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

[Quaggas]

Well all want to BELIEVE in Mulder.

Sprinklers (?) at 45-50s turned on to make him look like he's on fire in the nets. Subtle marketing, #ProteaFire

 

[SeamUp]

Faf is expecting a child so may miss the first test at Lord's.

Captain ? Hash - Deano - JP ?

 

[SeamUp]

SA 'A' v England Lions 4-day test starting tomorrow.

Expected SA 'A'

Markram (c), Kuhn, de Bruyn, Bavuma, Zondo, Mulder or Smith, Klaasen (wk), Piedt, Olivier, Paterson, B.Hendricks or Dala

* Ideally Ngidi and Dupavillon replace the last two in the long run.

Expected England Lions

Jennings (c), Gubbins, Hameed, Stoneman, Lawrence, Foakes (wk), S.Curran , C.Overton, Leach, Porter, Garton 12th Helm

 

[StephenZA]

Faf is expecting a child so may miss the first test at Lord's.

Captain ? Hash - Deano - JP ?

Should be Elgar, possibly Hash... what about ABdV for one test!

 

[SeamUp]

Should be Elgar, possibly Hash... what about ABdV for one test!

He has said no chance ! What cricket board would allow this unless it is favoring them !

AB de Villiers confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he will not be persuaded to stay on for longer after opting out of the entire Test series to manage his workload. De Villiers will lead in the T20s and will then return home, to prioritise family time. His second child is also due in July.

That may mean Hashim Amla, who stepped down from the Test captaincy in January 2016, may be forced into an emergency substitution. Or South Africa may look to senior opener Dean Elgar or even JP Duminy, who has led in the T20s, for leadership.

 

[StephenZA]

He has said no chance ! What cricket board would allow this unless it is favoring them !

I think that it is accepted behind the scenes he will never play tests again. Obviously they want him for the LO and also with the new T20 need him as a marquee player!

Even mentioning Duminy at this stage is terrible... he should not even be in the team.

 

[Howe_zat]

SA 'A' v England Lions 4-day test starting tomorrow.

Expected SA 'A'

Markram (c), Kuhn, de Bruyn, Bavuma, Zondo, Mulder or Smith, Klaasen (wk), Piedt, Olivier, Paterson, B.Hendricks or Dala

* Ideally Ngidi and Dupavillon replace the last two in the long run.

Expected England Lions

Jennings (c), Gubbins, Hameed, Stoneman, Lawrence, Foakes (wk), S.Curran , C.Overton, Leach, Porter, Garton 12th Helm

Strikes me as a much stronger SA 'A' side than the last with Kuhn, de Bruyn, Peidt and Paterson.

 

[SeamUp]

Strikes me as a much stronger SA 'A' side than the last with Kuhn, de Bruyn, Peidt and Paterson.

Yeah missed Kuhn, de Bruyn last game. It brings some seniority and quality to calm Markram as well.

The bowling is a concern. Olivier is decent. Will play a few tests but wouldn't say amazing. Don't rate Paterson personally. When I talk about players getting the stats domestically but not quite that next level I am thinking of him as one.

In doing the Lions batting line up , I could have drawn the first 4 out of a hat as openers !

 

[StephenZA]

Is there any chance that there will be a live stream for the Lions SA 'A' game?

And as an aside, I am so not interested in these 3 T20's I find it difficult enough at best of times, but this feels so out of place and pointless. Bring on the Tests!

 

[Zinzan]

Shows how out of date I am with cricketing happenings around the world, I didn't even know SA were there for Tests this English summer.

Should be a cracking series, pleased to see it's 4 tests too.

 

[Howe_zat]

Yeah missed Kuhn, de Bruyn last game. It brings some seniority and quality to calm Markram as well.

The bowling is a concern. Olivier is decent. Will play a few tests but wouldn't say amazing. Don't rate Paterson personally. When I talk about players getting the stats domestically but not quite that next level I am thinking of him as one.

In doing the Lions batting line up , I could have drawn the first 4 out of a hat as openers !

Bolded often applies well to those who do well on A tours tbf. A lot of this Lions team won't have played much bowling as fast as him.

As for the openers thing I expect it'll be Stoneman and Hameed opening, although they may well get Jennings and Hameed given Stoneman's experience and the quasi-England audition that would create.

Dan Lawrence has been batting four this season but actually opened for England under-19s, so there's an argument all of the batsmen are in fact openers.

