*** Official*** South Africa in England 2017

[Stapel]

Quotas are to blame for Morkel bowling like a drain + overstepping as well as Markram dropping a catch on boundary

Right.

I was trying to change the subject to clothing. But you ruined it!

 

[StephenZA]

SA looking more and more like a total SH*T side. Quotas clearly to blame. Soon will be like Zimbabwe!

Score: 2-1 to SA, with SA winning at Lords and the Oval.
Most runs: Heino Kuhn
Most wickets: Morne Morkel
Surprise performance: Moeen Ali
Disappointment: Stuart Broad, de Bruyn
Most infractions: Me if SA lose this series badly....
AOP (Any other predictions): Quotas not to be mentioned on commentrary at all but alluded to every time Bavuma bats....
: Quotas will be partly blamed for anything wrong in the SA team on CW by posters who know nothing about the quotas or SA cricket.
: Adil Rashid to be mentioned on CW every time England bowl.
: The length of England batting line-up to be a pain in the SA ass..
: ABdV retiring from test cricket to be mentioned in commentary once a day...
: Kolpak and the Pound to Rand mentioned every test..
: Moonda to produce an article on Rabada and/or Bavuma every time they either take 2 or more wickets or score more than 30 runs.

First prediction down...

And if we have another day like today. Watch the infractions start coming in...

 

[Spark]

Fairly disgusting display by SA since lunch

 

[fishyguy]

Quotas are to blame for Morkel bowling like a drain + overstepping as well as Markram dropping a catch on boundary

Right.

Its all the mental stress and anxiety caused by the quota system. Even the talented white players can't perform anymore!

 

[Scaly piscine]

They've done a good job bowling their quota of no-balls though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

That's an awesome shot from the skipper. Onto the back foot, takes the ball on the up and creams it through the covers.

 

[fredfertang]

Why is Root wearing a spencer? Most fielders are not.......

He's a yorkie, it's grafted on at birth

 

[Stapel]

He's a yorkie, it's grafted on at birth

Sounds plausible!

 

[91Jmay]

Superb from Root, bit of luck but still played sensationally well and scored extremely rapidly as well.

In a great postiion to get 420-450 if we go well.

SA were very poor apart from Philander, however for an international quick bowler his conditioning is pretty disgraceful. He's been playing red ball cricket for months and he can only manage 16 overs in day. Morkel/Rabada terrible.

Maharaj had to bowl far to much, he is marginally better than a part timer.

In the end they were only 3 overs short, but extra 30 mins + spinner bowling so much is still a bit of a joke. Elgar will have avoided ban, but SA need a 4th bowling option.

 

[Kirkut]

Only a Lord's bully can stop another Lord's bully. Wait Root till you face Ishant next year.

 

[Gob]

Yo joe

 

[Howe_zat]

Yo joe

wonder where he's going with that gun in his hand

 

[GIMH]

Joe ****in Root

 

[mackembhoy]

Got a new job after years as a house husband and will miss the first 2 days. Think it is the first test since 2003 where I won't watch the opening session. Bit gutted but planning to go to Manchester test later in the summer so that makes up for it.

Recording is your friend. Got back from work 5 had the whole play watched by half 8.

Just fast forward between balls.

 

[91Jmay]

George Dobell: Joe Root digs deep on captaincy debut as fortune favours the brave | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

We probably shouldn't be surprised. He picked a team that might, in some ways, be considered mean. He might have gone for Adil Rashid as his spinner, but he reasoned that Rashid bowls too many four-balls and, with runs hard to come by at times in Test cricket, England couldn't afford such profligacy. Instead he went for Liam Dawson, who will resent every single scored off him.

Defensive? It depends how you define the word. Dawson won't bowl many unplayable balls, but he'll give away nothing and make life much harder for batsmen than England sometimes have of late. There's an aggression of sorts in that.

From Dobell's piece. I must have been watching a different Liam Dawson.

 

[Furball]

Anyone fancy an avatar bet for 6 months that this series will be the first time in 17 years the home side wins an England v South Africa series?

I would have offered this up yesterday but forgot the series started.

PS Rooooooooot

 

[Furball]

root, bairstow and stokes at 3,4 and 5 is the only sensible way forward. by far and away the three best middle order batsmen england have.

get bairstow to give the gloves to foakes.

Root should bat 4.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah Root stays 4, don't break the parts of the batting line up that work. Jennings I think could be the answer and hopefully Hameed can find some form then come back to open.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The South African side is looking rather average on paper without ABdV, Faf and Steyn. A few players who I'm not sure seem international standard.

Meanwhile England continue to look strong, though maybe picking too many bowlers. Unless Stokes and Moeen have lost a bit of potency with the ball then you could easily get rid of one of the 4 specialist bowlers and play an extra batsman. It's hard to justify needing 6 genuine bowling options.

 

[Burgey]

Is Liam Dawson any relation to Richard Dawson?

Much love to Moeen Ali. Jeez he's a likeable cricketer. Southern Africa their own worst enemy. You can't be giving class players multiple chances. They will invariably burn you.