*Official* South Africa in England Thread

[Anil]

From a cricketing point of view, it is a huge loss for the young SA team still reeling from that demoralising defeat in the Natwest final.

Let's hope he comes back soon to strengthen the SA team...and hopefully for them, it won't be too late in the series....

 

[Craig]

By any chance Marc did you read my post that I said I saw his Test debut (unless I forgot to add it - apologies)?

Condolences to Mr Kallis and his family. I can almost understand what he is going through.

 

[Mr. P]

I don't think anyone could understand what Kallis is going through-and nor do I

 

[marc71178]

Can't say I remeber seeing it Craig.

 

[luckyeddie]

SA won the toss and batted.

Five day weather forecast is a bit grim - could well be heavy rain Friday and Saturday. I remember that sort of forecast for the first Zimbabwe game (and it was totally wrong)

Harmison to get panned in 5....2.....7...... (sorry, keyboard malfunction. Manufactured by same company as Harmison's radar)

 

[Craig]

I don't think anyone could understand what Kallis is going through-and nor do I

Well somebody in family has cancer, not lung cancer, might cancer though.

Another needless stat that if South Africa win 5-0, then they will have a winning streak of 14 Tests in a row and could then topple Australia's record of 16 Tests wins in a row if they beat Pakistan in Pakistan.

 

[Mr. P]

that may be true-i had a relation who had cancer, but kallis's experiance would be very different from yours

 

[Craig]

Fair enough.

Lets move on. The outfield looks good and the pitch looks good for batting, meanwhile Anderson's line and length is not good.

England - Trescothick, Vaughan, Butcher, *Hussain, McGrath, +Stewart, Flintoff, Giles, Gough, Anderson, Harmison

South Africa - *Smith, Gibbs, Kirsten, Dippenaar, Rudolph, +Boucher, Pollock, Peterson, Pretourious, Willoghby (spelling), Ntini

Good mark of respect shown by England by wearing black arm bands with the South Africans.

 

[luckyeddie]

As we move towards lunch, South Africa are very much in the ascendancy with only Harmison and a couple of deliveries from Freddie giving them any real difficulty.

Slow pitch, fast outfield, wayward bowling - dip your bread.

 

[Rik]

Giles has done a Jimmy with his blonde tint...

It's not working the same magic though...

 

[luckyeddie]

Giles has done a Jimmy with his blonde tint...

It's not working the same magic though...

Oh, I don't know so much. Anderson's been almost Giles-like with his penetration this morning.

 

[Rik]

Oh, I don't know so much. Anderson's been almost Giles-like with his penetration this morning.

I was meaning that it hasn't worked as well as it did before as soon as Giles copied it...anyway who does he think he is? Some young tyro?

 

[marc71178]

And Rain forecast for tomorrow (when I've booked the afternoon off work to watch :!( )

Interesting to hear Harmison is causing problems LE, or was the duck speaking?

 

[Rik]

Interesting to hear Harmison is causing problems LE, or was the duck speaking?

The only problems I saw for SA involving Harmison were when Smith and Gibbs wacked the cover off the ball only to see it brilliantly fielded again and again.

 

[luckyeddie]

I was just testing to see whether Rik was watching the game on teletext as usual.

Harmison, to be fair, did made both batsmen jump around when he first came on (when I first posted the message) as opposed to Anderson, Gough and Flintoff who just got the batsmen jumping all over the ball and the rest of us jumping for the record books.

At the moment, I wouldn't pay a single bowler in washers. Sure, there's no help from the wicket but you have to pick a side and stick to it.

I can only see Giles taking a wicket at the moment (as I type this, Vaughan puts Gibbs down off Butcher).

Mental scars?

 

[Neil Pickup]

0/255

Time for a Rain Dance...

Our fielding has been riddled with errors that our Under 11s would have been ashamed of.

I am not looking forward to tonight's match report.

 

[Rik]

I was just testing to see whether Rik was watching the game on teletext as usual.

Harmison, to be fair, did made both batsmen jump around when he first came on (when I first posted the message) as opposed to Anderson, Gough and Flintoff who just got the batsmen jumping all over the ball and the rest of us jumping for the record books.

At the moment, I wouldn't pay a single bowler in washers. Sure, there's no help from the wicket but you have to pick a side and stick to it.

I can only see Giles taking a wicket at the moment (as I type this, Vaughan puts Gibbs down off Butcher).

Mental scars?

I've heard worries about SA's bowling attack, but everyone seemed to forget about England's...

Anderson has had a shocker, 6.2 an over!

I didn't want Gough picked in the 1st place and he's showing why: He looks underdone, seems to have lost the spark and he's bowling both sides of the wicket.

Harmison hasn't been the worst, but he hasn't exactly done anything either.

Giles is his typical self, no wickets, and not much chance of one unless Gibbs gifts him one.

Flintoff has done just what he's done in every Test I've seen him bowl in, keeps it tight and bowls some dangerous deliveries but no swing and not amazing pace and rather too much bang in and block. It works in ODIs but not in Tests Freddie...

Does anyone know how long it took Richard James "Substitute" Kirtley to get back to the Sussex game and who's place he took? I suspect he's getting rather good at this.

 

[Anil]

280 for 0 in 60....SA couldn't have hoped for a more perfect start....

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I didn't want Gough picked in the 1st place and he's showing why: He looks underdone, seems to have lost the spark and he's bowling both sides of the wicket.

You are way too quick in judgement. The man hasn't played Test cricket in a year! You can't expect him to pick right up where he left off. He's still the best bowler in England IMO and he will recover form if given a chance.

 

[Rik]

You are way too quick in judgement. The man hasn't played Test cricket in a year! You can't expect him to pick right up where he left off. He's still the best bowler in England IMO and he will recover form if given a chance.

You haven't seen him bowl in this Test. There's just nothing there, he's bowling with a very low action and I can't remember a ball he bowled that rushed either Smith or Gibbs. Gibbs' 6 off Gough followed by a cut 4 is evidence of that.

Your point though does raise an interisting question, if you accept he's not in best form and needs time to get back into bowling in Tests then why was he picked after only a few 4D games for Yorkshire? He's not had enough 4D cricket to prepare himself for the Test in my opinion. And from watching Gough over the years, there is definately something missing. Believe me I, like all England supporters, love Goughie for his heart and ability, it's just I don't think he's the bowler he used to be and today only confirms that.