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***Official*** South Africa in England

Should Freddy be included in team for the second Test?

  • Total voters
    44
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
If seam is to be as prevalent as appears likely, however, extra batting would be far more use than spin. Harris is unlikely to bowl much if things go as they appear on course to do.

Purely from the Duminy POV, though, there would obviously be little worse a way to make your debut.
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Would it though? If there's lots of seam helpfulness, do you want more to exploit it when you should need just four to do that anyway, or more to help combat it?

I'd tend to think the former myself TBH.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Richard said:
Would it though? If there's lots of seam helpfulness, do you want more to exploit it when you should need just four to do that anyway, or more to help combat it?

I'd tend to think the former myself TBH.
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Three specialist bowlers in a Test match is almost never a good idea AFAIC. As much as I think Kallis's bowling is under-rated in some parts, I don't think he's good enough a bowler to justify dropping one for JP Duminy. This is particularly true when one of your bowlers has only played a handful of Tests, one is unproven in English conditions and the third is both unproven in English conditions and seemingly in poor form.

If your main three bowlers do the job then your fourth won't be particularly necessary, but if your top five batsmen do the job, the sixth won't be particularly necessary either, let alone the seventh. When you have Kallis and Boucher in your side, the tenth and eleventh players you pick are always just going to be insurance - "Plan B" if you will. And given this set of players:

Smith
McKenzie
Amla
Kallis
Price
De Villiers
Boucher
Morkel
Ntini
Steyn

I think the bowling is going to need more backup than the batting.

I'd be a different case, perhaps, if Duminy was a batting allrounder, but while I think his bowling has potential, it should certainly not factor into selection at this stage. It'd even be different if South Africa had someone like Gayle or Jayasuriya in the top order who bowled as well as Kallis, but they don't. Steyn-Ntini-Morkel-Kallis-Duminy looks much more vulnerable to me than McKenzie-Smith-Amla-Kallis-Prince-DeVilliers-Boucher-Morkel.
 
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FBU

FBU

International Debutant
Richard said:
That's quite the assumption, however.

Anderson to bowl well is always a huge expectation, especially given he did so in his very last Test. For it to happen twice in a row would be truly remarkable.

I don't doubt Anderson has the potential to cause Smith (and indeed any left-hander) problems but he's not usually good enough to bowl in sufficient areas.

BTW, weather down in the SW is appalling, as it has been the last 6-7 days. Think the forecast for tomorrow in the SE is pretty poor, but not quite poor enough to rule-out any hope of some amount of play.

I just hope there can be a prompt start. As long as it's not actually raining and hasn't for, say, 3 hours or so, there's a decent chance as Lord's' drainage is superlative.
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Anderson isn't good at getting out left handers. Sidebottom will have to get Smith.
 
L

Laurrz

International Debutant
hope one of Englands quicks get frequently smashed and Hoggard makes his way back to the team (even if it means he'll play in the Ashes)
Love the guy

anyone been watching his times online videos? Funny guy haha
 
GIMH

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
As TT Boy said yesterday, decent forecast today, should get near enough a full day. Tomorrow there won't be much, and Saturday will be irregular. Basically looks like a team has 3.5 to 4 days to try and win this one (Sunday and Monday both set to be nice days)
 
wpdavid

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
GeraintIsMyHero said:
As TT Boy said yesterday, decent forecast today, should get near enough a full day. Tomorrow there won't be much, and Saturday will be irregular. Basically looks like a team has 3.5 to 4 days to try and win this one (Sunday and Monday both set to be nice days)
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I think the forecast for Friday is showers. As Rich said earlier, the drainage at Lord's is fantastic, so we may well see quite a bit of play on Day 2. Looking forward to it in a grimly fascinated sort of way.
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
The recent Marleybone BBC cam showed pretty reasonable-looking stuff (albeit the clock said 9:32 when by my reckoning it was 9:16 as I viewed the page :blink:). Trafalger Square looked even better. So I'm hopeful that, unlike the NZ Test, we might at least get away on time.
 
four_or_six

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
It's beautiful sunshine here, not so far away from London. One of those days we've been having all the time recently where it's mainly sunny but we get a couple of heavy showers I reckon.
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Seems nice enough and we should get an on-time start. :thumbup1:

Shaun Pollock on the Sky commentary team, wasn't expecting that.
 
duffer

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Richard said:
Shaun Pollock on the Sky commentary team, wasn't expecting that.
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He did some excellent media work over in India during the IPL, lots of interviews and a bit of studio analysis after his team's games. Was very good, looking forward to hearing him in the box.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
wpdavid said:
I think Hoggie's a gonner at this level, tbh.
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Yeah, with Jones and Flintoff regaining fitness, Sidebottom's ressurection proving dividends, Anderson becoming slightly more consistent of late and the selectors indicating they'd like to give Broad an extended run, I'd say he's well and truly out of the reckoning at this stage. I'd argue that Tremlett would be ahead of him in the pecking order depending on the circumstances as well.
 
Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Skysports are a bit far off with the top paces. I'm sure that Morkel and Ntini have both boowled 93mph and Zondeki more than 87.5mph. However, regardless of his pace, I think the key to Steyn's success will be the full outswinger whether it is 77, 87 or 97mph.
 
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