***Official*** South Africa in England

[Richard]

For someone who pays so much attention to detail to your posts, I'm amazed that you can't spell "definitely".

So am I TBH. I can spell it, but it's one of those ever-repeating mistakes. Annoying as, but I still haven't managed to ingrain the right spelling in there. Mostly I don't even think about my typing, it's completely instinctive.

Love the way commentators still hark back to '81 here. As if that's ever remotely likely to happen again. Anyway, Ambrose off-the-mark.

 

[Richard]

Also slightly irritating to hear commetators saying they should play shots - it's vital for Ambrose that he tries his best to score here, via whatever method. I hope he's got the rest of this series regardless of batting performance, but he can't afford to allow us the possibility of Prior playing again.

 

[DaRick]

I dunno. There's plenty to choose from even at Headingley - SA in 2003, India in 2002, innings defeat to Aus in 1997, India in 1986, NZ in 1983. Seems we're either mildly heroic or completely dire at this ground, with very little in between.

Don't forget 1993 (innings defeat to Aus) and a heavy defeat in 1989 (again, to Aus).

 

[gio]

Even though this test is over, this is an important partnership. It gives Fred and Ambrose a chance to find some much needed batting form.

IMO, if England are to get something mout of this series, they need Ambrose and Flintoff to fire with the bat - it's looking like we need 5 bowlers to take 20 wickets. Not sure the right 5 are playing in this test, however.

 

[wpdavid]

Don't forget 1993 (innings defeat to Aus) and a heavy defeat in 1989 (again, to Aus).

Oh yeah, 1989 was especially galling. Right up there with the worst of them - bowled like idiots and batted even worse. And it was a game that we expected to win fairly easily, which made it even harder to stomach. 1993 I'd forgotten - just another mid90's thrashing at the hands of Aus. Didn't they make 600 for 5 or something ridiculous? Of course, 1981 was looking rotten until the last session on Day 4.

The wierd thing is that Headingley was always supposed to be traditional English conditions, but we've stuffed up so often there you'd never know it.

 

[Richard]

Headingley is predictable only in its unpredictability.

 

[GIMH]

This must be the slowest Flintoff has ever batted

 

[Richard]

Those two awful innings at The ARG 2004 (first-innings) and Wankhede 2005/06 (second-innings) are what come to mind.

He's actually played OK here though.

 

[wpdavid]

New ball will end this soon enough won't it?

 

[Richard]

You'd guess so.

Really do want Ambrose to score though.

 

[steds]

The ARG

Argentina? Angle recession glaucoma? Australian Railroad Group?

 

[Richard]

Antigua Recreation Ground.

Y'know, the cricket stadium in Antigua up to 2006? When it was demolished and replaced by the IVARS.

 

[steds]

Could have just said Antigua.

 

[Richard]

I could say "London" when I mean Lord's too. Or "Columbo" when I mean SSC.

I prefer the stadium to the city (or in Antigua's case - country).

 

[zaremba]

Also slightly irritating to hear commetators saying they should play shots - it's vital for Ambrose that he tries his best to score here, via whatever method. I hope he's got the rest of this series regardless of batting performance, but he can't afford to allow us the possibility of Prior playing again.

Agree (except for the Prior bit!).

Ambrose should be given as fair a run as possible in the team, which probably means to the end of this series. If he fails here then his position is obviously at risk. In my view both he and Flintoff need to spend as long as they possibly can at the crease.

But do you think Ambrose is a Test no. 6? If not, do you hope he fails so as to teach the selectors a lesson?

 

[pasag]

Antigua Recreation Ground.

Y'know, the cricket stadium in Antigua up to 2006? When it was demolished and replaced by the IVARS.

I don't think it was demolished.

 

[Richard]

Flintoff now looking keen to throw the hard work away, just clearing mid-off from Harris off the 3rd ball after Tea.

 

[Richard]

I don't think it was demolished.

No? TBH I haven't read of its fortunes since the piece in Wisden 2006 which reported on the 2005 farce (the latest in a long line of them) saying along the lines of "when the ARG is bulldozed in preparation for the 2007 World Cup, many batsmen may shed a tear, but the cheer from bowlers should be deafening".

Plans might have been changed.

 

[Richard]

But do you think Ambrose is a Test no. 6? If not, do you hope he fails so as to teach the selectors a lesson?

TBH, I really do. I'd prefer him at seven and Flintoff eight, but Ambrose has long been a batsman I've rated highly, ever since this innings which I watched. His late development has disappointed me, and I've not seen him score any runs in between 2002 and 2007, but he still looks impressive and did not seem to have changed much in NZ in 2007/08. He's not done quite as well as I'd have hoped so far in his Test career, but he's far from the only person to start a Test career less-than-perfectly.

If I didn't think he was a number-six, I'd probably not think him a number-seven either, so yeah, I would probably hope he failed so as he was out sooner rather than later. But as I said, Ambrose is a batsman I've long held in decent regard.

 

[Richard]

New ball taken.

How much swing and for how long, mewondereth?