**Official** South Africa in England 2012

[Woodster]

You can make a decent case for either six specialist batsmen or five bowlers. Yes selecting five bowlers may ensure the attack stays fresher, gives the captain more options and as a result may incerase our effectiveness and ability to bowl SA out twice. Alternatively, England will be hoping to bat just once at Lords and big, so really we need to bat down to seven then have the likes of Swann,Broad,etc, coming in after those to cash in.

Expect Swann to come back in, which in theory should give us a better look if we go with just a four-man attack providing he can get close to somewhere near his best.

Pro's and con's for both imo, and when England have had to win Tests in the past they have persevered with four bowlers, maybe as it was difficult to leave one of the batsmen out, now they do have the opportunity to do so, but still expect them to stick with the same successful balance as has been employed in the last couple of years.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Strauss, Cook, Trott, Bell, Taylor, Prior, Broad, Swann, Finn, Anderson, Panesar (if around)

 

[MW1304]

No way can we afford Broad batting at 7 based on his recent form. Bres maybe.

 

[Arachnodouche]

You need five bowlers to win this thing, no getting around that. Five effective bowlers at that. England are carrying Bresnan at the moment. Two spinners because like we saw at Leeds, four English seamers in tandem don't currently present much variety.

I don't think the English batsmen have looked woefully out of form; they've just played atrocious shots to get out at various times. What you need is better bowling, bit of a no brainer in a crunch game like this. It also shows off an aggressive frame of mind to the opposition.

 

[grecian]

No way can we afford Broad batting at 7 based on his recent form. Bres maybe.

Yeah, if we go with 5 bowlers, Bres will have to play.

 

[Valer]

Pros:

A) Lets your 'top' bowlers have an extended rest, without as large a drop off in quality.
B) Increases the chances of bowling them out twice.
C) Makes the batsmen accountable for their actions.

IMO there isn't a huge issue with fielding - even Finn is competent, and Bresnan/Anderson/Swann are all good fieldsmen.

B) only follows if you keep time batting constant which simply doesn't follow.
C) Run scoring is additive, bowling is more binary. The latter rewards accountability more.
Given Finn/Onions/ Panesar /Bresnan is the 5th bowler are you claiming they're better fielders than Bairstow?


Hurricane are you seriously arguing that noone in the county system would make more than 23 runs?

 

[NasserFan207]

Bowling > Batting

Stop being a wimp and take the extra quickie

 

[uvelocity]

I really think 4 bowlers is enough. Can't see swann really being incisive, but at least you can revolve the others around him - no tiredness issues. If you are going to fire a team out twice it's really only one or two blokes having a good day, not four.

can finn get his head around running through the stumps, or pick onions?

 

[Viscount Tom]

My pick would be Onions to be honest.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Cook
Strauss
Trott
Bell
Taylor
Prior
Bresnan
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Finn

*Playing Bairstow and having to bat Prior at 7 will be a waste IMO; so go with the extra bowler even if it's a risk

 

[Arachnodouche]

What is the reason for this insane, unwavering faith in Tim Bresnan? I understand he had a couple of good series more than an year ago, but does anyone really think he's capable of making a dent in this South African line up the way he's bowling today? He has looked so so very pedestrian all summer long. And it isn't like he's setting the world afire with the bat either.

 

[benchmark00]

Stop being a wimp and take the extra quickie

#thingsmygirlfriendneversays

 

[NasserFan207]

#thingsmygirlfriendneversays

Well played sir

 

[Scaly piscine]

Onions must play.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

What is the reason for this insane, unwavering faith in Tim Bresnan? I understand he had a couple of good series more than an year ago, but does anyone really think he's capable of making a dent in this South African line up the way he's bowling today? He has looked so so very pedestrian all summer long. And it isn't like he's setting the world afire with the bat either.

It's not the case of making a dent everytime a bowler plays; sometimes a good supporting role also needed. With Anderson and Broad, Bresnan fills that role as he can also reasonably hold the bat and in case of playing 3 upfront pacers i.e. Anderson, Broad and Finn/Onions, taking Bresnan makes more sense as those 3 can be the main strike bowlers with Swann. Bresnan can fill the supporting role with ball as well as bat @ no 7

 

[MrPrez]

England should honestly be playing a 6-1-4 split. They need more beefing up of their batting than their bowling imo.

 

[Thriel]

Oo - strauss speaks out about KP.

Strauss speaks out on KP saga | Sport24

Oo, this next match will make Graeme smith the most capped test captain in the history of the game, the dude breaks a record everytime he steps onto the field ...

Smith-the-conqueror-20120815

Most tests as captain

Graeme Smith (SA) 93*
Allan Border (Aus) 93
Stephen Fleming (NZ) 80
Ricky Ponting (Aus) 77
Clive Lloyd (WI) 74
Steve Waugh (Aus) 57

Most tests as captain of South Africa

Graeme Smith 93*
Hansie Cronje 53
Shaun Pollock 26

 

[grecian]

Blimey glad the KP debacle hasn't stopped traffic in here....

 

[Woodster]

Yes got pretty sick of this whole KP saga overshadowing what should be a fantastic Test in a well poised series, and a 100th cap for our outstanding leader Mr Strauss.

 

[burr]

Oo - strauss speaks out about KP.

Strauss speaks out on KP saga | Sport24

Oo, this next match will make Graeme smith the most capped test captain in the history of the game, the dude breaks a record everytime he steps onto the field ...

Smith-the-conqueror-20120815

Most tests as captain

Graeme Smith (SA) 93*
Allan Border (Aus) 93
Stephen Fleming (NZ) 80
Ricky Ponting (Aus) 77
Clive Lloyd (WI) 74
Steve Waugh (Aus) 57

Most tests as captain of South Africa

Graeme Smith 93*
Hansie Cronje 53
Shaun Pollock 26

That Smith statistic is stunning. I also read somewhere that he only played 8 tests or so before becoming captain. Can someone with more knowledge than me explain how/why he was made captain so quickly after debuting? Seems quite unusual. Anyway - hats off to him. Truly great effort. Interesting to note Ricky played 77 tests as captain yet will never be considered a great captain. Not with two Ashes defeats under his belt.