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

[wpdavid]

There was a time when we had the top 7 basically all averaging 40 plus.

Yeah, I know. The golden era from Trott bedding in at 3 until Collingwood called it a day 18 months later.

 

[JTemperance]

There was a time when we had the top 7 basically all averaging 40 plus.

Yup, the settled batting line-up of Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood and Prior with each averaging over 40 does look like a little golden age. They never beat South Africa though.

 

[vcs]

Taylor's technique looks so quirky.

 

[wpdavid]

They did draw in SA the one time they all playing against SA though.

Trott and Prior didn't play in 2008 and Collingwood was gone by 2012.

 

[Captain_Cook]

Yup, the settled batting line-up of Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood and Prior with each averaging over 40 does look like a little golden age. They never beat South Africa though.

Had we had the likes of a Ponting, Sangakkara, Younus or Hussey that side would have stayed no.1 until 2013-14.

 

[vcs]

Wow, Root plays that backfoot force so well.

 

[Stapel]

It's nice to see Root doesn't shut up shop.

 

[Gob]

Only because he's a **** of the first order.

Kylo Ren?

Ian Bells glorious return to the England side is beckoning

 

[flibbertyjibber]

All over before tea I think.

I think that a draw is actually the least likely result unless it rains a lot tomorrow as if they play 98 overs tomorrow we will probably score 330 in the day not that we will last more than 50 in all honesty.

Hope Rabada gets his 10, young man has been brilliant.

 

[Captain_Cook]

Hope Rabada gets his 10, young man has been brilliant.

And with it the most wickets in the series! It really has been a breakthrough for Kagiso.

 

[Stefan9]

Good position for SA. Unfortunate with the missed stumping. Thought the umpires were wrong and light was good for the seamers.

Also what a shocking review from compton. Almost as bad as the time when broad punched the ball to silly point and reviewed.

 

[Howe_zat]

get your rain dances out then

 

[wpdavid]

Kylo Ren?

Ian Bells glorious return to the England side is beckoning

Dunno about that. Today was only the 2nd time in the series when I'd have backed Bell to score more runs than Compton had managed, and the other occasion was virtually irrelevant at the end of the 3rd test. As silly as he looked today, I think he's probably done enough to stay in the side.

 

[Furball]

Wait until he fails to call him overrated, classic.

I called him out as over-rated before he got a pair, thank you.

I'll stand by it as well. He's a good player but he's also over-rated as **** as a Test batsman. Could easily reel off a list of 10 contemporaries who I'd rather have playing for me in Tests than de Villiers.

 

[burr]

I know they're going to lose the series but I'd be quite excited if I was a South African fan. They are an immensely watchable side. The style and class of Amla, ABDV and Steyn, the emerging talents of Bavuma, Rabada, de Kock. Can't wait to see more of them in Aus this summer.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I called him out as over-rated before he got a pair, thank you.

I'll stand by it as well. He's a good player but he's also over-rated as **** as a Test batsman. Could easily reel off a list of 10 contemporaries who I'd rather have playing for me in Tests than de Villiers.

Well, overrated is kind of a weird word since it means something different to everyone but yeah, I never rated him quite as highly as others on here. I've always considered Amla a level above, for example.

His last 2 years or so have been phenomenal though, especially the way he batted vs Johnson. Will always remember that.

 

[StephenZA]

I called him out as over-rated before he got a pair, thank you.

I'll stand by it as well. He's a good player but he's also over-rated as **** as a Test batsman. Could easily reel off a list of 10 contemporaries who I'd rather have playing for me in Tests than de Villiers.

Well, overrated is kind of a weird word since it means something different to everyone but yeah, I never rated him quite as highly as others on here. I've always considered Amla a level above, for example.

His last 2 years or so have been phenomenal though, especially the way he batted vs Johnson. Will always remember that.

I rate Amla higher than AB because he does more with his natural talent and I think his mindset is better. We win more games when Amla plays well than when AB does. I think that the overrated word for AB is because he is so naturally talented that he has probably under-performed when considering his abilities. For me there is still not many batsmen in the world better than him, or has a consistent ability to take a game away from the opposition before they know it, which makes him a big wicket. However the next 5 years (provided he continues to play) will determine his ultimate peg in the echelon of great batsmen. As it stands he is a top class but has not been consistently good enough, if he starts consistently producing winning innings for SA then maybe this will change.

 

[Shady Slim]

amla

 

[weldone]

I have no problem even if players like AB, McCullum, Kohli and even the great Sir Viv are overrated. In fact, it is a good thing imo. If good/very good/great batsmen with tremendous aggression are overrated, that will make test cricket more popular in general. After Kohli became India's test captain, I supported that move not only because he was the best alternative but also because that'd make test cricket more popular in a country like India where (unlike England) people are obsessed with shorter formats of the game.

 

[Shady Slim]

so what do the pommie fans think about hales?