2nd Test, South Africa vs England; Cape Town 2nd-6th January

First topic message reminder :

South Africa (from):
H Amla (c), Q De Kock (wkt), AB De Villiers (wkt), K Abbott, T Bavuma, JP Duminy, F Du Plessis, D Elgar, M Morkel, C Morris, D Piedt, Rabada, R Rossouw, S Van Zyl, H Viljoen.

England (from):
A Cook (c), A Hales, N Compton, J Root, J Taylor, B Stokes, J Bairstow (wkt), M Ali, C Woakes, S Broad, S Finn, J Anderson, S Patel, C Jordan, M Footitt, J Butler, G Ballance.


Umpires: A Dar (Pak), B Oxenford (Aus)

Third umpire: R Tucker (Aus)

Match referee: R Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

GSC wrote:You wonder if they were told to get a move on at lunch. You'd really wonder why, but both have come out swinging since lunch.

I would suspect - and certainly hope - that they both already knew that we'll be in a really good position if we can sensibly get after the bowlers and take one, especially Piedt, out of an attack comprising only 4 frontline bowlers. Even more so in the heat of Cape Town today.

Emphasis 'sensibly' though - day 1 of 5 remember and no need for anything daft.

Good stuff from England so far, good to see Compton show another gear and Hales some application

Good ball from Morras. One wicket before tea and its a decent session.

Olly doing for Hales what I did earlier for Cook!

SA needed that. Good effort from Hales.

Had enough of Hales already.

Very good bowling from Morkel ... Plus another excellent catch.

Arguably they ought to have forced the batsmen to play more balls in that area today : there is plenty of bounce there , perhaps too many balls a little too wide ?

Hales a good knock ; he will be disappointed not to nail a big one after doing all the hard work and getting well set on this honest pitch ; but sometimes you just have to give credit to the bowler.

First 50 by an opener not Cook for 10 games and hes done.

Lovely.

Judging it on what I see, he's in the team to provide impetus high up the order and if he's not doing that there is no point to him being in the team; three dismissals to three nothing shots now.

Saw off the new ball, scored a half century and gave the middle order a platform. Sounds alright to me.

A failure, a start and a decent score in his first 3 innings is a reasonable start for an opener.

Got out trying to increase the rate second dig in Durban, whilst England were chasing a declaration and got a good one today. Nothing nothing about that ball from Morkel - got bounce from a good length and line and just left Hales, a very decent ball.

Chris Jordan > Chris Morris (in the slips at least).

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Judging it on what I see, he's in the team to provide impetus high up the order and if he's not doing that there is no point to him being in the team; three dismissals to three nothing shots now.

Exactly. Three innings. If everyone were written off after three hits with only one fifty there would be a few short Test careers

He still has a bit to prove. But I think today ensures - if there were doubt - that he will have this series at least to try and prove it.

Rabada seems to have been slightly overhyped in the lead up to this Test for me too. Undoubtedly got potential, but at the moment he seems pretty sharp and that is about it. He shouldn't run through England, but since when did that ever stop England?

I have written him off as he clearly is not up to test cricket, I don't need to see him play another game to come to that conclusion.

JD, he wasn't out trying to up the run rate in the 2nd innings, he was out playing a horrendous shot having not played a shot for over after over.

Would have been a big wicket for SA there ! Would also have been an extraordinary catch...
But dropping Root early can be costly. Morkel in the midst of a good spell.

This looks a good cricket wicket. Reward for shots , but enough pace and bounce to keep the bowlers interested.

Have to say this is much better from Compton today, got himself in and is being a lot more proactive, looking for the singles and putting away the bad balls.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I have written him off as he clearly is not up to test cricket, I don't need to see him play another game to come to that conclusion.

JD, he wasn't out trying to up the run rate in the 2nd innings, he was out playing a horrendous shot having not played a shot for over after over.

That's the defintion of trying to up the rate, surely?!

Bit tongue in cheek that comment, and I would agree he hasn't played the cavalier innings we expected from him yet, but he is making his Test debut in South Africa against Morkel and Steyn (in T1) - not easy. And it's all very well saying drop him, who comes in for him as he has done better so far than Lyth/Robson/Ali were doing at the end of their runs. Ballance, and Compton up to opening? And I think we have tried everyone else...

Weve had anti luck today.

Rabada then goes and bowls a brute of a short ball, just to prove me wrong. Play that...

Big wicket

Ooft. Perfect time for a wicket. Almost like Compton was on to it too early, and then neither completely rolled the wrists on it or comitted to going over the top.

Rabada gets the break with a short one...

Blaming JD for that

England rather fell away in the latter part of that session ...runs dried up , and then the wicket on the stroke of tea. Leaves the game open.

To me , Rabada looks a bowler who will take wickets - though he may also go for a few runs. Will be interesting to see how he goes as the innings progresses and his work load increases.

Piedt's economy rate is allowing Amla to keep bowling Rabada even though Rabada is a litte expensive. Something to be said for guy who can plug up an end.

