Eng v/s SA

[crick4life]

Here we go fellas, SA havent won a game on this ground before and are on the backfoot without their spearhead Pollock. I will throw in my guess first, England will win this game with the help of all new inspired hundred by Vaughan.

 

[crick4life]

South Africa captain Graeme Smith said on Wednesday he did not think England deserved to beat his side in the third test to level the series. 

Smith, speaking at a news conference on the eve of the fourth test at Headingley, said: "In many ways we don't feel we have been beaten yet. We lost the game but we don't feel as if we were beaten. 

"I feel that because I don't think things were really even stephens in the last test match. We are not moaning or complaining, our thoughts are on winning a test match... Everything that has happened before has gone and we have put it aside.

Whatever you guys say, I fell Smith is a bit too immature. He is a good bat all right but well short of conducting himself and shows his frustration all too early. I simply put this new comment of his to whinging, somehow I am not a great fan of this guy. Jonah and other England followers, can you tell me if this guy bats with the grace of say Lara, Tendulkar or Vaughan. I know he has scored a lot of runs but its just that I havent seen much of him, will stand corrected if he really is very good.

 

[jonah]

Time will tell Ravi on how good he really is. His record is very impressive, and he was unlucky with both dismissals at Trent Bridge, but were his double centuries down to great batting or poor English bowling and fielding...IMO a bit of both (remember Hussain dropped him on 8 at the start of one of those innings). He's still young,and may yet get better, but he's not yet in the class of Sachin, Lara or even Hayden, again in my opinion.
I agree with you though Ravi, there's something about the guy I can't take to. Don't quite know what he's talking about saying things weren't 'even stephens' in the last Test. Conditions? That's what Test cricket is all about. Umpiring decisions? Both teams had good and bad decisions. Hmmm, not sure.

Anyway, I see England have included Bicknell and Ali at the expense of Giles and Harmison (injured) for this Test, due to the seamers wicket.
I don't really want to make a prediction, coz I'm normally way off, but I think the Sth Africans will really be up for this one and will take the game and lead the series 2-1 going into the final Test. Hope I'm wrong again !

 

[jonah]

Yes! The early strike by Kirtley, and it's Smith! 2/1...

 

[crick4life]

South Africa - 16/3 after 12.2 overs. Run rate : 1.3

Bicknell 6 5 2 2

Whats up fellas, the last test he played he ended up with figures of 1/151 against the OZ. Was that sometime in early 90's? Horses for courses seem to be working for England for now.

I remember I used to listen to commentary live on net and also play C2K2 before but now c2k2 refuses to start if I have BBC4 on. Have any of you guys have a clue about this one.

 

[rocklara]

Graem smith is too proud. He is a good batsman......but has not gone through the rigours what my lad has gone through (BCLara) or a sachin! alrighty u got a bad decision....how many times has lara been at the end of bad decisions....in fact i think brian has been the batsman with the worst decisons on his side. think of an asoka? a harper....a venkat Smith needs to be more mature....these will come in test cricket....bad decisions......ur not the 1st! pick up the slacks....why did he have to drive at that wide delivery from james? england simply bowled badly to him in the 1st 2 tests..thats purely it. Length and line outside the offstump and u got him....jus like how "freddie" had him in trouble :P cheers B)

 

[jonah]

Listening to Athers on C4, he reckons that Bicknell was due to play the next Test (must've been back in '93) when he got injured, and that coincided with the introduction of Goughie. He never got another look in. He's always been a steady performer for Surrey, and can bat a bit. Should've had more caps imo, but I have to admit to being surprised when he got called up for this one. As you say Ravi, obviously the perfect wicket for him to bowl on. Congrats to Ali too, taking his first Test wicket in his first over.
SA 71/4 at lunch, with Kirsten and Rudolph fighting back (Kirsten caught off a Flintoff no-ball; hope that's not costly...).

 

[jonah]

Good fightback by SA, 260/7 at close. Great innings by Kirsten, and what about Zondecki? Never seen him before, but his innings has more than just luck about it. Pretty even day, although SA must be more pleased than England, after being 20 odd/4 early on...

 

[jonah]

Can someone please explain to me why Trescothick and Butcher have gone off for bad light, when they were smashing the SA bowlers to all parts? :huh: . SA really were on their knees for half an hour or so before they went off, Butcher 60 odd off 80 odd balls, so the light couldn't have been all that bad. It surely has given SA the chance to regroup, and when and if they come back out, the batsmen need to settle back in etc. What's the odds on England losing a quick wicket if they come back out tonight? I can't understand it.
Aha, as I type it looks like they're coming back out. Let's see if England's momentum has been lost...

 

[jonah]

Both of them out within a few overs of the restart. Surprise surprise .
Do you think Aussies would've gone off in that situation?

 

[Rangeela]

Day 2 - Stumps

England: 197/3 in 47 overs

Run Rate 4.9

Batsmen E Smith-0 N Hussain- 14

SAF: 342/10

 

[crick4life]

Originally posted by jonah@Aug 22 2003, 03:54 PM
Can someone please explain to me why Trescothick and Butcher have gone off for bad light, when they were smashing the SA bowlers to all parts? :huh: . SA really were on their knees for half an hour or so before they went off, Butcher 60 odd off 80 odd balls, so the light couldn't have been all that bad. It surely has given SA the chance to regroup, and when and if they come back out, the batsmen need to settle back in etc. What's the odds on England losing a quick wicket if they come back out tonight? I can't understand it.
Aha, as I type it looks like they're coming back out. Let's see if England's momentum has been lost...

I thought it was a bit negative to have walked away , am sure not many would have. At the end of the day it looks like another thriller although England has a slightly upper hand considering Pollock is away. How could England bowlers be so inconsistent in such short span, one day they look the best and the next pedestrian. How can you explain giving away more than half the runs to the last 3 wickets ? Hopefully with experience, they might just get better.

 

[radaga]

Who made runs for England? :huh:

 

[jonah]

M E Trescothick, 59 ; M A Butcher, 77

 

[Rangeela]

ENG v/s SAF, TEST, 21-Aug-2003
(Day 3 - Stumps)

South Africa: 164/5 in 62 overs

Run rate: 2.65

Batsmen: N McKenzie - 17 M Boucher - 2


SAF: 342/10
ENG: 307/10