Cricket Thread

[TRF_stormer2010]

I hope for once an SA sports team can BUILD on a good performance. We are generally slow to start and terribly inconsistent.

What's the best site for on-line updates?

 

[SelimNiai]

Moment of contraversy. Finn has Smith caught at slip but the idiot Umpire called dead ball as Finn, as he sometimes does, accidentally clipped the stumps at non-strikers end. Nowhere in the laws it says anything like that.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Moment of contraversy. Finn has Smith caught at slip but the idiot Umpire called dead ball as Finn, as he sometimes does, accidentally clipped the stumps at non-strikers end. Nowhere in the laws it says anything like that.

Actually it has happened before... It happened once to Shaun Pollock in a test vs the West Indies when his fingers flipped the bails off and then the batsmen (Ramnaresh Sarwan) edged the ball and was caught at the slips... Umpire Venkat then called it a dead ball...

It's nowhere in the laws, but its a gentlemen's game and the Umpire has used his discretion... This has also happened a few times in county/domestic cricket... I think the fact that Andrew Strauss didn't a big fuss about it also contributed to the decision to stand. The Umpire has dead balled Finn a few times this innings though, so there is consistincy...

Petersen batting nicely now, Smith gone and Amla run out by Bresnan... So Kallis and Petersen at the crease...

 

[SelimNiai]

Lol! not gonna happen!

South Africa unchanged from the first test...

Pietersen off to a good start... How demoralising would it be for England if he goes on to score a 100 after being the only batsmen not to get a century for SA when they batted in the 1st test.

Hope you went and put some money on it.

 

[Darwin]

Interesting day of test cricket. South Africa had a slight edge throughout the day (due mainly to Petersens ton), but a couple of late wickets has brought England right back into the match.

Meanwhile NZ are 159-3 after 56 overs vs West Indies....

 

[SelimNiai]

At Tea I was despairing, we were flat and looked out of it but a couple late on haul us back, I'd still say SA are on top but its closer than it was.

 

[Darwin]

Look on the bright side - it could be worse for you. You could be 170-6 in your first innings against West Indies

 

[TRF_heineken]

the First day I think is very evenly poised... I cursed AB de Villiers a bit when he got out with only 5 overs to go and then Finn cleaned out the Night Watchmen Dale Steyn also...

If I was England I'd be a bit worried about the uneven bounce of the pitch especially With Morne Morkel's Mean Bouncers and Jaqcues Kallis that can bowl that "heavy ball"...

 

[Darwin]

Pretty even third day, with South Africa out for 419, and England currently 48-0. I didn't see a lot of it (too busy watching New Zealand win gold medals at the Olympics ), but I did see Pietersen get a wicket, and some serious turn (pity England don't have Swann!).

Meanwhile New Zealand has actually decided to play some good cricket for a change. After being bowled out for 260 yesterday, they have responded by bowling West Indies out for only 209, or which 123 was scored by Samuels :blink:

 

[SelimNiai]

I'm happy I've binned the Lympix for the Cricket today. KP's innings has been a heck of a lot of fun to watch. He's decided to attack the bowling and has done with aplomb. He's hit some fascinating shots, nearly decapitated Steyn and thumped him over his head for 6. Been a pleasure to watch

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm happy I've binned the Lympix for the Cricket today. KP's innings has been a heck of a lot of fun to watch. He's decided to attack the bowling and has done with aplomb. He's hit some fascinating shots, nearly decapitated Steyn and thumped him over his head for 6. Been a pleasure to watch

When KP is in that mood, he's difficult to contain, Morkel almost had him when Amla dropped him on 83, and from there onwards it was just smooth sailing for KP.

Hopefully we can get Prior early on tomorrow and then get rid of the tail without worrying too much about KP, if we can be 250/300 runs ahead with about 4 and a bit sessions ahead, then we can still beat England. Otherwise this will be a draw.

I hope Greame Smith is okay, he didn't look good when he went off... If he and Petersen are both out of this test, we'll have trouble.

 

[TRF_heineken]

http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/ProteasinEngland/Hussain-Pietersen-had-to-go-20120812

So England will be without Kevin Pietersen for the last test.

There was a lot of controversy since the end of the 2nd test surrounding KP. Not good news for England.

I wonder what the SMS's said exactly that KP sent to Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers.

If England lose this test and give up their no.1 Test Ranking, do you guys think that Andrew Strauss will remain captain of England?

 

[TRF_Cymro]

He will remain as captain. As for the KP nonsense, he's been dropped for disrupting the changing room. Which if he has then he deserves to be dropped.

 

[TRF_heineken]

He will remain as captain. As for the KP nonsense, he's been dropped for disrupting the changing room. Which if he has then he deserves to be dropped.

Yes he's been dropped for disrupting the change room, but what I read on the weekend was that he was complaining about the poor captaincy and coaching tactics by Strauss and Flower and that it is not an environment where KP wants to be in...

What I'm actually trying to say was that with this, and If England lose the 3rd test, if Strauss resigns, it will be the 3rd Captain of England that will resign while Greame Smith has been playing for the Proteas. This will also then be the 2nd consecutive series defeat by England this year after they lost to Pakistan

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Yes he's been dropped for disrupting the change room, but what I read on the weekend was that he was complaining about the poor captaincy and coaching tactics by Strauss and Flower and that it is not an environment where KP wants to be in...

What I'm actually trying to say was that with this, and If England lose the 3rd test, if Strauss resigns, it will be the 3rd Captain of England that will resign while Greame Smith has been playing for the Proteas. This will also then be the 2nd consecutive series defeat by England this year after they lost to Pakistan

Only you is really making the noise that Strauss will resign or get sacked, don't think that is even the case.

KP was dropped accordingly to the rules stated in his central contract. It's not one rule for one and another rule for another.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I don't mind or care how or why KP has been dropped. Fact of the matter is that there is clearly some rift behind the scenes and I am sure the Proteas are smelling blood. As for the impact of not having KP I don't particularly agree with some posters in other forums that it'll weaken England- though KP is undoudtably a game changer on the day- as I think it might bring the English team tighter together. Still think the game is ours to lose.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I don't mind or care how or why KP has been dropped. Fact of the matter is that there is clearly some rift behind the scenes and I am sure the Proteas are smelling blood. As for the impact of not having KP I don't particularly agree with some posters in other forums that it'll weaken England- though KP is undoudtably a game changer on the day- as I think it might bring the English team tighter together. Still think the game is ours to lose.

It's definitely ours to lose, but with only Cook and Prior left who has been on form with the bat along with Pietersen, it could be a very very tough test match. As a team England might play better, but they'll need to fill a big gap and get an in-form batsmen in KP's place because our Bowlers will be very hungry!

 

[TRF_heineken]

3rd Test started this Morning between SA and England at Lord's. Graeme SMith won the toss and elected to bat.

Lunch time and SA are 65/4 with Kallis the last batsmen to go back to the pavilion in very, very controversial fashion...

I'm livid with the decision by the 3rd umpire...

 

[Darwin]

Didn't manage to catch any of the 1st day, but it looked like England were on top for the first half of the day, but South Africa fighting back over the second half of the day with good innings to Rudolph, Duming, Philander (46*) and Steyn (21*). I will try to catch a bit of day two action tonight (NZT).

 

[TRF_heineken]

England at 55/4 in their innings. Bairstow and Bell at the crease.

The tide has definitely swung in SA's favour today. How about Philander's maiden test fifty, and getting us past the 300-run mark.