first day when I wondered if this was the 2nd best side South Africa could field! Mr Amla played with a little bit of poise and promise with the bat as did Mr Pretorious with the ball, but otherwise, with only three South Africa players here that played in the tour game in Potch, I question the value in not giving many of the same young guys more exposure to the Australian line up. Surely it has to help if there were fellows that have played twice! But it is not my call, only my opinion! Not that my opinion counted for much when it came to expressing my thoughts to the locals!

Like Test Matches, it does take time for locals to warm into our presence, but once a few regulars see sit in the same place each day, they venture over to talk, invite us to dinner, lunch, breakfast, or a game reserve their brother owns! That particular angle approach of the South Africans gives me the shits, but it is always in good heart; they want the commission from selling a tour to a tourist!

At the cricket though, with the immediacy of acceptance, it doesn't take long to warm to the invitations for food, drink or hospitality and as such day 2 and 3 saw the numbers in our group on the hill dwindle as Michele, Belinda, Jess and Gabbi went to meet the lads in Castle Corner for several hours, or for Wasa, Blair, Tim and Lewis to head for an afternoon of Food and frolics in the elevated comfort of a corporate box with a group of fellows they met early in the game!

I'm not sure the guys would be so eager to abandon their concentrations during a test match but this was only a tour game! Gabbi said to me a few hours after the game that she was so pleased to come, though not really knowing why she wanted to go to a tour game. Now Gabbi will go to as many tour games as sheduled! With the fun that can be had during a game, it is often wished that there were more tour games than test matches! Nobody really cares if they miss a ball or even a session for that matter!

Around the corner from the hostel is the popular pub, Toby Joe's. Tobys was responsible for many headaches, Michele to bruise her legs again after climbing onto and falling off the bar all to often, Wasa to go 'Missing in Action', and for Tim and Lewis to make alternate accommodation arrangements! Saying that, the lads missed over half of day 2! Missing a few balls or sessions of a tour game is OK if there's good reason, but there will no excuse for missing a ball in a Test! If you do, it has to be one amazing human being to keep you away! I'm sure Cape Town will test a few of the guys mettle!

As tour games go, this game wasn't the most exciting but then they often aren't! Besides the nocturnal activities of plenty, little stood out more than Watto, or Justin Langer and Mark Waugh making centuries, but each day we did of course wake to run on the beach before breakfast, before being driven to the game to sit on the embankment and do little more than wait for Wasa to show up! It is a very simple existence but thoroughly enjoyable! See you in Cape Town!

Luke Gillian 03/03/2002 19:02:44