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?

[msp83]

Oh no!, Duminy out in the first over with the 2nd new ball, Caught Prior bowled Anderson. Dale Steyn is joining his bowling partner Vernon Philander out in the middle. He couldn't keep the new ball out last time when he came in early, but he has scored a 50 against the Australians some time ago, and he can give it a good thrashing.
Think that should be the approach, they should look to score as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

[mystiroakey]

Throw away wicket though. But good bolwers get them by bambosling the batsmen!

[eirebilly]

Hopefully Broad can get a wicket as well now

[FerN]

Not looking too good for South Africa at the moment. Hopefully our tail can wag a bit

[eirebilly]

This could be dangerous for England, both of these guys can score fairly rapidly.

[msp83]

After losing their first 4 for not much, South Africa would be happy they have managed to go pass 250.

[msp83]

Steyn has somehow managed to score 19 important runs so far, he has missed more than he managed to hit!!.

[Biltong]

Smart play by Steyn there.

Live to fight tomorrow.

Decent fightback

[Biltong]

We choked well today.

[eirebilly]

Well, impressive day for England in the end but Duminy, Philander and Steyn have really put on much more runs than was expected. Excellent fightback from SA

[Duty281]

262/7 at stumps. England's day and they have a good platform to take a first innings lead. Roll the Saffers out for under 300 and then target 400+ in our innings. Let's make the advantage count.

[msp83]

Finn bowls a sharp short one at Steyn, but the power problems coupled with the fading natural light means that the umpires have taken the playerf off the field. In all likelyhood, that should be it for the day. South Africa 262-7. At 163-6, England would have harbered ideas of bowling them out under 220-230. But Duminy played a good innings, and Philander's decently reputed batting just clicked at absolutely the write time for them. Steyn too has had a bit of funn, and South Africa would feel that they do have some kind of a total for their bowlers to put in the hard yards.
England batting lineup, a lineup that has consistently struggled for the last 9-10 months, would have more reasons to be worried, as they are without their impact batsman, the best in the lineup for stupid political reasons.

[msp83]

Biltong, lets hope South Africa are done with the obligatory choke in the first session of the match, and the champion outfit will be back for the whole of the rest of the match.

[Biltong]

I am sure they will be mate, I was saying that more tongue in cheeck.

We need to get 320 here, then anthoer 380 in the second innings.

[trebellbobaggins]

shame to see eng couldn't keep it up.

sa looking good for a draw or win already with engs batting problems.

[trebellbobaggins]

Biltong, lets hope South Africa are done with the obligatory choke in the first session of the match, and the champion outfit will be back for the whole of the rest of the match.

champions of what? well , i suppose top of the rankings and deserving it is worthy of the title.

[mystiroakey]

the test championship is what the rankings are called and this game is for it

[trebellbobaggins]

Ah right, fair enough.

Well they deserve it then, they have certainly outclassed us. England batting failings came home to roost. Let's hope some serious work goes into rebuilding now.

[DouglasJardinesbox]

Onions for JB and SA out for under 250. Swann looked so ineffective for 99% of his deliveries it was embarrassing, but we had our seamers resting. Trott bowling? Geez. The selectors really do not have a clue. Jimmy looked ace. Shame I can't boo at Bresnan tomorrow....

[Biltong]

Onions for JB and SA out for under 250. Swann looked so ineffective for 99% of his deliveries it was embarrassing, but we had our seamers resting. Trott bowling? Geez. The selectors really do not have a clue. Jimmy looked ace. Shame I can't boo at Bresnan tomorrow....

Wow, your positivity is awe inspiring.

[dummy_half]

If you'd offered England this position at the start of the day they'd have been very happy, especially as it doesn't look like a really tricky pitch.

Offered them this at lunch, at 60 odd for 4 and they'd have been dejected.

Still got to be England's day, as SA only have tail enders left (and I know they are all reasonable lower order batsmen, but it's a better situation than it being Amla and the tail there). Still a decent chance to run through them for around 300, which is always satisfying when you lose the toss.

[mystiroakey]

SA dug very deep there..England need to get them out quick and get a lead- We also dont need any rain this test or its game over for the series

[Duty281]

I hope we manage to win this Test cause if we hold on to the Number 1 spot here, there's a good chance we can hold it till next summer with only series against India (tough but very winnable) and New Zealand in the winter.

[Shelsey93]

A pretty good days Test cricket I reckon, which England will be well chuffed with.

I'm going to Lord's tomorrow. Hope to see Strauss in the runs

[ShankyCricket]

I'd prefer to see an England win without runs from Strauss so that we can discard him and then recall KP, for good.

But I suspect Strauss might do a "Colly" tomorrow and save his spot for the time being before failing miserably in India, only to score a hundred in the dead rubber, to keep his spot again.

[DouglasJardinesbox]

Onions for JB and SA out for under 250. Swann looked so ineffective for 99% of his deliveries it was embarrassing, but we had our seamers resting. Trott bowling? Geez. The selectors really do not have a clue. Jimmy looked ace. Shame I can't boo at Bresnan tomorrow....

