***Official*** South Africa in England

[Richard]

Sm33teh into double-figures.

EDIT: into the 20s.

 

[Richard]

WTF was that appeal for?

Here is... Andrew Flintoff.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Freddie. WAG.

 

[fredfertang]

I wish Flintoff had the same scriptwriter as Ian Botham

 

[Richard]

Don't count your hatched before they've chickened.

(I presume you're referring to Botham's '86 "return" from "absence" there BTW? In which he got the Test wicket record in his opening over or summat)

 

[Richard]

Some **** deciding to run onto the field. That's the last time we'll be seeing him at Headingley then.

At least there wasn't nakedness.

 

[andruid]

A 'Mathhew Hoggard' runs on to the pitch...

 

[Richard]

Sm33teh racing along here. Not sure I'm keen on this glide to third-man, but it's gone well so far.

His leaving so far has been excellent - right out of the double-century book.

 

[aussie tragic]

Interesting how many England fans I've spoken to actually want us to get stuffed after this particular selectioon. Strongest feelings I've come across snce the 1992/3 India series.

Don't blame them as I can imagine how the young English players must feel now having two Aussies and a South African in the test team....pity Chris Rogers, Ashley Noffke and David Hussey are now too old to get citizenship

I also think this is the most unbalanced team I've ever seen. I've always thought Flintoff should bat at # 7 to perform a Gilchrist like role, but not with a struggling WK batsman at # 6. Of course that would also need some batsmen that can bowl like Clarke and/or Symonds (but isn't that Collingwood?)

 

[Richard]

I also think this is the most unbalanced team I've ever seen. I've always thought Flintoff should bat at # 7 to perform a Gilchrist like role, but not with a struggling WK batsman at # 6. Of course that would also need some batsmen that can bowl like Clarke and/or Symonds (but isn't that Collingwood?)

 

[Richard]

Bowling short at Neil McKenzie is stupid. Bowling short at Headingley is stupid.

So, Stuart Broad, that was exceptionally poor.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He's a poor bowler, truth be told.

 

[tooextracool]

s0meones gotta tell the england bowlers to bowl on the stumps. one really hopes, for his own sake if not anything else, this is the last time see broad in an england shirt.

 

[tooextracool]

this is piss poor bowling at the moment. are we even trying to hit the stumps fred?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

*sigh* They're showing footage of Hoggard getting Smith out. It makes me sad all over again.

 

[Richard]

Everyone always forgets that Bicknell did it twice in 2003 too. Which is 2\3 of the number Hoggard dismissed him in 2004/05.

They even showed the Bicknell dismissals in that Bicknell feature at Tea.

 

[tooextracool]

dont worry, i would not be surprised if by the end of this series we will have at least 2 if not 3 bowlers from our ashes winning attack. you can tell how well a side is bowling from how good smith is looking.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

That's an extraordinary graphic showing the balls that McKenzie has faced. He's scored off nothing pitched outside offstump, and played at virtually nothing out there.

 

[Richard]

dont worry, i would not be surprised if by the end of this series we will have at least 2 if not 3 bowlers from our ashes winning attack. you can tell how well a side is bowling from how good smith is looking.

Smith has at least left well so far this innings, suggesting he might be capable of going back to the 2003-style days of bashing rubbish bowling for 250s rather than 60s.

 

[aussie tragic]

No, that would be the Michael Clarke with the test bowling average of 21