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Post by partickpotter on Dec 26, 2019 8:02:03 GMT
First test just about to kick off at Centurion.
England 11 as follows: Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Joe Denly, Joe Root (capt), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Seems illness is affecting selection which explains why we have no spinner (Leach is ill) and the return of Bairstow (Pope also has the lurgy).
The cynic in me thinks this is the side Root really wanted so that sickness is very convenient. 5 quicks is fucking stupid at any time, and Bairstow has not done anything (in fairness, he hasn’t had the opportunity) to address his red ball batting failings since being dropped (Crawley should have been next in line).
That said, we should do well in this series. SA cricket is in a mess at the moment. As shit as we are in this format, SA are in a worse place.
Oh - welcome back Jimmy!
Good luck England.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2019 8:07:13 GMT
We've decided to bowl and a great start - a nice start to Boxing Day morning.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2019 8:13:24 GMT
Test match cricket at 08:00. Perfect.
Great start by Jimmy, although I fear we may regret bowling first. Hope I’m wrong.......
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 26, 2019 8:21:33 GMT
Test match cricket at 08:00. Perfect. Great start by Jimmy, although I fear we may regret bowling first. Hope I’m wrong....... Absolutely - great to be watching cricket while eating breakfast! Bowling first is a strange one. I wonder if the fact we don’t have a spinner was in our minds as we’d rather not be bowling last. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of cloud cover. A good start, but since that first ball we’ve been either too short or too wide or too full. Early days, but the bowlers need to make sure they get the right length and line more often than not.
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Post by Gods on Dec 26, 2019 9:26:11 GMT
Anyone know if there is a highlights show on free to view TV ?
I fear this will like every other series since 2005 simply exist as a bit of background noise consumed through a few news clips.
I must admit I didn't know it was taking place and I do generally know what us happening in the world.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2019 10:13:51 GMT
Happy with 79/3 at lunch considering we haven’t bowled with any real discipline. On the plus side Archer looks sharp.....
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 26, 2019 10:32:22 GMT
Happy with 79/3 at lunch considering we haven’t bowled with any real discipline. On the plus side Archer looks sharp..... He’s not taken a wicket (yet) but he looks like the bowler the opposition will be most concerned about. However, we’ve been gifted our three wickets - all three have been down to poor shots, only one of the wickets was a good ball (and that should have been left!). They are batting like we do. Get out quickly or look good for a while then get out cheaply. In this new cricket league thing, we need to be securing a comprehensive series win because SA, at the present moment, are one of the weakest test match nations.
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 26, 2019 10:43:39 GMT
Just watched the Bob Willis programme - it reminded me what a great bowler he was and how good he was as a pundit. He was the very best.
One bit...
Interviewer: were you ever overly critical?
Willis: there was this time I said a player fielded like a camel, bowled like a drain.
Interviewer: do you regret that?
Willis (smiling): it was true
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 27, 2019 9:07:22 GMT
Day 2 underway.
We’re batting.
We’re two wickets down for not very much.
On this occasion, credit mainly due to Rabada and Philander. They have made life very difficult for our batsmen. Something Anderson and Broad didn’t do yesterday.
Anyway, Root and Denly need to see out this opening spell and milk the second string attack bowling with an ageing Kookaburra. (Easier said than done, of course, but essential if we are to get ahead in this game).
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 10:30:50 GMT
60-2 following on from 280 odd you could call it even, however us having to bat last will be massive so unless we put 400+ on the board I fear this will only go one way.
Decent batting from Denly and Root though, they need to keep digging in.
EDIT Shit shot from Root and it's 70/3. Now we're up against it......
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 12:16:09 GMT
143-5.
Seriously fuck off Bairstow, bowled through the gate yet again!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 12:22:30 GMT
150-6, Stokes has gone.
It's all going to rat shit as usual......
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 12:28:04 GMT
Same old, same old - plus ca change.
Poor shot (again) from Bairstow, and Stokes just gives his wicket away.
SA well on top now.
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Post by AlliG on Dec 27, 2019 12:28:21 GMT
It is beginning to look like we only put South Africa in to bat because we were scared to bat.
