*Official* England in South Africa

[tooextracool]

I do for one.

If Morgan were in the squad I'd say play him, but he isn't and Wright is the best batting option available, Bell included.

So you would much rather pick someone who has had a poor FC season over someone who had success with both his county and the England A side this year? I think Wright cops a ridiculous amount of unfair criticism for someone who hasnt even played a test match.

Morgan and Wright have a similar overall FC records, couldn't care less what Morgan did in ODI cricket, his technique looked ****e and I'd like to see him work on it at the FC level and score runs before selecting him for England. In an ideal world, Id have Wright, Rashid and Morgan all playing another season of FC cricket before having them in the squad and I'd probably have had Ramprakash touring.

 

[tooextracool]

Nice few runs from Trott, and a typically gritty knock from Colly as well. Good result, was expecting a loss in the first game.

Yeah was extremely impressed with Trott and Colly continues to prove me wrong by showing that England still need someone with his mental fortitude.

I'm quite a fan of Trott, who to be honest looks like a player with 10 years of experience at the international level rather than just 2 games. Not the flashiest of players but just nurdles it around while rarely taking big risks.

 

[tooextracool]

With Cook also short of form then I think although it is somewhat negative we need the extra batsman,

On the bright side regarding Cook, it looks like his technique is definitely much improved. I notice that he is less side on in defense these days which is very good and that his bat is close to pad in defense. His main problem now though is that he needs to work on avoiding poking at delivieries outside the off stump.

 

[tooextracool]

Prior's good enough to bat 6..

Im not sure that Prior at 6 is a good idea. The man is yet to prove that he can score runs outside of the slower subcontinental and WI tracks. England would be better off trying to get Broad to stop bowling in the wrong half of the pitch.

 

[Briony]

Are you new?

No, but let's be honest, SA should be over quota/political issues by now. Many non-white players have made it on merit and that should be the only criterion for selection now. Even with Ntini out they still have three non-white players in the team. It would be unfair to drop either de Wet or Morkel ahead of him.

 

[NUFAN]

On the bright side regarding Cook, it looks like his technique is definitely much improved. I notice that he is less side on in defense these days which is very good and that his bat is close to pad in defense. His main problem now though is that he needs to work on avoiding poking at delivieries outside the off stump.

Hang on a minute, are you sure his technique has improved? I thought that's always been his big problem.

I can't wait to see how the English batsman handle Shakib and co. when they tour Bangladesh, should be a big duel the Bangladesh bowlers vs England batsman.

BTW, good on England again drawing the first match of a big series with 1 wicket remaining, shades of the Ashes for sure.

I had money on the draw, went to sleep at tea thinking I was certain to win.

 

[Prince EWS]

No, but let's be honest, SA should be over quota/political issues by now.

Yeah, but they aren't.

 

[tooextracool]

He was all over Broad, who he got out. Also Harris getting through a 45 second over alleviates pressure. An 8 ball, four minute Morne Morkel over was doing the trick. Swann didn’t have a clue what Morne was going to bowl; neither did Morne which made it even better - with Harris, unless you’re a leftie or Ian Bell, you shouldn’t be worried as he didn’t turn the ball all day.

Smith's captaincy for the final session was pitch perfect and I agree with Hussain, you can't blame the England batsman (KP aside), all of them got peaches. Great test match.

I agree completely that none of the England batsmen did much wrong barring KP. Regarding the last over, I think Smith turned to his most experienced bowler for the last over and I cant see how you can fault him for that.

Morne bowled 1 ball out of 6 on the stumps in the penultimate over and rarely bowled on the stumps the entire game which is a big issue.

As far as De Wet is concerned, he was ok, and perhaps had conditions that were well suited to his type of bowling however I am far from convinced about him yet.

 

[tooextracool]

Hang on a minute, are you sure his technique has improved? I thought that's always been his big problem.

Well hes done a lot of work with Gooch during the winter and for the first time I can actually see some improvement in a live match. I am not saying its perfect but its far better than it used to be and now he needs to work on playing with softer hands instead of pushing at delivieries outside his off stump.

 

[aussie]

So you would much rather pick someone who has had a poor FC season over someone who had success with both his county and the England A side this year? I think Wright cops a ridiculous amount of unfair criticism for someone who hasnt even played a test match.

