*Official* England in South Africa

[nexxus]

Right, two points:

1 - the relevance of who the better team has been is what to how I should feel if my team don't win? I support England and we're one nil up going into the final Test. So yes, I will be devastated if we lose (which god knows we should from here).

Yes, of course. However, I'm also rabidly supporting the other side, so I'm completely puzzled by anyone who thinks that England should be anything but 6-1 down in the 4 match series. The entire team should quite frankly be honoured by being biffed around by Smith and should give thanks that they were lucky enough to see their stumps being dismantled by the awesome might of Dale "Thor" Steyn.

2 - sick of hearing all this about how 'lucky' we've been so far. Guess what? Those two games we drew - you know why they were draws? Because you never bowled us out twice. Rain/bad light weren't factors - so tough titties. As I said after the Ashes, you don't win Test matches by being the better team or by nearly winning, you win them by taking all of the wickets that you need to take. Absolutely nothing is lucky about the fact that we didn't get bowled out in the first and third Tests.

(whereas as much as it pains me to say it, rain clearly was a factor in Cardiff. But Jimmeh & Monty were set for the long haul there anyway )

But you were lucky, on any other day, given even a smidgeon of luck, Steyn would've knocked England over like ninepins after that bowling spell in Cape Town.

 

[kingkallis]

I assume that means devastated, which I'm puzzled by, seeing as SA have bossed all but 2 days of this series. 1-1 would still mean that England committed armed daylight bank robbery while being filmed in 3D HiDef IMAX and gotten away scot free.

Thats exactly what happened in the Ashes as well...look @ the stats and you will get the idea. England grips the game and series only by winning sessions. Pretty amazing!

 

[Uppercut]

But you were lucky, on any other day, given even a smidgeon of luck, Steyn would've knocked England over like ninepins after that bowling spell in Cape Town.

Onions has been all over South Africa without any luck a couple of times too tbf.

I'm inclined to agree that England have been lucky, what with the difference between 1-0 and 1-1 being the milimetres by which Onions missed those Morkel bouncers at Cape Town. But five full days of play is long enough to take twenty wickets so if you leave it that late to get the number eleven out you can't really complain.

 

[GIMH]

Yes, of course. However, I'm also rabidly supporting the other side, so I'm completely puzzled by anyone who thinks that England should be anything but 6-1 down in the 4 match series. The entire team should quite frankly be honoured by being biffed around by Smith and should give thanks that they were lucky enough to see their stumps being dismantled by the awesome might of Dale "Thor" Steyn.



But you were lucky, on any other day, given even a smidgeon of luck, Steyn would've knocked England over like ninepins after that bowling spell in Cape Town.

You make your own luck

 

[Pothas]

This feels like Headingley. Need Pietersen to play his natural game tomorrow. Colly can hold the fort at the other end. If those two can put on a decent partnership and eat away at the deficit, then we might just have a chance at not losing, with a bit of help from the heavens.

If Saffa get an early wicket forget about it

I'd have taken 1-1 but I'll be absolutely devo'd if that's how it ends now, as it seems it will

Pietersen to play the innings of his life tomorow, 229 not out.

 

[aussie]

Onions has been all over South Africa without any luck a couple of times too tbf.

I'm inclined to agree that England have been lucky, what with the difference between 1-0 and 1-1 being the milimetres by which Onions missed those Morkel bouncers at Cape Town. But five full days of play is long enough to take twenty wickets so if you leave it that late to get the number eleven out you can't really complain.

If De Wet wasn't injured in Capetown i'd say SA may have bowled on ENG earlier. Since Smith wouldn't have had to bowled Steyn & Morkel into the ground..

 

[Jarquis]

Pietersen to play the innings of his life tomorow, 229 not out.

226* IMO, can become his new bogey number like 158 was

 

[King Pietersen]

I'm going to stay pessimistic, and guess that KP'll be out 45 minutes before Lunch for 37. I'd love to guess wrong, and the mammoth scores be closer to the truth. Would love to see KP get back to his fluent best and play a match saving innings.

