*** Official*** South Africa in England 2017

[LegionOfBrad]

problem is you've basically got 4 passengers at the moment.

jennings
ballance
wood
dawson

sends out a terrible message if you bin the lot of them and there's not many knocking through walls to get into the side.

They're always much quicker on the draw in binning off bowlers as compared to batsman. There is some merit in it as Batsman can sometimes just get Jaffa's/rough decisions and a bowler has a lot more chance to show himself to be **** but I would expect neither Wood or Dawson to play another test this summer. With one of Ballance and Jennings to also get chopped after this test.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Ballance might be tempted to point out that he's batting out of position, whcih doesn't help. Whether he's good enough anyway is debateable, but just saying.

I was going to point out that Phillander is showing what can be done with the first new ball if you're good enough, but I suppose our boys didn't have the benefit of bowling to Keaton Jennings.

Baz has been batting 4 this season for Yorkshire so not a huge difference. Root to 3 Baz to 4 and a new opener may be the way they go.

 

[Groundking]

Stokes at 8? Not long ago people were saying he should bat in the top 4.

He's not really justifying his batting spot though, since the start of last summer (May) he's managed 576 runs @ 32.00

Also regarding our opening problem, realistically going on who's got runs in the CC we've got 3 options that have all done pretty similar averaging at around 60, who are Stoneman, Burns and Robson, with Robson having played the least and having the least runs out of the three, but we've got the problem of having no.1 and no.3 being left handers, so if we're picking Stoneman or Burns we're going to have 3 left handers at the top of the order again. And of course we can **** about with the order again, but I think the fact that as soon as Root's captain he's moved himself back down to 4 tells a LOT in terms of where he feels most comfortable, and it shows statistically, he averages 10 more batting at 4 compared to 3, so ultimately I think the best choice is to complete the cirlce and go back to Robson, for that lovely left/right hand combination in the top 4.

 

[wpdavid]

It can't help that the only domestic cricket being played at present involves various versions of limited overs. Which doesn't help us find someone who's in decent nick to try their luck against SA's openers.

 

[wpdavid]

Baz has been batting 4 this season for Yorkshire so not a huge difference. Root to 3 Baz to 4 and a new opener may be the way they go.

tbh I thought he had been batting at 5, so not as much difference as I had imagined.

I do like Root at 4, so it's not an easy call.


Where does Dawson bat for Hampshire btw?
I thought I read something about him opening in the CC, but I couldn't say for sure. I quite like the idea of one of our bowlers being a pinch blocker for the test team, to try and see the new ball off.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

He's not really justifying his batting spot though, since the start of last summer (May) he's managed 576 runs @ 32.00

Also regarding our opening problem, realistically going on who's got runs in the CC we've got 3 options that have all done pretty similar averaging at around 60, who are Stoneman, Burns and Robson, with Robson having played the least and having the least runs out of the three, but we've got the problem of having no.1 and no.3 being left handers, so if we're picking Stoneman or Burns we're going to have 3 left handers at the top of the order again. And of course we can **** about with the order again, but I think the fact that as soon as Root's captain he's moved himself back down to 4 tells a LOT in terms of where he feels most comfortable, and it shows statistically, he averages 10 more batting at 4 compared to 3, so ultimately I think the best choice is to complete the cirlce and go back to Robson, for that lovely left/right hand combination in the top 4.

Would be ok with that. I haven't seen anything of Robson to know if he's fixed his technical issues but if he has stopped getting bowled constantly that would be great.

Just thinking of this series a RH opener would be a better shirt term pick against Vern. It's not like hes crap against them tho.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

It can't help that the only domestic cricket being played at present involves various versions of limited overs. Which doesn't help us find someone who's in decent nick to try their luck against SA's openers.

This has been mentioned before but it also really messes with our spin prospects as they spend the best conditions of the summer for them bowling darts in LI cricket. Swann talks about this on TMS a lot.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

tbh I thought he had been batting at 5, so not as much difference as I had imagined.

I do like Root at 4, so it's not an easy call.


Where does Dawson bat for Hampshire btw?
I thought I read something about him opening in the CC, but I couldn't say for sure. I quite like the idea of one of our bowlers being a pinch blocker for the test team, so try and see the new ball off.

Has opened in one game this summer but has also come in at 4. He hasn't played a lot of FC cricket this season as been involved with England squads throughout.

 

[Pothas]

tbh I thought he had been batting at 5, so not as much difference as I had imagined.

I do like Root at 4, so it's not an easy call.


Where does Dawson bat for Hampshire btw?
I thought I read something about him opening in the CC, but I couldn't say for sure. I quite like the idea of one of our bowlers being a pinch blocker for the test team, so try and see the new ball off.

Opened a couple of times this season but that is only because they needed to cram so many players into the middle order. He did actually make a half decent fist of becoming a county opener a few years back but he is never going to be a Test opener.

 

[StephenZA]

Closer than I thought, but always close to going over the top....

 

[Pothas]

This has been mentioned before but it also really messes with our spin prospects as they spend the best conditions of the summer for them bowling darts in LI cricket. Swann talks about this on TMS a lot.

Yeah it is a worry with Crane. Not that he is bowling darts but one day cricket is obviously very different.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Can understand that being given not out just on the angle.

 

[Cabinet96]

Am I right in thinking that wouldn't have been out on the old umpire's call rules?

 

[wpdavid]

Never saw that coming, did we.

And not for the first time, Philander shows himself to be a class or two above anyone else in this series with the new ball.

 

[StephenZA]

Brave great review...

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Back on the ditch them both train now.

 

[SeamUp]

At work so missing out on the fun.

 

[ImpatientLime]

only steyn belongs in the same conversation as big vern from this era.

****ing next level quality.

 

[wpdavid]

Back on the ditch them both train now.

Yeah, bring in two from Robson, Stoneman, Hales or whoever. I don't really care, as our domestic game stopped producing decent alternatives a few years ago.


When are we allowed to start having a guess at England's final score in this innings?
Yesterday I was suggesting a bit less than 200, but that will be optimistic if one of these goes in the near future.

 

[King Pietersen]

Ballance is trash. Bin him again and don't bring him back.