*Official* South African tour of England and Ireland 2022

[Heboric]

1 down 9 to go

 

[StephenZA]

Did I just seriously hear the commentator talk about the pope and smoke?!

 

[Socerer 01]

My daring prediction: one of Harmer or Maharaj is going to barely bowl in the first innings and everyone is going to go apeshit….

 

[Uppercut]

That Ngidi ball gets ***ier with every replay.

 

[kevinw]

Crawley as always is very lucky that his less experienced partner turns out to be just as bad so England won't make two changes at the top.

 

[grecian]

#BazzBall = nonsense

Not really sure that has anything to do with Bazball, England have been doing it for years, for some ****ing unfathomable reason.

 

[ParwazHaiJunoon]

This whole bouncers to the tail thing is very weird. Fair enough if Stokes does it but the others are miles better at bowling length.

#BazzBall = nonsense
mere mortals like us can't understand it.


When Baz said that Crawley's job is not to be consistent at top of the order, I suddenly remembered the time when Akram sent Afridi to open in Tests against Australia.

PAK vs AUS Cricket Scorecard, 3rd Test at Karachi, October 22 - 26, 1998

Get cricket scorecard of 3rd Test, PAK vs AUS, Australia tour of Pakistan 1998/99 at National Stadium, Karachi dated October 22 - 26, 1998.

www.espncricinfo.com

Stats tell that even Afridi had better Test career than Crawley.

 

[Heboric]

Nice, Ollie Pope is decent batter

 

[Arachnodouche]

Nortje putting on the best exhibition of nasty bone-shuddering pace since Mitch Johnson.

 

[kevinw]

Have they nicknamed Pope 'Ramps' at Surrey yet?

 

[Bahseph]

#BazzBall = nonsense
mere mortals like us can't understand it.


When Baz said that Crawley's job is not to be consistent at top of the order, I suddenly remembered the time when Akram sent Afridi to open in Tests against Australia.

PAK vs AUS Cricket Scorecard, 3rd Test at Karachi, October 22 - 26, 1998

Get cricket scorecard of 3rd Test, PAK vs AUS, Australia tour of Pakistan 1998/99 at National Stadium, Karachi dated October 22 - 26, 1998.

www.espncricinfo.com

Stats tell that even Afridi had better Test career than Crawley.

You can't compare any mere mortal to Afridi

 

[Aritro]

It's amazing what a difference it can make if a bowler's x-ray looks almost exactly the same as it once did at the point of delivery. I might try it myself.

 

[Uppercut]

No one ever nicks out down the leg side any more unless it's a short ball. I feel like that used to be semi-common. Maybe they've become very disciplined about not playing past their pad.

 

[kevinw]

No one ever nicks out down the leg side any more unless it's a short ball. I feel like that used to be semi-common. Maybe they've become very disciplined about not playing past their pad.

iirc England thought it was a weakness for Smith to bowl hip height with a leg slip. By that I mean it worked once in the last home ashes dead rubber.

 

[StephenZA]

Ultimate attempt at a non-drop.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

They need a partnership.

oh

On point, a wicket

 

[Tec15]

A good opportunity to knock over the the rest of the top order in this session.

 

[Uppercut]

iirc England thought it was a weakness for Smith to bowl hip height with a leg slip. By that I mean it worked once in the last home ashes dead rubber.

Ah yeah I remember liking that plan. Just forced him to think twice about the flick of the hips, a shot where the muscle memory is very deeply ingrained.

 

[Daemon]

One for the “oh no” thread @Spikey

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

The Kohli template,


Root went searching with hard hands and perhaps wanted to punch it through covers - thick outside edge and it flies to the right of first slip who fumbles thrice before claiming control over the catch.