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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2017 17:33:48 GMT
I mentioned him last summer Bish, It is a while ago you probably forgot Bish.  Link or it didn't happen...........  I was thinking along those lines myself. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2017 17:36:11 GMT
That's it then Okie , I admit that I must have , the memory isn't what it once was  I also mentioned Malan but we won't talk about that.  |
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Post by Okie Stokie. on Jul 28, 2017 22:55:33 GMT
Link or it didn't happen........... I was thinking along those lines myself. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2017 23:38:38 GMT
I was thinking along those lines myself. I have a high boredom threshold ......after years on the Oatcake |
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Post by partickpotter on Jul 30, 2017 13:13:25 GMT
Could be in for some fun this afternoon as England push on to a declaration.
Mixed feelings about Westley's knock. Great to see him pick up a 50, but he looks like yet another batsman with a weakness that can be easily exploited - in his case bowling two stumps wide of off. He got completely stuck in the morning session.
Jennings also managed to score a few runs but still looks unconvincing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 16:35:42 GMT
Well, having set SA a target of 492 to win, England are now decimating the SA batsmen with the score currently at 52-4 !
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 16:39:20 GMT
Could be in for some fun this afternoon as England push on to a declaration. Mixed feelings about Westley's knock. Great to see him pick up a 50, but he looks like yet another batsman with a weakness that can be easily exploited - in his case bowling two stumps wide of off. He got completely stuck in the morning session. Jennings also managed to score a few runs but still looks unconvincing. Westley looks a little more at ease, but does seem vulnerable, but dug in for his 59 today. Jennings looks very wooden in his stance and batting action, with very little foot movement and he seems slow to react to most deliveries. |
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Post by trickydicky73 on Jul 30, 2017 16:40:50 GMT
Well, having set SA a target of 492 to win, England are now decimating the SA batsmen with the score currently at 52-4 ! Once a team gets on top, lately, the other one capitulates. Both Michael Vaughan and Graham Smith were bemoaning this the other day. Nobody wants to battle anymore, once the initiative is lost. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 18:03:02 GMT
Some resistance from Elgar and Bavuma with SA at 117-4 at the close of play.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 13:29:41 GMT
Hat trick from Moeen what a way to finish it! Such an underrated player......
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 13:36:54 GMT
Really pleased for Moeen - hat trick and a review for the final wicket !
Gritty innings from Dean Elgar.
Good win for England to set things up for series win (hopefully) at Old Trafford.
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Post by partickpotter on Jul 31, 2017 14:30:24 GMT
Hat trick from Moeen what a way to finish it! Such an underrated player...... Yes - brilliant stuff from Super Mo. But, is he underrated? I don't think so. I think his capabilities - both strengths and weaknesses - are very clear. What he is is a #6 all rounder. The thing is we've already got one of those. Which means in a balanced side (i.e. 1-5 are batsmen, 6 the all rounder, 7 wicket keeper and 8-11 bowlers), Ali comes in at #8 which is too low for his batting but overstates his bowling. That's not to say he can't perform well and get some excellent wickets, but, as the India and Bangladesh series showed, he is not a top spin bowler. It's something of a big selection dilemma. My view is if we had a better spinner we should pick him ahead of Moeen. Moeen misses out unless he is deemed good enough to occupy one of the top 5 batting positions. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 15:02:45 GMT
