England v South Africa, The Oval, 1st Test Thread

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

Here we go then, England v South Africa at The Oval where the battle for Number 1 will commence. A win or draw in the series for England will see them retain that coveted spot whereas South Africa need a series win to take the crown. This will be a true battle of the World's two best Test teams. Here are the lineups:

1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

England bat down to 10 with the formidable Cook opening (made 294 less than 12 months ago), KP (who walks into any team at the moment) and the best WK batsmen in the game, Matt Prior (averages over 40 and he bats at 7). Add the fact that their probable No.8 bats with an average over 40! England have probably the best all-round bowling attack in the game - 2 World-class quicks, a World-'class spinner and a very good all-rounder in Tim Bresnan who averages over 40 with the bat and under 30 with the ball. One weak link though, Ravi Bopara.

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

7 specalist batsmen which includes the best no.3 in the World and the best all-rounder seen in this era. There's also Graeme Smith and De Villiers who both average a shade under 50. Then the best fast bowling attack in the World, Steyn (best bowler in the World), Morkel and Philander (average of 14.15 in 7 Tests). Weak links? Petersen isn't the best opener, Boucher the usual WK is injured and Tahir is far from the best spinner in the World.

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My series prediction: 2-0 England.

Enjoy the game!

[liverbnz]

missed by 0.8 mm.

The margins bewteen a great leave and an awful one.

[mystiroakey]

good start by zee English!

come on BOPS

[Duty281]

50 partnership and another over seen off.

[Biltong]

missed by 0.8 mm.

The margins bewteen a great leave and an awful one.

a gnat's whisker.

[Fists of Fury]

Ravi just doesn't have the mental capacity to bat all day. You just know he will make a mistake sooner rather than later.

[Duty281]

Bopara has chopped on. Come on Prior!

[Fists of Fury]

There you go. As I was saying...useless.

[mystiroakey]

Ravi just doesn't have the mental capacity to bat all day. You just know he will make a mistake sooner rather than later.

DO those hats you been eating recently contain to many E numbers FOF?

[mystiroakey]

Look pal your unjinxing isnt working mate!

[Duty281]

Need these 2 to survive till lunch.

[Fists of Fury]

Haha, that wasn't unjinxing, that was my actual thoughts! And they proved to be all too correct.

[LivinginItaly]

Well with Bopara goes our last realistic chance of saving the match. Too much time left now for Prior and the lower order to survive.

[mystiroakey]

BOP is gone- Gone i tell ya!

finn in

[Duty281]

83 overs to go. Prior needs to do a Jack Russell knock while Ian Bell can impersonate Atherton. It's 1995 all over again.

[Duty281]

Prior off the mark with a boundary.

[Duty281]

Dropped catch.

[Liam]

Bad miss from AB but its just a matter of time really.

[Duty281]

Philander on now.

[Liam]

Right, bring in Finn for second test, drop Bresnan and when we get starts we need to score big hundreds.

KP needs to play properly rather than trying to make a point to the South Africans, he threw his wicket away twice and the fact is he's clearly in good nick.

[Duty281]

Right, bring in Finn for second test, drop Bresnan and when we get starts we need to score big hundreds.

KP needs to play properly rather than trying to make a point to the South Africans, he threw his wicket away twice and the fact is he's clearly in good nick.

Surely we should drop Bopara, not Bresnan.

[Duty281]

5 down after 1 hour, if we're still 5 down after another hour, I may start to really believe we can save this.

[Biltong]

dropping players is like playing the lotto, in the lotto people change their numbers every week to chase a variable, you will do better in the lotto if you keep te same numbers and allow the variable to chase you.

The same happens in the stock market, people see a stock fall and the first thing they want to do is sell, where as the best choice is to wait for the recovery, when they sell you write off a loss.

When replacing a cricket player every time one fails, is to increase the chances that the next guy might fail as well, considering players are selected because they do have the class and quality, leaving them increases the odds they would turn it around in the next match.

I wouldn't change anything if I was England.

Just a random thought.

[Fists of Fury]

I'll eat a sombrero if we even come close to saving this.

[Carrotdude]

I'm not so sure, carrot, I just don't think this bowling attack will take 20 South African wickets. Not unless we prepare some horror pitches, in which case we risk being blown away ourselves. Might as well, though, been as we are being blown away on a road anyway

I wouldn't say that, we've bowled out everyone we've come up against on our own patch recently, just need something that offers more than zilch for the bowlers, but like you say our batting is weaker than theirs and bowling attacks reltively similar in style so it'll be tricky to 'blow them away' without them doing the same to us.

[mystiroakey]

Yeah it is random bilt- although i do allways use the same numbers- the odds reloads itself each pick. so your not gonna get any more chance by keeping those numbers.

however this debate has been raging on (no.6) so it isnt a clutching at straws discussion

[mystiroakey]

I'll eat a sombrero if we even come close to saving this.

your on!

[liverbnz]

Stop playing at wide ones.

[Fists of Fury]

See this is why Prior will shortly be out. Leans out to play at wide ones. Just play if it is on your stumps! It's simple!

