South Africa in England

[RoboRocks]

Unless England get wickets (one tonight at least) while the ball is new, then I wouldn't put it past South Africa to make 400 and grind us into the dust tomorrow. England have batted very poorly on a good batting pitch and are in an uphill battle now.

 

[Sureshot]

Big Fred gets Smith, but they are still 38-1. We will be lucky to avoid a deficit of 100.

 

[The_gas]

I hope someone gives England a bollocking. What the hell, two run outs at the end denying Fred a few overs of hitting? Shambles, what were they thinking. :

 

[Ollie_H]

I hope someone gives England a bollocking. What the hell, two run outs at the end denying Fred a few overs of hitting? Shambles, what were they thinking. :

Actually to be honest I think these were most probably Fred's fault he wanted the strike so pushed these singles.

I think we need to make quite a few changes for the next test. I don't really care about this test but our selectors just arent ruthless enough. They are not their to be best mates with players and form their own little clique it's to do a damn job and at the moment. There not doing it!

You drop Collingwood one week as he has no runs. He goes back to Durham and gets no runs and they recall him! We are struggling to get 20 wickets and if they want to score more runs why bring a guy in that has an average of under 10 for england this summer and just over 10 for his county?

 

[banjo6]

Surely Harris has to be dropped to bring Steyn in.

 

[Highlander999]

Steyn is injured

 

[evertonfan]

I don't know why Harris is being criticized so much. He's done absolutely nothign wrong all series and has bowled well. He does the job of tying up an end very well and he allows the fast bowlers to be rested. Also, every Test match side needs a spinner.

 

[Dare]

I actually give props to South Africa for sticking with him for the tests that he has played so far. For a side that can pick 4 main pace bowlers and a all round pace bowler and win tests they actually play a spinner and he is a good spinner. Nothing special but he is good, gets good bounce and can turn the ball good. If they had a all-round spin bowler than they probably wouldn't play him. If South Africa win this test than Steyn shouldn't play in the last one.

 

[irottev]

I don't think Vaughan would have stood there shaking hi head if he'd hit it. Maybe i'm naive to think this, but i'd like to think as a long time captain he'd just trudge off if he hit it. Pietersen was hard done by I think.

Well done SA. I thought this was a featherbed?

 

[Ollie_H]

I don't think Vaughan would have stood there shaking hi head if he'd hit it. Maybe i'm naive to think this, but i'd like to think as a long time captain he'd just trudge off if he hit it. Pietersen was hard done by I think.

Well done SA. I thought this was a featherbed?

Pietersen wasn't really hard done by. He was either out caught or lbw..So It doesn't really matter.

If vaughan doesn't contribute with the bat in the second innings with a big score I can see people calling for him to be replaced. Could we see it aginst SA again? Will history repeat itself? 2003 tour Vaughan and just taken over as ODI captain and then Hussain resigned and Vaughan became Test aswell. Could we see KP becoming Test captain?


Yes I know KP's ODI captaincy is temporary but who knows if Collywobbler can't hit the ball of the strip.

 

[Sureshot]

Actually to be honest I think these were most probably Fred's fault he wanted the strike so pushed these singles.

I think we need to make quite a few changes for the next test. I don't really care about this test but our selectors just arent ruthless enough. They are not their to be best mates with players and form their own little clique it's to do a damn job and at the moment. There not doing it!

You drop Collingwood one week as he has no runs. He goes back to Durham and gets no runs and they recall him! We are struggling to get 20 wickets and if they want to score more runs why bring a guy in that has an average of under 10 for england this summer and just over 10 for his county?

Making Giles a selector has helped, no doubt.*


I think Vaughan was unlikely, though Snicko showed the ball kissed the varnish. There is no way the umpire should have given it out imo. No visible edge and it didn't make a sound. If the sensitive stump mics won't pick up a sound, our inferior ears won't.

KP, it's a bit of devils advocate. He shouldn't have been out caught. He didn't hit the ball. But it was plumb LBW.

If they were using referrals in this match (though the ECB rejected it!) neither would have been out. Only snicko showed Vaughan might have got a small edge, they can't use that. And KP wouldn't have been out caught. I can't wait for referrals to be a part of the game. Cricket has to move forward.


*Sarcasm


It's enough to make you tear your hair out.

 

[Skater]

Pietersen WAS hard done by. You see, if he referred the catch on the referrals system, the umpire would have seen he did not hit it and given it not out. Now the dismissal is given not out, the umpire cannot then change the dismissal to LBW and he cannot have that referred. Therefore, out LBW or not, the catch would have been given not out and thus Pietersen is not out.

 

[evertonfan]

You kind get the feeling that England's bad luck in this series is our punishment for that run out saga at the Oval against the Kiwis. Karma's a bitch.

Ah well, we can look forward to a nice sunny day tomorrow. Not a cloud in the sky.

 

[Adarsh]

Pietersen WAS hard done by. You see, if he referred the catch on the referrals system, the umpire would have seen he did not hit it and given it not out. Now the dismissal is given not out, the umpire cannot then change the dismissal to LBW and he cannot have that referred. Therefore, out LBW or not, the catch would have been given not out and thus Pietersen is not out.

Perhaps the law should be changed so that it doesn't happen then; since in this case justice was done accidently or not. The referal system should be modified so that the third umpire can butt in and overrule the onfield umpire if need be.

Vaughan was out. The appeals sounded genuine (I know it isn't a very reliable sign but the fielder definitely thought he nicked it) and Snicko showed it and it's rarely wrong, in all honesty.

 

[FreddieFan]

Perhaps the law should be changed so that it doesn't happen then; since in this case justice was done accidently or not. The referal system should be modified so that the third umpire can butt in and overrule the onfield umpire if need be.

Vaughan was out. The appeals sounded genuine (I know it isn't a very reliable sign but the fielder definitely thought he nicked it) and Snicko showed it and it's rarely wrong, in all honesty.

It's completely reliable when it comes to detecting sounds, but falls down determining from whence they came. I was at Edgbaston today, and I didn't hear a nick as it happened, nor could I see an edge on the slow motion replays on the big screen. The talk around us from those listening to TMS was that Snicko had a sound but hotspot couldn't see anything. I have the highlights taped and will check them tomorrow and see if there was anything else that could have caused a noise.

Considering the amount of debate still going on about whether or not he nicked it, expecting the benefit of the doubt to be given in this case doesn't seem unreasonable, but hey, with umpires you win some and lose some. England just didn't bat well enough today, and are in trouble as a result.