2nd Test: England v South Africa at Nottingham, Jul 14-18, 2017

[hans kraay fan club]

Why doesn't Root step up and bat at 3? Seems the most obvious move to make to improve this side. Ballance would be better at 4 or 5. I wouldn't mind seeing Bairstow at 4.

Ballance has a huge flaw in technique, which will be his downfall whether he bats at 2, 3, 4, 9 or 11.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Hey [MENTION=232]Simster[/MENTION]

Have you spotted any other VALUE in the betting markets today?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Ballance has a huge flaw in technique, which will be his downfall whether he bats at 2, 3, 4, 9 or 11.

Yep. The Aussie quicks will find him out pretty quickly with that backward trigger movement.

 

[Simster]

Hey [MENTION=232]Simster[/MENTION]

Have you spotted any other VALUE in the betting markets today?

In fairness, that was the most feeble batting display we've seen from England in a long time. I don't think anyone predicted that sort of gutless thrashing did they?

 

[studio150]

At least I have a first day ticket for the Oval, so at guaranteed runs if SA bat or wickets if they bowl.

England woeful today

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In fairness, that was the most feeble batting display we've seen from England in a long time. I don't think anyone predicted that sort of gutless thrashing did they?

Maybe not QUITE as poor, but I think most predictions were that they wouldn't last the day.

 

[Postman Pat]

Why doesn't Root step up and bat at 3? Seems the most obvious move to make to improve this side. Ballance would be better at 4 or 5. I wouldn't mind seeing Bairstow at 4.

There is a view that for Root to be effective as batsman and captain, he needs to have some time between innings to switch off etc. As we consistently are <20 for 1 he would be very quickly back on the field if batting at 3. That being said, we are quickly becoming <20 for 2 so it is making no difference whatsoever.

 

[Double Hard Bastard]

I can't remeber the last time an England side really fought to save a match! I dont just mean the tail holding on either. Cook to Root same sort of Captaincy. Cant see either of them giving the team the hair dryer treatment and if they did would it really have any affect?

 

[Bold Seagull]

There is a view that for Root to be effective as batsman and captain, he needs to have some time between innings to switch off etc. As we consistently are <20 for 1 he would be very quickly back on the field if batting at 3. That being said, we are quickly becoming <20 for 2 so it is making no difference whatsoever.

Quite.

 

[BensGrandad]

We need an opener to replace Strauss which we havent found and a no 3 batsmen that can stay there for a. Hour or so to hold his end up if Root is going to be a succes at 4 failing that put him in at 5 followed by Bairstow then Stokes but that reduces the bowling strength.

That was a disgrace that all our bstsmen should be ashamed of.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Ballance has a huge flaw in technique, which will be his downfall whether he bats at 2, 3, 4, 9 or 11.

He's averaging 101.87 batting at 4 for Yorkshire, not sure how you can leave him out?

Ballance is being subjected to the new ball which isn't happening for Yorkshire and he piles on the runs.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Lost by 340 runs to a South African team missing Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers.

Poor.

 

[BensGrandad]

Could we try Moeen at 3 above Balance and Root if there is no better to pick.

 

[Gwylan]

I can't remeber the last time an England side really fought to save a match!

Christchurch in 2012? Matt Prior digging in for a slow century

 

[dazzer6666]

We need an opener to replace Strauss which we havent found and a no 3 batsmen that can stay there for a. Hour or so to hold his end up if Root is going to be a succes at 4 failing that put him in at 5 followed by Bairstow then Stokes but that reduces the bowling strength.

That was a disgrace that all our bstsmen should be ashamed of.

Number 3 needs to be able to bat for a day, not an hour.

 

[BensGrandad]

Number 3 needs to be able to bat for a day, not an hour.

The other 10 cannot do that but if the no3 could stay there for a while we could begin to build an innings around him with others perhaps scoring quicker.Probably needs him to stay for 3 or 4 hours rather than 1. 1 hour would bd an improvement on the present.

 

[Pavilionaire]

He's averaging 101.87 batting at 4 for Yorkshire, not sure how you can leave him out?

Ballance is being subjected to the new ball which isn't happening for Yorkshire and he piles on the runs.

We've been there with Hick and Ramprakash before. It doesn't matter what you do in county cricket if you haven't got the technique / temperament for test cricket.

 

[GT49er]

Could we try Moeen at 3 above Balance and Root if there is no better to pick.

Didn't we try that once before? Number 2 or 3 anyway. Didn't go well, I seem to remember.

 

[Bold Seagull]

We've been there with Hick and Ramprakash before. It doesn't matter what you do in county cricket if you haven't got the technique / temperament for test cricket.

That is true. Have we reached that point with Ballance? I guess my worry is is have we tried him in the batting order where he gets all his runs for his county? It would be a little bit like picking a centre half for England and asking them to play at full back...(ha ha see what I did there...)

 

[GT49er]

In fairness, that was the most feeble batting display we've seen from England in a long time. I don't think anyone predicted that sort of gutless thrashing did they?

Yes, SA certainly got the upper hand psychologically - and rubbed our noses in it good and proper. Fair play to them. I don't think it ultimately made any difference to the result, but they were greatly helped by their fourth choice quick managing to pull off two unplayable deliveries, the one to Root especially, with the one to Cook not far behind - and aim them at the two English players most likely to get stuck in and play a long game.
After that, English morale was shot to pieces. Not a good day for us.