***Official*** South Africa in England

[Uppercut]

Channel 5's team are all saying that they think Strauss caught McKenzie cleanly. And they showed Strauss's reaction in slow motion and you can read his lips: "I think I caught it".

The more I see it, the more out it looks.

However I still think that (under the laws as they now stand) the 3rd umpire had no choice, because you couldn't say it was beyond doubt.

I agree. If you watch in slow-mo, you can see some finger under the ball (and by under i mean, below it on the 2d screen) at every stage in the catch. That suggests to me that it's more likely than not that he caught it.

Nevertheless, as you say, 3rd umpire had no choice.


On Strauss's batting, i feel at the moment he suffers from scoring so slowly and with such a limited array of strokes that it gives him a greater chance of getting a good ball or a bad decision. For example, in the opening partnership Cook tends to score almost twice as quickly. So where Strauss gets a bad decision on 30, had Cook got the same decision, he'd have been out for 60. Just a factor that's often overlooked when people talk about "risk-free innings" and the like.

 

[Goughy]

...Actually the more I think about it, the more I realise that Key is probably the most talented batsmen we have in the country, he's an exellent captain for Kent.. so, although your idea is quite radical.. I see where your coming from

hmm, would make my story all the better

 

[The Masterplan]

hmm, makes my story all the better

What?

 

[grecian]

Rashid & Broad eh. couple of batsmen who bowl, ATM.

Anyway some idjit* just said on Darren Gough's show, that we (England) have TWO quality Test batting line-ups just like Australia

I would just settle for one, myself.......

EDIT: It was Paul Nixon, which just goes to show he talks as much crap as a pundit as he does behind the stumps.

 

[zaremba]

What a great spell of bowling by Freddie. His dismissal of Kallis was a wonderful thing.

 

[zaremba]

Rashid & Broad eh. couple of batsmen who bowl, ATM.

Both could turn into batting all-rounders - Rashid especially

 

[grecian]

Both could turn into batting all-rounders - Rashid especially

Yeah, a shame with Adil, his bowling seems to be going nowhere. I'd prefer Yorkshire played Lawson now, for Englands sake. Half-decent batters who can bowl a bit are ten-a-penny, an attacking wicket-taking leg-spinner on the other hand.....

 

[Goughy]

Yeah, a shame with Adil, his bowling seems to be going nowhere. I'd prefer Yorkshire played Lawson now, for Englands sake. Half-decent batters who can bowl a bit are ten-a-penny, an attacking wicket-taking leg-spinner on the other hand.....

Well Lawson has been at Middlesex on loan for the past month (the loan ends now) and has had little opportunity there either.

He seems to be going backwards as well.

 

[Woodster]

Having seen snippets of todays play and the highlights, it appears we created a few chances/half chances today and were not a completely toothless attack. Many times the ball flashed through a vacant slip area, Colly should have snaffled McKenzie,Kallis' lbw was absolutely plum, and he was lucky with an inside edge off Colly but with Ambrose stood up he had no chance. We appear to be low on luck at the moment, as happens when a side are down, admittedly we have certainly not helped ourselves on a number of occasions.

What was good to see was we fought back well towards the end of the day and somehow are still within reach on saving this Test, however there is a heck of a long way to go yet.

Flintoff showed once again his top class ability with the ball, a really intriguing passage of play with Kallis, which he won with a beauty to remove his off stump.

Morning session crucial for Englands chances. Need to remove Boucher or Prince very early and expose the tail to the imminent new ball. Could be a fascinating Test if England begin to play anything like.

 

[Uppercut]

Having seen snippets of todays play and the highlights, it appears we created a few chances/half chances today and were not a completely toothless attack. Many times the ball flashed through a vacant slip area, Colly should have snaffled McKenzie,Kallis' lbw was absolutely plum, and he was lucky with an inside edge off Colly but with Ambrose stood up he had no chance. We appear to be low on luck at the moment, as happens when a side are down, admittedly we have certainly not helped ourselves on a number of occasions.

Winning the toss was an absolutely huge piece of luck on this pitch. They've also had, without exception, overcast conditions to bowl in and sunny conditions to bat in. Also they were lucky not to lose any wickets to the bowling of Morkel which they all struggled against. So it's not that they've been especially unlucky, they just horribly failed to take advantage of the luck they did have.

I agree about the bowling though, and TBH it hasn't looked bad all series (apart from the sessions last night and this morning). A little ineffective at times, but never especially bad. SA's superior batting has been the difference between the sides thus far.

