*Official* England in South Africa

[Burgey]

Guys
Can I get a score and target please?

 

[Prince EWS]

Guys
Can I get a score and target please?

England can't win; they need about 7.5rpo from here I think; it's down to them batting out 33 overs.

 

[TT Boy]

About the respective bowling attacks?

Indeed. He called it before the series that South Africa would really struggle to take 20 wickets.

Wicket maybe flat but they forced a result on a similar surface last year against Australia with a worse attack.

 

[Burgey]

Ta

 

[TT Boy]

It might ultimately cost Smith his job coming on the back of the home loss against Australia. Questions will be possibly asked about his tactics and declarations, though in fairness, his attack is not good enough to take twenty wickets and the pitches here have been tailormade for draws to some extent. Had SA been capable of batting better in Durban that was destined for one too.

No viable successor to Smith. Arthur and Procter will go first.

Attack had plenty of time at Centurion to force a result and here too he couldn't declare any early as England only needed to score at 3.2 runs an over to win the game.

Though, the tour of India will be hard for Smith, especially with no spinning options available and questions marks over the third seamer. That could break him.

 

[Jono]

Yeah unless they go down 2-0 (i.e. England win the next test), I think Smith won't be in too much trouble. But if they then get smashed in India, Smith may be struggling.


That being said everyone, this match isn't over yet!

 

[Briony]

No viable successor to Smith. Arthur and Procter will go first.

Attack had plenty of time at Centurion to force a result and here too he couldn't declare any early as England only needed to score at 3.2 runs an over to win the game.

Though, the tour of India will be hard for Smith, especially with no spinning options available and questions marks over the third seamer. That could break him.

Maybe he should re-sign now and just focus on his batting. He'd possibly improve and SA needs to shore up its batting because of its attack not being good enough to win matches.

 

[GIMH]

EWS was wrong, we need 6.9 an over. Easy IMO

 

[zaremba]

Even on cricinfo Steyn's spell had me a bit scared

And there aren't many batsmen you'd have in your team ahead of Colly in this situation are there?

I'd be quite happy to see Strauss and Cook out there tbh

 

[DaRick]

Wicket maybe flat but they forced a result on a similar surface last year against Australia with a worse attack.

Yeah, because our batting lineup typically fell in a heap in the first innings and then somehow managed to give up 642 ****ing runs mostly because of Bryce McGain and his legendary debut.

 

[silentstriker]

If anyone uses the words 'good pitch' to describe a road, I'll throttle them. What an amazing spell with the new ball by Steyn. I was completely transfixed. Cricket at it's absolute best. Wow. That six over spell from steyn and collingwoods resistance was the best passage of play I've seen since Sharma's eight over spell to Ponting. This was a much better spell though. Is there a better sight in cricket than a 90mph bowler swinging the new ball at will? Fast, late, and furious. Awesome. I need more tissues.

 

[Prince EWS]

Lots of talk about Colly's resistance, but Bell's played a gem here too. I realise people are reluctant to praise him in general and I don't really want to jinx it, but this has been a high quality innings under immense pressure so far. Sometimes hitting absolute rock bottom and then being shown selectorial faith can really be the best thing that can happen to a player.

 

[silentstriker]

EWS was wrong, we need 6.9 an over. Easy IMO

I feel sad that I watch more English cricket than you . Maybe Sky should have an onlin subscription service for cricket matches?


Re Steyn: he could bowl that six over spell and get six wickets next time and it wouldn't be undeserved. Some of those deliveries were just unplayable.

Re Bell: he is doing well, though he was lucky enough to face Morkel during that spell instead of Steyn.

 

[King Pietersen]

I feel sad that I watch more English cricket than you . Maybe Sky should have an onlin subscription service for cricket matches?

They do don't they? Sky Player.

Be really nice if we end the game with these 2 at the crease. Would be 2 innings in the series where Bell has scored runs when we've needed them. Needed his hundred to set a total in the last game and then to save a game here. Would hopefully silence the doubters for a little while.

 

[GIMH]

I feel sad that I watch more English cricket than you . Maybe Sky should have an onlin subscription service for cricket matches?


Re Steyn: he could bowl that six over spell and get six wickets next time and it wouldn't be undeserved. Some of those deliveries were just unplayable.

Re Bell: he is doing well, though he was lucky enough to face Morkel during that spell instead of Steyn.

I was desperate to be snowed in at home this morning, I really was

I've got a few propositions for a social life tonight. If we pull off this draw I'll be turning them down and watching the highlights of Colly's stonewall. And I'll be recording them for future reference, as well.

 

[Jono]

If anyone uses the words 'good pitch' to describe a road, I'll throttle them. What an amazing spell with the new ball by Steyn. I was completely transfixed. Cricket at it's absolute best. Wow. That six over spell from steyn and collingwoods resistance was the best passage of play I've seen since Sharma's eight over spell to Ponting. This was a much better spell though. Is there a better sight in cricket than a 90mph bowler swinging the new ball at will? Fast, late, and furious. Awesome. I need more tissues.

I love Steyn, and it was ****ing awesome, but it didn't get the wicket. Sharma did. So it wasn't a better spell, because that wicket blew the match open.

Had Steyn got Collingwood, they'd have probably been favourites.

 

[GIMH]

50

 

[Pothas]

Really well played Bell, been just as solid as Collingwood thus far. Just needs to keep it going.

 

[Jono]

It's 1:10am here, and I don't have any money on this. So I wouldn't mind a wicket here to spice it up

Sorry England fans

I actually wouldn't mind Colly going out and seeing what Bell can do. PEWS has been right, Bell has been great.

 

[King Pietersen]

100 Partnership. Quality performance from these 2, Bell probably been the better of the two, actually played a few shots and batted really nicely. He even looks pretty when blocking.