**Official** South Africa in England 2012

[uvelocity]

contrast with the first test when saffers were flat day one and came out firing day two, minus their keeper. well in front now. poms have been average.

 

[Jacknife]

About 150 more than it should be.

They're were a few dodgy what the **** overs but on the whole they bowled well, yesterday evening and this morning they were excellent, much more like the England we know, tired a bit this afternoon but that's understandable .

 

[Prince EWS]

Much higher quality of cricket today. Looks like the whole game hinged on Cook's dropped catch.

Yeah, indeed. I still can't believe that innings was worth 180 odd. We've all seen some ordinary big hundreds that aren't rated very highly because the pitch the flat, the bowling was poor or the game/series situation was unimportant but none of those things are remotely true here. The pitch is a bit slow but there's been plenty of movement around, England haven't bowled at their best the whole time but it's still a very high quality attack and they did definitely show that in periods, and the stakes couldn't have been much higher. He just looked like he was going to get out any minute throughout the whole innings but then just never did. I struggle to recall anything quite like it.

 

[Jacknife]

Cooky takes a second catch in the slips.

Two out of three 'aint bad. I suppose.

Dropped the wrong one.

 

[Jacknife]

Yeah, indeed. I still can't believe that innings was worth 180 odd. We've all seen some ordinary big hundreds that aren't rated very highly because the pitch the flat, the bowling was poor or the game/series situation was unimportant but none of those things are remotely true here. The pitch is a bit slow but there's been plenty of movement around, England haven't bowled at their best the whole time but it's still a very high quality attack and they did definitely show that in periods, and the stakes couldn't have been much higher. He just looked like he was going to get out any minute throughout the whole innings but then just never did. I struggle to recall anything quite like it.

Got to admit it was a pretty strange innings, went from one minute looking secure to constant play & misses, never looked truly in.

 

[Spikey]

Yeah, indeed. I still can't believe that innings was worth 180 odd. We've all seen some ordinary big hundreds that aren't rated very highly because the pitch the flat, the bowling was poor or the game/series situation was unimportant but none of those things are remotely true here. The pitch is a bit slow but there's been plenty of movement around, England haven't bowled at their best the whole time but it's still a very high quality attack and they did definitely show that in periods, and the stakes couldn't have been much higher. He just looked like he was going to get out any minute throughout the whole innings but then just never did. I struggle to recall anything quite like it.

It's nice to see a SA batsman sorta somehow make 150, instead of the batting line-up sorta somehow losing SA the match and levelling the series

 

[Pothas]

Thought it was going to the worst double in history, one of the most anoying innings I can remember since that bloody Matthew Elliot 199.

 

[Xuhaib]

Yeah, indeed. I still can't believe that innings was worth 180 odd. We've all seen some ordinary big hundreds that aren't rated very highly because the pitch the flat, the bowling was poor or the game/series situation was unimportant but none of those things are remotely true here. The pitch is a bit slow but there's been plenty of movement around, England haven't bowled at their best the whole time but it's still a very high quality attack and they did definitely show that in periods, and the stakes couldn't have been much higher. He just looked like he was going to get out any minute throughout the whole innings but then just never did. I struggle to recall anything quite like it.

you just hate the Virus yes he played and missed a lot but there was generally a lot of quality stroke play.

 

[Jacknife]

First thing first is see off the new ball, DON'T need an early wicket.

Oh good first ball, played it well in the end.

 

[Prince EWS]

Strauss needs runs here, so so much.

 

[Prince EWS]

I can really feel a duck here.

 

[Stumpcam]

you just hate the Virus yes he played and missed a lot but there was generally a lot of quality stroke play.

What? Any single one of those 30 or 40 or more play and misses could have caused his downfall. He was given a huge let-off when he had less than 30 too, so all the luck resided with Petersen almost throughout his innings.

 

[Jacknife]

Seems obvious to say but the name of the game is to leave the ball whenever possible here.

 

[Jacknife]

Strauss needs runs here, so so much.

So does Cook.

 

[Eds]

You know you're in a slow era when Vernon Philander is listed as fast-medium.

 

[Prince EWS]

Pies first up from Philander here.

 

[uvelocity]

such a shame to not give steyn the fresh pill

 

[Stumpcam]

South Africa's radar is broke methinks.

 

[wpdavid]

So Finn played, went for 100+ at close to 4 runs an over. Onions for Lord's?

Not so different from Bresnan who is supposed to be able to control the scoring rate. And carried rather more threat than Timmy as well. I could make a case for Anderson, Finn & Onions at Lord's.

 

[Jacknife]

Not so different from Bresnan who is supposed to be able to control the scoring rate. And carried rather more threat than Timmy as well. I could make a case for Anderson, Finn & Onions at Lord's.

Could do but would leave a rat like tail.