***Official*** South Africa in England

[stumpski]

Just got in, and somewhat alarmed to see covers on seven minutes before the start. Any news of the start time?

 

[stumpski]

Site seems to be running incredibly slowly this morning. Not going to bother posting messages if it takes three minutes or more for them to appear. Fault may be at my end I suppose ...

More covers going on ... great.

 

[GIMH]

Typical that it would rain on my day off,

Haven't heard a start time, though Gower doesn't expect it to be a long delay

 

[GIMH]

Site seems to be running incredibly slowly this morning. Not going to bother posting messages if it takes three minutes or more for them to appear. Fault may be at my end I suppose ...

aaah - so it's not just me. I just made a thread about this in Site Discussion. Ironically since I did that everything's been quite smooth LOL

 

[Langeveldt]

Disappointing looking at Facebook.. A good day for England and everyone's waxing lyrical as if they have a couple of of performers of the calibre of Morné Morkel and Dale Steyn.. Bring on today

 

[Richard]

Just got in, and somewhat alarmed to see covers on seven minutes before the start. Any news of the start time?

Covers only went on just as you came back, hopefully this won't be much of a delay. Forecast today is apparently OK.

 

[GIMH]

Umpires out on the ground again, weather looks playable to me, then again I'd say that if it was a thunderstorm, just want to see some cricket tttt

 

[Richard]

Site seems to be running incredibly slowly this morning. Not going to bother posting messages if it takes three minutes or more for them to appear. Fault may be at my end I suppose ...

aaah - so it's not just me. I just made a thread about this in Site Discussion. Ironically since I did that everything's been quite smooth LOL

Nah there's certainly something wrong currently.

 

[GIMH]

Aye. Though slow loading>Database errors

Looks like the covers are coming off (Y)

 

[Richard]

Didn't see Flintoff bowl a lot, shouldn't have finished with worse figures than Broad though. That being said, I am actually pleased Broad got those wickets it might do his confidence some good. If he gets a few top order wickets in the next innings, Pietersen will be justified in putting him in when he did, this seems to have been overlooked; Anderson didn't need those wickets, Broad did.

I think it could be hugely counterproductive TBH. Broad currently is not good enough to play Test cricket - him being gifted wickets his bowling does not merit is harmful for England's short-term prospects, because it'd mean him being picked more often and hence a place being wasted.

 

[stumpski]

I was seriously considering going to the Women's international at Lord's today (would be a first for me) and probably would've done if there hadn't been a Test on. I pay enough for Sky, I may as well get my money's worth.

Got the live commentary from Lord's on though, play about to start there. Same oppo of course.

 

[GIMH]

I think it could be hugely counterproductive TBH. Broad currently is not good enough to play Test cricket - him being gifted wickets his bowling does not merit is harmful for England's short-term prospects, because it'd mean him being picked more often and hence a place being wasted.

That's not what I'm getting at, though. I'm referring towards South Africa's second innings, that's all, and if Broad bowls better there through being more confident then obviously it benefits the team.

Whether he retains his place for the winter is another matter, there is quite a bit of competition for places in the seam attack really, as surely they will take Simon Jones on tour

 

[GIMH]

My prediction for the first session, one wicket 50 runs

 

[Richard]

Well Bell gets himself and the team off-the-mark for today, 50 up too.

 

[Richard]

Bell gooooooonnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeee.

 

[GIMH]

Oh **** Bell

Was about to post about how he was damned if he did or didn't today, saved me the bother, he didn't

 

[_Ed_]

And he's out.

 

[GIMH]

So, will Pietersen's batting be impacted by the captaincy? This could be interesting.

 

[Langeveldt]

On yer way Kid

 

[Precambrian]

Free Souls are that.. free souls... unhindered.... I bet to my shoelace that within a year. if KP's captaincy lasts that much, his bat avg is going to come down atleast by 250 to 500 basis points.