South Africa VS England - 1st Test

Remove all ads!

So at stumps on an eventfull Day 3...

SOUTH AFRICA 337 all out
Dippenaar 110
Rudolph 93
Pollock 31
Hoggard 3-56
Flintoff 3-72
ENGLAND 425 all out
Strauss 126
Butcher 79
Trescothick 47
Ntini 3-75
Pollock 2-61

SOUTH AFRICA 99-2
Smith 33*
Rudolph 28
de Villiers 14
Giles 1-20
Hoggard 1-20

SOUTH AFRICA LEAD BY 11 RUNS

A bad day at the office for England. Fair play to South Africa for dragging themselves back into the match despite the odd moment of madness in the field they have clawed their way back and set up a very interesting test match.

With 2 days to go, it is still impossible to call. South Africa have, in the likes of Smith, Kallis, Pollock and Hall, batsmen who can take the match away from us however England need only take a couple of quick wickets and the pressure will be turned right up on the proteas. They are known as 'the bottlers' of world cricket so England know exactly what they need to do to set nerves jangling in this relatively young home side.

Very very evenly poised.

 

Cricket is the most boring crap to watch

 

Well, that would be a matter of opinion, wouldn't it?

I love it, watched it all day today. It's really good once you get into it.

 

How is Harmison's bowling? Hoggard seems to be snapping up all the wickets.

 

I enjoy watching Cricket, and Snooker for that matter.
Whereas Tennis, Motor Racing, and Golf I can not watch at all.

Looking good for England at the moment. Just hope the light come back soon.

 

Harmison's having an off test regarding taking the wickets. He always starts slow, but he's working hard and bowled a hell of a lot of overs and hasn't really been slapped about.

Hoggard is having a good test so far. And goodl o' Jonah took a few wickets today, might silence some of his critics.

The bowling attack did well today. Stopped the proteas for 229 (I think). Bad light stopped play with England needing about 60 runs to make it a wrap. With Strauss batting well and Freddie still to go in, it's pretty much all over.

Special mention to Gilo. The fact that we have a spinner on that hard pitch and the Boks don't, has been a factor.

 

Even though England look good for this one, at least it is a more evenly played game than any that Australia have played recently. Witness Ricky Ponting's comments last night that he is worried about the state of test cricket around the world after they humbled 3rd ranked Pakistan by 491 runs the other day. It would be nice to see someone take 'em out on their home turf in a test match (hint hint - you English).

 

Well, let's be honest. Pakistan aren't a very good test side. Shoiab Akhtar aside, they don't have much world class talent. McGraths' figures were something special though.

SA are a better side than Pakistan. With the likes of Pollock, Ntini, Kallis, Rudolph and Dippenaar. Were it not for a middle order collapse in Englands first innings (and we actually hit 500+), the result would've been more comprehensive.

England vs Australia will be a good game. England will really have to be on the top of our game to get a result. But we are capable of it, I think. England now the first team to win 8 test matches on the trot. Which is nice. Anyway.

Review of first test.

England in South Africa, 2004-05, 1st Test
South Africa v England
St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
17,18,19,20,21 December 2004 (5-day match)

Result: England won by 7 wickets
Series: England leads the 5-Test series 1-0

Toss: South Africa
Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and SJA Taufel (Aus)
TV Umpire: IL Howell
Test Debuts: AB de Villiers, DW Steyn (SA).
Match Referee: CH Lloyd (WI)
Man of the Match: AJ Strauss

A game of Strauss.

Well with England wrapping up a convincing 7 wicket win, this test will be remembered for Andy Strauss's brilliance, a ton in the first innings and an unbeaten 94 in the second, all on his first away test match, superb.

I'm not going to comment on the proteas, but I'll run through the England team one by one giving my opinions on them in the first test.

