[Archived] South Africa Vs England

[Iceman]

SA will choke again. We will declare, so late that we wont have time to bowl England out. Strange but true.

[Ste B]

God its hot here. We will be Knackered after today. Retired to springbok bar next door. Look out for the great harwood flag btw

[Iceman]

God its hot here. We will be Knackered after today. Retired to springbok bar next door. Look out for the great harwood flag btw

Hope you enjoying it here in Cape Town mate. At least you could head off to the beach, instead of building snowmen lol

[bellamy11]

Three wickets in hand, still a few overs to bat out. It's killing me being at work and not being able to see this. Reading on TMS is the next-best thing though...

From Francis in sunny LA, TMS inbox: "The run rate required is creeping up now. Should we cut our losses and just go for the draw?"

[T4E]

1 wicket in hand, 2 overs left. 10 and 11 at the crease. Steyn on. ######.

[Hughesy]

Managed it! Onions & Swann......well done lads

Colly & Bell did great

[Iceman]

1 wicket in hand, 2 overs left. 10 and 11 at the crease. Steyn on. ######.

SA are useless ######, but a very good game... well done to the Poms,and to Bell, Collingwood,Swann and Onions.

[Ozz]

Well exciting cricket is England's middle name these days. A wicket lost off the first ball of the test, a six off the last ball of the first session, three other wickets in the first 2 hours, and 100 runs off 26 overs!

Good start to sporting Thursday.

[Iceman]

England 5 down now, with Collingwood out for 47… Bell again trying to hold things together, and I have to say he is really proving his critics wrong. However, England will hope to at least get to 300 in their 1st innings

[T4E]

155-9

[American]

England 5 down now, with Collingwood out for 47… Bell again trying to hold things together, and I have to say he is really proving his critics wrong. However, England will hope to at least get to 300 in their 1st innings

Ooops.

[Hughesy]

180 all out before tea.....oh dear!

Need to dig deep here!

[Guest Kamy100]

180 all out.

Oh dear, oh dear. Pitch seems ok, but England's batsmen have failed again, some pathetic shots which has cost us dearly. Lets hope the Bowlers come to the rescue again, can't believe that Onions has been dropped, Sidebottom can be a fine bowler but Onions has consistently caused the South African batsmen problems.

Not a great start to this sporting Thursday, lets hope things improve from hereon.

[Ozz]

180 all out.

Oh dear, oh dear. Pitch seems ok, but England's batsmen have failed again, some pathetic shots which has cost us dearly. Lets hope the Bowlers come to the rescue again, can't believe that Onions has been dropped, Sidebottom can be a fine bowler but Onions has consistently caused the South African batsmen problems.

Not a great start to this sporting Thursday, lets hope things improve from hereon.

I thought Onions has looked the least likely to get wickets of late Kamy. Sidearse has been netting very well its said, and it is a bit early to criticise the selection of a different bowler yet. That said, Onions could have kept in for his batting!

Sporting Thursday is still on!

[T4E]

You can't judge a 1st innings total until both sides have batted.

Jimmy just trapped Smith in front but was missing on height. There's plenty for us to bowl at here.

[Iceman]

Ooops.

Well so much for that eh. Lol. I suppose typical England

[T4E]

Rain stopped play at the minute, so they're replaying the morning session which I didnt see. Smith got away with a nick when SA were on 36-0 - he clearly hit it but due to no hotspot the review came back not out. 3rd umpire said he couldnt hear a noise, if thats the case he needs syringing or replacing. You could even see the revolutions on the ball change. Getting that decision could have made this game very different.

[Blue n White Rover]

Rain stopped play at the minute, so they're replaying the morning session which I didnt see. Smith got away with a nick when SA were on 36-0 - he clearly hit it but due to no hotspot the review came back not out. 3rd umpire said he couldnt hear a noise, if thats the case he needs syringing or replacing. You could even see the revolutions on the ball change. Getting that decision could have made this game very different.

Wasn't there another dubious decision in the 1st innings, Cook was given out LBW, when Morkel clearly bowled a no ball, his foot was over the line, yet was still given out.

This system seems to bring more controversy to the game

[Tris]

Rain stopped play at the minute, so they're replaying the morning session which I didnt see. Smith got away with a nick when SA were on 36-0 - he clearly hit it but due to no hotspot the review came back not out. 3rd umpire said he couldnt hear a noise, if thats the case he needs syringing or replacing. You could even see the revolutions on the ball change. Getting that decision could have made this game very different.

Daryl Harper (the TV umpire) has had an awful series. When he was on the field in the earlier tests, 50% of the decisions he had made which were referred (by either team) were reversed. The other umpires in the series are getting around 70-80% decisions upheld (so only 20-30% reversed).

Now he's sat in front of a TV screen and he STILL can't get it right - England lodge protest because the prat didn't turn up the volume on his TV, so failed to hear the nick that every viewer at home could hear quite clearly!!!

[broadsword]

Trying to be charitable here, but there may have been a problem with his feed. But then again, why didn't he turn the bloody volume up! If you don't hear anything on 4/10, then listen again at 10/10. Common sense, really.

I think I'm right in saying that umpires have to have a hearing test every year (I'll check in a mo), but apparently you could hear it clearly at less than full volume, so what the heck has gone on here?

EDIT - can't find anything about a hearing check, but could've sworn they have to have them. In any case, check this - he's got the same audio feed. Unreal.

[1864roverite]

6 sessions to go and its definately advantage SA.

England have 8 wickets left and stand at 22-2. Its going to take a massive effort to survive this lot.

I dont think it is going to reflect good on SA when they level the series, in fact, some could say there has been an element of cheating going on when batsmen stand their ground when clearly they are out.

Smith should have walked, the same for de Villiers.

I think the weather may have a part to play tomorrow afternoon if England can survive and both Pieterson and Strauss can remain at the helm.

[cn174]

England have 8 wickets left and stand at 22-2. Its going to take a massive effort to survive this lot.

7 wickets left and stand at 48 for 3

[Guest Kamy100]

Utterly pathetic batting this morning, well done to South Africa.

Can't really get to excited about drawing the series as we have been to some extent been outplayed in 3 out of the 4 tests, but I suppose we did show some fighting spirit in the first and third tests.

The balling unit has been fine, they have all contributed at different times in the series and can't really ask anymore of them.

The batting needs a serious look at, can't believe some of the way that the batsman have got out by in this and the previous test, also 4 out of the top 7 batsmen have averaged between 22-27 for the whole series, not good enough.

The potential is there, however a lot of work needs to be done over the next 10 months if we are going to be competitive in the Ashes.

[American]

I love playing the ignorant American at work when the guys are watching cricket in the break room:

So, who's winning, your South Africans, or theirs?

(Walking in with England at 171-9): That can't be good for you guys, can it?

[Flopsy]

For those of you who like sports books, can I recommend When Freddie Became Jesus by Jarrod Kimber, probably the funiest and insightful book of the 2009 Ashes Series. I cant recommend it enough.

Cheers