Yeah, Piedt has bowled well. Compton took him for 11 off an over just after lunch, and it looked like England were going to be a bit more positive against him and then just became becalmed again.

Disappointing that neither Hales or Compton pushed onto make the big score, but 167-3 not a bad platform for the middle order to press on.

We probably already have enough against this SA batting line-up anyways

alfie wrote:Rabada gets the break with a short one...

Blaming JD for that

England rather fell away in the latter part of that session ...runs dried up , and then the wicket on the stroke of tea.  Leaves the game open.

Yep, I thought some - particularly Nass and Tresco in the UK Sky studio - were too quick off the mark in effectively placing us well on top at lunch. It's certainly open now and always seemed then (lunch) as if South Africa could peg back what looked only a small advantage at that time.

Barring a suggestion from Hammersmith of an alternative opener that the selectors and the rest of us here have overlooked, I'm comfortable with Hales playing all of this series and then to consider it further from there. He more than did a decent job today.

If England can get through to close of play for around 250 for 4 then it is England's day. If South Africa can pinch another two wickets the day will be level and if they can reduce England to about 230 for 6 then it is their day.

Think if we take five sticks having been put in to field we'll be satisfied. Anything extra will be a godsend

alfie wrote:To me , Rabada looks a bowler who will take wickets - though he may also go for a few runs.  Will be interesting to see how he goes as the innings progresses and his work load increases.

Alfie - agree again although I question (you probably do too) whether such a bowler belongs in a 4 man only attack. Certainly increases the onus on the other 3 to keep it tight.

Btw and this won't win me many friends here but, to my mind, shades of England's Chris Jordan in your description of Rabada.

Rabada on a hat trick now...

Lazy shot from James there. Rabada is bloody close to the freaking line all the time

I felt England were on top at lunch ...but somewhat lost their way during the second session. Were scoring quickly and then became strangely becalmed , leading to the "gift" of Compton's wicket. Of course anything can happen straight after a break : but the net effect is that England really need to regroup now or they are in danger of squandering an excellent start.

kingraf wrote:Think if we take five sticks having been put in to field we'll be satisfied. Anything extra will be a godsend

Raf - yes (and I think this was discussed not long ago), but being satisfied at the end of the day after losing the toss isn't always the same or as good as being level.

Think Craig's map is on or very near to the money.

the temporary stands in Newlands are remarkably ugly

kingraf wrote:Lazy shot from James there. Rabada is bloody close to the freaking line all the time

Is he what ! Bit lucky to keep that second wicket I think. Will need to watch that habit.

I thought he was lucky to keep the Compton wicket too.

Cynical side of me thinks if that's Anderson that close to the line it's overturned...

If it was Finn it definitely gets overturned.

guildfordbat wrote:

alfie wrote:To me , Rabada looks a bowler who will take wickets - though he may also go for a few runs.  Will be interesting to see how he goes as the innings progresses and his work load increases.

Alfie - agree again although I question (you probably do too) whether such a bowler belongs in a 4 man only attack. Certainly increases the onus on the other 3 to keep it tight.

Btw and this won't win me many friends here but, to my mind, shades of England's Chris Jordan in your description of Rabada.

Four man attack may yet come back to bite SA on this hot day. Still Elgar and van Zyl can bowl a few overs ; and in truth their batting really isn't solid enough at present that they can select five pure bowlers , so there isn't much they can do about it.

Both were given out. When thats the case benefit
of the doubt goes to the bowling side. I thought
the Compton one was clearly behind the line, but
the Taylor one was certainly 50/50. Luckily the
umpire put him on the right side of the coin.
As for Anderson... What pray tell is the history
between Anderson and third Umpire Madugalle
which would cause him to overturn a similar
decision?

Stiaan van Zyl is our fourth seamer. True story.

Very interestingly poised at 185/4 off 61 overs. I have to leave it there as I head out for the New Year football derby - Cards v Shots. For those who don't follow the lower leagues that's Woking (the Cardinals) v Aldershot Town. You guys who only follow the Premier League don't know what you're missing. The banter / abuse hurled at the Shots and their fans is worth the price of admission alone! Back here this (UK) evening.

Need a stick before the new ball. Then we've got a huge opportunity

Its the big wicket!

This has been very poor by England, four batsmen getting themselves set and getting out to loose shots.

It's a nothing shot. Generally have to be either really talented or urine poor to keep getting out like that

Fine batsmen as he is, this is starting to become a common trend for Root, getting set and then getting himself inexplicably out, reminding me a bit of Graham Thorpe in that regard.

Surprised to see Root out then , just as he was looking most assured.

England a bit careless , perhaps. Definitely don't seem to have taken advantage of their start - both individually and collectively. Don't think Bayliss will be happy to see three players over forty but none past sixty on a blameless surface.
SA are , i suppose , on top right now - though it remains to be seen how they will fare when it is their turn to bat. Early yet. Even today's honours are yet to be decided.

Against a different team this might be a worry but Broad and Anderson should rip through the SA top order, at which point ABDV becomes the big wicket.

Need one more before the new ball