*Official* England in South Africa

[GIMH]

Have seen most of the day today but managed to miss all of the wickets, such is my luck

Some strange captaincy today it must be said. Actually agreed with most of what Botham said today, especially regarding Onions.

 

[GIMH]

Lovely bowling

 

[Shri]

Duminy gone. LBW Onions.

 

[GIMH]

Bad light at what - 3.30? - in the summer? What kind of place is this?

 

[Kyle]

Bad light at what - 3.30? - in the summer? What kind of place is this?

This is common in Durban, not unusual for thunderstorms at about 4pm.

We're lucky to have had the play we've had today, by all reports they've had miserable weather for a couple of months.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, I know, was just a tongue-in-cheek moan. Is frustrating though.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Yea, more reasons why the part-time fill in overs weren't really needed.

Hopefully Onions can rip through what's left of the batting tomorrow morning.

Edit: Oh and can't believe South Africa are ahead of England in the odds... Err wtf. Shortened games usually favour the team batting second, because they will only need 3 or 3 and a bit innings. SA will need to either produce a miracle or there will be 4 reasonably substantial innings in this game if they are to win. Plus England are in a good position in the game anyway.

 

[silentstriker]

How early will play start tomorrow? It's been an absorbing series to watch so far.

 

[GIMH]

About to ask the same question myself. Think they said on commentary that it can start half an hour early, maybe I'm imagining it. That would mean 7.30 here, which is probably about 2.30 for you?

Anyway, I might be way off here, can anyone confirm

 

[silentstriker]

I don't understand why only half an hour. Should start as soon as its daylight, especially if this is a common thing in Durban.

 

[GIMH]

Confirmed that play is done for the day and it will indeed start half an hour early tomorrow. Got the kids over tonight, might set my alarm and try and get an hour of cricket in peace before they get up and want to watch their new DVDs that Santa brought them

 

[dizzy]

Have seen most of the day today but managed to miss all of the wickets, such is my luck

Some strange captaincy today it must be said. Actually agreed with most of what Botham said today, especially regarding Onions.

Generally good for us today with 5 wickets down and shame bad light intervened. Onions was bowling some great lines and bowls so well to the left handers, getting in tight to the stumps and bringing the ball back in.

I think this England side has the making of being a consistently winning side. I would have Bopara in for Bell though as he also offers some useful 'dibbly dobbly'.

A Saffer said to me last evening there is no losing for him as either side winning would be like South Africa winning!!!!

 

[GIMH]

I hope we can polish off the final five wickets quickly tomorrow, and then bat the rest of the day. Could see this game having an exciting finish, though my experience of watching England games at Durban tells me that wickets may be harder to come by in the second dig

 

[Uppercut]

Why has Anderson stopped bowling the inswinger to the left hander? He's capable of swinging it both ways and Smith has been susceptible to the inswinger in the past, yet Jimmeh's bowled basically all outswingers to him.

Smith purged those demons long ago and he's been benefiting from those who haven't realised ever since. Most recently, Ben Hilfenhaus was repeatedly driven straight through midwicket when he tried it at the Wanderers last March. He doesn't play across the line anymore. He's only been out lbw to an inswinger twice in his last 23 innings.

Jimmy bowled outswingers to Smith back in England last summer too. It's a much more difficult weakness to exploit, but it's better than trying to exploit a non-existent weakness that's potentially very expensive. Personally I think he's got it spot on.

 

[Scaly piscine]

If you bowl a good in-swinger, particularly if it's set-up, then there's a reasonable chance it will get anyone out weakness or not.

 

[Uppercut]

That's true, and Jimmy nailed Smith in the dead rubber at the Oval last summer doing just that. But the outswinger should definitely be his stock ball when bowling to Smith at the moment. It makes the inswinger that much more effective and always has chance of getting a wicket itself because Smith can be really iffy driving on the offside at times.

 

[FBU]

That's true, and Jimmy nailed Smith in the dead rubber at the Oval last summer doing just that. But the outswinger should definitely be his stock ball when bowling to Smith at the moment. It makes the inswinger that much more effective and always has chance of getting a wicket itself because Smith can be really iffy driving on the offside at times.

I agree.

 

[aussie]

Smith purged those demons long ago and he's been benefiting from those who haven't realised ever since. Most recently, Ben Hilfenhaus was repeatedly driven straight through midwicket when he tried it at the Wanderers last March. He doesn't play across the line anymore. He's only been out lbw to an inswinger twice in his last 23 innings.

Firstly i seriously dont believe that weakness has been eradicated by Smith at all TBF. England in 2008 failed to exploit it until Anderson got him in the final test @ the Oval. While AUS especially (in AUS) had nobody capable of bowling inswinger to right handers consistently.

Through the leg-side is Smith's strenght as well as his weakness. Just like how cutting in the air though point & gully was for Damien Martyn. Smith indeed did handle Hilfenhaus inswinger in SA a bit well, but then again Hilfy was on his first series & his control wasn't as good as it was in the Ashes & vs WI recently.

Anderson & Onions need to just keep working on it, they might go to boundary a few times by they will eventually get him out LBW.

 

[wpdavid]

I hope we can polish off the final five wickets quickly tomorrow, and then bat the rest of the day. Could see this game having an exciting finish, though my experience of watching England games at Durban tells me that wickets may be harder to come by in the second dig

That's what happened last time we played there. And was it Durban where Kirsten played that huge match-saving innings on the previous tour?

I find this very hard to call right now. Given the conditions, I felt that we needed four wickets before lunch and, if it's similar tomorrow, you could see Steyn being lethal. Perhaps our best bet is to get rid of deVilliers & Boucher early and then take a couple of hours to take the last three so that the pitch dries out before we bat.

 

[aussie]

That's what happened last time we played there. And was it Durban where Kirsten played that huge match-saving innings on the previous tour?

I find this very hard to call right now. Given the conditions, I felt that we needed four wickets before lunch and, if it's similar tomorrow, you could see Steyn being lethal. Perhaps our best bet is to get rid of deVilliers & Boucher early and then take a couple of hours to take the last three so that the pitch dries out before we bat.

That was 99 when Caddicj had taken a 7 wicket haul. The last time in 04/05 was when Ntini/De Villiers frustrating batted out the last few overs preventing us from winning.