England v South Africa 2012

Rascasse

So, 90(?) overs tomorrow and 5 half decent batsmen to save the draw. England really not doing themselves any favours tonight. Could be all over by lunch.

Highcontrast1

Le_Dieux wrote: »

Read that Amla & Tahir don't fast on match days....some exemption!

yes you are right, i can only imagine what it would be like in those conditions!
let's hope they rid of the choker tag!!

Le_Dieux

Choker tag loosened today.

Now for Headingley and The Boks can claim their mantle:-)

On the English front, they have problems now! 5 days cricket and only bagged 2 wickets, and that after winning the toss. Ouch!

Beasty

Headingley is very different to the Oval - much more bowler-friendly. That will be a very different contest - possibly not going the full distance (hopefully surviving into the 4th day though, as I have tickets;))

Le_Dieux

Beasty wrote: »

Headingley is very different to the Oval - much more bowler-friendly. That will be a very different contest - possibly not going the full distance (hopefully surviving into the 4th day though, as I have tickets;))

Lucky Beasty!!!

Agree that Headingley will be different, BUT England really need to pull 'their socks up' if they want to compete against the Bokke, who at the moment are top notch IMHO.

Rascasse

Well done to South Africa. It was a funny test and SA really took every opportunity that came their way. I hope at Headingley and Lords England can come back (as they have before) and really give the Proteas a decent go.

The trouble England have is that this is a 3 match series. It really increases the pressure for England to win in Leeds, whereas, if this was a traditional 5 game series it would be far less of a problem. Obviously the people that scheduled this series a coupe of years ago had no idea of its importance - but it proves the point that test series are 5 matches, 4 at a stretch.

My one request is drop Bopara. He can't take the pressure. I have concerns about Bell and big game pressure too, but Bopara is hopeless. Give Bairstow a try or Morgan his 2nd chance.

Beasty

Unless the weather intervenes there will almost certainly be a positive result at Headingley, and so the pressure was on Engand to win there anyway. TBH it's just about the most "England-friendly" pitch in Test cricket. I'm not underestimating the task however - SA have now got up a head of steam and will be difficult to haul back

boksmashoffice

A great win for the us. I did not see that coming. Bring 2nd test.
Amla what a guy. Kallis and Smith were fantastic. Even with AB having his moments we won easily.
Will he play WK in 2nd test I wonder?

I cannot wait.

Cardinal Richelieu

SA conceded 80+ extras in the first Test. They won't be happy with that.

dfx-

Great win, trouble is they don't win two in a row..

60 of those extras were probably Tahir bowling no balls and Morkel the rest:pac:

Rjd2

boksmashoffice wrote: »

Will he play WK in 2nd test I wonder?

Looking at the stats of the other wicket keeper I would be tempted to persist with AB, they really aren't impressive at all.

They really should have Kuhn or Vilas instead, both are younger and are good batsmen.

Rascasse

England have named their squad for the second test and to my delight have dropped Bopara. While I previously posted that I hoped they dropped him for Bairstow or Morgan the selectors have gone for James Taylor of Notts.

It's an interesting choice as you would think if they were thinking of changing someone in such an important series they would choose someone they'd already blooded. Taylor is a class act though. I've only seen him on TV in the FL20 & CB40 but he he bats with his brain and isn't afraid to bat on quickly when needed. My only criticism is that he wears one of those awful looking new style helmets.

Bopara, officially, is unavailable due to personal reasons. I honestly hope he continues on with the ODI and T20 sides as he has proven himself in those formats.

On the bowling side, Finn and Onions are in the squad. Surely they are unlikely to be used. I wouldn't mind switching Broad or maybe Bresnan for Finn if he wasn't such a mug with the bat. I like how deep England bat (even if the 1st test didn't show it) and its probably best not to jeopardise that against SA.

Roll on Thursday - feels like ages since the last test ended.

England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions

Washout

i cant believe they have gone with 4 seamers.

I suppose it is headingly and u have to show confidence in the pace attack that has been s good.

But Even Still there is no plan B for England now in this match.

dfx-

Just sneaked over 400:)

Rascasse

Interesting test even though I must admit it hasn't had my fullest attention due to the Olympics.

SA were right to declare when they did and England were right to bring KP out first to try for the result. Sadly his early wicket set the tone and when Prior went in a moment of madness it was all over.

