Saffers - England, 1st test, Durban - match thread

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

First topic message reminder :

Jimmy Anderson officially out, Woakes and Finn expected to be named with Jordan, footitt and ballance missing out.

Joe Root missing training today due to an upset stomach, but should be ok for day one

[kingraf]

AB just reverse swept his first ball off Ali.

[kingraf]

Bloody close that was

[Hammersmith harrier]

That was out too.

[kingraf]

#Conspiracy

[Duty281]

South Africa getting the rub of the green, thus far in this innings.

Can't fathom how that wasn't given.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Sometimes they're debatable but that was simply out.

[kingraf]

Looked like it bounces to me on the angle parallel to the ball flight.

[alfie]

Maybe a big moment then : think that was probably a fair catch , but not surprised it wasn't given by the TV umpire ...very hard to prove on camera.
SA will be relieved : 40/3 with de Villiers out they'd really have been under pressure. Not that they're exactly comfortable at 40/2...

Finn causing some problems.

[GSC]

Again too close to call I think. In that instance you stick with the on field decision.

England can probably feel unlucky but it happens.

[kingraf]

Anyway... 63 runs from the follow on.

[GSC]

You'd suspect SA will want to get after Moeen pretty quickly. Has a knack of sneaking a wicket or two so suspect they'll target him and unsettle him.

[alfie]

Finn has been right on the money so far - just the one loose ball that AB thankfully put away.
Now he gets a shot at Elgar.  Should have a real go at him with tea coming up.

[kingraf]

55/2. Guess England are slightly in the ascendancy here. Need a solid partnership. No Philander or Harmer so our batting does end at seven today... unless Klusenar's Lower order hitting coaching has proved fruitful.

[guildfordbat]

Raf, do you think Amla has been on a slow slide since he got the captaincy?
He seems to struggle more these days and it's as though he's lacking confidence. His body language was never super confident but do you reckon it's head or heart under pressure... or he will come good at some stage in the near future? He just seems to have lost the urge to stand and fight but maybe I'm reading him wrong though.

Hi LD, Raf et al - I was a bit surprised that Amla got the captaincy of his country. I don't claim any great inside knowledge but I did have a decent chat with one of the Surrey players (Amla's played for Surrey off and on for a couple of our summers) about him a year or so back. I would emphasise that nothing of a critical nature was said but it did leave me with the feeling that, apart from when he's batting, Amla prefers to be in the chorus rather than centre stage. In particular, he was never late for training but was normally the last to arrive. Furthermore, he was perfectly pleasant in the dressing room without being at all outgoing. He would happily offer advice upon request but wouldn't seek to push forward his views.

All in all, an obviously wonderful batsman and a very decent guy but perhaps one with whom the captaincy demands of Test cricket wouldn't rest easily. That may be total b*ll*cks but that was the definite perception I got from a highly intelligent young Surrey cricketer who had trained and played with him.

[kingraf]

Raf, do you think Amla has been on a slow slide since he got the captaincy?
He seems to struggle more these days and it's as though he's lacking confidence. His body language was never super confident but do you reckon it's head or heart under pressure... or he will come good at some stage in the near future? He just seems to have lost the urge to stand and fight but maybe I'm reading him wrong though.

In particular, he was never late for training but was normally the last to arrive.
.

Nothing says Captain of South Africa like a laissez faire attitude to practise

[alfie]

What's this stuff about Steyn and AB planning to retire ? Have you any knowledge whence this talk came , raf ?

[GSC]

I thought AB had back problems or something but could be making that up

[kingraf]

What's this stuff about Steyn and AB planning to retire ? Have you any knowledge whence this talk came , raf ?

First I've heard of it. Steyn said he was feeling like he was in his prime and about how amped he was for this series to start. In all media discussions he's seemed to be of the volition that he'll need to be dragged kicking and screaming off the park.

As for ABDV. I mean he's 31, playing in the prime of his career. Think there's about as much a chance of him retiring soon as there is of my girlfriend not being mad at me for being on holiday without her when I get back to the highveld (Absolutely NONE, if you were wondering)

[alfie]

England have bowled well. But they probably need to break up this pair soonish or their advantage could slip away quite quickly...batting conditions are probably at their best about now.

[alfie]

What's this stuff about Steyn and AB planning to retire ?  Have you any knowledge whence this talk came , raf ?

First I've heard of it. Steyn said he was feeling like he was in his prime and about how amped he was for this series to start. In all media discussions he's seemed to be of the volition that he'll need to be dragged kicking and screaming off the park.

As for ABDV. I mean he's 31, playing in the prime of his career. Think there's about as much a chance of him retiring soon as there is of my girlfriend not being mad at me for being on holiday without her when I get back to the highveld (Absolutely NONE, if you were wondering)

Well that's what I'd have thought. But some "sources" on cricinfo are banging on about it...

I'd be very surprised.

[kingraf]

Think its about surviving today with wickets in hand. The aim will be to try head into day 3 with 7/8 sticks in the bag and try really make a play.

