South Africa vs English 4th Test at Centurion, (which is near) Johannesburg

[spring hall convert]

Anyone gone large on South Africa in a dead rubber?

England's record in Test matches where they've already won the series is woeful and this has been the start of an unfocused team.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Looking very easy for SA...

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Jimmy Anderson is looking worryingly benign

 

[Titanic]

South Africa 100-1 (26.5 overs, RR 3.73)

Cook 44* Amla 30*

Easy.

 

[knocky1]

Anyone gone large on South Africa in a dead rubber?

England's record in Test matches where they've already won the series is woeful and this has been the start of an unfocused team.

£70 up on Series so far so put £10 on England 5/1..........SA 10/11 now what were they before play?

 

[Titanic]

Lunch, Day One

South Africa 107-1 (29 overs)

Cook 46* Amla 34*

A good morning for South Africa.

 

[pasty]

Cook 46*

Would be good to see that when we start batting

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Adding some more info on my comment earlier.

Anyone else think that Anderson has just gone past his best now? I know he's coming back from injury, but he's not been dangerous at all on this tour.

He's not swinging the ball at all, he seems to have lost a yard of pace, and he's lost his accuracy.

 

[Titanic]

Adding some more info on my comment earlier.

Anyone else think that Anderson has just gone past his best now? I know he's coming back from injury, but he's not been dangerous at all on this tour.

He's not swinging the ball at all, he seems to have lost a yard of pace, and he's lost his accuracy.

He will be much happier back in England, with the Duke ball in his hand.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Takes forever to drive between them though!

It's only 40 kilometres up the R55 = 45 mins [unless in rush hour]

 

[Uncle Buck]

Adding some more info on my comment earlier.

Anyone else think that Anderson has just gone past his best now? I know he's coming back from injury, but he's not been dangerous at all on this tour.

He's not swinging the ball at all, he seems to have lost a yard of pace, and he's lost his accuracy.

His record in South Africa is not that great.

He does well in England (obviously), the sub continent and Adelaide.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Anyway back to the cricket after lunch.

This could be a BIG 1st innings score, the way they're scoring at the moment

 

[dazzer6666]

It's only 40 kilometres up the R55 = 45 mins [unless in rush hour]

Think every time I've done it it's been rush hour. Same with the Friday evening trip to ORT.....

 

[Titanic]

Another flies through between Bairstow and Cook

Fingertips for Bairstow again.

Life for Cook 49*

 

[Titanic]

Stephen Cook 53* on debut

100 partnership for Cook and Amla

136-1

 

[Papa Lazarou]

This is far too easy for SA... buffet bowling.

 

[Titanic]

Hashim Amla 53* (68 balls, 10 fours)

 

[pasty]

Not taking anything away from SA batting thus far, but I don't care what any professional sportsman says to the contrary, it must be very difficult to fire yourself up for a match when you already have the series wrapped up.

 

[vegster]

Adding some more info on my comment earlier.

Anyone else think that Anderson has just gone past his best now? I know he's coming back from injury, but he's not been dangerous at all on this tour.

He's not swinging the ball at all, he seems to have lost a yard of pace, and he's lost his accuracy.

Not so good with a Kookaburra ball, getting a bit older too so the writing is on the wall however fully expect him to keep his place in the series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan unless he does an intercostal or gets really carted.

 

[dazzer6666]

Not taking anything away from SA batting thus far, but I don't care what any professional sportsman says to the contrary, it must be very difficult to fire yourself up for a match when you already have the series wrapped up.

Completely...even if it's subconscious, you're not going to have the same intensity and at this level even a few % makes a big difference