*Official* England in South Africa

[BoyBrumby]

Jesus Christ. Had to rewind my Sky + to check, but yes, Kallis just sent one down at 92.8mph and followed it up with one at 90.7mph. Where did they come from?!?

 

[Prince EWS]

Jesus Christ. Had to rewind my Sky + to check, but yes, Kallis just sent one down at 92.8mph and followed it up with one at 90.7mph. Where did they come from?!?

Just got bored protecting his ribs perhaps?

 

[King Pietersen]

Good effort Colly, deserved a hundred but played well. Supported Cook nicely. Just hoping Ian Bell can go on and make a big score now, he's certainly looking better at the crease than he has in the rest of his innings since returning to the side.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah he hasn't really looked himself since he got dropped from the ODI team 18 months or so ago, but he's never really been this bad. I can see why the selectors would've wanted to cling on to him and hope for an improvement, particularly as Morkel's inexperienced, inconsistent and has essentially done nothing. That's what annoys me - people whinge and whinge and whinge about Ntini but up until this game he'd outbowled Morkel even post-decline.

Hmm. I'd much rather have Morkel in my team than Ntini at the moment though. I know you're not big on picking on potential, but I think this match shows why so many of us are happy to see him kept around. There's no other bowler on either side who could be a consistent threat on this wicket the way Morkel has.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just got bored protecting his ribs perhaps?

Apparently so, but it was literally like bolts from the blue. Think he'd broken 80mph once before today.

Big fella clearly bowling within himself earlier.

 

[BoyBrumby]

50 for Bell. Played son, very good knock.

 

[Briony]

Yeah, as I said, him getting picked for this game and serving up tripe does take it a step further, but it's not like Morkel had an irresistible case for selection over Ntini for this Test anyway. He outbowled him in the first Test but even given Ntini's sharp recent decline that was still a pretty rare occurrence and I don't think it was by a huge amount either.

I thought that Ntini, based on his domestic form was lucky to get selected for the Centurion test and bowled appallingly throughout. With de Wet starring in the second innings and Ninti achieving his landmark as a benevolent gesture by selectors, de Wet's selection should have been a no brainer.

 

[Jono]

Bell so smooth to watch when he's on. Too bad its not when everyone desperately wants him to score.

 

[King Pietersen]

50 up for Bell, off just 65 balls as well. Been basically chanceless (wouldn't really count the one to Amla off Duminy as a real chance) and he's looked good at the crease. Best I've seen him look at the crease for England in a long time, looked really scratchy in the Ashes and in the 1st Test of this series. Time to kick on and make a big one now Belly!

 

[aussie]

I disagree, I think he's looked ordinary for a long time now.

Indeed since the England tour last year to be exact, SA have been carrying him in the attack ever since.

 

[Uppercut]

Sloppy from Amla.

 

[ozone]

Apparently so, but it was literally like bolts from the blue. Think he'd broken 80mph once before today.

Big fella clearly bowling within himself earlier.

Haven't seen him bowl much recently, does he still bowl consistantly mid-80s when he's fully fit?

 

[Manee]

Haven't seen him bowl much recently, does he still bowl consistantly mid-80s when he's fully fit?

Yes. If anything he has been quicker in the past one to two years than he had been in the four or five years before that - been breaking 145kph a handful of times recently.

 

[aussie]

Yeah he hasn't really looked himself since he got dropped from the ODI team 18 months or so ago, but he's never really been this bad. I can see why the selectors would've wanted to cling on to him and hope for an improvement, particularly as Morkel's inexperienced, inconsistent and has essentially done nothing. That's what annoys me - people whinge and whinge and whinge about Ntini but up until this game he'd outbowled Morkel even post-decline.

Both Morkel & Ntini were bowling crap since ENG 08. But as aformentioned at least Morkel ooked like he could get people out. Ntini has gotten worse & worse in every test since Lord's 08...

 

[Briony]

Both Morkel & Ntini were bowling crap since ENG 08. But as aformentioned at least Morkel ooked like he could get people out. Ntini has gotten worse & worse in every test since Lord's 08...

Agree, I don't think that Ntini has offered SA anything for a long time now. He's a one-dimensional bowler who is never going to run through a side, he has no variation, his pace his down and no penetration. The only time he's looked remotely threatening is on a spicy deck. He wastes the new ball and doesn't even keep the runs down. With attacking bowlers around him he's an absolute luxury and SA's chickens are now coming home to roost in the shape of impending defeat.

 

[aussie]

Jesus Christ. Had to rewind my Sky + to check, but yes, Kallis just sent one down at 92.8mph and followed it up with one at 90.7mph. Where did they come from?!?

Ha ye i saw that. You know how it is in SA with the altitude, bowlers speeds are always exaggerated. But i reckon the speed gun tripped on that specific delivery though

 

[Goughy]

ha ye i saw that. You know how it is in sa with the altitude, bowlers speeds are always exaggerated:

:-o

 

[Manee]

Jesus Christ. Had to rewind my Sky + to check, but yes, Kallis just sent one down at 92.8mph and followed it up with one at 90.7mph. Where did they come from?!?

Not shocking to see Kallis clock the odd one at 90mph, he's pretty sharp on his day. The extended 'warm up' at 70-80mph would have probably really loosened those muscles up too.

 

[Manee]

Ha ye i saw that. You know how it is in SA with the altitude, bowlers speeds are always exaggerated. But i reckon the speed gun tripped on that specific delivery though

Hard to say. Bouncers have been clocking very high all game - Morkel, Steyn and Broad all have their bouncers at over 90mph despite mainly all bowling between 80-87mph for normal deliveries.

 

[Briony]

With England likely to go into the next test one up (almost eerily like they did after getting out of Cardiff in the Ashes), will the SA selectors finally bite the bullet and drop underperforming players?