Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:53 pm  

Collingwood gone for 50

Eng 221/7

Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:16 pm  

South Africa's total was pretty good but apart from the odd one keeping low the conditions have been ok for England and we should be doing better!!! The batsmen just do the same thing match in match out and thats do the hard work to get their innings going and then get out.

We have to pray somehow Broad and Swann and take us past 300 and hope we can whip them out for a very very low score.

It's all but over in truth though.

Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:59 pm  

The batting fails yet again...i wonder which bowlers will get dropped for the next test then????

Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:01 pm  

Shocking call for the Broad wicket, 35 seconds!!! No doubt the SA dressing room had watched a replay

Swann and Anderson showing some fight at least.

318-8 - 100 behind.

Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:13 pm  

Great stuff from Swann & Anderson, we are at least back with a sniff.

Mind you, I won't fancy chasing anything more than 250 to win the match, especially as it seems our numbers 9&10 are the only pair with any batting nous...

Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:13 pm  

The Angry Pirate wrote:

Great stuff from Swann & Anderson, we are at least back with a sniff.

Mind you, I won't fancy chasing anything more than 250 to win the match, especially as it seems our numbers 9&10 are the only pair with any batting nous...

It's scary the amount of times we rely on our lower order to rescue matches for us. The top 6 need to take a long hard look at themselves really. Good job we got an early wicket, need to hope we get some quick wickets in the morning.

Re: Super Cricket- England in SA : Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:22 am  

The Angry Pirate wrote:

Until we find at least 2 top-class batsmen, who can both average in the high 50's, then we are going to be hamstrung with having to play Prior at 7, and only having 4 frontline bowlers.

The only way to combat this, would be to miraculously find a wicket taking pair of the calibre of Warne/McGrath, so that a 4 man attack could be viable.

Unfortunately, at present, both look a long way off......Only the emergence of Trott, coupled with a revival in form for Pieterson, shows any hope at the moment.

I just love your positive outlook

Re: Super Cricket- England in SA : Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:25 am  

Great start today. Another couple of wickets and we're laughing

Re: Super Cricket - Eng v SA 1st Test : Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:43 am  

Well the wickets looks to have dried up. We really had them on the back foot this morning but they're getting control back with this partnership.

We don't want to be chasing more then 250 i'd say. I suppose we'd still be in with a sniff at 280-300 but it's a very very big as with the pressure that would be on and the fact that our batsmen don't seem able to concentrate their way past 30's, 40's and 50's.

Re: Super Cricket- England in SA : Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:49 pm  

airliebird9 wrote:

I just love your positive outlook

I don't think I'm being negative, just stating facts, as is being backed up, not only in this test, but also over the last few years when we have been without Flintoff.

We don't have a Warne/McGrath style pair of bowlers, thus we are currently allowing the South Africans to wriggle out of an uncomfortable position....similarly, yesterday our batsman were unable to dominate at any point, and we had to rely on our tail enders to bail us out...Unfortunately, this cannot happen every time and ultimately we will be found out more often than not.