Trescothick - A stubborn first innings with a golden duck in the second, some good catches, 7-10

Strauss - Superb all round performance from the South African born man, 10-10

Butcher - Despite his duck in the 2nd innings proved he is the man to bat at 3, 7-10

Vaughan - Poor game with the bat, luckily his decisions with the bowling changes helped his team to victory, 7-10

Thorpe - Mr cool head in a crisis, proved he's the man England need to steady the ship, quiet with bat in first innings, controlled the panic in the 2nd to steer us home, 7-10

Flintoff - Unusually quiet with the bat, seen the odd flurry of boundaries, but its what he did with the ball, 5 wickets in the match, lead from the front in the first innings, 8-10

G Jones - Probably one of his worst matches behind the stumps for England, but it wasnt his glove work that let him down it was his batting, 6-10

Giles - Scored a few like the other tailenders, took wickets at vital times, showing he is the spinning choice for England 7-10

Hoggard - 3 vital wickets in the first innings, did well with the new ball, proving to be the one to open the bowling with Harmy, 8-10

S Jones - Probably be told im being biased with this one but never mind, underbowled in the first innings, stubborn with the bat too, swung the game in Englands favour with 4-38, proved his doubters wrong, 9-10

Harmison - Poor game by his high standards, just the one wicket, sure to improve next test, 6-10

We need more cricket fans on this forum! lol

 

I disagree. Pakistan have a good test record in the last couple of years, hence their 3rd ranking, whereas South Africa have been appalling in 2004, hence their 6th ranking. The supposed South African stars you have mentioned have been very poor in the past twelve months ever since their disappointing showing at the World Cup.

That aside, England are very deserving of their 2nd place ranking on the Test table and are certainly the only team with the current form to challenge Australia over five days.

 

England definitely have the right balance in the side, with good bowlers and batsmen, and a fine allrounder in Flintoff. The only weakness may Giles who really isn't in the same league as a Shane Warne or Anil Kumble.

 

Well, I suppose that's true. My assessment might've been a bit hasty. Didn't Pakistan beat India in the last test/war? I rate India as a side, so that's good.

The Aussies though. God. I tell you what, spot me a weakness and I'll give you a tenner.

Bowling attack is relentless. Whoever they put in will put the batters under so much pressure. They don't have a wkeak link in the bowling attack.

Same goes for the batting really. Although, one thing can be said. Put the Aussies under pressure, crack their openers earlier and attack their middle order... then the tail end never does much. But then again, they usually have the match wrapped up before that gets to happen. Also, the fielding is so damn quick. You watch Australia field, it's so strange. Unless it hits the boundary, the ball is back at the bowler so quickly, the batters can get like, 1 run, before they are forced to stop. it makes such a difference

The thing is with the Aussies; 'lose' isn't in their dictionary. A loss is never accepted. Whatever they do, they have such a massive unquenchable will to win.

Although, England are the only side in world cricket at the moment capable of challenging them, as you say. beating them at one day is one thing, but test is a different matter.

Flintoff will needto not be silly. Harmison will need to fly off straight away. Tresco will need to hold his wicket. Etc. etc. But on our day, we are capable of doing it, I think. Should make for good viewing anyway .

 

Hmmm... looks like South Africa are going to pull off a great win. Unless Thorpe decides to hang around.

 

Nah, they've won this one.
It should be 2-0 by now, and it's going to end up being 1-1, lol, gutted.

Bring on Johanesburg (sp??)!

 

Oh dear, I see that South Africa have finally remembered how to play cricket. I guess England's winning run had to end some time. I wonder what team changes will be made for the third test?

Meanwhile, NZ is sitting on 2nd place on the world One Day rankings after the cancellation of the recent series so that the Sri Lankans could go home and help with the tsunami.

 

The tsunami relief charity match is shaping up to be real cracker when you look at the players involved.

 

Looks like I'm the first Aussie here.
@Barmy Army - Good luck with your plan! Gilchrist will hold the middle order intact! And our tail end is arguably the beast tail end in terms of batting in the world. On average Jason Gilespi faces over 50 balls an innings and has had 2 50 in his last 5 tests!

You should have seen McGrath in the last test vs Pakisan - he hit the stumps from the boundry - while the batsman was about a foot in from the crease it was an excellent throw!

I really look forward to the Test against England - Hopefully we have a bit of a challenge for once

BTW Barmy Army - you had me warried for a second when you said SA were better than Pakistan, being a South Australian I thought you were refering to our much-to-be-desired-side without Darren Lehman (we recently scored the second lowest score in first class cricket against Victoria - only 28 runs)