[kingraf]

Don't understand why Cook didn't start with Broad after tea

[alfie]

Elgar doing a good job for his team here. A fraction of his partner's ability ; but he's dug himself in nicely and is helping to blunt the attack.
This spell from Broad will be interesting : he's been out of the attack a little longer than I'd expected...

[alfie]

AB not wasting any time in taking Moeen on. Nice clean straight six

Could be an interesting next few overs.

[kingraf]

Gun barrel straight.

[alfie]

This game has ebbed and flowed quite a bit already : England were back on top after those early wickets ; but this partnership has swung it back very much South Africa's way.

Bit of a challenge for Cook now...he needs to make sure this run rate doesn't get away , with both batsmen targeting Moeen ; but also needs a wicket from somewhere. Broad is still bowling well ; but the batsmen are playing him watchfully. Might be danger for England when his spell is up...

[kingraf]

Thats a huge wicket

[alfie]

And there's the big wicket

Broad gets AB ! Well bowled...

[alfie]

As I was saying...ebbs and flows.

Nice little leg cutter.

Broad is having a pretty good day all round.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Good ball from Broad, just the 30 odd runs more than AB should have got.

[kingraf]

We've got to keep Broad bowling as much as possible though. The rest don't seem as threatening and we need to force Cook to keep going back to Broad.

[Duty281]

Moeen is getting a bit of a pasting, and England don't have too many runs to play with. Mind you, if the scores were level after the 1st innings, I would certainly back the team fielding last to triumph.

Woakes has bowled well, but no reward as yet. Broad tremendous.

[alfie]

We've got to keep Broad bowling as much as possible though. The rest don't seem as threatening and we need to force Cook to keep going back to Broad.

Bit like England with Steyn , eh ?

I think Broad will be kept to five-six over spells though. Finn will be expected to do his share. But Cook will want to see better control from Moeen at the other end...which makes this current passage of play quite fascinating.

[kingraf]

Faf du Plessis is batting so things will slow down. Incredibly frustrating to watch is Faf because he seems to almost decide that theres no such thing as a bad ball in test cricket and just gets himself stuck. Not to Nick Compton levels but so frustrating.

[kingraf]

We've got to keep Broad bowling as much as possible though. The rest don't seem as threatening and we need to force Cook to keep going back to Broad.

Bit like England with Steyn , eh ?

I think Broad will be kept to five-six over spells though. Finn will be expected to do his share. But Cook will want to see better control from Moeen at the other end...which makes this current passage of play quite fascinating.

Probably but think Morkel's earned a bit respect!!

[KP_fan]

both teams running neck and neck...though this SA side has a bit more depth than the one I saw in India.....because abdv is keeping wkts

[kingraf]

Also helped that we arent 12-5

[kingraf]

Worried this would happen. For no reason at all they've taken the decision to grind. Its coming out gun barrel straight on a placid deck and they've got stuck. Now faf is walking playing a nothing shot. Do something when you're freaking batting man

[alfie]

Not often a clean bowled goes to the third umpire

You won't have to worry about Faf slowing up the game any more , raf...

Moeen has his first...that's what a spell of quiet overs can do .

[Hammersmith harrier]

That was one of the more humorous dismissals i've seen, Ali getting frustrated at a missed stumping only for Bairstow to realise he bowled him.

[kingraf]

Faf actually annoys me because he has span gears but he seems to be stuck in first for the last year. He's spent the last year tuk tuking his way to 10 off sixty balls, eight off forty balls. Just wasting my damn time

[guildfordbat]

Moeen gets more tap than most but he has a real knack of regularly picking up wickets. 55 now and counting.

As Holding said earlier (I know many here don't like him but he gives a slightly old fashioned opinion of the game and it's good to have a mix) - ''He would always be in my team as he's a wicket taker.''

[Hammersmith harrier]

That looked out in real time so no idea why they didn't refer it.

[alfie]

They should have reviewed that ! My first reaction was that it was out...but I guess they feared it would be too high...

[Duty281]

That would have been a massive wicket.

I can understand Cook not reviewing the Amla one from earlier, but I can't grasp the decision not to refer this one. He just looked out.

[JDizzle]

I heard two noises and thought he might have nicked it. Can only presume Cook thought the same because it was pretty adjacent.

[kingraf]

They should have reviewed that ! My first reaction was that it was out...but I guess they feared it would be too high...

Thought there was bat ?

[alfie]

SA have been a little fortunate with the marginals , one way and another , in this match. Had a couple of umpires call lbw go their way when bowling , the Stokes catch , now this one...

Do think England should have tried that one as they still had two up their sleeve and already 43 overs down. I am not in favour of "fishing" for lbw calls ; but that one looked pretty good. As JD says , may have thought he edged it.

[Duty281]

Dangerous bit of low bounce; excellent sign for England.

[alfie]

Batting looking like hard work at the moment...though as I type that Elgar clouts Finn for four

Wonder if we'll have another Broad burst this evening ?

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