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 27, 2019 12:35:26 GMT
150-6, Stokes has gone. It's all going to rat shit as usual...... Same old, same old from England with the bat. Get in, get out. Three of our top order had starts, all three failed to convert. Lousy shots from Root and Stokes, indecisive batting from Denly (who should have been out for a 🦆). The openers got out to good balls. As for Bairstow... he was out before he was in, but his incredible weakness to straight balls was exposed even before he was clean bowled. A word of respect though is due to the South African seam bowlers. They have been excellent. We know about Rabada and Phillander, but Nortje and Pretorius have been excellent. They’ve bowled with far more control than we managed. Down to Buttler and Curran now to try and keep us in this game.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 12:40:47 GMT
150-6, Stokes has gone. It's all going to rat shit as usual...... Same old, same old from England with the bat. Get in, get out. Three of our top order had starts, all three failed to convert. Lousy shots from Root and Stokes, indecisive batting from Denly (who should have been out for a 🦆). The openers got out to good balls. As for Bairstow... he was out before he was in, but his incredible weakness to straight balls was exposed even before he was clean bowled. A word of respect though is due to the South African seam bowlers. They have been excellent. We know about Rabada and Phillander, but Nortje and Pretorius have been excellent. They’ve bowled with far more control than we managed. Down to Buttler and Curran now to try and keep us in this game. Bairstow was dropped to play red ball cricket and work on his technique. He's played no red ball cricket, clearly not worked on his technique and been recalled anyway!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 13:32:51 GMT
178-8 now and according to Sky it's on a rapidly deteriorating pitch. Why did we elect to bowl first ?
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Post by AlliG on Dec 27, 2019 13:46:08 GMT
178-8 now and according to Sky it's on a rapidly deteriorating pitch. Why did we elect to bowl first ? I am not sure this game is going to last long enough to see any real deterioration. There has not been a lot of movement today. The odd one has nibbled a bit but South Africa have just bowled a really tight line and length and waited for the England batsmen to get out. I reckon we will be hearing about Geoffrey's stick of rhubarb soon. I suspect for the rest of the day this pitch will look like a road. I was looking forward to spending a few weeks in front of the TV over the next month or so, but it is looking like we are in for a series of 3-4 day Tests.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 13:49:29 GMT
Well bowled South Africa.
The less said about this "new look" England "digging in" the better.
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Post by AlliG on Dec 27, 2019 13:58:13 GMT
That must be one of the best batting reviews ever!
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 27, 2019 14:06:28 GMT
This has been an abject display from England so far.
From the toss (sorry, bat flip), then with the ball and now with the bat.
It’s hard to see where England go from here. We seem clueless about how to play test cricket. And have done for a very long time.
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Dec 27, 2019 14:06:44 GMT
178-8 now and according to Sky it's on a rapidly deteriorating pitch. Why did we elect to bowl first ? Root. 🙄
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 14:37:21 GMT
South Africa 29/3, this game is moving along quickly!
Shame as they could be out for 150 and the target will still be too tricky for us.....
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Post by chuckrocky on Dec 28, 2019 10:02:46 GMT
I can’t decide what has been more pathetic. Our efforts with the bat yesterday or our bowling this morning?
Almost 50% of our deliveries this morning have been short, on a pitch that has shown bowling line and length is the best way to take wickets and keep the run rate down.
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Dec 28, 2019 11:31:25 GMT
Lose this series, Root needs replacing as Captain, I have no idea who would be good enough for the role though. If he is still Captain for the next Ashes in Oz, I can see us getting a good hiding.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2019 13:00:18 GMT
Tea on day 3 and England are 24-0 off 5 overs still needing another 352 to win.
Looks like it'll be 1-0 to SA then.
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Post by zerps on Dec 28, 2019 13:41:58 GMT
Lose this series, Root needs replacing as Captain, I have no idea who would be good enough for the role though. If he is still Captain for the next Ashes in Oz, I can see us getting a good hiding. Stokes
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 28, 2019 15:24:50 GMT
Tea on day 3 and England are 24-0 off 5 overs still needing another 352 to win. Looks like it'll be 1-0 to SA then. Believe! I can't give you any good reason to believe - but it can happen!!!
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Dec 29, 2019 8:52:06 GMT
Burns you idiot, close to a hundred and makes a stupid shot, when he as all day to get there. Watch the collapse start now.
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Post by partickpotter on Dec 29, 2019 9:36:37 GMT
Burns you idiot, close to a hundred and makes a stupid shot, when he as all day to get there. Watch the collapse start now. Get in, get out. Burns and Denly now both out after making good starts. Edit. While not great, it’s a significant improvement on the recent past when out top 3 couldn’t even get in. At least now a Root and co aren’t coming in to face the new ball.
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