***Official*** South Africa in England

[Barney Rubble]

I do love being an oasis in a desert, which in being an England supporter who likes Graeme Smith I truly am.

Nah, you're not. I'm a big admirer of his. Fantastic, no-nonsense cricketer. His will to win manifests itself in some ugly ways sometimes, but there are very few players around who give as much of themselves to the game as he does. There's only a hair's breadth in terms of personality separating him and Pietersen, and Pietersen is my favourite current cricketer, so that says a lot, I guess.

 

[fredfertang]

Lol - respect and admiration I have for him by the bucketload - he's a class act .................

but still a ****

 

[open365]

I do love being an oasis in a desert, which in being an England supporter who likes Graeme Smith I truly am.

Nah, you're not. I'm a big admirer of his. Fantastic, no-nonsense cricketer. His will to win manifests itself in some ugly ways sometimes, but there are very few players around who give as much of themselves to the game as he does. There's only a hair's breadth in terms of personality separating him and Pietersen, and Pietersen is my favourite current cricketer, so that says a lot, I guess.

I thought I was the only Smith Admirer!

 

[_Ed_]

But let's face it he's a very very difficult man to feel sorry for.

Totally agree.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I do love being an oasis in a desert, which in being an England supporter who likes Graeme Smith I truly am.

I think a lot of people admire Graeme Smith and what he's done for SA cricket. But he's also a tool who we love to see lose, especially when KP is involved

 

[GIMH]

Great day for us. Big two fingers from the batsmen and the bowlers so far in this Test. We mean business and let's hope we finish the business tomorrow.

 

[Richard]

I think a lot of people admire Graeme Smith and what he's done for SA cricket. But he's also a tool who we love to see lose, especially when KP is involved

Meh - as I say, I like to see him having scored runs (don't particularly like watching him bat as he's not the best-looking batsman you'll ever see, but there's something about his crunching power through the leg-side that's vaguely awesome) because I think he's a fine batsman. I also like to see SA win, ITBT.

I really don't find him to be a **** either - like his attitude toward cricket TBH. Never willing to kowtow to put-up-and-shut-up false ideals. If he thinks there's been hard-done-by to someone, he'll say so.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If he thinks there's been hard-done-by to someone, he'll say so.

The problem is he believes he's been 'hard done by' all too many times for my liking. Makes he seem a bit of a whiney little arse. Which is all the more sweet when he cant back up his words with runs.

 

[Jakester1288]

A draw is very unlikely to happen at the moment. There are two days remaining and South Africa are following on and at the moment are 333 runs behind. In two days they will either need to knock them off and them build a small lead, one that is bigger than what England will have time to score.

They will be looking for a couple of big tons, and I have that feeling about Amla, I think he will score big (150+). The South Africans might need to bat for two days, and after their first innings it doesn't look likely.

There are four overs gone, and South Africa are 13/0. England will come back tomorrow rejunivated and refreshed and with a new ball in hand, looking for early wickets. The first hour of play might go a long way towards deciding the out come of this match, and if South Africa can survive it, they will be in a strong postion. However, if England can pick up one or two wickets, South Africa will have a very tough situation on their hands (well I suppose they already do to be honest).

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Thought Jimmy bowled extremely well without much luck in the first dig. Was the best seam bowler for mine, though Sidey was good as well.

 

[zaremba]

But at good levels, they don't play with a wet outfield except under remarkable circumstances. So it's not too much of an issue there.

Funnily enough England have bowled with the new ball in pouring rain for the last few overs of the last 2 days!

Good to see the umpires actually trying to find ways to play - which they have done consistently in this game - rather than ways to avoid playing.

 

[Goughy]

Good to see the umpires actually trying to find ways to play - which they have done consistently in this game - rather than ways to avoid playing.

Yeah agreed. Umps have done well to ensure play.

 

[Jono]

LOL @ Pietersen getting the new ball. Awesomeness.

 

[fredfertang]

What chance he comes in off his long run and bounces Smith this morning

 

[Richard]

The problem is he believes he's been 'hard done by' all too many times for my liking. Makes he seem a bit of a whiney little arse. Which is all the more sweet when he cant back up his words with runs.

I think that's more to do with the fact that people think you should put-up-and-shut-up most of the time.

There's a hell of a lot of injustice in cricket (something I'd love little more than to eliminate in as many ways as possible) and many people seem to think the best way to deal with that is to pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[Richard]

Funnily enough England have bowled with the new ball in pouring rain for the last few overs of the last 2 days!

Well, yeah, but only for a few overs. Never the half-hour or so (and then straight back out if you've come off without the field drying much) that you get in club cricket.

 

[Richard]

Anyway we're underway. Finally the seamers get the new-ball this innings. And McKenzie off-the-mark for the day with a beautiful cover-drive for four.

 

[Richard]

No swing so far, and Anderson managing to get the ball far straighter than Sidebottom (perhaps not remotely surprisingly given their with-swing lines).

 

[Manee]

I reckon South Africa are going to score BIG in this innings - the pitch is looking slow and quite unresponsive.

 

[chalky]

Yeah think it is going to be a slog today & tommorrow a lot rests on Monty u feel.