 

[StephenZA]

AK Markram*, HG Kuhn, TB de Bruyn, T Bavuma, K Zondo, H Klaasen†, PWA Mulder, DL Piedt, BE Hendricks, D Olivier, CJ Dala

Pretty much the best they could have chosen, now to find out who stands up..... 8 members have the possibility to be chosen for the SA test squad....

 

[SeamUp]

Bolded often applies well to those who do well on A tours tbf. A lot of this Lions team won't have played much bowling as fast as him.

As for the openers thing I expect it'll be Stoneman and Hameed opening, although they may well get Jennings and Hameed given Stoneman's experience and the quasi-England audition that would create.

Dan Lawrence has been batting four this season but actually opened for England under-19s, so there's an argument all of the batsmen are in fact openers.

You were spot on about the openers. Hameed's poor form continues.

Runs for Stoneman/Jennings seals their spots.

Even as a Saffer Im excited to see Lawrence develop.

 

[SeamUp]

Is there any chance that there will be a live stream for the Lions SA 'A' game?

And as an aside, I am so not interested in these 3 T20's I find it difficult enough at best of times, but this feels so out of place and pointless. Bring on the Tests!

As an aside I only looked at the Proteas T20 squad now. Geez there is some crap. Smuts and Mosehle. Even Paterson. What is he doing there.

Pretty much the best they could have chosen, now to find out who stands up..... 8 members have the possibility to be chosen for the SA test squad....

Yeah. In a way glad Paterson is in T20 squad so he doesn't play here and left arm variety of Hendricks is there but Dala is very iffy too even with his pace.

Auditions begin.

 

[SeamUp]

PS Jennings captained Olivier on a SA u19 tour to England. SA won the series 6-1 under Ray Jennings.

Other Sa players in that squad were Quinny de Kock, Prenelan Subrayen, Calvin Savage, Corne Dry, Rabian Engelbrecht and Lizaad Williams.

 

[StephenZA]

As an aside I only looked at the Proteas T20 squad. Geez there is some crap. Smuts and Mosehle. Even Paterson. What is he doing there.

I can accept Mosehle cause it gives Rabada and QDK a rest from a practical point of view with Klaasens and Kuhn in the SA 'A' squad. But I would prefer just about anybody to Smuts, because while he is a good FC player and has done well for the Warriors he has no future in any of the SA squads. So lets just play a youngster. Harsh but true.

Edit: I will say that it does look like a compromise side, with players chosen for SA 'A' first and then the T20 side being filled up.

 

[Marius]

I can accept Mosehle cause it gives Rabada and QDK a rest from a practical point of view with Klaasens and Kuhn in the SA 'A' squad. But I would prefer just about anybody to Smuts, because while he is a good FC player and has done well for the Warriors he has no future in any of the SA squads. So lets just play a youngster. Harsh but true.

Edit: I will say that it does look like a compromise side, with players chosen for SA 'A' first and then the T20 side being filled up.

I don't mind seeing Smuts get a go, I like seeing guys rewarded for hard work at domestic level.

 

[Marius]

Is there any chance that there will be a live stream for the Lions SA 'A' game?

And as an aside, I am so not interested in these 3 T20's I find it difficult enough at best of times, but this feels so out of place and pointless. Bring on the Tests!

Just wanted to brag that I'll be at the first day of the Lord's Test (assuming I get my visa in time).

And hold thumbs it doesn't rain!

 

[SeamUp]

I think it was Rob Houwing who did an article and said some of the new names have just come off failures for SA A. Doesn't leave you with much confidence. ie Smuts, Mosehle

Reeza Hendricks is probably the only new batsman I'm looking forward too watching.

We probably expecting AB at 3 (33), Miller at 4 (28), Behardien at 5 (34)

 

[Scaly piscine]

Trying to think what England's full strength side would be if they played a Test tomorrow. I don't think Hameed would play given how awful his form has been this year.

Cook
Stoneman
Jennings
Root
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
Woakes (obviously injured at the moment)
Broad
Wood
Anderson

Stoneman is speculative, but I figure his record in the past few years, plus the Slurry bonus factor, may be enough to push him past Ballance. Although the latter does make it less of a shuffle in batting order.

Not sure who'd come in for Woakes. Ball? Hopefully not ****ing Finn again. Rashid would obviously be in the squad.