England v South Africa, Lords, 3rd Test Thread

[Duty281]

The equation is simple. If England win, they remain number 1. If South Africa avoid defeat, they move up to number 1 and will officially be the best Test team in the World.

England: 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 James Taylor, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn

South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Are you ready?

[skyeman]

England have played great here for years, come on lads do it again.

And don't boo Bresnan this Friday

[Shelsey93]

I'm well up for this Test.

Just hoping that this thread is a KP-free zone.

England have a number of things that they need to do right to stand a chance:

1. Bat, bat long and bat really long - South Africa have shown that they are likely to score 400+, and so we can't start giving our wickets away when we get to 300+. If we bat first then we need to keep going for 600, even if it takes two days

2. Take their catches. The fielding seems to have slipped from a high point a couple of years ago, and has been really quite average this summer. A key point is we need fielders in the right places - Strauss, Anderson, Swann in the slips, Bell at short-leg, Taylor at backward point.

3. Don't be afraid to attack a bit. This is a must win Test and so we almost certainly need to take 20 wickets. Keep slips in, and attack with Swann, particularly against the left-handers and his bunny Duminy, who he hasn't bowled a ball to in the series yet

4. Pick Onions. He suits Lord's well, is fresh and up for the fight, and has had success against SA in the past.

[Duty281]

Strauss has a good average at Lords doesn't he? Let's hope he steps up in this, his 100th Test!

[skyeman]

Hope so, Gooch, Stewart and hopefully Straussy to get the 100 in the 100th.

[Shelsey93]

Strauss has a good average at Lords doesn't he? Let's hope he steps up in this, his 100th Test!

Indeed. I don't think he's looked terribly out of knick in this series though his 2nd innings shot at The Oval suggested a scrambled brain.

Strauss is, for some reason, my favourite cricketer - not KP, not Cook, not Anderson. His calmness, sensibility, attitude and also his batting appeal to me. Good luck to him on what should be a very special occasion. A win would cap it all off.

Sunny day tomorrow so bat first and pile up the runs, Strauss getting a ton. Battle through Friday to 600-odd, and then get SA in. Maybe wishful thinking but far from impossible.

[gboycottnut]

The equation is simple. If England win, they remain number 1. If South Africa avoid defeat, they move up to number 1 and will officially be the best Test team in the World.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 James Taylor, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn

South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Are you ready?

I would have the following England XI for the 3rd test V South Africa at Lords tomorrow :-
Strauss, Cook, Trott, Prior, Bell, Taylor, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Finn, Onions. A very strong bowling lineup and a decent enough batting lineup down to number 9.

[skyeman]

The equation is simple. If England win, they remain number 1. If South Africa avoid defeat, they move up to number 1 and will officially be the best Test team in the World.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 James Taylor, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn

South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Are you ready?

I would have the following England XI for the 3rd test V South Africa at Lords tomorrow :-
Strauss, Cook, Trott, Prior, Bell, Taylor, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Finn, Onions. A very strong bowling lineup and a decent enough batting lineup down to number 9.

Oh my, no Anderson. The Worlds 2nd best bowler - very brave.

I would go with: Strauss, Cook, Trott, Bell, Taylor, Bairstow, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann and Anderson.

[JDizzle]

I'm well up for this Test.

Just hoping that this thread is a KP-free zone.

England have a number of things that they need to do right to stand a chance:

1. Bat, bat long and bat really long - South Africa have shown that they are likely to score 400+, and so we can't start giving our wickets away when we get to 300+. If we bat first then we need to keep going for 600, even if it takes two days

2. Take their catches. The fielding seems to have slipped from a high point a couple of years ago, and has been really quite average this summer. A key point is we need fielders in the right places - Strauss, Anderson, Swann in the slips, Bell at short-leg, Taylor at backward point.

3. Don't be afraid to attack a bit. This is a must win Test and so we almost certainly need to take 20 wickets. Keep slips in, and attack with Swann, particularly against the left-handers and his bunny Duminy, who he hasn't bowled a ball to in the series yet

4. Pick Onions. He suits Lord's well, is fresh and up for the fight, and has had success against SA in the past.

I have to admit this has confused me this summer. Michael Holding made the point during the last Test that Taylor had been shoved into short leg as the newbie, which was the accepted practice even up to quite recently but someone (either Bumble or Nasser) said that he didn't think it was like that with England anymore, and they put players in specialist positions so they have to be good in there and they assumed Taylor had been in there a lot. Now, I've watched a lot of his career and as far as I remember he has always been a backward point or in the deep and never been in at short leg whilst Bell is probably the best I have ever seen in that positions and Cook isn't shabby either. And whilst I understand this one thing won't win or lose you a Test in all probability, the phrase I borrow from Mr Brailsford is marginal gains, and if Bell gives you 2 or 3% more in there than Taylor he should be there. Something small, but perhaps symptomatic of England maybe taking there eye slightly off the ball this summer and since getting the number one slot? Seems at odds with their meticulous planning heading into the Ashes in 2010.

Agree with your point with the batting, we had the chance to stomp SA into the ground in the very first innings of this series and took our eye of the ball and they have had us on the back foot pretty much ever since. It's massive that we get minimum 450+ first innings.

As for Onions, it is also Finn's home ground so he will have good experience there which will count in his favour and seen as they are going to only play the four bowlers and Broad, Anderson and Swann are dead certs it is one from three and I wouldn't like to put money on who will play.

[Biltong]

Morning gents, is KP definitely out?

Anyway, can anyone tell me what the weather forecast is at Lords for the next 5 days please?

Hopefully we will see five full days of cricket.

Good luck to both teams.

[DouglasJardinesbox]

F/Cast looks to be set fair, as Bumble would say. For all 5 days. Onions for Bresnan (boooo), and Swann for Bairstow. 7million runs are no good if we don't take 20 wickets.

KP should spend the next 5 days writting up his autobiography chapter which will cover these past two weeks. Lest he forget.

I'm over my tantrum now. Go Lions....

I'd keep JB for the NZ tests and give him all 4 to prove himself ahead of the Ashes...

[skyeman]

SA win toss and will bat.

England team
AJ Strauss*, AN Cook, IJL Trott, JM Bairstow, IR Bell, JWA Taylor, MJ Prior†, GP Swann, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, ST Finn
South Africa team
GC Smith*, AN Petersen, HM Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers†, JA Rudolph, JP Duminy, VD Philander, DW Steyn, M Morkel,

[Duty281]

South Africa win the toss and bat. Perfect chance for England to make an early impact - let's have 'em 5 down by lunch! Swann in for Bresnan, Bairstow in for KP.

[JDizzle]

Teams as predicted by Duty! SA unchanged, and England bring in Bairstow and Swann for Bresnan and **.

[skyeman]

The 4 man attack again, worked for us before

[liverbnz]

SA win toss and will bat.

England team
AJ Strauss*, AN Cook, IJL Trott, JM Bairstow, IR Bell, JWA Taylor, MJ Prior†, GP Swann, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, ST Finn
South Africa team
GC Smith*, AN Petersen, HM Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers†, JA Rudolph, JP Duminy, VD Philander, DW Steyn, M Morkel,

Saffers only playing 10? Arrogant gits! 18 wickets it is then.

On a serious note, no real surprises. Finn has a great chance to nail a place in the side on his home ground. Hoping for some early wickets from Jimmy, he's due some luck.

Swann back is a welcome if inevitable boost for his bowling and his slip catching. If we get any chances, please take them!

[skyeman]

SA win toss and will bat.

England team
AJ Strauss*, AN Cook, IJL Trott, JM Bairstow, IR Bell, JWA Taylor, MJ Prior†, GP Swann, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, ST Finn
South Africa team
GC Smith*, AN Petersen, HM Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers†, JA Rudolph, JP Duminy, VD Philander, DW Steyn, M Morkel,

Saffers only playing 10? Arrogant gits! 18 wickets it is then.

On a serious note, no real surprises. Finn has a great chance to nail a place in the side on his home ground. Hoping for some early wickets from Jimmy, he's due some luck.

