England tour to South Africa December 2015/February 2016

[MUFC1987]

Topley did everything right, apart from dropping the ball from the friendliest throw ever. He didn't even have to worry about hitting the stumps, just take the ball and they were right there. That's basics. I'd be disappointed if the Under 14s I coach did that, let alone a professional. I think Catches are more understandable. The ball's hard to pick up, they come at different speeds etc.

And the only issue with Willey's position was that he came in below Rashid. I thought Willey did really well to curb his instincts to try to get Buttler back on strike, something which Rashid struggled with.

 

[bigred]

Topley did everything right, apart from dropping the ball from the friendliest throw ever. He didn't even have to worry about hitting the stumps, just take the ball and they were right there. That's basics. I'd be disappointed if the Under 14s I coach did that, let alone a professional. I think Catches are more understandable. The ball's hard to pick up, they come at different speeds etc.

And the only issue with Willey's position was that he came in below Rashid. I thought Willey did really well to curb his instincts to try to get Buttler back on strike, something which Rashid struggled with.

Like you wouldn't occasionally drop a ball thrown from the boundary. I play with some very good cricketers and sometimes it just happens. 9/10 Topley catches it and it's a super over. Unfortunately, it just bounced out of his hands. The unfortunate thing was that it happened right at the end of the game. Watch throws from the boundary thrown in to the non strikers closely during the next match, and see how many aren't taken cleanly by the man at the stumps.

 

[MUFC1987]

Like you wouldn't occasionally drop a ball thrown from the boundary. I play with some very good cricketers and sometimes it just happens. 9/10 Topley catches it and it's a super over. Unfortunately, it just bounced out of his hands. The unfortunate thing was that it happened right at the end of the game. Watch throws from the boundary thrown in to the non strikers closely during the next match, and see how many aren't taken cleanly by the man at the stumps.

That's just not comparable. During the rest of the game, the boundary rider is trying to run out a batsman, so throws as hard as he can for a direct hit, as that's normally the only way to run a batsman out, because they're not normally going after suicidal runs. In this instance, there was NEVER two on, but South Africa went for it to win the match. Root (I think?) lobs it in as slowly as possible, because he knows he's got the batsman well short and Topley missed what can only be described as a dolly, and what the other 10 players on that team would have taken in their sleep. Perhaps it's you who should be watching more closely.

 

[bigred]

That's just not comparable. During the rest of the game, the boundary rider is trying to run out a batsman, so throws as hard as he can for a direct hit, as that's normally the only way to run a batsman out, because they're not normally going after suicidal runs. In this instance, there was NEVER two on, but South Africa went for it to win the match. Root (I think?) lobs it in as slowly as possible, because he knows he's got the batsman well short and Topley missed what can only be described as a dolly, and what the other 10 players on that team would have taken in their sleep. Perhaps it's you who should be watching more closely.

You have a better pair of hands than mine then. I know that I drop the occasional one unintentionally. Good to know there are people out there that don't make such errors.

 

[MUFC1987]

You have a better pair of hands than mine then. I know that I drop the occasional one unintentionally. Good to know there are people out there that don't make such errors.

You want to try reading my posts, rather than just assuming what I'm saying. Watch the throw that came in from the boundary, that's not a full speed throw, because he was making it easier for Topley. That's why it should have been taken. Stop comparing it to poor throws, or aggressive throws at other points in the game, it's not comparable.

 

[bigred]

You want to try reading my posts, rather than just assuming what I'm saying. Watch the throw that came in from the boundary, that's not a full speed throw, because he was making it easier for Topley. That's why it should have been taken. Stop comparing it to poor throws, or aggressive throws at other points in the game, it's not comparable.

Not doing any of those things. Merely excusing the guy for an error that could've happened to any one of us. He didn't mean it, and if it happened another 20 times, he'd probably catch it. I think there are other things England need to focus on and sort out, things that are more in the players/coaches control. I don't think fans should be getting on the kids back for something that happens to all cricketers at some point in their career.

 

[MUFC1987]

I didn't get on his back for one thing, he made 3 crucial errors in the last over (2 full tosses, 1 dropped run out.) As for the 'kid' comment, this isn't some pre-school learning camp. This is international cricket a couple of months before a World tournament. I couldn't give a damn if he was 18 or 36, as this stage of the T20 run up, he needs to be the best man for the job. Let's face it, this is a relatively meaningless game, but it was his mistakes that cost us a chance of winning in the last over. If he makes those mistakes in the World Cup, we will go out. Whether he's going to be a good player or not in the next 5 or 10 years makes no difference to us crashing out of the competition. He needs to get better, or get out of the team.

 

[bigred]

I didn't get on his back for one thing, he made 3 crucial errors in the last over (2 full tosses, 1 dropped run out.) As for the 'kid' comment, this isn't some pre-school learning camp. This is international cricket a couple of months before a World tournament. I couldn't give a damn if he was 18 or 36, as this stage of the T20 run up, he needs to be the best man for the job. Let's face it, this is a relatively meaningless game, but it was his mistakes that cost us a chance of winning in the last over. If he makes those mistakes in the World Cup, we will go out. Whether he's going to be a good player or not in the next 5 or 10 years makes no difference to us crashing out of the competition. He needs to get better, or get out of the team.

Well I still think that's really harsh on him. I prefer to look at performances over time, and to me, since November he's been one of our best three players. Let's not be too critical of one performance. Especially as all you are being critical of happened in just one over of the match.

 

[bigred]

I don't like going into a limited overs game with 5 bowlers. 3 seamers in SA seems daft to me. Oh well, we'll see if it works.

This is where Bopara would be perfect as a squad player for me. He's extend the batting line up, as Billings has done here, but could easily bowl his 4 overs

 

[MUFC1987]

The Umpiring has been terrible in this series. Billings gets one waist high and they don't even check it, that's shocking. Jordan out next ball, which should have been a free hit sums it up.

 

[MUFC1987]

Poor collapse, but we've still got a total to defend. We've got a chance.

 

[MUFC1987]

Well, now it's over. Could have done with an extra bowler here.

 

[stefan]

Poor collapse, but we've still got a total to defend. We've got a chance.

No you haven't, not at wanderers. SA failed to defend 231 vs west indies last year.

 

[MUFC1987]

Well we have no chance with decisions like that. Amla plumb, not given. Shocking Umpiring. Bring on the World T20 and neutral Umpires!

 

[stefan]

Umpiring has been shocking throughout the odi and t20 series so no surprise in them getting another wrong. Game was already gone by then so didn't matter this time atleast.