Hat trick from Moeen what a way to finish it! Such an underrated player...... Yes - brilliant stuff from Super Mo. But, is he underrated? I don't think so. I think his capabilities - both strengths and weaknesses - are very clear. What he is is a #6 all rounder. The thing is we've already got one of those. Which means in a balanced side (i.e. 1-5 are batsmen, 6 the all rounder, 7 wicket keeper and 8-11 bowlers), Ali comes in at #8 which is too low for his batting but overstates his bowling. That's not to say he can't perform well and get some excellent wickets, but, as the India and Bangladesh series showed, he is not a top spin bowler. It's something of a big selection dilemma. My view is if we had a better spinner we should pick him ahead of Moeen. Moeen misses out unless he is deemed good enough to occupy one of the top 5 batting positions. He's a number 7 and a front line spinner outside of the sub continent as far as I'm concerned. In fact batting at 7 he averages nearly 70, scoring 3 of his 5 centuries which is absolutely phenomenal. Touring in Asia for me he bats number 4-6 and bowls as a 2nd or even 3rd spinner depending on conditions. He will get better as a spinner as well in the next couple of years, if you look at the amount of first class overs in the long format he has bowled in his career he is nowhere near his "peak" Great cricketer and one of the heartbeats of the team as far as I'm concerned..... |
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Jul 31, 2017 18:35:35 GMT
Ali.  |
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Post by partickpotter on Aug 1, 2017 5:52:10 GMT
Yes - brilliant stuff from Super Mo. But, is he underrated? I don't think so. I think his capabilities - both strengths and weaknesses - are very clear. What he is is a #6 all rounder. The thing is we've already got one of those. Which means in a balanced side (i.e. 1-5 are batsmen, 6 the all rounder, 7 wicket keeper and 8-11 bowlers), Ali comes in at #8 which is too low for his batting but overstates his bowling. That's not to say he can't perform well and get some excellent wickets, but, as the India and Bangladesh series showed, he is not a top spin bowler. It's something of a big selection dilemma. My view is if we had a better spinner we should pick him ahead of Moeen. Moeen misses out unless he is deemed good enough to occupy one of the top 5 batting positions. He's a number 7 and a front line spinner outside of the sub continent as far as I'm concerned. In fact batting at 7 he averages nearly 70, scoring 3 of his 5 centuries which is absolutely phenomenal. Touring in Asia for me he bats number 4-6 and bowls as a 2nd or even 3rd spinner depending on conditions. He will get better as a spinner as well in the next couple of years, if you look at the amount of first class overs in the long format he has bowled in his career he is nowhere near his "peak" Great cricketer and one of the heartbeats of the team as far as I'm concerned..... I think you've highlighted Mo's difficulty. He doesn't hold down a single position in the side. Ie not a front line batsman, not a front line spinner and not an all rounder because that #6 position is the property of Ben Stokes. No doubt he does deliver some special moments with bat and ball but he is mainly getting a regular game because we don't seem to have a top drawer spinner. Anyway - his place is secure for the foreseeable future. And good luck to the man. Onwards to Old Trafford. Expect England to be unchanged giving Keating one last chance at opening. I reckon it will be his last one for a while. Regardless of whether he scores runs he has looked out of his depth in this series. England need a look at another opener for the Windies series and they have one waiting in Stoneman. |
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Post by partickpotter on Aug 4, 2017 12:46:12 GMT
Final test underway.
Lunch on day 1 and England are 67-1.
No prizes for guessing who the "1" is. Poor Jennings failed again.
Anyway Cook is established. Let's hope he gets his ton - he's overdue one.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2017 14:10:34 GMT
Final test underway. Lunch on day 1 and England are 67-1. No prizes for guessing who the "1" is. Poor Jennings failed again. Anyway Cook is established. Let's hope he gets his ton - he's overdue one. Jennings just doesn't look convincing does he ? He doesn't move his feet and just looks so wooden. Cook out for 46, then Westley soon after. SA bowling well but we're making fairly hard work of it. |
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Post by partickpotter on Aug 4, 2017 14:49:29 GMT
Final test underway. Lunch on day 1 and England are 67-1. No prizes for guessing who the "1" is. Poor Jennings failed again. Anyway Cook is established. Let's hope he gets his ton - he's overdue one. Jennings just doesn't look convincing does he ? He doesn't move his feet and just looks so wooden. Cook out for 46, then Westley soon after. SA bowling well but we're making fairly hard work of it. And Malan goes just before tea. Same old, same old. Top order batting dependent on Cook or (more usually these days) Root to do something and then hoping our lower middle order bludgeon some runs. Depressingly familiar story of top order failure once more. |
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Post by professorplump on Aug 5, 2017 9:08:17 GMT
The late wicket of Stokes probably gives SA the advantage. Bairstow and Moeen are going to have to bat well today as we really need to pass 400. It is frustrating that all the batsmen got in but no one has made a big score.