Perhaps England would have been better to not only bring KP up the order, but also promote other players too. Maybe open with KP and Cook, followed by Prior, Taylor, Bell, Strauss, Trott, Bres etc. If you are going to attack hard for the result it seems a waste just to bring KP out early when there are other very good T20/ODI players in the squad.

Sadly the big story from this test is that it could well be KP's last outing in an England shirt. It really is shocking how both sides have allowed this to happen. While the ECB are certainly not blameless, they really need to sort this out. In cricket KP is a superstar and if rules need to be bent (or easily rewritten) to appease him to some extent then so be it. In particular the IPL is not going away and is an easy way for cricketers to make a few quid. All the ECB can do is not book a series for those dates. If you do book a series and a player that has given good service to the side over many years wants to skip it to play IPL, let them.

SharpshooterTom

145/3 is pretty good going by South Africa, another 150 runs and they'll be favourites.

dfx-

They are sort of 139/4 with Steyn in. He's a decent batsman (for the world's premier pace bowler) who can stick around, but won't last long in the morning and who knows with his injured hand late on yesterday, might not come out.

South Africa can do it, but they can also be out for 175. Let's hope their 54/4 in the first innings was their standard one collapse per series..

mike65

Great match this, could go either way or a draw. The margins are apparently so tight.

Dozen Wicked Words

Shame it's not a five test series. New number one nation after this series I think, which is fair enough, South Africa probably are the best all round team over the last few series.

spiralism

Superb knock from Amla again. Man of the series for sure. If him or AB stay in for much longer England are in serious trouble, very difficult partnership to crack when both are going.

John mac

no way back for england now. 10 for 2
5 overs left today.

boksmashoffice

looking good Eng 12 - 2. I think its a question of a draw or win for SA. One more wicket tonight would be nice.

Rascasse

Yeah looks like the fat lady is getting ready.

Questions surely now for Strauss. 107 runs from his 6 innings, 2 ducks, 0 50s. Not good enough and surrendering his wicket tonight has pretty much surrendered the no 1 mace to the proteas.

I just hope england give it a go tomorrow and don't capitulate. Better to go down fighting.

Le_Dieux

Rascasse wrote: »

Yeah looks like the fat lady is getting ready.

Questions surely now for Strauss. 107 runs from his 6 innings, 2 ducks, 0 50s. Not good enough and surrendering his wicket tonight has pretty much surrendered the no 1 mace to the proteas.

I just hope england give it a go tomorrow and don't capitulate. Better to go down fighting.

One major thing ( for me) missing from the English Team - A Mike Atherton to anchor the innings.

dfx-

Phew!:eek:

Le_Dieux

Who says Test Match Cricket is boring??????

Man, the ICC really have missed a trick or two over the last few months. Aussies tour SA and only have 2 Tests, then this tour only a 3 Test Series...........Hope whoever planned that is given the sack;-)

mike65

That was as good a final day as you could hope to see, some swashbuckling batting esp from Prior. The SA attack really needed that new ball to see England off.

Le_Dieux

Love this quote on Cricinfo:

South Africa are also the first team to win a Test series in England since, er, South Africa, in 2008. Graeme Smith seems to like it here. Perhaps England should ask if they can swap him for Kevin Pietersen?

Dozen Wicked Words

Win or lose, England usually do feature in the more entertaining test cricket. Congratulations to SA, deserved number one in world, Hopefully England will bounce back. 2nd and 3rd tests showed much more encouraging signs.

Bye, bye KP

Le_Dieux

dooferoaks wrote: »

Win or lose, England usually do feature in the more entertaining test cricket. Congratulations to SA, deserved number one in world, Hopefully England will bounce back. 2nd and 3rd tests showed much more encouraging signs.

Bye, bye KP

Having lived for nearly 20 years in South Africa ( and remembering the introduction to the ODI WC back in '92 ), not to mention Ireland not being given Test Status, I'll be supporting The Bokke for a while yet.

But DO, You are correct, England made for a great series. Will they bounce back? Can't see it happening in the sub-continent, though I do think they'll get a result down under next winter.

But for me, the loser here is cricket...how the ICC can only accredit a 3 Test series for this tour, and then give England 4 Test tour in India, just where is the reasoning in all this?

And as for KP? Ain't they a brand of peanut? KP sure IS one - oversized egotistical plonker...purely my opinion!