England v SA, 5th ODI Debate

First topic message reminder :

The final ODI of the 5 match series between South Africa will start in a few hours from now at Trent Bridge. England go into the match with a 2-1 lead South Africa will have to win the match to draw the series.
England go in with home advantage, and they have been quite a force in ODI cricket at home. On paper they have a better balanced side as well with number 7 Samit Patel any day a better bat than his South African counterpart Wayne Parnell who averages less than 20. England are without Jonathan Trott thouth, who is out with a hand injury. This should most likely give Jonny Bairstow a much awaited opportunity. Ravi Bopara might be promoted up the order to 3, or perhaps considering his recent poor form with the bat, perhaps Kieswetter would be asked to do the job.
For South Africa the middle order isn't firing, and the bowling is not been consistent. Morne Morkel should return, possibly at the expense of Tsotsobe.
The weather is expected to be warm and sunny, but the late evening dew might be a factor.

Ravi highlighting that he will never become successful in Test cricket if you continue to poke at deliveries outside the off stump. Let's hope Bairstow can continue his good form and Cook finally get's some runs.

Poor old Bopara really is just so low in confidence with the bat. Good thing that he is in form with the bat though.

Well Bopara at three worked brilliantly

No matter - I wanted Bairstow at three and he might as well have been the way it has happened , so I've got my way , sort of ...

Good start for SA here : England bat pretty deep today with Woakes in for Finn , but they might need to. Hope Morgan has some more runs up his sleeve.

Liam wrote:Ravi highlighting that he will never become successful in Test cricket if you continue to poke at deliveries outside the off stump. Let's hope Bairstow can continue his good form and Cook finally get's some runs.

I would rather Hodge go to India than Bopara.

eirebilly wrote:Poor old Bopara really is just so low in confidence with the bat. Good thing that he is in form with the bat though.

You taking the pish

As i cant see the match just now, how does the weather and pitch look? What would be a good score today?

skyeman wrote:

eirebilly wrote:Poor old Bopara really is just so low in confidence with the bat. Good thing that he is in form with the bat though.

You taking the pish

Just saw my blunder

eirebilly wrote:As i cant see the match just now, how does the weather and pitch look? What would be a good score today?

Very sunny, blue skys and great for batting, or whatever Bops does.

Weather looks beautiful , Billy. Pitch seems a good one for ODI cricket so I fancy England will want 250 at least , though scores have been down a bit in this series so who knows ?

So a 275 score will be competitive?

We should aim for 265+ and then let our bowling attack do the rest.

Sorry alfie, missed you post. 250 is not bad

eirebilly wrote:So a 275 score will be competitive?

I would love that.

Mogs may have to have a good innings to get that though

I walways feel england are better chasing than they are batting first. their bowling often works best against teams who feel they need to score 300, and their batting plan is best when its paced to meet a set target and doesnt

eirebilly wrote:Mogs may have to have a good innings to get that though

With two men out for practically nothing someone needs to play a substantial innings ..and I guess Mogs is the obvious candidate.

Be nice to see someone else step up with a big score today though.

So anyone backtracking on that "bopara is the only answer" comment yet?

You know alfie, i had a feeling about Cook. I said it after the last ODI that i felt he was due a decent score.

Hope i havent cursed him now

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:So anyone backtracking on that "bopara is the only answer" comment yet?

For a one-off game and Bops s***e form, maybe Kieswetter would have been more prudent. Flower can't be blamed Who is in charge today.

FREE HIT!!

Going to see a bit of spin today - Elgar on in the twelfth , after the initial Peterson effort. Of course SA have no choice , only the three seamers today , but
I won't be surprised if England make full use of Patel and Tredwell today ; can't expect Bopara to bowl ten overs every day.

A no ball from a spinner ? For a huge overstep ...that was inviting trouble ! But Elgar did brilliantly to save the free hit Bairstow will be disappointed not to have made him pay then...

skyeman wrote:For a one-off game and Bops s***e form, maybe Kieswetter would have been more prudent. Flower can't be blamed Who is in charge today.

Boparas dad by the looks of it

Despite the wickets England are going OK here. The scoring rate is good anyway

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:So anyone backtracking on that "bopara is the only answer" comment yet?

I'm sure Shelsey will be on shortly , PSW

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

skyeman wrote:For a one-off game and Bops s***e form, maybe Kieswetter would have been more prudent. Flower can't be blamed Who is in charge today.

Boparas dad by the looks of it

4.15 per over is good? In a Test, maybe...

Is JB trying to play a Trott type innings here. Sensible for now.

Peterson doing a good job in these PP overs. But Bairstow finds the gap well there for a useful boundary...dare I say he is going pretty well here...

Fists of Fury wrote:4.15 per over is good? In a Test, maybe...

I was thinking that, but i understand with the two early wickets.But would like them to up it more.

Only 17 overs gone guys and we're 2 down, can't expect 6 an over yet. Keep wickets in hand then hopefully if we're only 3/4 down in the 35th then take the powerplay and open up.

Gower and Atherton discussing the opening position {Trott} for India and whether Bops should be in the squad.


NO and NO.

50 partnership Eng 74/2.

Cook and Bairstow going along nicely. Another batting failure from Ravi Bopara, and the pressure would only grow. Would be interesting how he would go about in the T-20 WC. A decent performance with the ball needed to salvage the day as he did in the last couple of matches.

Did not see the Cook drop. Pheww.

skyeman wrote:

Fists of Fury wrote:4.15 per over is good? In a Test, maybe...

I was thinking that, but i understand with the two early wickets.But would like them to up it more.

Right they had avoided slowing uop too much going into the powerplay which is what would usually happen

But now third wicket down its a problem all round.

Bairstow gone, drats.

Eng 79-3

He was looking good. Come on Mogs, we need you yet again.

B team performance all round

Pity Bairstow picked the boundary fielder out then...he was playing very well up to then . Just didn't quite get that out of the middle...Still that partnership has steadied things after the two early wickets...

Oops ...oh dear Morgan Trouble now.

Risky and paid the price.

Eng 82-4.

Oh England slipping big time here, Duminy gets Morgan. England 82-4.

Kieswetter has a chance to take his time and play a big innings. He hasn't made a big case to retain him with his glove work, and in fact although he hasn't done much wrong with the bat, he hasn't done anything great either.

OK those two perishing by their own hands has rather given SA back their advantage (England and power plays , sigh )

Now extra pressure on the skipper to bat through , while Kieswetter will need to provide more than a cameo today. Glad Woakes is in the lineup actually: many on here really rate his batting , and he may well get an opportunity to show what he can do later on.

AB changing the bowling around, Petersen back on in place of Duminy after just the one over.

Let me put it this way Woakes is better with the bat than Patel, Bressy, Broad and Swann.

Nasser saying it was odd to have Bops at three.

Hopefully the bowlers can do it today, if somehow Eng can get 240-250.

R/R below 4 now.

That's the 50 for the England captain. The job only half done though.

Cook 50 Welcome back. Eng 97/4