[mystiroakey]

dont jinx him blimy!!! FOF go and have a walk for an hour

[alfie]

Only one gone in the first hour...keep that up all day and the draw is secured

OK , might be a bit much to expect all the bowlers to bat so soundly ... Fact is , SA have had a good grip on this game since about lunch on day three when it became clear that there was nothing in the pitch for any of the England bowlers; and that unlike England , the SA batsmen were not about to donate any cheap wickets.
The actual SA batting performance was something for the record books - Amla's concentration was remarkable - but even had they made their 600 for 8 wickets instead of 2 the damage would have been done...no real surprise that England lost four wickets last night.

If Bell can make a hundred and get a bit of support the game could still be saved but this seems unlikely to say the least. So SA will go one up , and well done them.

But this does not mean the series is over , or SA is massively superior , or England should make dramatic changes...

And although there is no doubt Strauss would love to have had a fifth bowler on the last two days , does anyone really think it would have magically kept them under 500 ?

Some days you just have to say : they were too good for us today.

[mystiroakey]

Actually I am off for a wlak to see the oylimpic tourch-- please no more wickets!!

[Biltong]

England going ok at the moment, but the thing is there are things happening all the time to keep the batsmen nervous.

[VTR]

This is exactly what I didn't want. The long route to defeat rather than the short one. I've got to sit here all day following this now even though I know the final result.

[Pal Joey]

Actually I am off for a wlak to see the oylimpic tourch-- please no more wickets!!

Maybe think about getting a tattoo done while you're off on your walk...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-18890901

[Fists of Fury]

Haha, agreed VTR.

Biltong, you're right. SA won't be concerned as they have some turn, a hint of variable bounce and some reverse swing creeping in. There will be a wicket eventually through one of the above - either that or the usual stupid shot from an England batsman giving it away!!

[alfie]

Yes they are going OK at the moment , biltong , but your fellows are going to keep worrying away at them relentlessly for a long time yet before doubt even enters their minds...and the odds are they'll force a break sooner rather than later.

If these two were to be still batting at 250 or so the bowlers might start to get a bit anxious and then things might become tense again...right now it still looks like a matter of time...

[gboycottnut]

I'm not so sure, carrot, I just don't think this bowling attack will take 20 South African wickets. Not unless we prepare some horror pitches, in which case we risk being blown away ourselves. Might as well, though, been as we are being blown away on a road anyway

I wouldn't say that, we've bowled out everyone we've come up against on our own patch recently, just need something that offers more than zilch for the bowlers, but like you say our batting is weaker than theirs and bowling attacks reltively similar in style so it'll be tricky to 'blow them away' without them doing the same to us.

This is a stat/fact that does look worrying for England. Since Tino Best walked out to bat for West Indies at Edgbaston earlier in the summer, England have taken just three Test wickets for 780 runs from 220 overs. Horrific stat that for a team that that is supposed to have the best/one of the best bowling attack(s) in the world.

[eirebilly]

Afternoon all, hows the cricket going?

[liverbnz]

Actually I am off for a wlak to see the oylimpic tourch-- please no more wickets!!

Maybe think about getting a tattoo done while you're off on your walk...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-18890901

Loved this comment " I decided I want to keep it. It's fine. It's the Oy-limpics - it's as unique as I am."

[liverbnz]

Afternoon all, hows the cricket going?

Afternoon billy. Glad to see you back! Hope you're well.

In answer to your question, not good. But then, it depends on your perspective.

[Fists of Fury]

Morning Eire

Bell digging in. Bopara out playing at one he shouldn't have (chopped on off Steyn). England staring down the barrel.

[eirebilly]

Looks like Bell and Prior are making a fight of it anyways. If England can get a 50 or 60 run lead then it may just be enough to salvage a draw...

[eirebilly]

Hi fists and liver, glad to be back

[Pal Joey]

Hi Billy... I hear (from Gibbo) it's a lovely warm sunny day in the Dam. Hope you've parked yourself outside somewhere... and Baille is by your side

Like Warnie says... wear a hat and slip, slop, slap.

[mystiroakey]

that was pretty cool- i was at the changeover...south croydon was rammed!

[mystiroakey]

Actually I am off for a wlak to see the oylimpic tourch-- please no more wickets!!

Maybe think about getting a tattoo done while you're off on your walk...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-18890901

Lol imagine i was a tatooist!!!

[mystiroakey]

Billy hopefully you can bring us a bit of luck

[EnglishReign]

Anyone else hear the "160-7" read out on TMS? Heart skipped a beat then, I had only just switched it on!

[eirebilly]

Hi Billy... I hear (from Gibbo) it's a lovely warm sunny day in the Dam. Hope you've parked yourself outside somewhere... and Baille is by your side

Like Warnie says... wear a hat and slip, slop, slap.

Its feican hot here breaker

Ballie is out fighting the horses

[alfie]

Hey Billy - great to see you back on deck !

We can do with a touch of your optimism round here ...trebs does a great job of reversing , but when it isn't working it can make the conversation a bit downbeat
Especially as Fists has taken to trying to outdo him in pessimism ...throw in gboycottnut and I was nearly reaching for my revolver on the weekend...

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