 

[Uppercut]

If De Wet wasn't injured in Capetown i'd say SA may have bowled on ENG earlier. Since Smith wouldn't have had to bowled Steyn & Morkel into the ground..

Aye. If my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.

 

[aussie]

Aye. If my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.

And if you had breast, you would be a girl.

Either way i dont see why its so hard to speculate if SA had all 5 of their bowling option on day 5 of the Capetown test, that they wouldn't have won.

 

[Jarquis]

And if you had breast, you would be a girl.
.

How many times have you fallen for that then aussie?

 

[Shri]

This is test cricket son, **** happens.

Marcuss, gtfo.

 

[silentstriker]

What chance of the Indians preparing anything other than dustbowls

On the last so called "dustbowl" when the spineless ICC had a whinge, India scored 400 for loss of 12 wickets despite batting second. Welcome to Test cricket. Learn2Play. kkthxbye.

or batting paradises for the upcoming series?

Yea, hopefully not, but I have a feeling at least one might be.

Would love to see two tracks like Kanpur, but I don't think it'll happen. Maybe the incentive of #1 vs #2 will put some sense into the BCCI and they'll direct the venues to prepare proper dustbowls. I wouldn't count on it though.

When India visit SA, I'd hope for nothing other than fast bouncy & seaming wickets.

 

[Jono]

What chance of the Indians preparing anything other than dustbowls or batting paradises for the upcoming series?

Somewhere between nil and none, I'd imagine

I suppose South Africa should prepare dustbowls when India tour hey

I never get why India get criticised for making a good turner that produces results. Fair enough the flatties are ****, but not turners.

 

[Briony]

And if you had breast, you would be a girl.

Either way i dont see why its so hard to speculate if SA had all 5 of their bowling option on day 5 of the Capetown test, that they wouldn't have won.

Maybe more relevant is had they had Steyn in Centurion there was no way Swann and Anderson would be carving them all around the park. With a wayward Ntini and debutant de Wet, that partnership probably changed the match. And Steyn was underdone in Durban. Perhaps that was just as significant as de Wet being injured in Cape Town. But in that test it was Collingwood surviving Steyn's great spell after lunch which probably decided matters.

 

[NasserFan207]

How many times have you fallen for that then aussie?

Is that Jack Nicholson?

 

[0RI0N]

Is that Jack Nicholson?

nope, that's Christopher Walken.

 

[aussie]

Maybe more relevant is had they had Steyn in Centurion there was no way Swann and Anderson would be carving them all around the park.

With a wayward Ntini and debutant de Wet, that partnership probably changed the match. And Steyn was underdone in Durban. Perhaps that was just as significant as de Wet being injured in Cape Town. But in that test it was Collingwood surviving Steyn's great spell after lunch which probably decided matters.

TBF although ENG where a bit lucky in centurion, i'd say ENG earnt that draw. Since well ATT with Steyn not playing & Kallis unable to bowl - the SA attack that played really didn't have the tools to bowl out ENG there.

In Capetown totally different though. SA throughly dominated & should have won - ENG escaped there. Although as you said Colly surving that spell after lunch from Steyn probably did decide the test (although Morkel bowled a very good last over too). Overall Steyn & Morkel having to make up for De Wets absense was HUGE TBH, it was evident throughout that final day.

 

[nexxus]

I see Giles Clarke is still having a right old English moan about UDRS. The evidence is pretty clear in my book, it's worked. Not been a glorious success sure, but very few things are.

A bunch of howlers have been overturned, which is what the system was meant to do. Marginal decisions will always be there, and they'll always be talking points. So far the most controversial decision in the series has been Smith's waft in the 1st innings of this game, and that's really not the worst howler ever. (Besides, Captain, my Captain said he didn't knick it, so there. )

 

[Briony]

England's made a good start here.