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

[vcs]

I think England's ODI attack is still something of an unknown quantity apart from Finn (compared to their Test counterparts at least). Batting seems to be shaping up nicely though.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah, Wood has bowled well in a few ODIs (career figures don't look much) considering the absolute run feasts the games he played in where. We are 100% short of a few bowlers though.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think England's ODI attack is still something of an unknown quantity apart from Finn (compared to their Test counterparts at least). Batting seems to be shaping up nicely though.

WC being in England will help a lot on this front I think. Anderson if he's still playing at that time will be a huge boon because he has a great ODI record in England, particularly over the last few years.

 

[Energetic]

England's batting has gotten a lot stronger now. Bowling for ODIs seems to have improved as well, but it's still nothing special. Tours to Bangladesh and India will show how good they really are in the main forms. They bat very deep – just like Australia. It seems South Africa have regressed. Their players (AB, Amla, Duminy, Morkel etc) body language tells you something else now – that either they're struggling and/or lost interest. It will be a huge mistake if likes of Broad, Anderson and KP return to the ODI side – don't fix what ain't broken. I thought South Africa would win this easily, but 4-1 or 5-0 to England is certainly possible, and doing that away from home is excellent stuff – lots of ranking points are on offer.

 

[AndrewB]

For a brief moment I thought you were exaggerating about getting through a group, but you really aren't are you?
Or at least, not when we've had to beat a test playing side to get through in the last six WCs.

Not sure how you think England could have qualified for the QFs in 2011 without beating a Test-playing side (unless they'd tied another game or two).

 

[indiaholic]

Alviro just posted this: SA professional cricket divided by racial lines... catch the story soon! Watch this space...

 

[Stefan9]

Alviro just posted this: SA professional cricket divided by racial lines... catch the story soon! Watch this space...

Shouldn't surprise anyone when talented players are sitting on the bench or playing amateur cricket because of the 6 non white player restrictions that came in this season. Could see this coming a mile away, maybe not so soon but it was coming.

 

[Oduodu]

Ja I am surprised by the suddenness of it.

 

[robbypark]

South Africa is getting swept 5-0 in this series. England is just the better team in all areas at this point. South Africa's batting lineup is too short and their bowling is ridiculously bad. The era of South Africa being a great cricketing nation is over.

 

[Oduodu]

The question is why ?

 

[robbypark]

The question is why ?

They need to ride out the storm and develop better players in their youth systems.

 

[Stefan9]

Seriously dropping rossouw for wiese is silly. RR is a better batsman then either duminy or behardien...

 

[Marius]

Seriously dropping rossouw for wiese is silly. RR is a better batsman then either duminy or behardien...

Wiese is dire.

OK T20 cricketer, shouldn't be playing 50 overs.

 

[Marius]

Shouldn't surprise anyone when talented players are sitting on the bench or playing amateur cricket because of the 6 non white player restrictions that came in this season. Could see this coming a mile away, maybe not so soon but it was coming.

Exactly.

I don't think any normal person would say transformation is a bad thing, but these brute force quotas aren't good for anyone.

Maybe expanding the franchise system to eight teams wouldn't be the worst idea ever.

 

[StephenZA]

Alviro just posted this: SA professional cricket divided by racial lines... catch the story soon! Watch this space...

I hate this, when people (Alviro in this case) who are in the know put out what appears to be controversial statements without any context... helps no-one and adds nothing to an important debate.

Shouldn't surprise anyone when talented players are sitting on the bench or playing amateur cricket because of the 6 non white player restrictions that came in this season. Could see this coming a mile away, maybe not so soon but it was coming.

I am not a big fan of this happening at franchise level, and I think the idea of including 2 more teams might be good, which would allow a greater number talented players to play. But I do want to point out that there is still discrimination happening at club level that is keeping many talented black players out, I have seen it in Rugby and Cricket and it is very difficult for the CSA to effect club level change; the current changes put franchises/provincial domestic structures under pressure which have a greater chance of changing club level cricket, mentality. I still think government and CSA need to do more at grass root level, though.

South Africa is getting swept 5-0 in this series. England is just the better team in all areas at this point. South Africa's batting lineup is too short and their bowling is ridiculously bad. The era of South Africa being a great cricketing nation is over.

This is a big statement to be making regarding SA cricket, the debate and issues in the country and sport has been going for a long time, but I do not think that SA cricket is going to suddenly fall apart . There is still lots of good talent coming through, we just do not have any top quality genuine all-rounders atm, having spent so many years with so many of them.... all teams go through ups downs...

 

[Stefan9]

Exactly.

I don't think any normal person would say transformation is a bad thing, but these brute force quotas aren't good for anyone.

Maybe expanding the franchise system to eight teams wouldn't be the worst idea ever.

Expanding the franchise system is a bad idea as well. We went to 6 teams in order to have strength vs strength. Expanding it when the talent pool is even lower is counter productive...

 

[wpdavid]

Not sure how you think England could have qualified for the QFs in 2011 without beating a Test-playing side (unless they'd tied another game or two).

tbh I thought they were knocked out in the group stages after losing to Ireland and cba to check before posting. We've been so poor in so many WCs that they tend to merge into one.

 

[StephenZA]

Expanding the franchise system is a bad idea as well. We went to 6 teams in order to have strength vs strength. Expanding it when the talent pool is even lower is counter productive...

Practically if the issues is making sure all talented players get a chance to play then it seems a solution, not great, but a solution... I think that the current franchise teams are not that great either.... not just this year, for the last couple of years...

 

[Oduodu]

If they introduce 8 sides will not the same thing happen that happened before the franchises were introduced: nobody goes to watch the games ?? Did people support the domestic list a matches before the franchises ? Were they sustainable ?

 

[StephenZA]

The number of people watching the games was not effected by creating a franchise system.. this is more to do with marketing and success of the franchise. I am not advocating that we should go back to the provincial system, we are just talking about increasing the number of franchises.