**Official** South Africa in England 2012

[Ruckus]

Na, even when we dominated I still didn't like you lot much.

 

[Stumpcam]

Na, even when we dominated I still didn't like you lot much.

Inferiority complex?

 

[fredfertang]

Na, even when we dominated I still didn't like you lot much.

Of course not, but in those far off days it was indifference tinged with a bit of contempt, I much prefer the current positive desire to see us get beaten - shows the natural order of things has been restored

 

[Briony]

Bad news for england is that Pietersen was in such ridiculous form today that he's bound to snick off to steyn early on in the first test.

Probably good form but when you check the credentials of the bowling attack, hardly surprising.

 

[Briony]

Hard to see us dropping a Test here. South Africa are the most overrated team in the history of cricket. Ever since I've joined this forum I've been reading about how good they are yet I can't remember them springing three series wins together. Great side on paper or something.

Fancy us for a 2-0, only reason it won't be 3 is the weather.

Both teams are flawed in that SA while not losing a series since 2006 draw too often and England while #1, lose 3-0 to a Pakistan side shorn of its best two bowlers and draw with an average SL side. Compare this to Australia when it held the #1 mantle.

 

[uvelocity]

Of course not, but in those far off days it was indifference tinged with a bit of contempt, I much prefer the current positive desire to see us get beaten - shows the natural order of things has been restored

hasn't come to this yet tbf

 

[GIMH]

Both teams are flawed in that SA while not losing a series since 2006 draw too often and England while #1, lose 3-0 to a Pakistan side shorn of its best two bowlers and draw with an average SL side. Compare this to Australia when it held the #1 mantle.

Fortunately, how dominant Australia were a decade ago has no bearing on whether we are better than South Africa. The answer is yes anyway, but at home they will be no match for us.

 

[MrPrez]

So much humble pie shall be eaten.

 

[fredfertang]

So much humble pie shall be eaten.

Corrin and myself won't be tasting it - as we have demonstrated in the past we are more reliable than Nostradamus

 

[Heboric]

Fortunately, how dominant Australia were a decade ago has no bearing on whether we are better than South Africa. The answer is yes anyway, but at home they will be no match for us.

I dont have a problem with people supporting there country. But I find it bordering on arrogance when disregarding the opponents completely. Especially a team they havent won a series against for a while.

And to pre-empt you, South Africa also has a better team than the one they toured England last

 

[GIMH]

I dont have a problem with people supporting there country. But I find it bordering on arrogance when disregarding the opponents completely. Especially a team they havent won a series against for a while.

And to pre-empt you, South Africa also has a better team than the one they toured England last

It's not that I'm disregarding them. It's that for years they have been talked up on this forum as something they aren't.

 

[Spark]

Even the ICC are recognising it now, as this is no longer 1v2

Australia is now second, South Africa third, Pakistan (4th), India (5th) after annual update of Reliance ICC Test rankings

:trollface:

 

[theegyptian]

Australia overtake SA in current test rankings to go to number 2. Eng V SA now 1 v 3 according to the rankings.

 

[GIMH]

Australia second? Bloody hell. Way to devalue our top spot

 

[uvelocity]

:trollface:

*like*

veramuchh

 

[theegyptian]

SA with all the players they have should been the dominant team of the last 5 years but what have they done? They choke every world cup and lose random test matches. On paper SA do have a better team that England but they are the great underachievers so I can see why England fans think we're going to win.

A 3 match series where the weather is pretty bad and the two teams are pretty close is always going to be a variance fest. All 3 series results are distinctly possible

 

[wpdavid]

I dont have a problem with people supporting there country. But I find it bordering on arrogance when disregarding the opponents completely. Especially a team they havent won a series against for a while.

And to pre-empt you, South Africa also has a better team than the one they toured England last

You reckon? About the same, I'd have thought. Obviously Phillander's a step up from 2008 but Boucher is a loss and Tahir hasn't done enough yet to suggest he'll do any more than Harris with the ball whilst offering rather less with the bat. I appreciate the latter could change though. I think that the middle order will be less resilient without the 2008 version of Prince.

Is Smith as good as he was five years ago? You'll know better than me, but he'll have to go some to keep up his previous standards over here. And I'm not 100% convinced about his opening partner, fwiw.


Oh, and I appreciate your newish around here, so I'll guess you'll learn to spot the tongue-in-cheek stuff soon enough rather than describing it as you did in your first point. Anyway, welcome and all that. It should be a cracking series. It's criminal that it's only three tests.

 

[Ruckus]

Even the ICC are recognising it now, as this is no longer 1v2



:trollface:

Wait, why did that happen?

 

[Spark]

Think it'll be very close, but England are definitely favourites because of HGA + SA look a bit underdone.

 

[Spark]

Wait, why did that happen?

Old results being removed from the calculations. Happens once a year.