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?

[skyeman]

Very, very important that one, now doubts. Let's see.

[alfie]

Both batters look settled out there. South Africa batting in this series has been all about determination, even when they found themselves in trouble at 54-4 in the first innings they willfully fought their way into a decent total in the end rather than giving it all up.

Can't agree with your first sentence , msp , though the rest is spot on...

Even before that wicket I thought Smith in particular looked very tense.

Swann bowling well.

[KP_fan]

good bowling by Swann....turned a few, kept it tight......and choked them...invoking a error.

SA should look to be more positive.

Eng are doing well attacking from the otherend with Finn

[skyeman]

Gone! As I said Smith looked for a few more runs, goes for a sweep and LBW, plumb.

Swann gets in amongst them, which is important for him.

Leave cover open and tempt Amla to hit through there.

Very much agree, gets his confidence up and he becomes very, very dangerous.

[Mike Selig]

First ball from Amla, that was jumpy. A bit of nerves going through the SA changing room. Swann's done them a few times in the past.

Good move, Broad back on, keep it quiet, make them work for their runs, plus look for a bit of reverse.

[alfie]

Broad now .

What I would give for one of his magic four wickets-rather-out-of-the-blue spells now...

Get that reverse working.

[Mike Selig]

Yes, there is the reverse.

[Mad for Chelsea]

ball showing some signs of reversing here too, a couple from Broad have come back in a bit, interesting

[alfie]

Broad bowling well , pitching up to Amla early on...I like that approach.

Get a second one now and the pressure will be right back on SA

[Duty281]

England will be on top if they get a second wicket in the next few overs. Let's hope Stuart Broad bowls like he did at the Oval v Australia in 2009.

[Mike Selig]

Very tense out there. Swann nearly does Amla behind his pads. Would like to see a silly point in, at least to Peterson, and cover left open to Amla.

[Mike Selig]

Oooh was that the chance?

[Mad for Chelsea]

ach, Prior shells one

not an easy catch by any means, but once he got there probably should have clung on...

[alfie]

Dropped ! Ouch

Prior a rare error ...he looks mortified

But Petersen is gone

[Mike Selig]

There's the reverse and there's the dismissal! Now then now then.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Petersen gone two balls later, plumb LBW to an in-ducker!

Broad does his "not appealing" thing there, bit naughty that...

[Duty281]

You beauty! Full, straight and doing the business! Both openers gone, England sense blood.

[mystiroakey]

Go England!!

[Mike Selig]

Full and straight to Kallis first up please.

[alfie]

One for Broad ...will he produce one of those spells now ? Signs are good...

Next few overs are going to be immense.

[Mike Selig]

Broad does his "not appealing" thing there, bit naughty that...

He turned around to be fair. It was plumb, you can walk for those, and to be fair Peterson didn't even bother to chat to his partner about it.

[Mike Selig]

I fancy Amla around his legs if he's going to get so far accross. Have a go at that leg-stump maybe? Full?

[Duty281]

Still 26 overs left in the day, plenty of time to get more wickets.

[alfie]

Want to get Amla early. He plays Swann better than most , keeps the score ticking over.
I like the field placings in this innings so far. Were excellent to Smith in particular. Need to keep the pressure on these two.

[Mad for Chelsea]

I fancy Amla around his legs if he's going to get so far accross. Have a go at that leg-stump maybe? Full?

tried it first ball there, Amla got a bit of bat on it. Fascinating contests all around at the moment.

[skyeman]

The last hour coming up, so so important for both teams.

[Duty281]

Want to get Amla early. He plays Swann better than most , keeps the score ticking over.
I like the field placings in this innings so far. Were excellent to Smith in particular. Need to keep the pressure on these two.

I agree. Amla is the key wicket.

[msp83]

England hasn't let South Africa get away from them even when the first 20 overs didn't produce a wicket. So when they got one and then another, the pressure is back on South Africa.
I just have a feeling its going to be ABDV's game. Apart from a few starts, he hasn't really got going in the series, this might just be the perfect stage. But He would dearly love a lot more time in the change room before he has to start it all!.

[Mike Selig]

nice shot from Kallis but not quite to the pitch so had its risk. Swann's getting good loop.

[msp83]

Bit of a T-20 shot there from Kallis against Swann, is he trying to take him on?

[Mad for Chelsea]

Broad with a couple of sharp bouncers in that over, hits each batsman once (and gives away five leg byes as a result).

[Mike Selig]

Kallis has in recent past times struggled against genuine pace particularly full and straight. Broad doing well but I'd be tempted to give Finn another burst fairly soon.

[alfie]

Kallis clearly doen't want to get bogged down against Swann ...good contest.

I know there is a lot of good batting to come , but I reckon this partnership is really the vital one. A third wicket now could really mess with their heads...And Kallis is maybe trying to be a bit too attacking here ?

Tense

[eirebilly]

Kallis has in recent past times struggled against genuine pace particularly full and straight. Broad doing well but I'd be tempted to give Finn another burst fairly soon.

+1, i think that Finn would seriously trouble Kallis here

[alfie]

Don't think Broad should get carried away with this short stuff to Kallis...much rather see him pitch it up , surprise him maybe with the odd short lifter.

[msp83]

Kallis is clearly intent upon staying positive, and I think that is the write approach. Swann's looking sharp.

[Mike Selig]

England just need to get on top of things again, Kallis and Amla counter-attacking effectively.

[Duty281]

Take Broad off and give Anderson another go.

[alfie]

Fascinating watching Swann to Amla. He is going so far across his stumps to try and work him to leg ; you feel he could miss one at any moment and be dead , but there he forced Swann into a wider ball and promptly collected a four out to point...great contest again.

[Duty281]

Need 2 more wickets before stumps, come on England!

[alfie]

England just need to get on top of things again, Kallis and Amla counter-attacking effectively.

Yes , Mike. I think this was one of those moments you spoke about earlier , where England might have taken a grip...think these two have just about negated it with their intelligent batting.

Another chance may well come though. Would like to see the runs dried up again , but easier said than done...

[Mike Selig]

Anderson too short again.

England need to either tighten things up, or get a wicket quickly.

[alfie]

Hundred up . Fifty stand.

Was nice to get Petersen , but we may well look back on that drop of Amla off Broad as the key moment of the day. He is looking ominously good.

[eirebilly]

These two are going along at a very swift rate...

[eirebilly]

Really time for Finn...

[Mike Selig]

Better. A couple of quarter chances as Amla gets a lucky inside edge off Anderson, and Kallis plays an ill-advised drive at Swann.

[alfie]

Not a lot happening for Jimmy , but I like the line he is bowling to Kallis

...or I did until he dropped that one shortish and conceded four.

England need a break here , or this is getting away a bit ...

[ShahenshahG]

Dont let it slip out of your grasp lads

[alfie]

Swann wants a review but I don't ...glad they didn't !

[alfie]

Maybe this time though ? No ...

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