Morgan and Wright have a similar overall FC records, couldn't care less what Morgan did in ODI cricket, his technique looked ****e and I'd like to see him work on it at the FC level and score runs before selecting him for England. In an ideal world, Id have Wright, Rashid and Morgan all playing another season of FC cricket before having them in the squad and I'd probably have had Ramprakash touring.

1. I dont know how anyone could watch Luke Wright play & have anyone confidence in him being a test cricketer. His FC form doesn't mean **** to me, that man is utter trash he could barely pass as ODI quality. If Wright ever plays it will be on bar with some of the horrendous county wastes that player for ENG during the 90s.

2. We ENG fans need to move away from the traditional notion thae a player NEEDS a solid FC season in order to be considered for the national side. Of course thats the preffered way to do things, but its not nothing wrong if ENG for once do like the Asian teams & West indies & pick a player based on a bit of raw potential - it wont kill us. Morgan clearly is that.

3. The fact that Ramprakash is even still being talked about pretty much shows how dire things are with ENG. We really have NO talented young batsmen stepping up, the cupboard is so shockingly bare its scary ATM...

 

[social]

Eng may be short on quality but they appear to have oodles of spirit which is making up for it

Not a bad team IMO

 

[tooextracool]

I actually do think that with Trott in the side and if England can sort out that number 6 spot that they have the making of a fairly good/decent side. Im not sold on Broad yet, he has plenty of potential, but hes often a liability in a four man attack while he continually bowls too short.

Most importantly, here is a side which knows its limitations and has a certain hunger and desire to do well in international sport.

 

[jboss]

No, but let's be honest, SA should be over quota/political issues by now. Many non-white players have made it on merit and that should be the only criterion for selection now. Even with Ntini out they still have three non-white players in the team. It would be unfair to drop either de Wet or Morkel ahead of him.

Don't be daft. No way that SA will not be impacted by quotas as long as a superior batsman to Dumminy and Amla are playing for another country. KP openly left becuase of BS rascist polciy and no doubt some other have left too, thinking that there is no hope for them making the team. Is trott a better player than JP? yes he does not have a technical issue with the short ball. Is KP a better bat than Amla? Yes again. As long as we son't have the best talent that like Kieswetter and Trott in our slection pool after developing them and exposing them as quality players, then everything about cricket in this country stinks. I am as Europian as every white SA playing in the SA team and it would be daft to not think that almost every white South African can make it to Europe through a family history. Half of us came from France, Holland, UK, Portugal etc.

I have no doubt that kieswetter left too thinking that this SA team is far too white already and that given that the selection of SA team seams odd even at the best of times, that evern if he scored 2000 runs in a season there would be no place for him in SA team.

 

[GIMH]

2. We ENG fans need to move away from the traditional notion thae a player NEEDS a solid FC season in order to be considered for the national side. Of course thats the preffered way to do things, but its not nothing wrong if ENG for once do like the Asian teams & West indies & pick a player based on a bit of raw potential - it wont kill us. Morgan clearly is that.

Stuart Broad?

 

[Woodamler]

I'm sick of the selectors keeping "has-beens" in the side, You know how many SA players have left the country??

ENGLAND: Craig Kieswetter, Dawid Malan, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, and plenty other blokes

NEW ZEALAND: Grant Elliot and Neil Wagner

get rid og SMith, Good comment Jboss!!

 

[jboss]

I'm sick of the selectors keeping "has-beens" in the side, You know how many SA players have left the country??

ENGLAND: Craig Kieswetter, Dawid Malan, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, and plenty other blokes

NEW ZEALAND: Grant Elliot and Neil Wagner

get rid og SMith, Good comment Jboss!!

Thank god they didn't get pieter Malan

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Don't forget Chris Smith, Robin Smith, Tony Greig and Basil D'Oliviera too.

 

[Prince EWS]

Don't forget Chris Smith, Robin Smith, Tony Greig and Basil D'Oliviera too.

Plus Andy Flower.

 

[jboss]

Basil D'Oliviera too.

Fitting that the two teams are playing for a trophy named after him. Perhaps if Mrogan make ths England test team they can have a Thierry Henry trophy for the Irish in him.

 

[Uppercut]

Im not sure that Prior at 6 is a good idea. The man is yet to prove that he can score runs outside of the slower subcontinental and WI tracks. England would be better off trying to get Broad to stop bowling in the wrong half of the pitch.

WTF. By that logic you'd never ever hand anyone a debut on the grounds that they're yet to prove they can score runs in a test match.