Precambrian
Banned
Cook has upped the tempo beautifully.
I thought the Saffies were 2-0 up!It’s a walk in the park here…
South Africa’s bowlers really do need to buck their ideas up if they are to compete against the Australians. Its one thing not being penetrative but they are not even particularly accurate and unless Dale Steyn can get his inswinger going, the Aussie left handers will have a field day.
After a petition, the 2nd Test no longer countsI thought the Saffies were 2-0 up!
I wouldnt have any of the batsmen under much pressure right now. I wrote a post not too long ago about the dangers of chopping and changing based on form.
Up and down form is a very real component of cricket. I think it has to be expected.
Have to pick your best guys and let them play.
Makes sense, but all I was getting at is that in simple terms, true form is scoring runs, not how pretty you look. Obviously a player who feels in good nick may come good and stop getting out early at some point, but that if a player has a prolonged run of low scores, his place should be questioned regardless.Not strictly true. I haven't seen much of this series, so I'm speaking in a broader sense. Batsmen can still be in good nick and not actual score many runs, for any number of reasons. Obviously if this happens for a reasonable length of time then the batsman's sense of form will be lost, as he won't spend enough time in the middle to say that he is in good tough. Often it can only take one innings for that form to be realised and for the batsman to make a good score, but a lack of runs doesn't always mean the batsman is in poor form.
Not sure if that made any sense, as I'm bloody tired, but I'm sure you get what I'm saying
I don’t want to take anything away from South Africa but they are 2-0 up not because they bowled well but because their batsman batted collectively better and England’s top order ****ed up royally on good batting wickets. I would love to say Morkel, Steyn, Ntini and Harris bowled well but they haven’t.I thought the Saffies were 2-0 up!
Well, the glass is half full!!!I don’t want to take anything away from South Africa but they are 2-0 up not because they bowled well but because their batsman batted collectively better and England’s top order ****ed up royally on good batting wickets. I would love to say Morkel, Steyn, Ntini and Harris bowled well but they haven’t.
Boycott's a tool. Harris is bowling pretty well here. If Smith had any trust in him, he'd have had Strauss out twice over, caught at leg slip and second slip.Heh @ Boycott ripping into Harris again.
We've said that before, though. I think I'm gonna have to concede the battle of optimism to you on this one, can't help thinking we're bound to lose a few wickets before this one ends. Should still win, though, regardless.Good session, surely we can't lose this now
If he does, irrespective of being in a dead rubber, will be right up there as one among the best when he hangs up his boots.Cook to ton up hopefully
Haha no it won't. It's an irrelevant century in a match that doesn't matter against a team bowling exceptionally badly. I expect Cook, with the best temperament in the England team, to score many more valuable centuries over his career.If he does, irrespective of being in a dead rubber, will be right up there as one among the best when he hangs up his boots.