*Official* England in South Africa Thread

[Pratters]

And of course if it's the right decision that's irrelevent.

I find it amusing that you have a go at the English fans for blaming the pitch etc with no basis in that (seeing as when we've batted badly this series we've actually said as such) - and now you're blaming the umpires when SA lose some wickets.

Its not my fault the English fans have discussed more about the pitch being such a crucial factor. Read comments before the start of the test match. So its not without basis. When people did blame your batting, it was one of the poorest displays of batting and any fan would blame it at that ocassion.

The umpire I believe was wrong in that ocassion.

I am not blaming any of the factors for any defeat. So when you say you find it amusing, it is just because of your shallow thinking on me rather than mine.

 

[Pratters]

The first part of your name says it all

Didnt get you..

 

[BoyBrumby]

No secret that Smith is concerned about his batting. He knows he's struggling against the swinging ball, so he's moved down the order to where I believe he should be. That said, I also think Gibbs should be down the order to maximize his ability.

I totally agree that AB de V looked a better option than Fat Gray, but the move (to me at least) smacked of selfishness on Smith's part. He's the senior man, he's struggling against the new ball, it looked a green & dewy track so he sends in a young lad who's been shunted from pillar to post in the order.

Of course I may just be letting my dislike of the guy cloud my judgement.

 

[Pratters]

I wonder if your moaning is more because you're about 4 days from having a lot of your earlier posts brought up to make you look wrong

Like when you said twenty20 game was equal for both bowlers and batsmen and I showed it wrong by a poll or when you said Watson couldnt make the Aussie one day team as an all rounder. (He is a batsman who can bowl sufficiently well and its even proved to you I hope)?

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

Didnt get you..

Hmm.


Pratyush.

He just called you a Prat. Are yopu giong to stand there and let him win? GET IN THERE!

 

[Pratters]

Hmm.


Pratyush.

He just called you a Prat. Are yopu giong to stand there and let him win? GET IN THERE!

Oh. Considering I have just watched fight club recently, there doesnt have to be a reson to get into a fight any way..

Box box on Spacemonkey!

 

[Pratters]

The score of 247/9 isnt as disappointing as it looks. The key aspect is the loss of 9 wickets on the first day of a four day match. It makes the result far more probable than say a score of 270/3 by South Africa. A draw would be far more possible with a high score by South Africa and England avoiding a follow on.

The way it stands, a result is very probable which is a relief. Which way the match goes will depend on which team plays better.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well it depends on whether you say SA got 270/3 in the same conditions as today or on a featherbed as the score might suggest. Remember that the follow-on is 150 runs because there was no play on day 1, so it makes a follow-on more likely.

 

[marc71178]

Why? When we collapsed 1st innings at Durban, most of the comments I read were about poor English batting rather than the pitch.

My point exactly - we've not seen fit to moan about umpiring decisions, especially not correct calls.

 

[marc71178]

Because some people were apprehensive about an English collapse because of the pitch even before the match started.

They were, so who were these then, and where did they say this?

 

[Pratters]

Well it depends on whether you say SA got 270/3 in the same conditions as today or on a featherbed as the score might suggest. Remember that the follow-on is 150 runs because there was no play on day 1, so it makes a follow-on more likely.

Good point regarding the follow on which I had missed.

The 9 wickets do show it is more likely not to be a feather bed, not disregarding the effort of the English bowlers. Which is one aspect of relief.

Another aspect is South Africa not making massive runs in the first inning. That would mean that England would look to avoid the follow on first and the match could look to end in a draw in no time.

Easier to have a follow on with only 150 runs but I prefer a closer match right through where England may not go into a defensive frame of mind any time soon which could insure more wickets fallign and hence a result being more probable.

 

[marc71178]

The most important aspect is the pitch obviously but bowlers do tend to bowl from the end where the umpire is more likely to give out for a certain bowler too on ocassions. I am surprised you dont know that.

No because it's rubbish.

Whenever a pair of opening bowlers play, they decide which end suits which (or which end suits the senior bowler better if they can't agree)

That is the main decision to make, not if the umpire is the right one.

For instance if there's only a patch of rough outside the off stump at one end,the spinner picks that end.

 

[marc71178]

And because you things its totally wrong, does not mean so.

Well in 3 days time you will be proven to be wrong!

 

[Pratters]

They were, so who were these then, and where did they say this?

Read the posts before day 1 when the match starts to find them.

 

[Pratters]

My point exactly - we've not seen fit to moan about umpiring decisions, especially not correct calls.

I have not moaned about umpiring decisions because I have accepted they wouldnt have an impact on results. I just felt they were not out and it was not for any other contrived reason.

English didnt on that instance too appreciate the bowling as much from South Africa. The batsmen did bat pathetically the instance they collapsed and there was no way some thing else could be brought into the main realm of possibility.

 

[marc71178]

Its not my fault the English fans have discussed more about the pitch being such a crucial factor.

Just because we've discussed the pitch, doesn't mean we're automatically going to blame it.

The pitch is quite a key factor in team make-up, so to not discuss it would be daft.

 

[Swervy]

Good point regarding the follow on which I had missed.

The 9 wickets do show it is more likely not to be a feather bed, not disregarding the effort of the English bowlers. Which is one aspect of relief.

Another aspect is South Africa not making massive runs in the first inning. That would mean that England would look to avoid the follow on first and the match could look to end in a draw in no time.

Easier to have a follow on with only 150 runs but I prefer a closer match right through where England may not go into a defensive frame of mind any time soon which could insure more wickets fallign and hence a result being more probable.

I see your point..however I think the Saffies would much prefer to be 270/3 than the situation they are in now. If SA had got a big score,say 500 by maybe tea tomorrow,it would have given them a great chance of getting the 20 wickets needed by enforcing the follow on at 350 for England.

I think those spells by Flintoff and Jones may well have secured the series win for England

 

[Pratters]

No because it's rubbish.

Whenever a pair of opening bowlers play, they decide which end suits which (or which end suits the senior bowler better if they can't agree)

That is the main decision to make, not if the umpire is the right one.

For instance if there's only a patch of rough outside the off stump at one end,the spinner picks that end.

More often than not this is the case. But if an umpire is totally NOT giving a player out for a certain spinner, ends are changed. This is not rubbish!

 

[Pratters]

Well in 3 days time you will be proven to be wrong!

I wont talk about the prediction before the series ends. You under estimated South Africa. I will only say this which I believe you know as well.

 

[Pratters]

Just because we've discussed the pitch, doesn't mean we're automatically going to blame it.

To go on to say I am having thoughts of an English collapse already on one of the greeniest wickets ever seen isnt what I call pitch discussion!