South Africa in England

[angryangy]

I don't think Ambrose really is in particularly poor form, if he got starts almost every innings, he'd not be a merely competent batsman. He's not overdue for a 50 yet, the last was only two innings ago. If he gets one in this match, people will overplay it.

 

[Sureshot]

Finally!

Pattinson gets Amla, thin snick through to Ambrose. Seeing the little seam movement, I don't hold much hope for us surviving this test.

Sureshot added 9 Minutes and 0 Seconds later...

MY team for the 3rd Test:

1. Andrew Strauss [Middlesex]
2. Alastair Cook [Essex]
3. Michael Vaughan [Yorkshire] (captain)
4. Kevin Pietersen [Hampshire]
5. Ian Bell [Warwickshire]
6. Owais Shah [Middlesex]
7. Chris Read [Nottinghamshire] (wicket keeper)
8. Andrew Flintoff [Lancashire]
9. Ryan Sidebottom [Nottinghamshire]
10. Chris Tremlett [Hampshire]
11. Monty Panesar [Northamptonshire]

Anderson has been very impressive vs South Africa, stats will probably say otherwise, but stats mean nothing. He has been excellent, you can't drop him, when he is finally showing consistency. He's finally maturing imo.

Read will never play for England again because of his ICL involvement. If Ambrose gets dropped, it's one of four. Prior, Mustard, Davies or Batty. I doubt it would be Prior, though his form is excellent and his keeping is good enough based on what I saw at Arundel. Davies is a good player, opens in OD cricket for Worcs. Very competent keeper too. Batty is a county stalwart. Excellent keeper, opens in the Championship for Surrey. Think he does in OD cricket too. Mustard is probably the best keeper of those 4 mentioned. But he is the weakest batsman. But we shouldn't forget his 67, 2 test matches ago.

Personally, I agree with Simon's team.

 

[evertonfan]

We have to do what they did at Lord's. A marvellous rearguard action is required, I'm not too confident of achieving that. I can't see Broad staying in the team after this, or Pattinson.

I agree. Broad's inexperience has showed in this series and he's been somewhat of a weak link. As for Pattinson, well I don't know why he was picked in the first place. I have to say though that i've been massively impressed by Anderson. He's bowled so consistently well in these two Tests so far and he isn't far away from another big haul like the one he got at Trent Bridge. Of course i'm bound to be impressed easily by him but he's still been bowling very well.

We can still save this Test. Have some hope lads. Don't start lambasting the team before they've even been given the chance to put it right. South Africa have batted this well in sunny skies so there's nothing to say that we can't. Also we need to lay off Ambrose as well. When will these England fans learn that we need to give wicket keepers longer runs in the side before we call for their heads after a few bad innings? Ambrose wasn't the only player to fail in our first innings you know. Seeing as some of you lot have already confined yourselves to defeat I might as well post my team as well;

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood/Shah
Flintoff
Ambrose
Sidebottom
Anderson
Panesar

Or if we choose to go with the extra bowler again then replace Collingwood/Shah with Simon Jones. I think he's more than ready to come back. And if Ambrose does get dropped then i'd like Foster or Mustard. Or go for a real wildcard and pick Sutton.

 

[Sureshot]

I think Pattinson is okay, line and length will get will make you successful in Test cricket. I think he can be a decent bowler in ODIs too. I wouldn't say he will make my team. But I can think of quite a few bowlers who have donned an England shirt in the last couple of years who were/are worse than him.

I forgot about Foster. Doing well. Think there are better batsman/keepers though. I wouldn't drop Ambrose from Tests just yet, bring in Mustard or Prior in ODIs though.

 

[WestIndian]

The conditions seems to be some what helpful this morning for England, they have moved the ball rather well and got many play and miss compare to the hole of yesterday, especially Pattinson. Very good knock by Prince, I would have liked to see him got the 150, it so happen he now has his highest test score against England 149.

 

[manee]

I'm pretty sure he is more of an 50 over bowler than a Test bowler, looking at his stats and reading up on him - apparently can touch 145kph in 50 over cricket.

 

[evertonfan]

I think Pattinson is okay, line and length will get will make you successful in Test cricket. I think he can be a decent bowler in ODIs too. I wouldn't say he will make my team. But I can think of quite a few bowlers who have donned an England shirt in the last couple of years who were/are worse than him.

Oh don't get me wrong i'm not slagging him off, I just don't think we should have picked him in the first place. You have to wonder about Hoggard's and Tremlett's future if they are getting replaced by unknown bowlers.

I do think it's time that Jones was recalled though. Although I can understand the selectors' patience and their willingness to take their time over him.

evertonfan added 0 Minutes and 49 Seconds later...

I'm pretty sure he is more of an ODI bowler than a Test bowler, looking at his stats and reading up on him - apparently can touch 145kph in ODIs.

I'm not bothered about his pace in the slightest, i'm more interested in his wicket taking ability.

 

[manee]

I'm not bothered about his pace in the slightest, i'm more interested in his wicket taking ability.

Do you not agree that lack of pace is the main reason for poor conversion of domestic statistics to international level?

 

[mattfb]

Prince is a legend. Plays another extremely important innings for his team. Hats off to him.

Freddie bowling very economical.

 

[evertonfan]

Not really. Hoggard did alright for himself.

evertonfan added 1 Minutes and 9 Seconds later...

Freddie bowling very economical.

That's exactly what we've come to expect from him over the years. We've missed him dearly in the bowling department. He's due a wicket today though. Come on big man.

 

[mattfb]

Not really. Hoggard did alright for himself.

evertonfan added 1 Minutes and 9 Seconds later...



That's exactly what we've come to expect from him over the years. We've missed him dearly in the bowling department. He's due a wicket today though. Come on big man.

Surely it just has to be a matter of time. He's just putting it on the spot from what I saw from the pitch map last night about midway through the second session. I dont know fi hes gone more wayward but his stats dont say so. If he keeps hitting the sport surely he's gonna get the wicket. Ecspecially because a new batter is in.

 

[manee]

Not really.

In ODIs? Anyway, I said it is a main reason, not a necessity. Of course you can bowl 125kph and be successful at international level, but if you have pace and good statistics at domestic level, then the smart money is on you being a success at international level.

 

[WestIndian]

Come on guys don't beg, this was not an edge, and it was not by miles. Hey Flintoff, chill, knock him out, bowl him out, but don't mouth him out, it don't usually work .

WestIndian added 5 Minutes and 24 Seconds later...

And finally AB gets the 100, well played, and deserved, batted well, slow by his standards, but showed he can concentrate when needed to get the big one. Now lets see what he does now that he has the 100.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Disgrace when any batsman who scores a Test Match hundred gets booed the moment he hits that final run that gets him to three figures.

 

[evertonfan]

Well what can I say, every country has their small minority.