**Official** South Africa in England 2012

[ankitj]

What makes it funny is that 2 LBW decisions in 2 overs were accepted without umpire review!

 

[Jacknife]

Oh wow.

What you think he made the right decision to shoulder arms.

Over sensitive much.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Great time for Cricinfo to put this article up today - He found overwhelming success in his first seven Tests but is now struggling in England. It's all to do with the nuts and bolts of how he bowls

Crocinfo

 

[Prince EWS]

But what the **** was Strauss thinking. Full-ish ball coming back in. Use the ****ing bat you idiot!

If it had gone the other way (which it could have; Philander moves it both ways and Strauss quite obviously wasn't picking it) and he snicked off you'd be asking why the **** he played at it. The bowler was just better than the batsman; it's not brainless or soft or pure batsman error every single time an England batsman gets out. You making a post bemoaning the shot (or lack thereof) was the only thing more predictable than Strauss failing here.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

I call poll for dumbest piece of cricket, Morkel's foot vs Strauss leave

 

[Teja.]

Strange to see the massive KP whinging on cricinfo. Yep, you'd back KP over Bairstow in the 4th innings but you'd back no-one to score 95 in the situation England was in the first innings. KP's not Don Bradman, seriously.

 

[Valer]

What you think he made the right decision to shoulder arms.

Over sensitive much.

see pews' reply. or hell the on air one just as I posted.

 

[Jacknife]

The fact is you couldn't say much if he had played the defensive and nicked off, happens all the time to openers with the new ball, just looks so so much worse shouldering arms when you know how accurate Vern is.

 

[BeeGee]

What makes it funny is that 2 LBW decisions in 2 overs were accepted without umpire review!

Why is that funny? The batsmen knew they were out, so why would you waste a review?

 

[Valer]

The fact is you couldn't say much if he had played the defensive and nicked off, happens all the time to openers with the new ball, just looks so so much worse shouldering arms when you know how accurate Vern is.

And the comment re length?

 

[Prince EWS]

Why is that funny? The batsmen knew they were out, so why would you waste a review?

It's just pretty rare these days.

 

[Jacknife]

Why is that funny? The batsmen knew they were out, so why would you waste a review?

Happened in the SA innings as well.

 

[Shri]

What a complete load.

He'll win this game for SA and get MOTM.

He did not call him a flash in the pan or a bad bowler. Just analyzed something technical in his bowling.

 

[Teja.]

Sigh, England going at less than 1.5 runs an over and have lost 2 poles.

Worst of both worlds.

 

[Jacknife]

Yes about Vern, I was saying to someone earlier that he's bowled well all series but just hasn't got his rewards, plenty of play and misses and close calls but just not got the luck, very much how Jimmy has gone tbh.

 

[Jacknife]

Sigh, England going at less than 1.5 runs an over and have lost 2 poles.

Worst of both worlds.

Tell me about it, the one thing England didn't want is to have Trott batting early.

Always on the cards that we'd either get close or but bitch slapped for less than 200.

 

[MrPrez]

What is really annoying me is that the blame for the series loss will just get heaped onto the KP incident. "KP could have taken us out of the situation" or "The team would have performed better if it wasn't for KP breaking team focus and chemistry."

 

[Prince EWS]

Yes about Vern, I was saying to someone earlier that he's bowled well all series but just hasn't got his rewards, plenty of play and misses and close calls but just not got the luck, very much how Jimmy has gone tbh.

Both of them (without checking the stats) rely a lot on getting players caught keeper/slips for their wickets too, and the pitches for the first two Tests (particularly the second) really worked against that by being so low and slow. They had quite a few edges fall short, which I regard as a lot more unlucky than repeated plays-and-misses against the new ball.

Philander's taken 9 wickets @ 28 in the series now anyway; far from "struggling". I don't think even his biggest fans seriously thought he'd average 15 forever.

 

[Dissector]

Apart from the two wickets England not scoring too many runs here. They will probably have 320+ to get in 90 overs which is not trivial. It's going to take an epic innings from someone to get them through.

 

[grecian]

Strange to see the massive KP whinging on cricinfo. Yep, you'd back KP over Bairstow in the 4th innings but you'd back no-one to score 95 in the situation England was in the first innings. KP's not Don Bradman, seriously.

Was always going to happen though, I've even seen whinging about his bowling that would have made the difference apparently. It's why one way or the other it's got to be sorted, recall him, or say no chance. Limbos no good for anyone.

I think Philander has been brilliant this innings, just world-class bowling, he definitely has been the final piece in the Saffies jigsaw, gives control over run rates whilst taking wickets, perfect foil for Morkel, Steyn, Kallis, and helps make up for the other bloke.