a blazing hot day at The Oval. Amla and Kallis were just too good, made it look so easy. A fantastic and very well deserved ovation for Amla's 300 around the ground. From an England point of view, seeing Spongebob Squarepants frogmarched out by the stewards was as good as it got.
At the Oval today (Bedser Lower), when South Africa were batting, it felt like a seventies / eighties Oval test of my youth. Zaheer 240, Richards 291, Amiss 203, Gavaskar 221, Botham 208, Gooch 196, Javed Miandad 260, were the big scores on the Oval featherbed, before they re-laid the square in the late 80's. Amla outscored all of them with 311no. Fair play to him.
a blazing hot day at The Oval. Amla and Kallis were just too good, made it look so easy. A fantastic and very well deserved ovation for Amla's 300 around the ground. From an England point of view, seeing Spongebob Squarepants frogmarched out by the stewards was as good as it got.
The only England highlight was the number of 'Wiggins' in the crowd, as on the pitch we were stuffed...
I don't understand why Steven Finn is not in the team.When the pitch is flat and not swinging and seaming you need someone in the side who can bowl at 90 mph.
Its a touch call there Dick, you'd have to drop Bresnan if he played! We might need his batting this arvo hopefully!!
To be fair tho Golf has it spot on, be over by lunch!
You can't pick bowlers on their batting strength, especially if we lose this game. The pressure on the batsmen after fielding for such a long time in the sun certainly didn't help...
Its a touch call there Dick, you'd have to drop Bresnan if he played! We might need his batting this arvo hopefully!!
To be fair tho Golf has it spot on, be over by lunch!
I agree it would be harsh on Bresnan,but Broad has not bowled well.If the batsmen do their job we could play Prior at six and put in an extra bowler.I have been very impressed with South Africa they have outplayed us in every aspect of the game.They also have what we lack a top class all rounder in Jacques Kallis.
Yeah i agree on both notes, i spose the thinking on leaving Finn out was because of the way Bres has played since coming in, hard to drop anyone from a winning formula! Good dilemma to have tho! I'd not drop Broad for Fin tho, and yes they have an advantage of Kallis, but i think we have the better spinner so that evens that out. I think most of the reason we are in this situation in this match is mainly because of how there Batsman coped with the pressure of top class bowling, on Sat morning Swanny was all over Smith, and he rode it out and went on, yesterday when Strauss was in he melted!! That was part of the difference imo.
Still fascinating test cricket tho, that Amla played a blinder, so wristy he plays swing so late he almost eradicates the danger of it! We'll see how he gets on in the next test when the ball swings more.
Can only afford to lose a maximum of 1 wicket in the afternoon session, and even that is pushing it. Either Bell/Prior need a hundred and with a couple of lower order cameos, we could save it. I still reckon a 9 wicket SA win though.
If we cling on, it will be undeserved, but an excellent result. England often have a duff result, even in the last ashes. However, there are only three games, and SA have been better than us in every department, and its not like we are playing badly.
If we cling on, it will be undeserved, but an excellent result. England often have a duff result, even in the last ashes. However, there are only three games, and SA have been better than us in every department, and its not like we are playing badly.
If we cling on, it will be very deserved!! They had 4 sessions to bowl us out if they don't, stiff shit!
Comments
2-0 to the S African's what with the Open today !!!!
To be fair tho Golf has it spot on, be over by lunch!
Still fascinating test cricket tho, that Amla played a blinder, so wristy he plays swing so late he almost eradicates the danger of it! We'll see how he gets on in the next test when the ball swings more.
If we cling on, it will be very deserved!! They had 4 sessions to bowl us out if they don't, stiff shit!
Bell 50*