Off Topic England v S Africa Test Series

Root gone

 

England finding it tough going, Stokes gone for a duck, Moeen seems our best hope with Bairstow...

 

Stokes is an over-rated flat track bully imo.

 

Seems to be one of the 'untouchables' though...

 

That's nonsense, imo.

That's because he's one of the best all-rounders in the world.

 

England 205 all out and face a tough battle to save this match, if SA can make 200 in their 2nd innings that could be enough...

 

Imo he's over rated, leaks runs and bottles it when the pressure is on.

 

That's what happens when you bat like it's a one day game in a test match.

Thank god de Villiers ruled himself out.

 

It wasn't like that really. SA bowled a lot of bad balls that were put away, hence the quick scoring, but they also bowled some good stuff that we got out to. There really weren't any bad dismissals amongst the batsmen.

 

I'm just nostalgic for the times when nothing happened for days on end in test cricket. That's the way I seem to remember us against India for a long time.

 

With Colin Cowdrey, not having moved, being carried off the pitch still in his batting stance?

 

And John Edrich playing statues.

Denis Amiss once scored 5 runs in 78 balls against the Aussies.

India scored 429 for 8 off 150 overs to draw the Test at the Oval in 1979. Good total for the fourth innings but like watching paint dry.

 

But there was this...

http://www.cricketcountry.com/artic...boundaries-to-score-test-triple-hundred-28754

 

Before my time, I saw the old version who had been infected by Boycott.

 

Test cricket nowadays is so much more entertaining than it ever was before. It is true though, that they don't know how to just block it out any more.

Boycott was a peculiar case who, according to Denis Lillee, 'fell in love with himself at an early age, and remained faithful'. In a series against Australia, Basil D'Oliveira, in a mid-pitch conversation, told Boycott that he had worked out how to read the Aussie mystery spinner. 'Yes, I know' said Boycott, 'don't tell the others'.

 

Really? I thought England were far too attacking, when what was called for was careful shot selection.

Stokes on now, serving up his usual mixture of leg stump half volleys and one good ball in about 12!

Why oh why didn't England review Amla'a edge behind?

 

1 for 13 off 9 overs.

 

Boycott had it down to a fine art. I remember him taking almost two days to score a match-winning 246 against India and he was dropped for slow scoring and selfish play. Chris Tavare must have been his protege as he was another who batted with the barnacles on...

 

Bob Willis once sent Botham in to bat at number 4 with instructions to run Boycott out because he was scoring too slowly, which he duly did.