The REAL contest

Bob-Dubery

Smith and Strauss are about to toss at the Oval.

Any thoughts about this series? Other than that it deserves more than three matches?

I think the crucial difference may be the tail end batting (assuming it stops raining long enough for the matches to reach a conclusion). Bresnan, Broad and Swann are useful. Our tail starts at 8.

Reinhard

It's going to be interesting. Botham mentioned the pitch looked a little advanced due to being under cover so long. Definitely a good toss to win and bat first as it may be a little hairy on the final day (weather permitting). South Africa are notorious for allowing the opposition tail to wag like a fan, so hopefully we can wrap up the England tail without too much trouble, but like you said, that could be a deciding factor. I'm hoping for a quick 3 wickets or so to put them a bit on the back foot.

About to start!

TI-Distribution

and WHAT A START!!!

Morkel you NOOGIE!!

Bob-Dubery

Botham was a great cricketer, but as a commentator all he serves up is total twaddle and the blindingly obvious. I hope they get Shane Warne in the commentary box - he's a very good judge of play and players.

guidothepimmp

What's this about then?

Cricket? So what innings are they in? How many more strikes until the next team bats?

How many bases are loaded?
:-[

Jack-Flash-Jr

Very confused until 'cricketer' on post four.

Jayhell

Darn, makes me wish I owned a TV. Plug your guitar in next to you and play all day while you look up once in a while to see whats happening on the screen.

Alex-B-Broadway

Jack Flash Jr wrote Very confused until 'cricketer' on post four.

Pretty much the same here. :roflmao: Can't say I'm much of a sports fan.

strataxe

and then the start wasn't that good...I;ve seen that we've never won a test at the Oval. So things look grim.

Bob-Dubery

strataxe wrote and then the start wasn't that good...I;ve seen that we've never won a test at the Oval. So things look grim.

Could be worse. In 1927 there was a match between England and SA in which England batted first, lost a wicket for 0 in the first over and then progressed to 230/1.

SA's bowling did a reasonable containing job yesterday. Indeed if it were a one-day match we'd say they did a pretty good job. The England score is probably a little below par. But they're only three down. SA didn't get enough wickets, that's true, but I'm not in agreement with elements of the press who are talking about this like it's some kind of slaughter. It isn't. England have not scored quickly, have not dominated, and the economy rates for the SA bowlers reflect that.

The trouble for SA now is that even if they get some wickets early today they still have to deal with an England tail that is likely to wag rather vigorously.

guidothepimmp

???

Shees Bob, you remember that from 1927?

No wonder you took exception to old guys losing their guitarist touch with age.. ?

Bob-Dubery

guidothepimmp wrote ???

Shees Bob, you remember that from 1927?

No wonder you took exception to old guys losing their guitarist touch with age.. ?

Lol.

I don't have personal recollections of that match. I saw a statistical breakdown of matches where teams have recovered from the worst possible start on another forum this morning.

chris77

Ja it was a vital toss to win. We would probably have been in a similar position had we won and batted first. The Poms are lekker windgat, as ussual, but this time I think they have reason to be. We will have to raise our game quite a bit to save this test and then hope for a few worldclass individual performances to have any hope of winning it.
Series? Hmmm..... 1 all or two nill to England ☹

V8

X-rated Bob wrote SA didn't get enough wickets, that's true, but I'm not in agreement with elements of the press who are talking about this like it's some kind of slaughter. It isn't. England have not scored quickly, have not dominated, and the economy rates for the SA bowlers reflect that.

The trouble for SA now is that even if they get some wickets early today they still have to deal with an England tail that is likely to wag rather vigorously.

Yeah, at last some "real cricket" - the pajama stuff (50/50, 20/20) is bubblegum until we get the main course - 5 days of contest. Having a look at the ICC schedule earlier in the year I saw that test series longer than 3 test has become a rare thing - reserved for the ashes, hmmppfff.

Enjoyed the viewing yesterday. Feeling for the bowlers, imo they are trying hard, but with little reward on a dry & dusty track - saw some swing from over 60 onwards, but aside from KP's wicket little reward. The press really do love to talk up (and down) a game, I guess it's our appetite for something cricket to read? Till we have a bat I'm optimistic - although I wouldn't want to be batting Day 5 with the match in the balance, Swann is a intelligent bowler and the track already showed signs of taking spin.

Jayhell wrote Darn, makes me wish I owned a TV. Plug your guitar in next to you and play all day while you look up once in a while to see whats happening on the screen.

Get yerself a Dstv Drifta (check coverage & models first) - I've had one since launch (end of 2010) specifically because I was struggling to find radio commentary of some of SA's overseas tests. At R50/mth I ditched the TV, cancelled TV licence (not needed for a drifta!) and only watch Supersport 1,2,3 - happy days strumming guitar and watching cricket :yup:

Bob-Dubery

chris77 wrote Ja it was a vital toss to win. We would probably have been in a similar position had we won and batted first. The Poms are lekker windgat, as ussual, but this time I think they have reason to be.

They're a good team. Their batting has been strong the last couple of years, and their bowling is pretty good at taking twenty wickets in a match - the thing you MUST do to win a Test. Broad and Anderson have been consistently good quick bowlers, and Swann has been the best performing spinner in the game for two years at least. They work well as a team.

We will have to raise our game quite a bit to save this test and then hope for a few worldclass individual performances to have any hope of winning it.

Too early to think in those terms IMO - Tests take at least two days to take shape unless there's a massive imbalance between teams. Even then you need to remember the 500-1 match* We didn't get wickets, it's true, but England have not scored very quickly either. England are not galloping away.

* Headingley 1981. Ashes match. Australia batted first and then forced England to follow on. At the start of play on day 4 you could gets odds of 500-1 on England winning. Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh found the odds too much to resist and put down a tenner each. Botham got a spectacular century, but Australia still needed just 130 to win. England bowled them out for 111.

Bob-Dubery

Things looking a bit better now.

IceCreamMan

Some great cricket and no updates ?

great triple , great century by smith in his 100th test....looks like a win is possible but they need to get these pesky limeys out........

IceCreamMan

tail wagging the whole damn dog ☹

IceCreamMan

1 more lil wicket and its like 20 wickets to 3 ...

this is a thumping , to make it fair next time we get amla alone to play their lot

Sean

IceCreamMan wrote 1 more lil wicket and its like 20 wickets to 3 ...

this is a thumping , to make it fair next time we get amla alone to play their lot

Sho, very proud of Amla, being the first SA batsman to get that triple ton, incredible, especially considering the rocky beginning he had in his career and the little niggle he had to correct in his technique.