*Official* England in South Africa

[Prince EWS]

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.

Uppercut, meet TEC.

 

[Uppercut]

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

Yeah, their bowling attack can be properly ****ing lethal at times too though. The tactic seems to be scrapping your way to a half-decent total, usually with contributions down the order, then hoping your attack has one of its unplayable days.

 

[Uppercut]

Uppercut, meet TEC.

TEC is the polar opposite of me in that he's obsessed with technique. I think technique's pretty worthless in a batsman. Well, not worthless. But it's a means to an end. I look at the end product. Even when I think a batsman has a technical weakness (e.g. Andrew Strauss) it doesn't mean I consider him a worse player. It just makes me wonder why people aren't exploiting it more often.

 

[Prince EWS]

TEC is the polar opposite of me in that he's obsessed with technique. I think technique's pretty worthless in a batsman. Well, not worthless. But it's a means to an end. I look at the end product. Even when I think a batsman has a technical weakness (e.g. Andrew Strauss) it doesn't mean I consider him a worse player. It just makes me wonder why people aren't exploiting it more often.

Yeah, you basically take the Richard side of the 75-page arguments they used to have in the dark ages of CW.

 

[Uppercut]

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, their bowling attack can be properly ****ing lethal at times too though. The tactic seems to be scrapping your way to a half-decent total, usually with contributions down the order, then hoping your attack has one of its unplayable days.

Yeah pretty much but the team is a whole lot stronger with Pietersen back in the side, think some people have forgotten what a wonderfull player he is recently (I never thought this would happen)

So much depends on Broad and how he develops though which is a shame as it puts a lot of pressure on him, Onions looks pretty Solid, Anderson is more coniststant than he used to be but it still one of those bowelrs who is occasionaly devestating but often ineffective. Think that leaves us needing one really good bowler to complete what would be a pretty decent attack, problem is that I had half forgotten after the Oval that Broad is pretty awful a lot of the time.

 

[jboss]

Oh well in hindsight was good from SA point of view that we survived the 1st test match with under strength team and odd selection in Ntini. Coming to Durban:

Full strength SA team with Ntini hopefuly making way for De Wet.
Be afraid of Durban after last test match there. Be good to have De Wet, Steyn, Kallis, Morne to bowl there.

I woner if Donald still thinks we can't take 20 wickets?

 

[jboss]

This is why I hate English cricket. Had to live with this **** for 20 years of collapse after collapse. I had hoped it was over.

Tough runs count the same but are different to easy runs.

Spare a thought for South Africa. Years of banishing from international cricket for rascist policies only to 1st have a match fixing captain and then racial quotas (which is why we effectively why were banned in first place) which mean we can't even win a test match because the opposition batsman left the country because of the BS. It's like waiting 40 years for **** all.

 

[Stapel]

Did I, yesterday during lunch on day 5, decide to plough my bike through 12 inches of snow to get to The Hague's only proper cricket pub, so I could actually watch some great Test Cricket? Yes, I did .

The best moment was when my wife came home, noticed I wasn't there, and phoned me to ask if I was watching cricket. I answered the phone saying: Hi honey, oh my god..., there are two batsmen at one end right now......

Anyway, has there been an explanation by KP? Was he interviewed or so? What the hell was he thinking?

Being Dutch and loving cricket is not an easy thing (apart from the occasional T20 succes). In my own team, which performs in the lowest recreational division imaginable (and that in Holland), we have only 3 players who have been learning to play cricket as a kid. Basically, this means we have to learn how to play by ourselves. And guess what we taught ourselves: When playing a short off drive, you should not go for a run, unless your non-striking partner clearly agrees, even though you are the one having to run to the danger end.
Do professionals disagree? I'm a bit puzzled, just as I was a bit puzzled by Ponting's run out during the Ashes decider.

Am I missing something?

 

[Briony]

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.

I don't agree with quotas but I'm not convinced about this. Duminy is younger than Trott and can sort this issue out. Trott has made his debut as a seasoned performer a la Hussey and is at the peak of his powers. If you watch JP in all forms of the game you know he has a lot of natural talent. Trott struggled to hold a place in his provincial team and not merely just because of quotas. JP has been outstanding in first class cricket even as a youngster. Amla and KP are different players and remember that the former came in against the new ball and batted in the first session which was the hardest to negotiate and made a ton. And he's a good few years younger than KP. He also has a wonderful temperament. The quotas might stink but I think both these players would have made it regardless.

 

[Briony]

Did I, yesterday during lunch on day 5, decide to plough my bike through 12 inches of snow to get to The Hague's only proper cricket pub, so I could actually watch some great Test Cricket? Yes, I did .

