England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord's, 6-10 July, 2017

skully wrote:I can't believe that a side with so many talented players in their potential squad can be crucifying itself with internal ructions. On paper, the best Test side SAf can put on the field should shit on ALL other Test sides.

Well Abbott bowled pretty well in Oz and he's unavailable now. Faf's captaincy was important in Australia and he's back home. The first test in a series is often pivotal in terms of setting the tone. He is a key loss for his batting too.

There is a fitness cloud over Philander and the SA batting line-up looks very fragile.

Any team that has Gary Ballance batting at three is winning in the fragility stakes.

Henry wrote:Any team that has Gary Ballance batting at three is winning in the fragility stakes.

I see your Ballance and raise you Duminy

Is he batting at 3?

He's been tried everywhere with the same result.

Root decides to bat after winning the toss. Elgar would have followed suit.

Red wrote:Root decides to bat after winning the toss. Elgar would have followed suit.

Both captains would have batted at Lords. That is unusual.

taipan wrote:

Red wrote:Root decides to bat after winning the toss. Elgar would have followed suit.

Both captains would have batted at Lords. That is unusual.

Wouldn't it depend on overhead conditions? Certainly IIRC, Smith inserted the poms in 2008.

The hyphen is twelfth for England. Duminy listed to bat at four.

Taipan's favourite player drops Root. He has been missed twice now.

Philander two early scalps, and Horace's quota snagged one too.

Why are England so shit at Lords?

Red wrote:Taipan's favourite player drops Root. He has been missed twice now.

Philander two early scalps, and Horace's quota snagged one too.

Duminy the gift that keeps on giving.

He regularly drops catches here, and every time the commentators are amazed as he's such a god fielder.

Kinda like Ali Cook at slip.

England on the rack. Could perhaps have been 7-8 down if fielders had had their catching hands on.

PeterCS wrote:England on the rack. Could perhaps have been 7-8 down if fielders had had their catching hands on.

Lucky that LBW is a dismissal so butter fingers don't feature.

Root seems to give a lot of chances and get away with them.

England has deep batting with Stokes and Ali to support Broad.

One of my bastard mates sent me that

embee wrote:One of my bastard mates sent me that

You have mates that aren't bastards?

embee wrote:

Did (deep) leg slip/short fine leg spontaneously combust?

Good recovery from Jo and his Pig

horace wrote:Good recovery from Jo and his Pig

Root always seems to get lives; they never learn.

PeterCS wrote:England on the rack. Could perhaps have been 7-8 down if fielders had had their catching hands on.

Poms on top. SA has been a poor fielding team for some time now.

horace wrote:Good recovery from Jo and his Pig

Pig?

Demeanor, complexion, 'pig an a poke'.

Red wrote:

PeterCS wrote:England on the rack. Could perhaps have been 7-8 down if fielders had had their catching hands on.

Poms on top. SA has been a poor fielding team for some time now.

Duminy has been crap for some time now.

taipan wrote:

Red wrote:

PeterCS wrote:England on the rack. Could perhaps have been 7-8 down if fielders had had their catching hands on.

Poms on top. SA has been a poor fielding team for some time now.

Duminy has been crap for some time now.

Goodonya Mrs Merlin. JPD is the future of yaapie cricket. SIU Mrs Merls.

I wonder how many more Get Out of Jail cards England have?