 

[grecian]

Well Lawson has been at Middlesex on loan for the past month (the loan ends now) and has had little opportunity there either.

He seems to be going backwards as well.

Oh didn't know that, shame.

I guess it'll have to be Beer now to be our saviour, not for the first time in my case it has to be said.

 

[GIMH]

His strike rate is too low, he only has two five-fors and an average of 32 isn't good enough for a world-class bowler. But **** me.

When Flintoff bowls like he did today, there is nothing I would rather watch, not just in Cricket, but in almost anything. He is a sight for sore eyes, I would walk 450 miles to watch him bowl like that. What a man, what a legend. I ****in love him. Gonna say this, those of you know me will know how much this means.

When I rank my heroes, Flintoff>Aldridge

 

[Goughy]

Im sure we all have a great deal of admiration for Flintoff the bowler.

Its just Im not sure Ive ever seen a bowler have to work so hard for his wickets. His wickets seem to come from massive effort and quality bowling and yet they seldom come in bunches like for others.

There must be a simple reason that even when bowling brilliantly, and looking like a world beater, that he cant run through sides.

Every dismissal seems to be a masterpiece and the result of a battle rather than batsmen rolling over and gifting their wickets.

 

[chalky]

...Actually the more I think about it, the more I realise that Key is probably the most talented batsmen we have in the country, he's an exellent captain for Kent.. so, although your idea is quite radical.. I see where your coming from

I've been thinking how Key could get into the side - if you drop Collingwood (as barring a miracle in the 2nd inings seems inevitable) perhaps Key could be brought in at 3 and Vaughan moved to 6? I suppose the question would be how much would lose from Vaughan batting lower and would it undermine his position as captain?

I would have a lot more confidence in Key scoring runs at test level than Shah or Bopara.

 

[GIMH]

Im sure we all have a great deal of admiration for Flintoff the bowler.

Its just Im not sure Ive ever seen a bowler have to work so hard for his wickets. His wickets seem to come from massive effort and quality bowling and yet they seldom come in bunches like for others.

There must be a simple reason that even when bowling brilliantly, and looking like a world beater, that he cant run through sides.

Every dismissal seems to be a masterpiece and the result of a battle rather than batsmen rolling over and gifting their wickets.

You're probably right, I tried hard to get the wording right in my post.I know he will never consistently run through sides (fancy he will get his third fifer here though) but he is a joy to watch. And I watch Cricket yeah to see England win but also to enjoy it and I enjoy watching Fred so much

 

[The Masterplan]

I agree.. it's not as though his test double hundred at lords was just.. a fluke. if he can score runs at international level against top opposition surely he's worth considering

 

[Goughy]

I agree.. it's not as though his test double hundred at lords was just.. a fluke. if he can score runs at international level against top opposition surely he's worth considering

TBF the WI attack that Key slayed for 200+ was one of the worst to play Test cricket for a major nation. Bowling averages of 35, 45, 40, 40 and 50.

You're probably right, I tried hard to get the wording right in my post.I know he will never consistently run through sides (fancy he will get his third fifer here though) but he is a joy to watch. And I watch Cricket yeah to see England win but also to enjoy it and I enjoy watching Fred so much

Without a doubt he is. I feel myself inch forward in my seat when he is bowling. The game is different and never dull when he is involved.

I just wish he can find a way to convert that excitement and buzz into wickets and wins.

 

[chalky]

TBF the WI attack that Key slayed for 200+ was one of the worst to play Test cricket for a major nation.

Do you think Key could make a decent Test batsman Goughy?

As I have said I think he has far better chance than his rivals for the England spot in Bopara & Shah.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah but can you imagine how the women would react if he posed wearing just a cricket bat like Anderson, Broad and Cook did

 

[Goughy]

Do you think Key could make a decent Test batsman Goughy?

As I have said I think he has far better chance than his rivals for the England spot in Bopara & Shah.

Im probably not the best qualified to judge as I dont particularly like him and I may be biased against him.

I also dont think he is a very popular player (outside of his close friends) on the circuit (though I could be wrong).

His Test and FC record dont really suggest the capability of anything special.

However, as much as I dont particularly like or rate him, there is a shortage of quality batsmen and his problems dont drop him out of contention.

I dont think he can be a good Test batsman but he can probably be as good as any of his peers (Shah, Joyce etc) currently fighting for a place.