The Cricket Thread

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

hats off to South Africa. the oval pitch doesn`t seem to have offered much atall during this test match apart from the first couple of morning sessions but they have batted well fair play. i admire all good cricketers as long as they are good sportsmen and don`t cheat or take bribes. just want England to be the best. Kallis is one of the all-time greats,4th on the all time list today for test matches.only Tendulker,Pointing and Dravid scored more.

[capriccioso 2,545]

2/403?

World's best bowling attack indeed

And there's plenty of batting to come. De Villiers, Duminy, and Rudolph average 49, 44 and 44 respectively. I can see the South Africans, if they really want to, declaring at 5/700 or something.

[Ollie 4,400]

I remember a couple of years we played South Africa at home and they did the same thing, just stayed in forever and it was Amla again too. The pitch is flat and boring yeah but that means the bowlers have to actually do something themselves rather than the pitch do the work. Can see this being a draw tho, if the pitch stays dead, we can be 400/2 ourselves with our batting line up.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Not if Steyn has his way. The difference between Steyn and Anderson is that Steyn can do it on just about any surface, but Anderson struggles on low, slow, subcontinental style wickets. Anderson has 30 wickets at 33 in Asia, compared to Steyn's 63 wickets at 23 in Asia.

Of course, McGrath, Waqar and Wasim shit on both, from a very high height. Bowling in general (and batting) has sharply declined in quality over the last 7 years or so, aside from a few special cases (like Cook for England, Clarke for Australia, Jayawardene for Sri Lanka, 'Graam Smuth' for 'Seth Efreca' to name a few) who are genuinely as good as their predecessors (none amongst the bowlers, of course).

[Ollie 4,400]

How is it that England couldn't just bowl full and straight? That's what SA are doing and they look dangerous even on a dead pitch. Our bowling was pathetic in all honestly. No variation, no intensity, no nothing. South Africa look like they may just win their first ever test at the oval. Amla's a beast, great innings.

[zolayes 14,489]

only S African batsman to fail ....Petersen ....oh make that 2 Pietersen as well

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

we haven`t played to our usual high standard of late that`s for sure. we are in a hole in this test now..i haven`t been watching it this afternoon with the last stage of the tour de france on. it`s a good job we can bat all the way down the order but one more wicket before stumps and we will need a miracle tomorrow.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

and there it feckin` is.

[Ollie 4,400]

It's all over bar the shouting now. A real kick up the arse for sure. It's very rare that a team in the situation SA are now fail to complete the job at hand. 13 minutes to hold on and not lose another wicket...

[capriccioso 2,545]

This is embarrassing. The only way it could possibly get worse is if that incompetent Imran Tahir takes 5 wickets or something.

Innings defeat on the way for England? The one thing on your side is that the South African's are amongst the biggest chokers in world sport. Australia picked up a hammering in South Africa (one time South Africa bowled us out for about 50) but we shat our way to a 1-1 series draw.

[zolayes 14,489]

This is embarrassing. The only way it could possibly get worse is if that incompetent Imran Tahir takes 5 wickets or something.

Innings defeat on the way for England? The one thing on your side is that the South African's are amongst the biggest chokers in world sport. Australia picked up a hammering in South Africa (one time South Africa bowled us out for about 50) but we shat our way to a 1-1 series draw.

guess they should get on their bikes,,,,

[capriccioso 2,545]

guess they should get on their bikes,,,,

England's cricketers would fit right in with 'British' cyclists, as many of them really aren't English. The current stars of British cycling are a Kenyan who obtained a British cycling licence just 3 years ago (he's not even a citizen of the UK), a Belgian with an Australian dad, and a Manxman. Just like the cricket team. The captain is South African, and two of the best batsmen are South African. And then there's Ravinder Singh Bopara, and Mudhsuden Singh Panesar.

If you're going to claim any product from the Isle of Man as British, you may as well go the whole hog and take credit for Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians, and any Commonwealth country that isn't a republic.

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

How come South Africa seem to beat everycunt at cricket but are utter useless at everything else? Just like how are Scotland good at producing drinks like Irn Bru but shit at producing decent athletes in nearly every sport. Also I don't really understand cricket, I just assume it is a "more manly" game of rounders pmsl.

[Ollie 4,400]

South Africa are good at Rugby too and being Racist.

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

South Africa are good at Rugby too and being Racist.

Ah true they are decent at being racist. Don't really know about rugby though either as I don't really follow it.

[Drogzola 283]

Good article on the decline of Kiwi cricket:

http://www.espncrici...ory/573101.html

Despite my 'support' for South Africa, I really can't stand 'Graam Smuth' or Kallis and their fat red Boer faces. No offence to any Boer posters.

Kallis Is a boer (Afrikaner) but Graeme Smith is more from the Brittish side of South Africa. I dont really like Graeme either but Kallis is honestly one of the most humble sportsmen you will ever meet. Pity he had plugs put in his head like Rooney.

[Drogzola 283]

Also almost wrapped up by SA

[capriccioso 2,545]

How come South Africa seem to beat everycunt at cricket but are utter useless at everything else? Just like how are Scotland good at producing drinks like Irn Bru but shit at producing decent athletes in nearly every sport. Also I don't really understand cricket, I just assume it is a "more manly" game of rounders pmsl.

South Africa have a reputation for being immensely talented, 2nd only to Australia over the last 25 years but they are prone to choking and underachieving on the big stage.