South Africa in England

[Deleted member 13648]

Can we start the Ashes tomorrow?

 

[evertonfan]

Oh dear. Once Smith and McKenzie are out tomorrow will be so boring. Amla, Kallis, Prince...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

On the bright side though, AB De Villiers is playing.

 

[The_gas]

I have to admit, i feel like i owe an apology to the English side. I really thought we had no hope against the saffies and the so called best pace attack in the world. But we played so well, and its really times like these that make me enjoy watching England play, even the bad times too. You can never predict anything as far as England are concerned.

Sure, people will say it was the pitch's fault that South Africa played bad, but who cares what these noobs say. I think Sureshot, or someone else predicted the script earlier, and they got it spot on. When England are underdogs, they raise the game, and can match anyone on the day.

Should be an interesting days play tomorrow.

 

[Leicester Fox]

I would consider dropping Ntini, I htought harris bowled well today taking the game situation into consideration and how he had to bowl negatively and at batsmen who were batting well on a pitch offering very litte. It certainly was about as tougher introduction as you'll get to England so 3 wickets isn't that bad at all. Day 1 I agree he was rubbish but today he did alright for me. Ntini was just pretty poor and seems like the kind of guy who would come back stronger. Having said that I would give them a second chance, say if you screw up in the 2nd test you're gone but you deserve a chance.

Tomorrow will be a much tougher day for England and when we find out how good the pitch is really. Can't help but feel that the Saffies would look better with Gibbs in the batting though.

 

[m_vaughan]

Thing about Gibbs was that he had become highly inconsistent and his good knocks were seperated by quite a few poor ones. Not good enough anymore for a side ranked second best in the world.

Kallis, Amla and Prince can indeed make this game boring tomorrow although I have a feeling the English bowlers might succeed against the latter two.

 

[.Mob]

On the bright side though, AB De Villiers is playing.

Just watching him field today was very exciting, what a player.

 

[RoboRocks]

Shame for Bell, deserved his double century today. Broad batted really well as could become a genuine all rounder in the future if he can keep making scores and taking wickets as well.

I fancy, if England can be full on a consistent basis and get the ball to swing, they'll have a chance of removing Smith early since he's had problems outside off stump, which Sidebottom with his out swing will look to target and also the ball swinging in and getting him out lbw, in which Jimmy Anderson will be looking to do. Amla and Kallis are in good form so if England want to win this test, they'll have to be full consistently, which is what the South African bowlers failed to do, if not South Africa could potentially make as many runs as England with this strong batting line-up.

 

[PhilD123]

Another great day for England, good stuff from Bell, must be mightily annoyed to have got out when he did though. How over-hyped has this South Africa bowling attack been, not really Steyn and Morkel, the latter of which have pleasantly suprised me. But Harris is nothing more than a stopgap bowler, and some kind of proper spin could have been very useful later in the series. Ntini was brilliant a couple of years ago, but even in the South African tests that I've seen around the last year or two, he has been a shadow of his former self.

Now Bell has got some runs, the "must kick a batsman out of the team brigade" have come out in force to get rid of Ambrose. Just because a player has a bad innings doesn't mean he's not up to it. He got a vital 67 in his last test innings, that helped save the match and possibly the series for England.

 

[RoboRocks]

Now Bell has got some runs, the "must kick a batsman out of the team brigade" have come out in force to get rid of Ambrose. Just because a player has a bad innings doesn't mean he's not up to it. He got a vital 67 in his last test innings, that helped save the match and possibly the series for England.

Of course, I would see how Ambrose goes in this series first but if he continues to fail then I would leave him out of the winter tours and then it would between Mustard and Foster to goes gets the next go. I suppose when you look at Ambrose's career so far, he has taken 21 catches in his first six matches, so he's kept pretty well apart from one or two drops. He needs to just keep making fifties and the odd century with the bat and the selectors should leave him alone but if he goes with at least one fifity then the axe is going to come down on him. I would certainly leave him out of the ODI squad now and if Mustard has a good ODI series I would look at him but otherwise I would choose Foster who's an excellent keeper and is a much improved batsman.

Paul Collingwood is the guy under pressure to whether he'll make way for Freddie. I would drop Collingwood for Flintoff for two reasons: one is that Collingwood hasn't made a fifty in any form of competitive cricket this season, and two is because England would be a lot better side with a 5-man attack since you need 20 wickets to win test matches and that's always the best policy, plus I wouldn't be changing the bowlers around now since I think a settled bowling attack is more important than a settled batting line-up.

 

[0601731]

panesar will hold the key for england.

 

[Sureshot]

Of course, I would see how Ambrose goes in this series first but if he continues to fail then I would leave him out of the winter tours and then it would between Mustard and Foster to goes gets the next go. I suppose when you look at Ambrose's career so far, he has taken 21 catches in his first six matches, so he's kept pretty well apart from one or two drops. He needs to just keep making fifties and the odd century with the bat and the selectors should leave him alone but if he goes with at least one fifity then the axe is going to come down on him. I would certainly leave him out of the ODI squad now and if Mustard has a good ODI series I would look at him but otherwise I would choose Foster who's an excellent keeper and is a much improved batsman.

Paul Collingwood is the guy under pressure to whether he'll make way for Freddie. I would drop Collingwood for Flintoff for two reasons: one is that Collingwood hasn't made a fifty in any form of competitive cricket this season, and two is because England would be a lot better side with a 5-man attack since you need 20 wickets to win test matches and that's always the best policy, plus I wouldn't be changing the bowlers around now since I think a settled bowling attack is more important than a settled batting line-up.

A 5-man attack including Flintoff is a more aggressive option. Flintoff has got runs of late, he doesn't look in good enough form to bat 6. It's an interesting one. However, we still have 3 days here and 3 days down at the Rose Bowl for Fred to impress. I can't see any of the 4 bowlers being dropped, excluding the case of injury.

 

[Leicester Fox]

Well given that we have Bradman reborn in Stuart broad, Fred can get in this side up te order imo. I think the South African overhype was just an epic fail on the saffies part. They just tried to scare us into giving away our wickets and I think our batsmen just got so pumped up were expecting the greatest bowlers of all time to come at us.

 

[RoboRocks]

A 5-man attack including Flintoff is a more aggressive option. Flintoff has got runs of late, he doesn't look in good enough form to bat 6. It's an interesting one. However, we still have 3 days here and 3 days down at the Rose Bowl for Fred to impress. I can't see any of the 4 bowlers being dropped, excluding the case of injury.

That's the risk. Although, Fred's scored 2 50's in all forms this season to Collingwood's 1.

The attack, with 5 bowlers actually looks balanced with Sidebottom and Anderson the swing bowlers, Flintoff and Broad the hit the deck seamers and Monty Panesar the wicket taking spinner.

It's good Freddie is making runs or else the selectors would have to drop a bowler with Ambrose also struggling for form.

 

[Will_NA]

I reckon Broad could bounce out Prince tomorrow and Amla won't play a shot to a ball more than half a yard away from him so Kallis and ABdV are the real dangermen.

Also, well played Bell. I haven't seen either of first 2 days so I can't comment much.

 

[WestIndian]

Bell played very well, and runs on the board is runs on the board, the fact that the weather may come in to play a role, which might just work in Sidebottom's favor, says that tomorrow can and might be a very interesting day, that said if it is bright sunshine from ball 1, and we know SA can bat down to Morkel (#8), and remembering how both Mills and Southee batted, it could also be a very long day for England, so I say day 3 will be of great interest.