*Official* England in South Africa

[silentstriker]

Swanneh looking good - that's OUT! Awesome stuff. Harris did well too, maybe we're seeing some decent spin stocks around the world. Swann should get five here, definitely, maybe up to seven.

And Hauritz got a fiver too earlier....

 

[Prince EWS]

Swanneh!!!

 

[superkingdave]

Swanneh!

 

[GIMH]

Fuming about us losing that run tbh

 

[tooextracool]

This is simply unbelievable..I know a lot of people said Swann was a fluke in the Ashes but I think he has been quite consistent and might just be the spinner England have been looking for since the 90s.

As mentioned earlier, I think the fact that Swann is an attacking spin bowler, like Warne, means that he is more likely to have games where he is taken apart and bowls poorly than some other spin bowlers just because he tries to do different things. I dont think this is a bad thing and I agree with those who feel that he is one of the best spinners we have seen for England since at least Phil Tufnell (and his batting is an added advantage that puts Tufnell to shame).

I was impressed from the first time I saw him bowl in 1999, and was disappointed that he wasnt given another shot at the international level especially considering some of the spinners who have been given a go in the meantime.

 

[Prince EWS]

I've never understood people questioning whether Swann could continue his Ashes bowling form or not considering it was comfortably the worst he's ever bowled over the course of a series. He bowled a few good spells that really contributed to England's wins but I thought he underperformed for the mostpart compared to how he's bowled in the rest of his career - is it just a case of people not really paying attention to anything other than the Ashes or something? I don't get it at all.

 

[GIMH]

I've never understood people questioning whether Swann could continue his Ashes bowling form or not considering it was comfortably the worst he's ever bowled over the course of a series. He bowled a few good spells that really contributed to England's wins but I thought he underperformed for the mostpart compared to how he's bowled in the rest of his career - is it just a case of people not really paying attention to anything other than the Ashes or something? I don't get it at all.

are you new?

 

[tooextracool]

Think most people hadnt seen much off him outside of the Ashes. He underperformed in some games during the series, but he was also brilliant at certain times, for example at Lords, whilst Cardiff was quite easily the worst I have seen him bowl. For an off spinner he is unusual in that a) hes attacking and b) he can have some really poor games, but at the end of the day hes still a relatively inexperienced spin bowler at the international level and has done admirably so far so if people cut him half the slack they cut Monty for succeeding against the worst players of spin in the world, it would be great.

Slightly off topic, but I quite like Swann going around the wicket to bowl to the right handers. I think it brings both lbw and the slip into the equation and makes him infinitely more potent.

 

[tooextracool]

Harris' batting is similar to his bowling in that he looks complete **** and still ends up getting far more runs that he should. Seriously though, Im not sure how he ends up lasting as long as he does despite the fact that he has an absolutely rank technique.

 

[Redbacks]

Harris' batting is similar to his bowling in that he looks complete **** and still ends up getting far more runs that he should. Seriously though, Im not sure how he ends up lasting as long as he does despite the fact that he has an absolutely rank technique.

Collingwood syndrome?

 

[Top_Cat]

Harris' batting is similar to his bowling in that he looks complete **** and still ends up getting far more runs that he should. Seriously though, Im not sure how he ends up lasting as long as he does despite the fact that he has an absolutely rank technique.

Something about technique being a means to an end, not the end itself, not 'how' but 'how many', etc. He's quite a good cricketer even if he doesn't look like one.

 

[superkingdave]

Dodgy review again for mine, Broads not bowled well this morning, too excited.

maybe not then

 

[GIMH]

Miles out

 

[GIMH]

Excellent. An innings victory is ever closer.

 

[tooextracool]

Collingwood syndrome?

Collingwood has a perfectly decent technique. The only problem that I have observed with his technique is that he squares himself up at times but thats not a significant problem at the test match level.

 

[GIMH]

5 each for Broad and Swann? I hope so

 

[Craig]

To be honest, this decline has been coming for a while now. They beat England in England whilst carrying a very ordinary attack and did the same against Aus where Dale Steyn, Harris and Kallis covered the shortcomings of their other bowlers. With the loss of Pollock, Nel and more recently Ntini, and with Kalllis struggling to overcome injury, their bowling attack is crying out for some younger blood. Hopefully for their own sake De Wet and Tsotsobe are given a run in the side fairly soon.

I haven't seen De Wet bowl yet, you don't rate Parnell? He looks like he had potential when I saw him bowl in Perth in an ODI earlier this year.

 

[GIMH]

**** that was out, didn't look it live though

 

[_Ed_]

To tell you all about it, while I bash out a bulletin, will be Sahil Dutta

 

[tooextracool]

Something about technique being a means to an end, not the end itself, not 'how' but 'how many', etc.

I think its more a case of the lines and lengths that England bowl to him. I was continually frustrated with the rarity with which England bowled the ball on the stumps and/or pitched the ball up to him in 2008 and we are cseeing a recurrence of this in 2009.

This is confirmed when you consider that he averages twice as much against England than his overall career average. For me someone like Steyn is a much better batsman.