South Africa in England

[Simbazz]

They're bowling attack is decent, but the way we batted throughout this Test would make a nursery's bowling attack look lethal.

KP's random rushes of testosterone (sp?) is a worry, but you've got to take the good with the bad. Bell looks to be slap bang out of form again-ish....Flintoff, well he's hit runs in both innings so i'm not complaining.

Vaughan dropped for Shah, Strauss as captain. Simple task, needs to be done!

Pattinson dropped for Tremlett/Hoggard...God, even Harmison is getting a few!

 

[evertonfan]

I'm clinging on to the hope that batting-wise, Vaughan always contributes one big score in every series but nothing else. Pietersen just needs Smith to call him names and that's another hundred for him, Flintoff will score a hundred in this series and you can quote me on that, Strauss is due, Cook has hopefully batted himself into a bit of form with today's innings and Ambrose has got an innings in him as well. As for Bell, he doesn't appear to ever be in form.

Also let's really clutch at straws and consider the fact that barring Kallis, all of the Saffers have scored centuries whereas Bell and Pietersen have hundreds for us. It begs the question of have South Africa's batsmen peaked too soon? Whereas ours on the other hand have a lot of catching up to do.

I still do genuinley believe we can win this series 2-1. If I know anything about anything then I knoe that England are the most unpredictable cricket team in the world.

 

[Simbazz]

We are the worlds most unpredictable test team in the world!

Maybe they've peaked too soon in the batting department, but its not that i'm worried about, its how frail ours looks compared to the s'Affers bowling attack! Pietersen will probably score big next game, and hopefully so will the openers, this means 300 easily, then Bell/Vaughan etc. can play a natural game.

 

[Highlander999]

Gonna disagree with you gents. I can see Vaughan bombing this series (you can quote me on that ) If it's only Vaughan's captaincy keeping him in the side, boot him out and replace him with Rob Key who is a superb captain and a very handy batsman. But yeah I can see both Cook and Strauss scoring big next time, I just wish KP and Bell could be a bit more consistent. If Ambrose is kept in the XI I can also see a century from him

 

[evertonfan]

Rob Key is a superb captain, but you can't call someone up and ask them to captain the England team straight away. Tall order that!

 

[Simbazz]

I'm stuck over the WK department, i really don't know who i want in the side, ultimately they'll fail, but who'll fail in the long run, rather than straight away?

 

[Highlander999]

Rob Key is a superb captain, but you can't call someone up and ask them to captain the England team straight away. Tall order that!

Tall order but I think he could do it.

I'm stuck over the WK department, i really don't know who i want in the side, ultimately they'll fail, but who'll fail in the long run, rather than straight away?

Is Foster younger than Ambrose? If so I would give him a very long run (like GoJo did)

 

[Stephen Bailey]

Is Foster younger than Ambrose? If so I would give him a very long run (like GoJo did)

Foster is 28, Ambrose is 25.

 

[evertonfan]

I'm confident Gareth Cross will be in the England team in a few years time. His glovework is superb and his batting is coming on nicely. In a couple of years he'll definitely be in with a shout of the England team.

I like Foster. I remember watching him being thrown in at the deep end in the India tour in 2001. He was about 12 years old and was immediately thrust into the Test team and he performed admirably. Don't quite know why he's never been given a go since.

 

[Highlander999]

Foster is 28, Ambrose is 25.

Then a U-Turn by me. I'm all for keeping Ambrose :cool:

 

[Simbazz]

I'll agree that Cross is one to watch, i've not seen him this season, but last season in the short glimpses i got of him i was fairly impressed.

 

[Highlander999]

Gonna be honest and admit I haven't heard about this Cross guy.

 

[evertonfan]

That's understandable. He's a promising young wicket keeper who's been developing nicely at Lancashire for the past couple of seasons. His keeping style is very similar to Warren Hegg's and he's a very proper batsman. I would love to see him in the England team come 2010 or thereabouts.

 

[Highlander999]

I'll try and look out for him. Cheers for that Matt. Has he got the potential to be another Stewart?

 

[evertonfan]

I wouldn't go that far yet, but he'd do a better job of emulating Stewart than the likes of Read, Jones and Ambrose.