I agree, England need to get in this morning and then put their foot down for an hour before lunch and maybe another hour after lunch. Prior, Broad and Swann can all score quickly when required.

We need to give ourselves enough time to bowl them out and bat again!

You think England could have scored 160 runs before lunch and have 20 mins to bowl at SA?!!


We should look to bat at least until lunch and probably an hour afterwards. We need time to bowl out SA but we also need the runs. This morning started slowly but Prior and Bell have now got going. Prior just gone for fifty odd and Bell is in his nineties. Personally I would bring in Swann now and have a real tilt, the lead is 134. If we can get to 250 lead by an hour after lunch then I would declare. The pitch suggest is will be a draw as it is not really misbehaving, Swann is the key. A couple of wickets with the new ball and then Swann getting some turn is what we need. The pressure of saving a Test match is also in England's favour. I still fancy a draw.

Cracking knock by Bell 141.

Eng 575-9 dec - a lead of 232.

England all over the Saffers like a cheap suit here.

Kallis, what a mong.

Listening to TMS in an empty offfice (apart from me)
Boycs cheering and wooping is making first day back after christmas enjoyable

44-5 Go on Broady!!

50-6 could have this wrapped up by the end of today

grrr...

only person in my office and IT have blocked the radio! and people ringing saying i 'should come round and watch the end' is not making me any happier...

reliant on online commentary....

What a session of bowling that was!! Here's hoping the weather stays fair tomorrow and we can go 1 up.

Absolutely amazing turn around!!

129 - 9

Now down to batsmen 10 and 11, hopefully over in the next few minutes.

133 All Out.

Swann getting his 5th wicket.

Great win, glad Bell and Cook got runs and Swann is upto 3rd in the world now!

A great all-round performance....I'm definitely eating my words!! (See post from day 1!!...

).

I must admit though to being slightly baffled by the South African's display.....Is this really the same side that beat us and the Aussies just over a year ago and were seemingly all set to conquer the cricketing world????....Hansje Cronje's bookmaker would have been proud of that 2nd innings batting display...

Our best overseas Test victory for about five years I reckon. Centuries for the two batsmen who most needed one, a useful fifty from the keeper and the four man bowling attack did the job handsomely. Every member of the XI has now had at least one good match.

Only negative was that Collngwood apparently dislocated a finger in fielding practice. It hasn't received a lot of media attention that I've seen so hopefully won't keep him out of the next match starting on Sunday, but if it does we'll have to draft someone in from the shadow squad that is out there at present or use Steven Davies, or even Adil Rashid, as a specialist batsman, or alter the whole balance of the side. I don't think the selectors would want to go with five bowlers now we've established a lead in the series.

The one thing we mustn't do is go negative and simply try to defend a 1-0 lead....This South African side is shell shocked and we have got to stay on top of them while we can.

Who is our spare batsman out there at present??....I'm not a massive fan of the 6 specialist batsman plan, but its massively unlikely England will change that system, even if Collingwood is injured.

I think the Barmy Army will go some way to helping that happen in Cape Town. They were saying on the radion that all five days have sold out and 2/3rds of the tickets have been sold to Brits so it'll be like a home test in that respect

There isn't a spare batsman out there, they only took 6 specialists presumably on the basis that Prior would be batting at 6 in the Tests.

Collingwood's injury is a simple dislocation with no break so it's unlikely he will miss the 3rd Test, but if he did then England would realistically have no alternative but to play the extra bowler or play Prior as a batsman and bring in Davies to keep wicket.

Michael Carberry has been called into the squad as cover for Collingwood.
Must be the biggest touring squad we've had for years and years with all the extra players coming in!!

I think he's been picked as he can either open (which he won't now) or bat in the middle order whereas someone like Denly or Moore are specifically openers. Where this leaves Bopara though is another matter....

There's a development squad playing matches against local teams in South Africa right now, which is where all these short term replacements are coming from at a moment's notice. Bopara isn't in this squad, he's playing domestic cricket in NZ. I assume the bowlers who came in a couple of weeks back (Tredwell & Mark Davies) are back in the development team, meaning Carberry will now be the only additional man with the Test squad. He's a terrific fielder and will be the ideal twelfth man even if not required in the XI.

SA have a good record at Newlands and if they have any sense will get shot of Ntini and bring in De Wet which would make their attack look alot more threatening. The batting must be a worry for them though - Duminy and Prince looking really bad, over-reliance on Smith and Kallis. England just need to keep a cool head and KP in particular just needs to calm down!

But that would mean picking a side without a black African, so it's not likely to happen. A shame, as we're playing opponents who can't select their best XI. (And they wonder why Pietersen, Trott & others choose to make their future elsewhere. It's the new apartheid.)


Prince is a grinder; Duminy is overrated after a flattering start to his Test career. They're both good enough for Test cricket but not in great form and not quite as good as some of the English media have made them out to be.

On the 12th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

12 Rands to the pound
11 victorious players
10 Saffer wickets
9 victims for Swann
8 all the biltong
7 Bokkies out caught
6 down last night
5 men past 50
4 more runs
3 proud lions
2 centurions
And a win at Ki-ingsmead!

Start delayed due to rain, and Collingwood passed fit.

What a great toss to win by the looks of it.

Should have been 1/2 but Swann has dropped a sitter off Smith.

The balls moving all over the place. 1/1.