*Official* England in South Africa Thread

[Langeveldt]

Bwahahahahahaha! I know that feeling SOOOO well. I do it more during the football than the cricket though these days, I have to admit.

Looks reasonably safe for England now - a solid performance, but there isn't a gulf evident between the sides yet.

TV back on.. Composure regained..

Time for someone to be a hero methinks..

 

[Magrat Garlick]

*Watches Rich grab his remote control*

 

[Langeveldt]

*Watches Rich grab his remote control*

I'm not too dishartened about Tsolekile making a fool of himself.. Hopefully if things are a disgrace in our own back yard, something will be done about it..

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I'm not too dishartened about Tsolekile making a fool of himself.. Hopefully if things are a disgrace in our own back yard, something will be done about it..

That was when Zander fell, actually.

Target of around 150, shouldn't be too hard to chase...even if Steyn decided to do a "Harmy"

 

[Jono]

All out. England need 141 to win.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Bwahahahahahaha! I know that feeling SOOOO well. I do it more during the football than the cricket though these days, I have to admit.

Looks reasonably safe for England now - a solid performance, but there isn't a gulf evident between the sides yet.

Not a gulf perhaps, but a significant gap (dubious selections on SA's side doesn't help obviously). Considering how many idiotic dismissals there were from England and how Harmison has probably played his worst game for a year, then SA got an advantage of batting first, home conditions and a slow pitch yet England *should* still win comfortably.

 

[Jono]

England 2/21.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Vaughan and Strauss playing decent cricket for once. Not been a lot of that in this Test.

 

[Scaly piscine]

England keeping up their habit of just opening the door when they're about to move out of reach

 

[tooextracool]

i cant believe jones didnt get an over before the end of the day. hes certainly been more impressive than harmison has in this test match.

well i still wonder why jones didnt get to bowl yesterday, certainly showed vaughan what he can do today.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Utterly farcical, offering light because of the floodlights to the fielding side.

 

[wpdavid]

Utterly farcical, offering light because of the floodlights to the fielding side.

It's raining now, so they wouldn't have finished today anyway. At the time it left a sour taste, but then I remembered our complaints about fielding in bad light in NZ 3 years ago, so I guess we can't have it both ways. And apparently the rule was agreed by both sides before this series, so I reckon we'd have done the same.

Incidentally, Tresco has now twice been dismissed by Pollock on the first ball of an innings - the other time was at Trent Bridge in 2003. I wonder if there are any other batsman/bowler pairs who have achieved that.

 

[jf2001]

Test Reports from a Somerset Fan out in SA

Just received and uploaded several match reports from "Bagpuss" in SA who is out there with the Barmy Army. Her reports for days 1 & 2 can be found at: www.southwestcricket.com

I have high hopes that she'll be able to send some photos too before long. It looks very much like victory number 8 for England which is fantastic news. If anyone has any questions you'd like me to pass on to her about the series, though I know its early, I'll be happy to do so. She is fiercely Somerset so anything re Morkel/Smith/Tresco etc, I'm sure she'll be watching with marroon-tinted glasses!

cheers and happy christmas one and all,

John Fuller

 

[Scaly piscine]

It's raining now, so they wouldn't have finished today anyway. At the time it left a sour taste, but then I remembered our complaints about fielding in bad light in NZ 3 years ago, so I guess we can't have it both ways. And apparently the rule was agreed by both sides before this series, so I reckon we'd have done the same.

Incidentally, Tresco has now twice been dismissed by Pollock on the first ball of an innings - the other time was at Trent Bridge in 2003. I wonder if there are any other batsman/bowler pairs who have achieved that.

I think Pedro Collins got a Bangladeshi opener out with the first ball of a Test twice. The floodlights were on for a good hour before they offered light to the fielding side and for some reason they'd offered it to the batters during drinks earlier but not to the fielding side then. It's all very nonsensical really and lists among the 'cricket shoots itself in the foot' moments which there have been quite a lot of recently.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Hannan Sarkar's the guilty party.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just been watching the highlights on Sky. A few random observations:

1) Pollock got a absolute smeller of a decision. I rate Taufel as an ump, but SP missed the ball by a very good six inches.

2) Genius slower ball from my new fav Taff to dismiss SA's wicket-keeper (not gonna try to spell name), maybe Cairns's to Read will be shown a bit less now.

3) Said wicky is a quality keeper. When Boucher comes back it will be because of his superior batting. Is 56 extras with no byes a test record?

4) Watching Strauss at the mo is like being smacked in the face with a cricket-bat with "class" stamped on it in big letters. FEC if ever there was one. Gotta work on that pull tho!

5) Steyn's ball to bowl Vaughan was absolute Jaffa. Good length, pitched middle & leg, hit off. Too good for most batters I'd reckon. The boy will do well.

6) Smith's offies have definite potential. Admittedly getting fair bit of help from pitch, but turning it further than Ash was.

7) AD is gonna be quality commentator. Laconic, precise & not in love with his own voice or opinions.

 

[Craig]

What a great Test this is turning out to be. I quite like the look of Steyn and his no-ball problem is something that can be corrected. I hope he retains his place for Durban and given a go considering he has serious pace. I'm surprised however, Nicky Boje (the VC) wasn't picked. De Villars may or may not play in the second Test.

This Test is probably the best I have seen Simon Jones bowl, and maybe not such a happy Test for Harmison, but I guess you get matches where you don't shed loads of wickets. Sometimes I do question the shot selection of some England players.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Bojé's out injured.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think Pedro Collins got a Bangladeshi opener out with the first ball of a Test twice.

Nay, thrice. In 3 consecutive WI v Bangladesh Tests too. Guess what shot he was playing...

 

[Neil Pickup]

Was the leave, wasn't it?