The best moment was when my wife came home, noticed I wasn't there, and phoned me to ask if I was watching cricket. I answered the phone saying: Hi honey, oh my god..., there are two batsmen at one end right now......

Anyway, has there been an explanation by KP? Was he interviewed or so? What the hell was he thinking?

Being Dutch and loving cricket is not an easy thing (apart from the occasional T20 succes). In my own team, which performs in the lowest recreational division imaginable (and that in Holland), we have only 3 players who have been learning to play cricket as a kid. Basically, this means we have to learn how to play by ourselves. And guess what we taught ourselves: When playing a short off drive, you should not go for a run, unless your non-striking partner clearly agrees, even though you are the one having to run to the danger end.
Do professionals disagree? I'm a bit puzzled, just as I was a bit puzzled by Ponting's run out during the Ashes decider.

Am I missing something?

In the heat of the moment players sometimes act on instinct. In this case there seemed to be a lack of communication but the single was always highly dodgy. If you're talking about the Punter one in the 2005 Ashes, he simply misjudged the fielding ability of the guy who ran him out.

 

[TT Boy]

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!!

**** me. Another dickhead from the Republic.

 

[TT Boy]

I don't agree with quotas but I'm not convinced about this. Duminy is younger than Trott and can sort this issue out. Trott has made his debut as a seasoned performer a la Hussey and is at the peak of his powers. If you watch JP in all forms of the game you know he has a lot of natural talent. Trott struggled to hold a place in his provincial team and not merely just because of quotas. JP has been outstanding in first class cricket even as a youngster. Amla and KP are different players and remember that the former came in against the new ball and batted in the first session which was the hardest to negotiate and made a ton. And he's a good few years younger than KP. He also has a wonderful temperament. The quotas might stink but I think both these players would have made it regardless.

 

[TT Boy]

**** you ****

 

[GIMH]

TT Boy I have been meaning to ask, who are you supporting in this series as you seem to follow both England and Saffa?

 

[Prince EWS]

**** me. Another dickhead from the Republic.

Whilst I share your frustration, attacking new members like that isn't really called for. Disagree with his point or just ignore him.

**** you [edited]

You've been warned several times about evading the filter. TT Boy did go over the top in his post, but that doesn't give you the right to retaliate like that, much less do so by sneaking around the filter to get words in your posts that you obviously know by now we don't want in there under any circumstances. The filter's there for a reason - if I see you get around it deliberately like that again you'll be taking a holiday. And save the sob story reply/whinge duplex this time, please.

 

[jboss]

I don't agree with quotas but I'm not convinced about this. Duminy is younger than Trott and can sort this issue out. Trott has made his debut as a seasoned performer a la Hussey and is at the peak of his powers. If you watch JP in all forms of the game you know he has a lot of natural talent. Trott struggled to hold a place in his provincial team and not merely just because of quotas. JP has been outstanding in first class cricket even as a youngster. Amla and KP are different players and remember that the former came in against the new ball and batted in the first session which was the hardest to negotiate and made a ton. And he's a good few years younger than KP. He also has a wonderful temperament. The quotas might stink but I think both these players would have made it regardless.

What about other players that have left possibly taking into consideration that they can not make the team given that they are of wrong colour? Do you think Kieswetter maybe counted the no of blackies and whities in the team and then decided there was just no possibility he would ever make SA team? I mean any young bat besides Vindiar must be thinking oh **** theres AB, Smith,keeper,steyn, morkell, harris,kallis in team =7 whities which means that any chance of making the team as a whitie are slim = **** off overseas and maybe make a career there.

 

[TT Boy]

TT Boy I have been meaning to ask, who are you supporting in this series as you seem to follow both England and Saffa?

England but I wouldn't complain if it finished all square with the next three tests being as exciting as the first.

Really looking forward to the Durban test. I will be at Kingsmead from day three onwards.

 

[jboss]

Whilst I share your frustration, attacking new members like that isn't really called for. Disagree with his point or just ignore him.



You've been warned several times about evading the filter. TT Boy did go over the top in his post, but that doesn't give you the right to retaliate like that, much less do so by sneaking around the filter to get words in your posts that you obviously know by now we don't want in there under any circumstances. The filter's there for a reason - if I see you get around it deliberately like that again you'll be taking a holiday. And save the sob story reply/whinge duplex this time, please.

But I though that word was acceptable and may have not spelt it correctly. All I did was take his word =dick head and changed it to a female version and used an synonym as follows : dick (male bit) **** (female bit) and face and head are almost the same thing.

 

[GIMH]

England but I wouldn't complain if it finished all square with the next three tests being as exciting as the first.

Really looking forward to the Durban test. I will be at Kingsmead from day three onwards.

Mate of mine has gone over. Not specifically for the cricket but he's going the Durban Test while he's there. Jealous tbh.