This has 'draw' all over it surely?

England will have to bat last on a wearing pitch chasing a decent sized deficit. Thankfully they don't have a class spinner.

SA have had the best of the batting conditions, but England's lack of penetration when the ball doesn't swing is worrying.

Quote ="Andy Gilder"England will have to bat last on a wearing pitch chasing a decent sized deficit. Thankfully they don't have a class spinner.'" I know that, but even England can't collapse enough to lose can they? We thought Mitchell Johnson's bowling was bad www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocEnKXCJgnw

Quote ="Andy Gilder"England will have to bat last on a wearing pitch chasing a decent sized deficit. Thankfully they don't have a class spinner.'" I know that, but even England can't collapse enough to lose can they? We thought Mitchell Johnson's bowling was bad www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocEnKXCJgnw

Yes, I'd say the draw is a pretty warm favourite, but there is only one side that can win it from here.

What is worrying is that this South Africa side are proving again that they are far superior to us, as they have done in the last 2 series in which we have met (Yes, we wangled a draw in our last tour there, but overall we were comfortably the inferior side).

We'll be very lucky to get a draw here. The SA spinners arn't sub-continent standard but they're certainly good enough to give this England batting line up some problems on a 4/5 day old Oval pitch.

England being sadly exposed here.....Their attack is head and shoulders above ours and as for the batsmen.....

England stumbling to a defeat here unless one of the middle order can get a big score.

Eng 57/3

Ok..............maybe we can

Everything's alright. Ravi-Bop will bat all day to save the game.



Ahem

They don't, but England made Tahir look like a world-beater yesterday. Pre-meditated sweeps are a huge giveaway that the batsman hasn't got a clue what's going on. Thought we'd left that shot in the UAE.

Oh, Ravi...

Last year there was always at least one batsmen who dug us out of the and gave the bowlers something to defend. This year everyone's been a bit, well, turd. I'll be borrowing John_D's guide to division 2 at this rate...


Any of the resident Tykes on here at Headingley on the Sunday of the Test?

It's always a pleasure going to Chesterfield, no really.


Friday for me

Friday and Sunday for me, if it lasts 'til then.

I'm fairly confident of it lasting through to Friday.
You doing the quarter-final on Wednesday?

New ball available in 7 overs time. Crucial phase.

STOP SWEEPING. Idiots.

Yep, been given the all clear to make an early exit.

20 wickets versus 2. That's a bit of a tubbing.

That was as heavy a defeat i've seen. You'd say to win by 8 wickets would be comprehensive, we effectively lost by an innings and 8 wickets.

Worst thing is, they've beaten us at our own game. Day 1 they just made sure the batsmen never got in control, even though not many wickets were falling. Day 2 onwards was just a humiliation. The SA bowling attack has two things that ours doesn't, genuine pace and a genuine all rounder.

This defeat, coupled with the winter tour debacle, is ample proof for me that a bit of change is needed.

Personally, I feel Bopara and Strauss are on borrowed time.....Bopara is just another Morgan - No temprament for Test cricket, while Strauss is just running out of juice, if you get my drift.

Cook is proving a decent skipper at the One Day game, so I'd be looking for him to step up.

As for the bowling, I think if we are to continue with the 4 man attack, then Bresnan has to go - Solid and dependable, but little threat, he'd do in a 5 man attack, but lacks the edge needed for your third seamer.

As a bit of an aside, what has happened to Chris Tremlett??.....Not long back, he looked like the long lost love child of Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose, but now seems to have disappeared.....It would be lovely to have him back firing and fully fit, especially for Leeds, where he'd be mighty dangerous.

Didn't Tremlett get injured and then just vanish? I would have Finn above Bresnan as a bowler but they obviously like Bresnan as he can bat.

If Strauss goes then who opens?

I think Tremlett is still injured?

I reckon Bresnan is ahead of Finn not just because of his batting, but because he fits in with Flower & Strauss' plans of keeping pressure on after first change. Unfortunately, teams are starting to suss this out.

Not sure how many chances Bopara will get. May be time to try people like Stokes or Woakes as an all rounder, and get a pace bowler into the team for Bresnan.

I changed my work shifts last Christmas and was hoping to get to some regular games this year but they've just never fallen right. Hoping to make the Netherlands CB40 game on the 12th now that the Wigan/Wire game has been moved.

The two heroic draws in 09/10 helped disguise the fact that SA are generally much stronger than Eng. They are clearly prone to having bad days and Tahir isnt anything special, so I dont think we're completely out of the series. But I think they've got our measure.