South Africa v England, 3rd Test, Cape Town

[simmo]

Bell is still Shit.

Technically he is one of our best batsman. There is not a shot that he does not play that isn't absolute text book.

The problem with Bell has always been is his state of mind (he so often plays a sloppy shot in the 20's/30's) hopefully this will be the innings that makes him.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I am beginning to think the South Africans are worse than the Aussies with all this whinging about cheating and Trott taking ages between deliveries.

Just because we don't role over and die any more they aren't happy.

On the SA commentary, Robin Jackman (an ex English player but very pro SA commentator) said that he felt it was unfair that SA had outplayed England in 2 tests but had not won either of them. It was then pointed out by Keppler Wessels that SA had not been good enough to bowl England out twice, so fairness had nothing to with it.

But SA peeps seem to think that they have a right to win everything, not just cricket and always blame everybody else. The Rugby players, coaches and commentators are 100 times worse than the cricket lot!! What they cannot blame in this series is the umpiring because of the referral system and they are actually now starting to suggest that perhaps SA are not as good at cricket as everyone thought.

 

[Gwylan]

Technically he is one of our best batsman. There is not a shot that he does not play that isn't absolute text book.

The problem with Bell has always been is his state of mind (he so often plays a sloppy shot in the 20's/30's) hopefully this will be the innings that makes him.

That's right - in fact, I'd say that technically he is our best batsman. I saw him score a double ton against Sussex a few years back that had every shot in the book. He batted brilliantly yesterday and let's have more.

I think this series (and the Australia v Pakistan one) has demonstrated once again what a brilliant game test cricket is - when it's at its best no sport can match it for drama. Yesterday, 36 hours of struggle came down to one ball, that lasted a split second - what a finish.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Bell is still Shit.

Don't be offended if I am wrong, but I'm guessing you are about 15.

Technically Bell is brilliant. Nothing much wrong with his application yesterday, either.

I fully understand the cricisms he gets, but credit where it is due.

 

[Common as Mook]

Don't be offended if I am wrong, but I'm guessing you are about 15.

Technically Bell is brilliant. Nothing much wrong with his application yesterday, either.

I fully understand the cricisms he gets, but credit where it is due.

Word. Anyone who thinks Ian Bell is shit knows nothing about cricket.

You are right to doubt his temprament, but just to plainly dismiss him as 'shit' is utter garbage.

 

[Questions]

Seeing as Bell is still only 27 I think the best of him is yet to come. Averaging over 40 in tests hardly makes him shit so lets put that to bed now. He was a precocious talent and made his debut for England at 21 so great things were expected of him and his problem has been that he hasn`t always made the big scores when it really mattered and has a reputation - abeit unfairly - as a flat tracker. Yesterday he saved England.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Bell needs a run in the side at a settled position with a job in mind. He's been up and down the order far too much in recent times. He clearly enjoys batting with Collingwood so having them at 5 and 6 is ideal.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Credit to Ian Bell, but also credit to Andy Flower.

Strauss, Cook, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Broad, Anderson and Swann have all stared down the barrel in terms of getting dropped in recent times.

It's weird that the only player who ISN'T flourishing under Flower is Pietersen, the most talented of the lot.

 

[keaton]

The South African selectors who goofed by including the ineligible Imran Tahir in their squad for the fourth Test will now have to explain themselves to Paul Harris, the other spinner in the party who he would have been the man to make way for Tahir, as South Africa were never going to play two specialist spinners. The mess is hardly likely to boost Harris's already faltering confidence after a difficult series so far.

South Africa included the uncapped leg-spinner Tahir, 30, in their 15-man squad for the Wanderers but were forced to withdraw him on Sunday. In a statement, Cricket South Africa said Tahir's permit residence papers had not come through.

Under International Cricket Council rules, however, Tahir had to be resident in South Africa for four years, which he has not been. He lives in Durban and is married to a local woman but he played in Pakistan and England until November 2006.

Tahir was Hampshire's leading wicket-taker last season, with 52 wickets. He has taken 37 wickets in domestic four-day cricket in South Africa, whose coach, Mickey Arthur, is known to be an admirer of the former Pakistan A bowler.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

:snigger: