England v South Africa, Lords, 3rd Test Thread

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

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?

[alfie]

And Prior and Swann wrap it up at 309

Took the three today for 47 in 14 overs...we can quibble about the methods , but I know they will say that is a sound result on a pretty good batting track...

Sometimes I think the accountants have taken over the game but if they reach their budget with the bat they will look back on that as a good morning's work.

Think 309 is a bit under par so advantage England at this point , but SA have some handy bowlers...

[Mike Selig]

Am I right in saying Finn now has 3 wickets this innings from deliveries even Steve Harmison would be embarrassed to have bowled?

Harsh. The two catches yesterday were decent back of a length balls which kicked up and caught the glove, perhaps fractionally leg-side, but Peterson in particular had moved accross a fair bit and really it was over leg-stump which isn't quite such a bad line.

Morkel today though, he did well to reach it...

[alfie]

Philander decides Tahir isn't going to last long and tries to hit Swann towards Wales (or something). Not particularly close to the ball and Prior takes one of the easiest stumpings he'll ever have.

New ball crucial. England will want 400ish at least to put the pressure firmly on, but where are the runs coming from? Time for Taylor or Bairstow to step up.

Anderson the pick of the bowlers, deserved more than his 3.

Both sides will be relatively pleased, momentum with South Africa right now.

Agree with all bar your last sentence , Mike. I am probably tempting fate here , but I reckon the "momentum" theory is mostly rubbish.

Consider : if it really counted for much , most matches would go on pretty well as they started ...good opening partnership , game over We all know it doesn't work that way : matches twist this way and that , even this one saw SA collapse to 60/4 and yet end the day on 262/7 ...

It sounds good , but it generally means very little.

[liverbnz]

England will need around 500 to put SA under pressure. 400 will not be enough with their top order. This pitch is still flat and they are well capable of making short work of a deficit of around 100.

[VTR]

England will need around 500 to put SA under pressure.

Agree but sadly I can't see us getting anywhere near it. I'm thinking this is more likely to be 250ao or worse!

[Duty281]

I'm comfortable with England chasing 200 in the 2nd innings but that is a long way off yet.

[mystiroakey]

380 and I will be happy- 50 plus lead will be fine for me- its only miday 2nd day- so time is good. if we can get over 200 today good times. We have to approach this game as a win or lose game- a draw needs to be out of the question because its a relative loss

[Duty281]

Strauss is going to score a century in this game, it's his 100th Test, he's the England captain and he's on his home ground. It's impossible for him not to score a century. It's called fate, and she plays a funny game.

[skyeman]

380 and I will be happy- 50 plus lead will be fine for me- its only miday 2nd day- so time is good. if we can get over 200 today good times. We have to approach this game as a win or lose game- a draw needs to be out of the question because its a relative loss

309 was well below par on this batting belter.


Straussy to join the Hammond, Cowdrey and Boycott club today

[Mike Selig]

Phew that was a quality over from Morkel, Cook lucky still to be there...

Crucial for England that they get through to lunch without loss.

[alfie]

Morkel indeed getting stuck in here...couple of brutes to the England skipper.

Still can't quite come to terms with Steyn cooling his heels in the field in these early overs...ah , here he is now...

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Looks like theyve got Strauss' favourite sandwiches for lunch

[Duty281]

Strauss gone just before lunch, bugger. 29/1 at lunch. We need someone to step up and get a century, we need runs from Cook, Trott and Bell.

[skyeman]

380 and I will be happy- 50 plus lead will be fine for me- its only miday 2nd day- so time is good. if we can get over 200 today good times. We have to approach this game as a win or lose game- a draw needs to be out of the question because its a relative loss

309 was well below par on this batting belter.


Straussy to join the Hammond, Cowdrey and Boycott club today

Of course, i meant the 2nd innings

[VTR]

Just the one chance left now for Strauss to get this glorious hundred I've been hearing about. In the second innings as well when he's generally out for less than 10 these days.

[alfie]

And Morkel gets his man again ! Right on lunch , produces the perfect ball ... spoils Andrew's lunch...

Rather spoils a good session for England , too.

Interesting two hours coming up after the sandwiches.

[Mike Selig]

Great ball from Morkel to Strauss, who could really do with some serious runs in the 2nd innings now. Morkel's bowled beautifully after his first couple of overs, and fully deserved the wicket.

Crucial crucial session coming up.

[skyeman]

SA's bowling very well, stay with it lads, tire um out, it will get easier.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Trott gone, Smith decides to review and it's a good decision as the ball is hitting enough of leg stump to overturn the decision. Bell in now, come on Belly...

[skyeman]

Trott gone lbw Steyn after review.

Hawkeye ? looked more legside.

Spot of bother now.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Best two batsmen in now so this really is the key partnership. if they dont make 50 as a minimum Id write England off.

[mystiroakey]

how was that more out than andersons yesterday?

[Mad for Chelsea]

yeah I wasn't convinced it was smashing into leg stump that much either skyeman, looked like it ducked in a bit more to me but maybe not. Also apparently SA took 20 secs to review that, thought it was meant to be 15?

[VTR]

All too predictable. We had SA on the rack at 60-4. We then let batting legends such as Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn propel them past 300. We had the chance yesterday and blew it, our batting line up is capable of scraping together 300 at best.

[mystiroakey]

oh ffs - cook gone.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Cook out to a dreadful shot, this is a bit of a disaster. It's a good pitch to bat on, but we just don't seem to have any confidence at the mo

[skyeman]

The umps do seem to be quite relaxed on he 15sec review rule. Smith got away with a 30sec one in the last Test.

[mystiroakey]

taylor is gonna be the main man today!

[VTR]

Right, that's it for me. Will check the score at close of play to see if its a 3 car or 10 car pile up.

[skyeman]

Definitely not Taylor, but Bairstow to do a nut.?

[skyeman]

Does Taylor have to duck the bouncers

[FerN]

Suddenly looks like were are still in it. Looks like there will be a result either way.

[JDizzle]

SA are more than just in it FerN, they are nailed on favourites from here! Taylor getting a working over from Steyn here, if he survives this spell from Dale he'll be a much better player because of it.

[skyeman]

Big, Big chance here for Taylor to finally see off Bops.

[FerN]

SA are more than just in it FerN, they are nailed on favourites from here! Taylor getting a working over from Steyn here, if he survives this spell from Dale he'll be a much better player because of it.

Remember, we always have a problem with the tail and your tail is better than ours. Still these two look like they are settling

[mystiroakey]

Fern i think the fact is that your tail got you out of trouble, as good as ours is on paper can they get to 309.. its still a tough ask.

Personally i think we can get evenish

[JDizzle]

Maybe so, but if our tail gets in before we get to 200, which is looking likely, then we are in massive issues.

And I just find Morkel bowling to Taylor hilarious. It just looks like a good 11 year old has been asked to play in his dad's first team match.

[mystiroakey]

I know he is so small...

[Mad for Chelsea]

England need to be careful they don't go too defensive here. It worked OK for Taylor with KP at the other end, but not sure it'll work the same with Bell. In the last couple of overs they've missed out on a few scoring opportunities, and they musn't forget they need to score too...

[mystiroakey]

Taylor has a lot more to him than defensive play- but i think he rightly needs to get himself in

[JDizzle]

Oh dear.

[mystiroakey]

this is a nightmare

[Mad for Chelsea]

exactly what I was afraid of, Taylor nicks off to slip to one he could have left pretty comfortably. England on their way out

[FerN]

Taylor gone. Looks almost like the same thing SA went through. A battle of the tailenders.

[Galted]

same score as SA in their innings

[alfie]

Big, Big chance here for Taylor to finally see off Bops.

Hasn't taken it

Actually rather wish Bops was here rather than Bairstow.

Not going too well , I'm afraid. I can sense the KP fan club sharpening their pens/knives/battle axes ...

[Fists of Fury]

Taylor just hasn't got the technique for this level, I'm afraid. Anything outside off he plays away from his body at, and anything on the pads his head falls over...

He isn't ready.

This has been a desperate performance from England since we got the Saffers five down yesterday. Our bowling last night and this morning was pathetic to their tail, and our batting has been even worse.

Drop Strauss. Get KP back. Get Onions back.

[skyeman]

Long, long way to go yet, only 250 behind.

Miracles can happen.

[VTR]

Drop Strauss. Get KP back. Get Onions back.

Agree! Onions could even open instead of Strauss - could hardly be any worse!

[Mad for Chelsea]

Bairstow all at sea right now, desperately needs Bell to get down his end and take on Morkel for a couple of overs...

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