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

91Jmay

International Coach
Yeah our team looks a bit **** to be honest, I think we can win this series but I'd probably have SA as slight favourites given their record in England.
 

StephenZA

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Faf out of the first test,Elgar to captain.Presume Bavuma will bat 5 and De Bruyne 6?
De Bruyn could bat 3, 4 or 5... think they will keep Bavuma at 6 but could drop Amla to 4 or push Duminy to 4. De Bruyn normally bats 3/4 for franchise.

For all the problems with SA cricket, they also make lots of good decisions in this case making Elgar captain was the right choice and is also very much forward thinking.
 

Marius

International Debutant
I reckon they'll keep Bra T at six, and De Bruyn will bat at five.

His bowling will also probably be useful on English pitches.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
So I guess England are likely to go with:

Cook
Jennings
Root
Ballance
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
TRJ
Broad
Wood
Anderson

3 Durham and 3 Yorkshire players. I'd be surprised if Moeen moved down the order. I would think the logical course is to keep him at 5 and if he doesn't score enough runs then he gets dropped. As he's essentially a batsman who bowls.
 

Daemon

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Feels like both teams are sorely lacking a middle order, though Bairstow at 7 certainly helps England cover up.

SA should probably give Harmer a ring considering his last two performances.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Quinton at 7 would help out RSA too. This is going to be an exciting series nevertheless and both teams going in with a few more flaws/question marks than usual only amps the excitement for me. :)


And I am very much looking forward to seeing the two most exciting batsmen/keepers duel it out this series. Both of them are way too good to be wasted at 7. Expect at least one of them to move up to a permanent #6 slot by the end of hte series.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
So I guess England are likely to go with:

Cook
Jennings
Root
Ballance
Moeen
Stokes
Bairstow
TRJ
Broad
Wood
Anderson

3 Durham and 3 Yorkshire players. I'd be surprised if Moeen moved down the order. I would think the logical course is to keep him at 5 and if he doesn't score enough runs then he gets dropped. As he's essentially a batsman who bowls.
True, but the tail looks longer than we're used to lately. Admittedly I don't know a thing about TRJ's batting, but I can see that lineup losing its last four wickets for 20.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I'm having a hard time deciding whether five seamers or Liam Dawson would be a sillier option. I wouldn't have even entertained the idea of either, but these are the options the selectors have locked themselves into.

I think **** balance annoys me slightly more than **** players though, so I guess I'm on the Dawson train.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I'm having a hard time deciding whether five seamers or Liam Dawson would be a sillier option. I wouldn't have even entertained the idea of either, but these are the options the selectors have locked themselves into.

I think **** balance annoys me slightly more than **** players though, so I guess I'm on the Dawson train.
Yes, I'd go along with all of that.
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
Yeah it sucks.

We shouldn't really be in a situation where questionable allrounders (Moeen) leaves us with a balance problem to which the answer is even more questionable allrounders (Dawson).

Regardless of batting position, the point of Moeen Ali was always to allow us to play more batsmen, not fewer.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah it sucks.

We shouldn't really be in a situation where questionable allrounders (Moeen) leaves us with a balance problem to which the answer is even more questionable allrounders (Dawson).

Regardless of batting position, the point of Moeen Ali was always to allow us to play more batsmen, not fewer.
Is it unreasonable to suggest that Bayliss' stock is deteriorating somewhat?
Since the win in SA, we've drawn with a Pakistan side who really should have beaten at home, or at least, we shouldn't have lost two tests to them at home.
The trouncing in India would have been more bearable if some of the selections hadn't been so silly.
And now we have this.

Of course, that will change if we go on and beat SA.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
3 Durham and 3 Yorkshire players. I'd be surprised if Moeen moved down the order. I would think the logical course is to keep him at 5 and if he doesn't score enough runs then he gets dropped. As he's essentially a batsman who bowls.
Don't think Moeen is batting above Stokes.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Don't think Moeen is batting above Stokes.
Moeen batted above Stokes in India, that's basically the only reason he's still in the side - because he batted well enough to remain in the side. He was utterly useless with the ball. Rashid completely outbowled him, it's frankly bizarre that Rashid isn't in the squad ahead of Dawson. I'm not particularly a fan of Rashid, but he will have his moments, and when England basically have 6 bowlers, 7 if you include Jennings (he's a good part-time option) then Rashid is a luxury England can afford. Dawson is the exact opposite, I don't see a role where his bowling really adds anything. He's never going to bowl anyone out when you're chasing a win on a flat or wearing pitch. On a flat pitch you'd rather have the seamers hold up an end. He's just there for 'variety' and because Moeen's a shite bowler. A very negative selection.
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
Is there a better batsman than Moeen in the county? If not, then what's the problem?
Quite a few I think, he's a better batsman than bowler but is extremely loose and tends to make his runs in cameos. Based on what I've seen for England I would say he's not a better batsman than Buttler for example, and Buttler's red ball record is completely unconvincing.
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
They didn't even pick an additional bat in the squad so it's pretty obvious they are going for 4 pacers + Stokes.
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Quite a few I think, he's a better batsman than bowler but is extremely loose and tends to make his runs in cameos. Based on what I've seen for England I would say he's not a better batsman than Buttler for example, and Buttler's red ball record is completely unconvincing.
Like?
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
I'm basing my observation on watching him bat so I can't go on to say with any confidence that some guy with a good average is better than him. But I would expect the guys that have done consistently well up the order in county cricket like Stoneman, Robson, Westley and Hildreth to have a better technique and staying power at the crease.
 

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