England tour of South Africa 09/10

[Owzat]

England clawing back something this morning, I resisted saying it was yet another crucial morning session because in all honesty the damage was done yesterday evening. England knocking the saffers over quickly may merely expose them in optimum bowling conditions and perhaps the openers will have set their stall out to be batting later in the morning come early afternoon.

All out now, split into three parts :

127/5 - 30 from Smith, 36 from De Villiers but two ducks and a 14 leaving South Africa in trouble
280/6 - partnerships of 89 between Kallis and Boucher, then 64 between Kallis and Steyn pushed South Africa into the Test (I'd say back into the Test but they were not previously really in it at 1/1, 46/2, 51/3 etc)
291 - last five wickets tumbling for just 11 runs, Anderson completing a 5wi with three tailenders to add to both openers. Shame he, Broad, Onions and Swann couldn't find the wickets when it mattered in the middle

So 153 of the 291 runs came in two partnerships and Kallis proved how priceless he is in the side. Maybe the end wouldn't have come quite so quickly had it been Steyn out first and not Kallis. Sometimes tailenders hang around, have a swish or simply bat normally and survive, but the loss of the batsman at the other end can take away any self-belief - just as it gives the bowlers the lift when they get him out.

 

[CaptainOZ]

Strauss out for 2! Morne does the trick. Five wickets falling already today

 

[Howsie]

Now that's a collaspe. Interesting that Dale Steyn isn't opening.

 

[Owzat]

Kind of inevitable, like a team that has all the possession in a football match but scores only once, then gets hit with the sucker punch. It is early days, you expect a hard time against the new ball, but England didn't finish off the saffers and now we need our Kallis to show himself.

Momentum seems to be an over-used term in cricket these days, even cricketers seem to be over-using it. But here the momentum is all with South Africa, 291 isn't going to be an imposing total on any pitch, but it gives the saffers a good shot at a lead of 50+ and that is always dangerous. I'm sure Bell is in line for the flak if/when he fails, but I'd like to see one of the supposed better batsmen score their runs for a change.

HIGH SCORES

141 Bell
118 Cook
91 Collingwood
85 Swann
81 PIETERSEN
69 Trott
60 Prior
54 Strauss

FIVE batsmen (1-7) have failed to convert 50s this series, Bell makes 100 and gets criticised.......................

AGGREGATE RUNS

167 Collingwood
152 Pietersen
148 Bell
145 Cook
115 Trott
109 Swann
101 Strauss
64 Prior

Strauss added just two to his tally above, only Collingwood has one score of more than 50 and while KP may be second in the aggregates pre this innings, he has got in three times and not gone on to big scores - 40 & 81, 31 & DNB. Trott has got lesser starts, but reached double figures every time (28 & 69, 18 & DNB), while Strauss has made two scores of 45+ and failed to reach 55.

But watch this space, you can bet something will be made of whatever Bell does or doesn't, Pietersen could well be out for 77 and leave us on the brink playing a switch hit or some over-aggressive shot and it will be "that's just the way he plays" like it's some kind of ready-made excuse

 

[Dutch]

Kind of inevitable, like a team that has all the possession in a football match but scores only once, then gets hit with the sucker punch. It is early days, you expect a hard time against the new ball, but England didn't finish off the saffers and now we need our Kallis to show himself.

Momentum seems to be an over-used term in cricket these days, even cricketers seem to be over-using it. But here the momentum is all with South Africa, 291 isn't going to be an imposing total on any pitch, but it gives the saffers a good shot at a lead of 50+ and that is always dangerous. I'm sure Bell is in line for the flak if/when he fails, but I'd like to see one of the supposed better batsmen score their runs for a change.

HIGH SCORES

141 Bell
118 Cook
91 Collingwood
85 Swann
81 PIETERSEN
69 Trott
60 Prior
54 Strauss

FIVE batsmen (1-7) have failed to convert 50s this series, Bell makes 100 and gets criticised.......................

AGGREGATE RUNS

167 Collingwood
152 Pietersen
148 Bell
145 Cook
115 Trott
109 Swann
101 Strauss
64 Prior

Strauss added just two to his tally above, only Collingwood has one score of more than 50 and while KP may be second in the aggregates pre this innings, he has got in three times and not gone on to big scores - 40 & 81, 31 & DNB. Trott has got lesser starts, but reached double figures every time (28 & 69, 18 & DNB), while Strauss has made two scores of 45+ and failed to reach 55.

But watch this space, you can bet something will be made of whatever Bell does or doesn't, Pietersen could well be out for 77 and leave us on the brink playing a switch hit or some over-aggressive shot and it will be "that's just the way he plays" like it's some kind of ready-made excuse

Excellent read and excellent points you make. It is interesting that Strauss isn't playing at all fluidly this series: Cook on the other hand looks a man re-born and Trott is really filling that number 3 spot well. Hope I didn't just jinx the poor buggers!!!

 

[King Pietersen]

You just jinxed Trott. You twat Ah well, hopefully KP'll come in and make a big score at long last. Would love to see him make a big ton.

King Pietersen added 3 Minutes and 21 Seconds later...

Played Kevalar. Gone for 0. We're so screwed.

 

[Dutch]

You just jinxed Trott. You twat Ah well, hopefully KP'll come in and make a big score at long last. Would love to see him make a big ton.

King Pietersen added 3 Minutes and 21 Seconds later...

Played Kevalar. Gone for 0. We're so screwed.

And you just jinxed Pietersen you peanut butter sarnie!!!!


Just jinxed half the bloody side!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck...just went to grab a sarnie....come back.....


Collingwoods not messing about...does he know there are four more days left!!

 

[Howsie]

I know Pietersen's missed a few months or cricket but I didn't realise he'd only scored one century in the last year.

 

[CaptainOZ]

And you just jinxed Pietersen you peanut butter sarnie!!!!


Just jinxed half the bloody side!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck...just went to grab a sarnie....come back.....


Collingwoods not messing about...does he know there are four more days left!!

What's a "sarnie"? A sandwich? Never heard it put that way before

 

[Dutch]

What's a "sarnie"? A sandwich? Never heard it put that way before

Ah! I thought sarnie was a common way of saying it!! What do you call 'em where you come from???

 

[CaptainOZ]

Ah! I thought sarnie was a common way of saying it!! What do you call 'em where you come from???

The slang word for sandwich is "sanger"!

 

[Dutch]

The slang word for sandwich is "sanger"!

A sanger!!! What the.....what's the background to that!!!!??

 

[CaptainOZ]

A sanger!!! What the.....what's the background to that!!!!??

Well the old-school Aussie slang for sandwich is either "sammie" or "sammo". Apparently, after a quick internet search, the term "sanger" is the British slang for it!

I had always assumed that all three were Australian.

 

[Dutch]

Well the old-school Aussie slang for sandwich is either "sammie" or "sammo". Apparently, after a quick internet search, the term "sanger" is the British slang for it!

I had always assumed that all three were Australian.

Well dip my balls in icing-sugar! Never have thought it would be a British slang word....never heard of it!

dutchad added 12 Minutes and 27 Seconds later...

Time for one Mr I bell to prove that he can make cake as well as ice it! I am off to bed and wonder what I will wake up to. (Apart from bad breath and a desperate need to have a pee!)

 

[barmyarmy]

@owzat - if Bell performs now I'll hold my hand up because we actually really need him right now. Suspecting he'll leave a straight one fairly soon.
Let's be honest though; good pitch, sun out, ball 25 overs old, both batters coming off centuries last innings. This should be a big partnership.