The Test

Underwood, Snow, Higgs - those were the days.

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Underwood, Snow, Higgs - those were the days.

Boycott, Tavare, Brearley, Taylor...zzzzzzzzzzzz!!

and Brian Luckhurst ....

I once went to see him score a magnificent 10 before lunch against India.

Hhhmmmmmmm,

There has been a lot of talk about the bowling - not much about the batting though. Two excellent centuries (Bell and Pietersen) in the first test seem to have glossed over England's shortcomings elsewhere.

Apart from the above,

Cook is getting decent starts but not getting much past 60.
Broad(!) is averaging over 40

Strauss, Vaughan (eligible for the Primary Club today!) and Collingwood need to start contributing soon.

Another great innings by our captain today - he has to go, I'm afraid.

So...

Vaughan goes for zilch.
Pietersen gets out 'controversially'
Bell totally fails to influence a game again, despite looking a picture of fluency.
Collingwood looks like he is not sure which end to hold
Ambrose scores a handful and gets out to the old ball

Which of the above comes as any surprise to anybody?

We had to win this game or lose the series. Did they hope Collingwood might take 6 wickets, or was it thought 'being a good bloke' is enough?

The side has carried Vaughan for several series since his return, and has afforded that when everyone else is firing. Now it cannot.

Pick Shah and/or Bhopara (who are in fabulous form) and a new 'keeper. Pick Jones or Harmison if you must drop Broad. The Ashes are less than a year away!

Bruce

Were I the coach, I would be having strong words with all the supposed 'professional' players. The 2 closing run-outs were lamentable even for a club side. I don't often agree with Sir Ian but the selection process is looking a shambles and it's a shame that unlike the Aussies, we can't introduce new players gradually in to a settled side. Mind you Gower can hardly comment on others' low scores when he kept on being selected!

There is just so much wrong with the side technically in the way some of them go fly fishing when batting and the bowling yesterday to start with from Anderson was aimed at first slip. The SA batsman had so many free sighters in the opening overs. In limited overs cricket, many would have been called wides.

Anyway, the look on Nel's face yesterday when Cook 'pulled' him to point was worth this month's Sky subs. More chalk sir?

We've got a mediocre team at best and let's not believe any PR which suggests otherwise. Let's not forget what happened in Aus a while back and that NZ ex Fleming and Bond are not exactly a major challenge.

I think in SA collapse in order - otherwise they'll sneak a first innings lead.

Thank f*** for Freddie...

and Collingwood

Yep very well done Collingwood, I wanted to watch it all today but I had to go in to work. Just watched the highlights now. We are back in it, come on the lads for tomorrow.

A valiant effort but all over for England now I think with SA at 248-5.

Poo!

Round objects!

Not only did we lose but to make things worse, Mrs S has taken control of the remote and the TV is currently polluting the house with some kind of televised Karaoke competition.

seagull: "Surely there is something on that's less crap than this?"
Mrs S: "Nope. You've been watching the cricket all afternoon so you've had your fun..."
seagull: thinks: but it's Saturday night you know what we do on Saturday night But Karaoke is Japan's revenge on the world"
Mrs S: "I could win £50,000 on this, I used to work for a Japanese company, we had to do this every day"
seagull: "Yeah but is it worth the humiliation?"
Mrs S: "I'd give you £5,000 to spend on hi-fi..."
seagull: thinks:"Yes, result!" "Really?"
Mrs S: "What would you spend that on then?"
seagull: [leaving lounge, beer in hand to retreat to listening room] "Only 5? I could easily spend all 50. Where do I start..."

seagull retreats to his den and puts on something loud on the hi-fi to drown out the noise of the TV and logs on to forum. Busy typing this when Miss S enters the room and shouts into his ear (Told you the music was loud) "Daddy, please can you stop Mummy singing"

post script.

It does get worse than this.

I was called into the lounge to deal with an emergency - a blood filled mossie was on the loose! I dealt with the offending insect and realised what was now on the TV...


Big Brother!

I think that programme is worse than George Orwell's original vision of the future...

Couldn't agree more. It does appear to have a little less exposure than in previous years, though. Hopefully it is in it's death throes.

quote:

it is in it's death throes.

I thought this was thread about our test team.

Oh sorry, I see it is - oh well.

.... Rotf

I wish the selectors were in their death throes, ROTF! If we had picked a decent bowling attack we may have had half a chance.

Vaughan has resigned. Admirable, the selctors can actually avoid the issue of carrying him as a captain who cabnnot command a place. Rather impressive resignation speech. Collingwood has also resigned as one-day captain-which is curious timing.

Pietersen will want both jobs. May be the making of him perhaps, or will he be constrained by the responsibility?

I hope Pietersen doesn't get the job. Good player though he is a captain needs to be a team player and KP is a show pony in my opinion.

Mark

i personally felt sorry for vaughan today...but then again im a sucker for blubbers!

quote:

Originally posted by Chillkram:
I hope Pietersen doesn't get the job. Good player though he is a captain needs to be a team player and KP is a show pony in my opinion.

Mark

Bit then who ......?

Can't think of any other candidates

Vaughan had done a good job, but his form had deserted him.
He knew he had to go.

Shame really, if Smith had gone then we'd have won, but he didn't and now our captain has fallen on his sword.

Lets hope for a good win at the Oval so we can salvage something from a very dull and disappointing series against SA. I think they boar'd us to defeat.

quote:

Originally posted by scottyhammer:
i personally felt sorry for vaughan today...but then again im a sucker for blubbers!

I felt sorry for him too. Because he has been one of our most successful captains and, when in form, a fantastic batsman to watch.

His form deserted him and he has done an admirable thing. I hope he gets his form back now.

My vote for captain would be Robert Key. KP is too good to burden with that job - look at what the job did to Botham and Freddie. Kent have been transformed.

Steve

Andrew Strauss did quite well as captain. Might be worth giving him a shot at it full time.