England tour to South Africa December 2015/February 2016

[blockerdave]

Mike Atherton spoke in commentary about the fact that the SA public have very high expectations as they are world number 1, but he feels as though they probably aren't the world's best side now. So therefore who is the best test team in the world? Or are there 4/5 teams at about the same level?

i think there is no standout side, and in fact there is a lot of mediocrity.

there are some excellent individuals: ABV, Smith, Root, Kohli, Anderson, Steyn etc. but equally lots of teams have players that wouldn't have made their "prime" sides.

when in 90% of series you know the home side is favourite to win, then you know there is no real "number 1" whatever the rankings say.

for example: i can't imagine any side beating australia in australia, england in england or india in india right now... i'd add SA in SA but a combination of selection politics, form and Steyn's injury changes that

 

[blockerdave]

I am not trying to tell you anything or that one bowler is better than another.

If England have a part time bowler like Ali then surly we either need a full time spinner or another part timer to back him up.

If we have an attack of Anderson, Broad and Wood established we need a spin bowler of the same quality to give us control and take the big wickets when needed.

if we had one he'd be playing: we don't. Ali is probably the best bet to get there eventually, followed by Rashid.

 

[cricket_icon]

As I said before the start of the series, if AB and Amla aren't stepping up, SAs batting looks exposed, although a good innings by Elgar, he really saved some blushes. With Steyn gone and Philander out, the bowling looks to be struggling too, which is a major problem because even Ali has clicked in SA, Braod is going through one of his purple patches and guys like Stokes and Finn are good enough to tie up one end.

I'm looking for a SA come back, so that this test match evens up a bit.

 

[grkrama]

The only way SA can save this match now is if Amla steps up and secures one end in the fourth innings!

 

[bigred]

you're right about Ballance, and so, so so wrong about Bell.

Name me a batsman who has come back in their mid-30s and suddenly scored heavily after 10 years of international cricket and TWO YEARS of drought? Then name me another who did it after a career of everyone knowing they had the resilience of a rich tea biscuit in a hurricane? What makes you think Bell can do that?

1. Bell is 33 so by no means too old.
2. I can't think of any 33 year olds that have come back(there must be some), but Strauss came back after being dropped. He must've been 31/32 at the time.
3. I still really can't think of a batsman who will score more runs than Bell against SL and PAK this Sumer apart from Cook, Root and Taylor, who are already in the team.
If there were loads of better players I'd be the first the shoot him dead. Let's hope that Hales does the business. If not, Compton will be opening in the not too distant future and Bell will be coming in at one down. Fact.

 

[PokerAce]

4 Wickets to get lead at 323. If SA could bowl out England for a lead of around 360-370, I would not completely count out SA. The pitch by all accounts is still okay for batting, there are definitely no demons, if SA batsmen apply themselves, the I would not rule out a chase. SA bat deepish, with Duminy a proper batsman by all accounts coming in at 7.

Plenty of ifs in the statement, not doubt, but SA would still be in this.

 

[Markkkkk]

In other news Steven Cook is 107* in the Lions game. Surely they have to call him up?

 

[dp458]

Regarding ansari I can see him becoming a Giles type bowler, but he also opens the batting for Surrey. And has a very good personality and a gun fielder in the covers, at least he was during our time at Cambridge university.
He would be tighter with the ball bit not have the batting ability of Ali, so its all about what you want.


I don't think bell will come back, I'm hearing he might become Warwickshire captain


As an outsider having seen QDK in one days I'm amazed you have ab keeping and playing dumjny as a batsman, jp is good in odis where he bowls but in tests with poedt playing, elgar is a better second option

 

[PokerAce]

Van Zyl and Peidt the bowlers to fill in for Steyn, who would have guessed

415 is a huge lead, especially for a batting line up which has not croseed 217 in its last 9 innings.

What approach will SA take, will they go for another blockathon, like Delhi, or will they play normally. There is enough time left in the game with nearly 4 and a half sessions, and SA have 140 overs to bat out. If SA do bat out 140 overs, I think SA should be near the target, unless it is indeed a Delhi Blockathon version 2.0

England well on top thought, and should really be able to force the win from here on. They have given themselves plenty of overs to bowl out SA.

 

[MUFC1987]

Even Bairstow is looking good. Plenty of time left in this match, so I wouldn't count South Africa out yet. We should win it from here though.

 

[PokerAce]

SA off to a solid start, and they are scoring very briskly too, at over 5 rpo.

As I write this, Van Zyl goes. Eng back on top firmly. Eng had to get a wicket around that point.

 

[aditya123]

SA would be doing themselves a huge disfavor if they discount the India series as an aberration on doctored wickets. Their batting has looked very vulnerable since Smith and Kallis left. The tracks in Bangladesh as well as Bangalore and Delhi were far from bad for batting. Bangalore and Delhi were good tracks and so is Durban now. The SA batting has struggled and has shown an over-reliance on AB. The bowling sans Steyn looks quite manageable. I also feel that SA have to start thinking of life after Steyn now, with all his frequent injuries.

England would be gutted to not win this one from here on, unless Faf and AB pull off another Jo`burg-like chase. This series is England`s to lose, especially with Jimmy Anderson returning.

 

[bigred]

Do people still think that Chris Woakes is the long term successor to Jimmy Anderson? I know he's only in his 4th or 5th test but most bowlers who have gone on to have good careers for England have looked raw but very talented early on. Just thinking about the first 5 matches for Anderson, Jones, Harmison and Broad and comparing that to Woakes, it's quite a big difference.

I think the problem is that people assume that Woakes is a swing bowler and he'll naturally slip into Jimmy's shoes. However, I've seen him do nothing with the ball in terms of movement. He's tidy enough, but I don't think that will get you lots of wickets. One thing in his favour is that I reckon he could bat at 6/7. Looks like a quality batter.

 

[grkrama]

purely on swing i would say stokes bowls like anderson when he is in rythm, woakes looks more like siddle! Ideally he would be first change to a finn and broad!

 

[Markkkkk]

I've gotten more interested in the domestic matches in all honesty. Puttick 94, Cook 168* and Tahir 10 wickets and counting. Ahh the woes of selection...