***Official*** England in South Africa 2015/16

[theegyptian]

I wouldn't mind seeing this improvement. England haven't won an away series for 3 years and have only won 2 out of their last 7 series.

Improvement isn't always tangible in results. Personally I thought there were many positives to take from the UAE tour against a team who have been very good at home - and if England had a reasonable spinner and the selectors didn't botch the team selection so badly then England may well have won the series. Personally I think they've improved massively in the year since the 1-1 draw with West Indies both as individuals and as a team. You can't just lose half your team after an ashes series, have confidence at rock bottom and expect to win every series. Since the 2013/14 ashes, they are 2w/2d/2l but even the two series they've lost they have been very competitive.

The likes of Cook, Broad and Anderson are about as good as they have ever been, and then you've got a group of Root, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali, Wood, Finn who are all developing cricketers who have all improved in the last year or two imo. Sure there are areas like the opener spot and specialist spinner where England are lacking but all teams have weaknesses.

 

[SeamUp]

As part of the tradition - Root & Cook planting their trees after scoring hundreds at the PMB Oval

 

[WalkingWicket]

The tables have turned apparently - Steyn fit and Anderson supposedly injured

Anderson doubt for Durban after calf scan | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[marc71178]

Not so sure, the opposition have clearly been toilet and we may not be ready for the tougher challenge in the test at the weekend.

Before the last game we were being told that it was a strong SA 'A' side...

 

[SeamUp]

Before the last game we were being told that it was a strong SA 'A' side...

It was a mixture.

Most of these players haven't played a FC game in months. Rossouw since September 2014. de Kock & Hendricks since middle of the year in India with the 'A' side I think ? S.Cook had only played amateur 3-day as he isn't in his domestic T20 team and a lot of these players have come out of T20 cricket.

The top 4 in the batting is decent. On paper Morris, de Lange and Paterson was a decent seam attack but there are question marks whether de Lange is for longer version cricket and Paterson is fairly new to this level.

I reckon a lot of the SA 'A' players would have felt disappointed in their performance.

 

[GIMH]

Eng touring Saffers is always such a good tour - one of my favourites. Love it everytime, and I cannot wait for Boxing Day.

Thanks for that, how about you tell us of your Christmas Dinner plans too

 

[brockley]

Quotas Marc.

 

[Prince EWS]

Going by the sort of opposition regularly put out for tour games these days, it was a ****ing great side.

 

[Howe_zat]

England limited-overs squads
ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes

T20 squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, James Vince

Plunkett has got such a raw deal this tour.

 

[Jono]

Thanks for that, how about you tell us of your Christmas Dinner plans too

As punishment for this **** post of yours Anderson is now in doubt for the first test. Cop it on the nut.

 

[GIMH]

As punishment for this **** post of yours Anderson is now in doubt for the first test. Cop it on the nut.

It was a good post tbh

 

[Cabinet96]

Was gonna make a post about how if Anderson is injured I'll punch things, but then I realised they'd probably replace him with Woakes, so it's all good.

 

[91Jmay]

Glad they've punted Parry into the long grass. Don't rate him at all. Looks like they will go Moeen/Rashid combo in India.

 

[grecian]

Was gonna make a post about how if Anderson is injured I'll punch things, but then I realised they'd probably replace him with Woakes, so it's all good.

Such an odd post from the Cabinet alt-reality school of posts.

Being content with that change is pure insanity.

 

[Compton]

I'm not saying I think he'll have a bad series - I do, but that's not the point I'm making - but at one stage in this series I see AB absolutely destroying Moeen.

 

[Cabinet96]

Such an odd post from the Cabinet alt-reality school of posts.

Being content with that change is pure insanity.

The more of my favourite players are in the side the more interest I have in watching/the outcome etc. Don't expect many to feel the same way but I find international sport in general pretty meh from a purely team perspective. Not that I don't love Jimmy of course, but the test would be a lot less important for him than Woakes.

Obviously in terms of actual bowling quality it's a massive downgrade, not disputing that.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Before the last game we were being told that it was a strong SA 'A' side...

Well SA have no depth then if that is the case. We aren't a great side but smashed them easily in 2 and a half days.

 

[91Jmay]

Well SA have no depth then if that is the case. We aren't a great side but smashed them easily in 2 and a half days.

The fact they fielded 11 first class players makes them better than 99% of teams touring sides face. Look at the Victorian team the Windies played against recently. 2 first class players.

 

[Niall]

When will we find out about Anderson?

Backed them to win the series and he gets injured.

 

[Heboric]

Well SA have no depth then if that is the case. We aren't a great side but smashed them easily in 2 and a half days.

Most of the time those sides are poor for those type of games.

I mean teams had to play some county second team from a county whose first team is **** already.