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Post by GeneralFaye on Aug 5, 2017 9:22:49 GMT
350+ will be the aim now Stokes has gone. A decent first innings score has proven to be too much for the team batting 2nd so far in the series so hopefully that remains the case.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2017 9:25:52 GMT
Yes I think 350+ should be good enough on this pitch. So far the team batting first has won every test in the series.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2017 10:33:01 GMT
England 136 lead after SA's first innings. Jennings looks like a wicket waiting to happen, no foot movement and just prodding the bat in the general direction of the ball - very unconvincing.
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Post by bigvern on Aug 6, 2017 15:38:27 GMT
Highlight of the day was bumble classing Man Utd fans as glory hunters and City fans as mancunians 😁😁
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Post by partickpotter on Aug 7, 2017 17:05:25 GMT
That finished in a hurry!
Great result for England. 3-1 series win is no mean feat against a good South Africa side.
Special mention to Moeen. Must be man of the series. Great bowling figures, more than tidy batting. A fantastic response to his poor series in India. Maybe he is the no1 spinner after all.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2017 17:40:20 GMT
Good series win but the top order still needs some changes. Jennings (particularly), Westley and Malan aren't convincing IMO. Excellent performance by Moeen with bat and ball and deservedly got the Man of the Series.
Looking forward to the Windies now.
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Post by chuckrocky on Aug 7, 2017 18:15:53 GMT
We somehow need to find an opener, number 3 and number 5 before the Ashes.
Hameed is currently 70* for Lancs and hopefully coming into a bit of form, I'd stick him in against the Windies and tell him to earn his place on the Ashes tour. Stoneman would be the other option.
Westley I'd probably persevere with as he's at least showed he's got a bit of something about him, he really needs to work on his off side game though, South Africa quickly worked out how to stiffle him.
I' don't think the Malan experiment will work but there's not exactly a queue of batsmen lining up to replace him. Maybe Butler or Samit Patel as an outside bet?
Woakes will come back into side, either for Malan or Roland-Jones. If he replaces Malan then we're a batsman short and there's too many bowlers in the side but it would also be harsh to drop Roland-Jones.
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Post by partickpotter on Aug 8, 2017 6:06:37 GMT
That finished in a hurry! Great result for England. 3-1 series win is no mean feat against a good South Africa side. Special mention to Moeen. Must be man of the series. Great bowling figures, more than tidy batting. A fantastic response to his poor series in India. Maybe he is the no1 spinner after all. We must keep doubting his ability and his place in the side .......it spurs him on to put in the performances like he's done this series ! Well done him and he thoroughly deserves to be man of the series. . Interesting to hear Trevor Baylis comments on Mo after the test that Ali sees himself as a batsman that bowls. That he is a number 2 spin bowler. Which after the winter series is understandable. That does help explain the peculiar Dawson selection a little. But he is in the team though as a bowler. Maybe now he will start to think he is one. That might be what he needs. A question mark remains though - in his head as well as ours. |
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Post by partickpotter on Aug 8, 2017 6:12:12 GMT
We somehow need to find an opener, number 3 and number 5 before the Ashes. Hameed is currently 70* for Lancs and hopefully coming into a bit of form, I'd stick him in against the Windies and tell him to earn his place on the Ashes tour. Stoneman would be the other option. Westley I'd probably persevere with as he's at least showed he's got a bit of something about him, he really needs to work on his off side game though, South Africa quickly worked out how to stiffle him. I' don't think the Malan experiment will work but there's not exactly a queue of batsmen lining up to replace him. Maybe Butler or Samit Patel as an outside bet? Woakes will come back into side, either for Malan or Roland-Jones. If he replaces Malan then we're a batsman short and there's too many bowlers in the side but it would also be harsh to drop Roland-Jones. I think England will give Westley's and Malan the Windies series to show what they can do. The only batting change will be Stoneman in for Jennings. I think they will hold back on Hameed. The other change will be Woakes, assuming he is fit, for Roland Jones. TRL will be given the compensation of knowing he has booked a place on the Ashes touring party. I hope England have learned the lesson of selecting a balanced side. Mind you, with Bairstow, Ali and Woakes at 7, 8, 9 it is a daunting batting line up. All three of those can bat at 6 or higher. |
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