**Official** South Africa in England 2012

[flibbertyjibber]

SA basically lost their chance with many losses in Durban didn't they? It was the difference between winning three extra series form memory.

I think both Australia and SA have climate and space advantages over England but probably all three countries have a similar proportion of their populaton playing. Much of the infrastructure possibly gets back to the quality of what's provided at schools as much as anything. I certainly recall Roebuck writing that the top schools in SA equalled the facilites in England and oz. You do wonder why though there isn't more investment at grassroots level given the extra funds generated by T20, and in the case of SA hosting the IPL and CL.

I made the point about Trott and KP because in the context of infrastructure etc. if you took them out of England and made them available for SA would England still be #1 and would people be arguing that SA has inferior infrastructure hence should be below the poms in the pecking order?

Although we can argue that Trott and KP only became the players they are after years of playing in England and they may well not have come through under the system in SA as they weren't getting chances so came to England for one.

As for Durban, it is strange how a side can get the willies playing at a certain home ground (think England v Australia at Lords) when there is basically no reason for it as the players still play there far more often than anyone else.

 

[The_roc]

Bopara in, Bairstow out.

No great suprise. JB didn't look good against a powder puff Windies attack.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Bopara in, Bairstow out.

No great suprise. JB didn't look good against a powder puff Windies attack.

No it seems pretty fair. I'm not a Ravi fan AT ALL but he is in form and Bairstow needs to work on his technique some more. Him against Morkel would have been horrid.

 

[grecian]

so they both suck, guess we can all agree with that

Yep, and they're both better than Australia, so something else we can all agree on

 

[BoyBrumby]

Did sort of wonder if we might've named Monty/Sammy/Tredders as cover for Swann's elbow issues, but otherwise pretty much as advertised beforehand.

Ravi's looked in as good form as I've seen him and played the much vaunted, etc Aussie pace attack with Geoff Boycott's gran's stick of rhubarb.

Also gives a rather better 5th bowling option than Trott's mediums or KP's offies.

Fully expect Tiny Tim to be the third seamer too, as Finn didn't really grasp the nettle when he got a go in the third test v the Windies.

 

[fredfertang]

Can't see Bresnan being left out at any price, nor can I see Bopara getting too many runs, although at the same time I think he'll score just enough to tie up the final batting slot for the whole series

 

[The_roc]

Brave decision is to play Finn and let Prior bat at 6

 

[grecian]

Brave decision is to play Finn and let Prior bat at 6

As I said earlier, in a post swallowed by fascinating talk of infrastructures, it's what I'd do.

BTW how many posts do you need to get "cricketer of the year" as your sobriquet, must have been a ****ing terrible year, is all I can say......

 

[flibbertyjibber]

It's what i'd do too but it won't happen.

As it is i'd give Bopara this series and the India tour to cement his place if he fails then you can take Taylor/Bairstow/ AN Other young player to NZ for the series out there in conditions that they will be familiar with.

I think we will pick the side we played against WI for the opening 2 games with Ravi in for Bairstow at 6.

Even with Ravi in the side I think we will win anyway. Just a stronger unit at home than any other side at present. Can't see anyone living with us.

 

[Uppercut]

That's all pretty fair.

Thinking about some of the recent posts, there's different types of under-achievement in the two countries. For England, it's the failure to produce undeniably world class cricketers over a long period of time, especially if you accept that KP and Trott learnt much of their trade elsewhere. For SA, it's not hitting the heights they should given the players at their disposal, and/or the tendency to get a nose bleed when they're too close to the summit.

I don't really get why you would control for infrastructure anyway. If a country was the best at cricket because they had excellent facilities and could get a lot of kids playing the game, surely that should be something for their fans to be proud of rather than a stick for opposing fans to beat them with?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I don't really get why you would control for infrastructure anyway. If a country was the best at cricket because they had excellent facilities and could get a lot of kids playing the game, surely that should be something for their fans to be proud of rather than a stick for opposing fans to beat them with?

Well since we became number 1 the amount of sniping from fans of other nations has made me chuckle so I am not surprised by others and their outbursts in this thread. Roll on Thursday and a test series starting weather permitting.

 

[Heboric]

Tbf, the hype around SA last time was definitely there, even if it arrived late. They weren't pre tournament favourites, but the way they played in the group stages led a lot of people to believe they would win.

Final: England v West Indies at The Oval, Sep 25, 2004 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

If that is not choking, then I dont know what is.

 

[Salamuddin]

I can't see South Africa achieving anything better than a 1-1 draw tbh.

I don't like the Poms but they are damn solid in their conditions and I think it would take pretty good side ala Australia in the early 2000's or 80's windies o beat them on their patch.

South Africa are not in the same league as those sides.
I don't think Morkel is quite as good as he's hyped up to be and Tahir in my view is only OK.
Philander is the one I'm really keen to see - his first class numbers are insanely good and this is his first serious test away from home. I only rate South African seamers if they deliver the goods away from the high veldt so this will be a big test for him

 

[uvelocity]

Well since we became number 1 the amount of sniping from fans of other nations has made me chuckle so I am not surprised by others and their outbursts in this thread. Roll on Thursday and a test series starting weather permitting.

It'd be a shame if we didn't have some rain, I think it would be unusual and disappointing if we didn't have a large amount of rain. People are braced for [it]. It's England in July, come on. I think, dramatically speaking, a certain amount of precipitation is probably essential and we're going to enjoy it.

z

 

[BoyBrumby]

Steyn furiously pumping up the SA tyres in his interview with Rob Smyth in today's Observer:

"I don't worry about England. That's why we're No1 in my eyes. I think we've got all the players, we cover all our bases."

Them's fighting words, them be.

 

[Ruckus]

What a guy

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Steyn furiously pumping up the SA tyres in his interview with Rob Smyth in today's Observer:

"I don't worry about England. That's why we're No1 in my eyes. I think we've got all the players, we cover all our bases."

Them's fighting words, them be.

As the old saying is look in the book, or in this case look at the rankings. We are 1 they are 3. When we beat them I am sure he will be reminded of this.

 

[Ruckus]

Oh this is so good. I am loving this hearts on sleeves build up.

 

[akilana]

As the old saying is look in the book, or in this case look at the rankings. We are 1 they are 3. When we beat them I am sure he will be reminded of this.

I know England will whitewash them as they are on par with Australia of the 90s but what happens if, I mean BIG IF, SA wins by large amount of luck.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I know England will whitewash them as they are on par with Australia of the 90s but what happens if, I mean BIG IF, SA wins by large amount of luck.

You mean by winning a match and the other 2 are washed out. We take it on the chins and move on. Not the end of the world if we lose is it?

There is far too much **** going on this year for me to get overly stressed out by losing a test match, I think we will win anyway as I did when we went to Australia and played India over here and were written off by many before both series before crushing them. We won't crush SA as they are a better side but we will beat them.