England v India, 4th Test, The Oval, 18-22 August, 2011

Brass Monkey wrote:Where's all the Belfohl™ love? He's in the form of his f*cking life and none of you can even bother to 'props him up'.

I only deal in due. Props are what chavs hand out.

Belly has my due.

Pietersen may have too, but I'm still not convinced he isn't on the cusp of spunking it away to a dickhead shot.

Pitch is way flat, mind. Even if England were to go AGGB from here and get 650 by lunch tomorrow, I'm not sure two and half days will be enough to bowl India out twice.

Dello wrote:

I only deal in due. Props are what chavs hand out.

Belly has my due.

F*ck your dues. They mean little. In fact, it's better if your dues aren't handed out.

4th 100 by KP at The Oval. Although registration doesn't mean that much now for what it's worth he becomes the 7th Surrey player to score a Test ton at The Oval following Graham Thorpe, John Edrich, Ken Barrington, Jack Hobbs, Tom Hayward and Walter Read.

KP's ton up. Nice. Ohhh... dropped poorly next ball. Gambhir, you are a qunt.

900-4 declared, Ravi gets about 20 mins at the crease.

Has England dominating got boring already?

Bell is only the 2nd Warwickshire player to score a Test ton for England following Dennis Amiss who made 183 against Pakistan here in 1974 as well as 203 against the Windies 2 years later.

In addition Brian Lara made 179 in 1995 whilst registered with the Bears as did Rohan Kanhai who made 100* for Rest of the World in 1970 (whose Test status was subsequently withdrawn). He also made 109 for the Windies in 1966 but that was 2 years before he joined the Bears.

Well played, The Boppin' Elf.

And my son. Well done, my son.

FFS - this Indian side is a rabble

I suppose it is boring really. The lines the bowlers are sticking to are boring. There's no real threat. The batsmen can only get themselves out. Excellent shots, just quality play full-stop from the batsmen, but it lacks an edge. If you'd have told me that we'd just be toying with them, I'd have taken it. A really enterprising knock from KP in particular, top stuff to watch.

From Instant Karma to Instant Sharmbles in one day.

KP gone. Jimmy in - at 447/3 FFS!

KP's average back over 50. Where it belongs.

Gutted about KP. Could sort of see it coming. He was ticking. Wanted his double before close. Vicious stuff.

Nightwatchman. Ludicrous.

If Morgan didn't have the stones to come out and face Raina's gentle plops, Ravi Flops should've waded out.

That's one of the reasons I don't think this England side is a "great" side - they're mainly safety-first merchants and can't even bring themselves to deviate from the playbook even when they're miles ahead in the game.

If Pietersen wasn't in that middle order, there's a good chance the game would never move forward. At least until Prior and the tail came in.

At least he was seen off and not sawn off.

Or sawed off, if you re American and proud.

Dello wrote:Nightwatchman. Ludicrous.

If Morgan didn't have the stones to come out and face Raina's gentle plops, Ravi Flops should've waded out.

That's one of the reasons I don't think this England side is a "great" side - they're mainly safety-first merchants and can't even bring themselves to deviate from the playbook even when they're miles ahead in the game.

If Pietersen wasn't in that middle order, there's a good chance the game would never move forward. At least until Prior and the tail came in.

Bah! Mr Hyperbole strikes for reason again.

Anyway, nicely done McBelf and Pietersen - was a good watch. Although a bit like watching an ODI when the result has pretty much been decided in the first ten overs and the rest of the match just goes through the motions.

F*ck Anderson off early tomorrow, don't allow Bell to crab his way to a personal milestone, get the chuff on with it and declare at lunch for some 650 odd?

Better do. Or I shall boo at my tele.

Jimmy knocked up a sprightly 34 last time he was called on.

He's not a crabber in the mornings. Only when called in in the evenings.

He'll be okay. Stay your tears.



I mean, he may well nick the second ball to slip. But job more or less done.

Then let battle commence between The Mighty and The Phantom.

Some of Ian Bell's cover drives were the things of dreams today. I think that he is now in the same bracket of exquisite to watch as Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn and VVS Laxman. Perhaps not quite up to Brian Charles standards but still, elevated company Master Bell.

Oh and props > due.

More Craig Charles than Brian Charles, surely?

They must get on with it. Their bowlers look mentally shot to ribbons. To be honest, I can see some quick wickets tomorrow simply for that fact - it's too easy, we'll get too comfortable and will contrive our own downfalls. Which will be good for the progress of the Test in all.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Some of Ian Bell's cover drives were the things of dreams today. I think that he is now in the same bracket of exquisite to watch as Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn and VVS Laxman. Perhaps not quite up to Brian Charles standards but still, elevated company Master Bell.

Subconscious force of habit - I read that as Malteser Ball.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Some of Ian Bell's cover drives were the things of dreams today. I think that he is now in the same bracket of exquisite to watch as Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn and VVS Laxman. Perhaps not quite up to Brian Charles standards but still, elevated company Master Bell.

To me, Gower is still the one. At least in an England shirt. They're all so aesthetically pleasing. The point being that they are how it should be, so in ways are much of a muchness - 'textbook'.