England tour of South Africa 09/10

[Garson007]

What's this cricinfo guy talking about an edge not given? Sure there was a sound, but there was no edge. Pure bias.

 

[Sureshot]

Well I disagree....Any team deservant of a victory/lead dont leave it to their number 11 to save face on two occasions on stupendously flat pitches. It was always going to be difficult to bowl you guys out on the final day after we managed 470+ just the day before. I think England can be seriously lucky to have drawn those games, it was a matter of declaring earlier, not the fact that we couldnt finish the job.

In the first game it was more due to nostalgia and giving Ntini a supposed fairy tale 100th test which lead to England off the hook with him bowling the final over. And there will always be a lot of what-ifs in the Newlands test with Steyn bowling the spell of his life to Collingwood without luck. So its easy to say we balls it up, but one can also call us very unlucky.

England fully deserved to win the Durban test, as they did...we played rubbish. But for the other 2 tests we basically ripped the game away from England within 4 days after losing both tosses and we should get credit for that.

In this final test the weather might this time be England's saving grace as it is terrible for the rest of the 4 days...and England threw their wickets away and played appallingly. As they say "you cant win a test on the first day but you can lose it" and from the way England played today they sure as heck dont deserve to win.

We batted 141 overs in our 2nd innings in the 3rd test, and 96 in the 1st test. That's more than enough time in the 3rd test to bowl us out.

I think a series draw would be a fair result, I reckon.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

If Smith and Amla can bat until close to the end of the day id say we can easily push a 250 -300 lead. Id like to see England get out of that hole....especially without Don Onions at 11. I think leaving him out was a big mistake, he's been one of their most solid batsmen.

you don't ask for much

I'm pretty sure to get a substantial 250-300 lead, SAF will need a couple of Kallis, De Villiers, Duminy, Boucher and the tail to contribute something substantial.

smith and amla are unlikely to put on a 350-400 partnership themselves.

 

[Sureshot]

Broad is bowling nicely here.

Sidebottom decision is looking very naff.

 

[Owzat]

We need a bit more than "Broad bowling nicely", although the Onions-Sidebottom desicision looks awful given Sidebottom hasn't played in the series so why make that change LAST TEST!?!? Can't see what Pakistan gained by dropping Akmal if that too is the last Test of three in which Pakistan are 0-2 behind (if that is the series position)

I stick by my predictions, that South Africa will establish a grip on the game before an England fightback to no avail.

Wouldn't it be ironic if England had to dig deep to avoid defeat in THREE Tests of the four in order to win 1-0..........................? It is a possibility, one of those things like losing at tennis 6-0, 6-7, 6-0, 6-7, 6-8 ie losing despite dominating/winning more games than your opponent (30-22)

 

[Valaskjalf]

I think England might yet end up winning this series with the terrible weather. Seems we're going to end up losing an entire day with all the rain delays in this game...so frustrating!

Wonder if this will influence when Smith declares...pretty sure it will. I dont think we will be able to go for that massive lead as time will run out. Awesome batting nontheless, Smith is a legend against England and who better to come in after him than Kallis. Impressed with Amla as well...looks very good at the crease.

Really REALLY need to get some more batting today...P.S why the heck are they only starting the game 30 minutes earlier every morning? If we're bound to lose at least 3 hours of play per day shouldnt they try to push for a 9am start??

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I really cannot believe what I am seeing and hearing from this idiot Daryl Harper in this match! Not only has he got 50% of his decisions wrong in the series when out in the middle, but he's made a couple of right howlers in this match with the aid of TV replay. Yesterday, the second replay angle of Cook's decision clearly showed the bowler's heel was on the line. On the line, correct me if I'm wrong, means a no-ball. At that stage, Cook was going really well and every extra run scored would've been vital to England.

But today, what I heard today really takes the biscuit. When Smith was given not out and it went to review, you could clearly hear a nick as the ball went through to the keeper. That nick could only have come from ball on bat - the bat was nowhere near the ground or the batsman's body. What do we hear from that idiot Harper? 'I couldn't hear any nick'. So, they go and check his TV set and guess what? The moron hasn't got it turned up high enough!! That has got to be the biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard coming from a so-called professional umpire.

If England go on to lose this match, Mr Harper has played a large part. When Smith was given not out, he was only 15 and went on to make a century. And Cook, as I said before, was going really well before he was given out. Granted, England's batting was shocking, but that doesn't give any excuse for Harper's umpiring (with the aid of the bloody TV replay) to be equally as shocking. He didn't even look at Cook's dismissal more than once - had he done so, he would've seen the bowler's heel was on the line - only just, but that's enough.

MasterBlaster76 added 1 Minutes and 42 Seconds later...

Broad is bowling nicely here.

Sidebottom decision is looking very naff.

The decision to drop Onions is something I cannot understand. He needs to be rested? Firstly, no he doesn't. Secondly, this is the last flaming match of the series!! Even the SA team were saying they're relieved he's not playing. Don't get me wrong, Siders is a good bowler, but he hasn't played a test for a whole year!

MasterBlaster76 added 2 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...

What's this cricinfo guy talking about an edge not given? Sure there was a sound, but there was no edge. Pure bias.

Then where did the sound come from? Of course there was an edge - it's the only possible way a sound could've been heard in that situation. I think you're the one who's biased if you think that wasn't an edge. They've set an investigation in motion - would they do that if there was no edge?

