South Africa team selection

[Bahseph]

It's just dawned on me that this will be our first Test summer in a decade without Dean Elgar at the top. Gonna miss those plays and misses/edges through slip.

 

[Prince EWS]

It's just dawned on me that this will be our first Test summer in a decade without Dean Elgar at the top. Gonna miss those plays and misses/edges through slip.

Reminds me of Uppercut's amazing post from years ago about Paul Harris.

Gotta feel for the Aussies having to bowl to Paul Harris, possibly the most annoying tail-ender of all time. He stays on the back foot permanently so he doesn't get out to many bouncers. Most clonk off his wooden head and go for four leg-byes. If you pitch it up he'll hang the bat at everything, usually missing because he's so far back on his stumps. When you finally find the edge it'll invariably die before the slips cordon because he plays with baby-soft hands, probably going for four to third man. If the ball goes leg-side he'll try to flick it and miss, with the ball deflecting off his pads for four leg-byes. If there's one man who can drive Brett Lee to early retirement it's this man.

 

[Bahseph]

Reminds me of Uppercut's amazing post from years ago about Paul Harris.

I'm having flash backs to the Harris Era. I have some sympathy for him because I think Smith would have turned Keshav into the same sort of defensive bowler if Kesh came around in 07/08. Was like watching paint dry at times with him!

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm having flash backs to the Harris Era. I have some sympathy for him because I think Smith would have turned Keshav into the same sort of defensive bowler if Kesh came around in 07/08. Was like watching paint dry at times with him!

Smith probably would have turned Keshav into a much more annoying tailender as well to be fair.

 

[Uppercut]

Reminds me of Uppercut's amazing post from years ago about Paul Harris.

I don’t remember writing this but I do remember that it’s 100% accurate.

 

[Prince EWS]

I don’t remember writing this but I do remember that it’s 100% accurate.

Quite possibly the most statistically under-rated batsman of all time given may uncredited runs he contributed via leg byes.

 

[Bahseph]

Honestly one of my favorite Harris moments is him hitting a 6 and having this dumb smirk on his face during the SA vs Eng 08 series and Boycott losing it on commentary because he had this weird hate for Harris .

I guess it's still one of the appeals of Tests, players that look so innocuous or unaesthetic can still have big roles. I loved watching Elgar look like every bowler was bowling hand grenades while he pushed and edged to a ton.