Wow, your positivity is awe inspiring.

Why be positive when better team selection could have had SA out for under 250? It's been repeated by many on here that we need 20 wickets, and we bring back a man who got dropped because he flopped against the mighty Windies. I fully believe (and clearly it is conjecture) that if Onions played instead of JB, we would be well on top by now. As it stands, SA are about 50 runs off sealing the draw / victory they need....

I'm going to Lords today, and will be cheering on England as hard as I can, but it will tinged with reservation...

I do think however, that SA are currently the better team, irrespective of the whole KP saga. Rankings or not.

[VTR]

If Philander makes a hundred today I'm going to stop watching cricket for good. I can't take any more after Tino's 95.

Why do we keep letting teams off the hook? Its happening in virtually every Test these days where the 5 down score is more than doubled. Even the abject Windies were pulling it off including the Tino abberation!

[Biltong]

If Philander makes a 100 today, I'll eat my hat.

[VTR]

If Philander makes a 100 today, I'll eat my hat.

Now I'm torn. Come on Vernon!

[Biltong]

[Biltong]

If you are looking for me by the time Philander gets to 99....



I'll be out searching shops for an edible hat.

[Fists of Fury]

Philander wouldn't be a bat if he was hanging upside down in a cave.

It is ridiculous how we keep letting sides off the hook, as is said above it is a far too common occurence. A great chance to achieve a massively dominating position in this Test has been diminished.

[VTR]

I feel even worse now I've read Aggers day one write up. Reads like a love letter to Andrew Strauss whilst conveniently ignoring the chance to roll the opposition over was squandered. But I suppose had evil KP been on the field SA would be 320-0 so we must be thankful for all these team huddles.

[Biltong]

Philander wouldn't be a bat if he was hanging upside down in a cave.

It is ridiculous how we keep letting sides off the hook, as is said above it is a far too common occurence. A great chance to achieve a massively dominating position in this Test has been diminished.

I think you are being unkind to the English team here.

The bowling wasn't that bad, and there were some lucky escapes, the mentality of the SA batsmen showed through in their determination to knuckle down and not lose further wickets.

If England was bolwing poorly the whole day, you could blame it on them.

[FerN]

Philander wouldn't be a bat if he was hanging upside down in a cave.

It is ridiculous how we keep letting sides off the hook, as is said above it is a far too common occurence. A great chance to achieve a massively dominating position in this Test has been diminished.

Actually Philander was touted as a batting all rounder at the start of his career if I remember correctly. So don't be too harsh on the bowling performance to the tail.

[Duty281]

First wicket of the day goes to Broad, he's got Steyn out. 270/8. Let's wrap this up quickly.

[msp83]

Steyn goes caught Swann bowled Broad for 26, England get their first wicket of the morning, South Africa 270-8.

[Mike Selig]

Full and wide from Broad, nick through to Swann, nicely held, not the easiest height that.

4th ball consecutively bowled at Steyn (no stupid singles given away)...

[alfie]

Looks as if Morkel is going to play his shots ...

Philander 50 Well played.

[msp83]

Vernon Philander's first test 50 has come at a very important point for South Africa. He hasn't been able to recreate the massive high points of his early test career during this tour so far with the ball, but this is an important contribution with the bat. Morkel's also playing his shots, and South Africa is getting closer to that 300 mark.

[Duty281]

SA cross 300.

[alfie]

Great catch Prior

Nine down now...

[Duty281]

Well done Finn, 307/9.

[Mike Selig]

Poor from England again (the ridiculously unlucky Anderson aside) this morning. Swann bowling with about 6 fielders on the boundary really annoys me.

Anderson must be pretty peeved now, Morkel nicks an absolute filthy ball from Finn through to Prior who takes a blinder.

[alfie]

Finn has the luck that Anderson can't buy at the moment

Why bowl an absolutely unplayable snorter when you can get 'em to tickle short wide rubbish

[VTR]

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

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Finn has the luck that Anderson can't buy at the moment

Why bowl an absolutely unplayable snorter when you can get 'em to tickle short wide rubbish

Or get them given out when they shouldnt have been!

You make your own luck as they say .... really some of these have been Priors wickets though. Hes been outstanding once again

[Duty281]

309 all out, a fine bowling effort. I would have taken that at 11:00 am yesterday. Now our batsmen have to aim for 409+ to get us in the driving seat for this game.

[Mike Selig]

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.

[msp83]

Philander trying to smash Swann out of the ground and gets stumped. South Africa allout 309. From 54-4 and 163-6, they would certainly take that. But their bowling unit has to be absolutely on the money, Strauss has a pretty good record at his home ground and Cook is in good touch. That middle order is certainly rather innexperienced with Taylor and Bairstow in there, early wickets will make it more dificult. But the sky is clearing up, good signs for England.

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