Swann back is a welcome if inevitable boost for his bowling and his slip catching. If we get any chances, please take them!

There was a NUT joke there but we won't bring him up again

[skyeman]

Overcast, go go go Jimmy.

[Fists of Fury]

Swanny had to come back really, given that our premier off-spinner Pietersen isn't playing. He has big shoes to fill!

Disappointed not to see Onions playing, I think the Saffers will have been thrilled not to have seen him this series, but pleased that Bresnan has been chopped. Finn hasn't set the world alight at Test level, but he at least gives us some variety and this is the attack I'd have probably began the series with.

Not a prayer of us winning, but let's hope.

[skyeman]

Bresnan has five wickets at 66 from three appearances at Lord's, while Finn has 17 at just under 23.

[Biltong]

Teams as predicted by Duty! SA unchanged, and England bring in Bairstow and Swann for Bresnan and **.

JD, I assume the ** is the name we dare not speak of.

Reminds me of a character in Harry Potter.

[Biltong]

Swanny had to come back really, given that our premier off-spinner Pietersen isn't playing. He has big shoes to fill!

Disappointed not to see Onions playing, I think the Saffers will have been thrilled not to have seen him this series, but pleased that Bresnan has been chopped. Finn hasn't set the world alight at Test level, but he at least gives us some variety and this is the attack I'd have probably began the series with.

Not a prayer of us winning, but let's hope.

Fists, I assume this is the test where we will only hear positives from your corner?

[trebellbobaggins]

Expect SA to walk it and fair enough as they're a much better side right now. Eng probably 3 or 4 in the world really.

As for KP.. if that's how he really feels and he has no respect for his England colleagues then he's best out of it. Even if we're a worse side for it I don't want such mercenaries in the side.

[skyeman]

Nice touch, Yohan Blake rung the five minute Bell.

[Toadfish]

SA all out for under 250. Finn to take five. Optimistic perhaps!

[Fists of Fury]

SA 275-3 at close of play today.

[JDizzle]

Nice touch, Yohan Blake rung the five minute Bell.

I liked Nasser quote from Shaun Pollock, "How many Test wickets does Yohan Blake have?"

And you guess correctly Biltong! He-who-must-not-be-named indeed...

[Biltong]

SA 275-3 at close of play today.

I'll take that, but think it will be 282/5

[Fists of Fury]

No swing for the bowlers, revising my total to 280-2.

[skyeman]

Yikes, Smith would have gone with a direct hit from Finn.

[eirebilly]

I think that on this tract SA can get over 300 today for the loss of only a few wickets (3)

[skyeman]

Jimmy moving it both ways.

[VTR]

Jimmy moving it both ways.

Up and down?

[ShankyCricket]

SA 150 All Out

[VTR]

Seriously though, have we rolled out another road here? I know the counties have had poor summers with T20 being rained off and will want 5 days, but a road isn't going to help us.

[skyeman]

Jimmy moving it both ways.

Up and down?

In and out, like the SA's are gonna be.

[Fists of Fury]

Seems like a good track. The groundsman should be shot, if ever we needed a result inside four days wicket it was now.

[GSC]

Missing KP with the ball already...

[Fists of Fury]

[VTR]

Exactly Fists. Last time away to SA, they need a win in the final Test and produce a minefield. We need a win and its "here you are, have a nice flat deck, lets give you every chance of a draw whilst we count the £s"

[skyeman]

yesssssssssssssssssssss

[skyeman]

Jimmyyyyyyyyyyyy

[skyeman]

Great swinger to get Smith

[GSC]

1 down

[Mike Selig]

Smith gone thanks to hotspot and DRS. Great call from Strauss to review, tough for the umpire live as everything happened in a whirl (Smith also hit the ground).

England get the deserved breakthrough, Anderson has troubled Smith all morning.

[skyeman]

Why the frig did Smith not walk?

[ShankyCricket]

Now expect the Saffers to collapse.

[Biltong]

[Fists of Fury]

Because Smith is a disgusting toad of a man, that's why.

[Fists of Fury]

Haha great smiley, Biltong. Not to worry, Amla will score a ton today.

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