MasterBlaster76 added 1 Minutes and 10 Seconds later...

in total fairness to england, and I'm not an england fan at all, both those tight draws were set up due to brilliant batting for most of the day and then suffering an almost fatal collapse just before the end.

you cannot deny that bell and collingwood, in particular, didn't bat outstandingly well to get to a point where south africa needed to take 4 wickets wickets in 13 overs.

57 overs on a last day pitch is a pretty phenomenal effort. If they had lost the 3rd test, it would have slightly harsh on them.

the 1st test england were perhaps a lot less deserving.

That's true - we weren't outplayed throughout the match, indeed if Kallis hadn't stepped up, we may well have won that match - we had SA's first innings in all kinds of trouble.

 

[Valaskjalf]

I really cannot believe what I am seeing and hearing from this idiot Daryl Harper in this match! Not only has he got 50% of his decisions wrong in the series when out in the middle, but he's made a couple of right howlers in this match with the aid of TV replay. Yesterday, the second replay angle of Cook's decision clearly showed the bowler's heel was on the line. On the line, correct me if I'm wrong, means a no-ball. At that stage, Cook was going really well and every extra run scored would've been vital to England.

But today, what I heard today really takes the biscuit. When Smith was given not out and it went to review, you could clearly hear a nick as the ball went through to the keeper. That nick could only have come from ball on bat - the bat was nowhere near the ground or the batsman's body. What do we hear from that idiot Harper? 'I couldn't hear any nick'. So, they go and check his TV set and guess what? The moron hasn't got it turned up high enough!! That has got to be the biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard coming from a so-called professional umpire.

If England go on to lose this match, Mr Harper has played a large part. When Smith was given not out, he was only 15 and went on to make a century. And Cook, as I said before, was going really well before he was given out. Granted, England's batting was shocking, but that doesn't give any excuse for Harper's umpiring (with the aid of the bloody TV replay) to be equally as shocking. He didn't even look at Cook's dismissal more than once - had he done so, he would've seen the bowler's heel was on the line - only just, but that's enough.

lol thats what you get when you combine old people and technology..."hmmm which button do i push or turn again?"

 

[MasterBlaster76]

lol thats what you get when you combine old people and technology..."hmmm which button do i push or turn again?"

Ha ha - so true!

Seriously though! 'Oh - the ball has come quite close to the bat there - maybe I should turn this thing up a bit? Nicks can be very faint after all - actually, sod it, I've lost the remote and can't be arsed to get up to do it. Ah, it's only England being screwed after all - who cares'?

 

[Valaskjalf]

this is useless man....cricinfo says pitch inspection at 4:45pm local time...which means play gets underway 5pm at the EARLIEST - by that time we're gonna bat for 3 minutes, probably lose a wicket and then go off due to bat light! I vote for them calling off the day's play and then an 8am start tomorrow...

Its SUMMER ffs! The sun comes up like 6:30 or something...why start at 10?? Its absolutely ridiculous

 

[MasterBlaster76]

this is useless man....cricinfo says pitch inspection at 4:45pm local time...which means play gets underway 5pm at the EARLIEST - by that time we're gonna bat for 3 minutes, probably lose a wicket and then go off due to bat light! I vote for them calling off the day's play and then an 8am start tomorrow...

Its SUMMER ffs! The sun comes up like 6:30 or something...why start at 10?? Its absolutely ridiculous

What's the forecast like in SA for the next few days?

 

[Valaskjalf]

HAHA

This just in from Cricinfo:

"What is the 'official SABC investigation into the Smith/snick/review controversy' - what has the SABC to do with this?" asks Martin in South Africa. We are told that the SABC provides the video feed used by third umpires.

Oh the controversy! No this is turning into a sabotage/match fixing scandal on the part of the SA Broadcasting Corp. Oh the tension! Its so severe you can bottle it! lol Im pretty sure this will give certain people even more ammo against the review system...surely gonna be a hot topic for a long time to come.

Valaskjalf added 1 Minutes and 40 Seconds later...

What's the forecast like in SA for the next few days?

Forecast is looking naff...rain all the way through! Thats why i want the games to start earlier so we can at least make up some of the lost time. Everyone knows how the thunderstorms always hit in Jo'burg no matter what the season.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

HAHA

This just in from Cricinfo:

"What is the 'official SABC investigation into the Smith/snick/review controversy' - what has the SABC to do with this?" asks Martin in South Africa. We are told that the SABC provides the video feed used by third umpires.

Oh the controversy! No this is turning into a sabotage/match fixing scandal on the part of the SA Broadcasting Corp. Oh the tension! Its so severe you can bottle it! lol Im pretty sure this will give certain people even more ammo against the review system...surely gonna be a hot topic for a long time to come.

Valaskjalf added 1 Minutes and 40 Seconds later...


Forecast is looking naff...rain all the way through! Thats why i want the games to start earlier so we can at least make up some of the lost time. Everyone knows how the thunderstorms always hit in Jo'burg no matter what the season.

Well, I'll be doing a bit of a raindance, even though I reckon a draw would be the fairest result for this series.

 

[Valaskjalf]

Well, I'll be doing a bit of a raindance, even though I reckon a draw would be the fairest result for this series.

haha I almost exploded on your ass...then I read you didnt say "I reckon a draw would be the fairest result for this MATCH". That would have been ludicrous....yeah I think a draw would sum the series up pretty well. If not a win for us haha!

 

[MUFC1987]

I wonder how many more batsman we have to get out twice in this innings. Anyway we can get Harper a UK passport so he can follow India or some other team around and terrorise them with his Umpiring rather than us?