Plastic SA (AKA England) VS SA TEST official thread

[Gargamel]

Righto 20-20 out the way

One dayers out the way - on to the real show.

Thoughts on the team - will England chicken it bowl four and bat to six, or will we go balls out with a five man attack and rely on only five specialist bats.

My team

Strauss (C)
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior (w)
Broad
Swann
Onions
Siders
SuperJimmy

[pkitchen]

Gargamel said:

Righto 20-20 out the way

One dayers out the way - on to the real show.

Thoughts on the team - will England chicken it bowl four and bat to six, or will we go balls out with a five man attack and rely on only five specialist bats.

My team

Strauss (C)
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior (w)
Broad
Swann
Onions
Siders
SuperJimmy

They will probably go with 6 specialist bats so swop Bell for Onions

Edited by pkitchen on Friday 4th December 14:44

[Gargamel]

Dear God I hope you are wrong....

[pkitchen]

Gargamel said:

Dear God I hope you are wrong....

I know what you mean but I think wont be too aggressive in the first test. That batting line up is too weak for a Test Match, with both Pietersen and Cook, having had little match practise. Hey who knows you might just be right.

[pkitchen]

I hope Jimmy isn't out of the side for the first test. He is key in my view

[Gargamel]

Even worse, Bell has hit a half century in the warm up match, thus making it virtually certain that he will bat six.

Four bowlers, with one of them potentially carrying a knee injury, not ideal in my view.

However JA is saying it is painful rather than unplayable.

[BigJonMcQuimm]

Why do we keep giving Bell a chance

He is up and down the order withuot fulfilling his early promise.

Time for someone else IMO.

[pkitchen]

BigJonMcQuimm said:

Why do we keep giving Bell a chance

He is up and down the order withuot fulfilling his early promise.

Time for someone else IMO.

Agree particularly with Trott in the frame. He is back up only. Certainly no point in sticking him in at 6.

[pkitchen]

Gargamel said:

Even worse, Bell has hit a half century in the warm up match, thus making it virtually certain that he will bat six.

Four bowlers, with one of them potentially carrying a knee injury, not ideal in my view.

However JA is saying it is painful rather than unplayable.

Still a risk in a 5 day test.

[Gargamel]

Agreed a massive risk - hence my team above had five bowlers.

Depends though - if Pietersen looked in prime form then we'd go five bowlers no question.

Who do you trust, Prior, Broad and Swann to make about 100 between them - or Colly/KP part time bowling to help rest the bowlers ?


I still want five bowlers

[pkitchen]

Gargamel said:

Agreed a massive risk - hence my team above had five bowlers.

Depends though - if Pietersen looked in prime form then we'd go five bowlers no question.

Who do you trust, Prior, Broad and Swann to make about 100 between them - or Colly/KP part time bowling to help rest the bowlers ?


I still want five bowlers

If Anderson was in then I would feel more comfortable with 4, however if you take Jimmy out of the equation it is much more marginal, but equally I think they will think more defensively for the first test and pack the batting. Can see where you are coming from though.

[DJC]

Gargamel said:

Righto 20-20 out the way

One dayers out the way - on to the real show.

Thoughts on the team - will England chicken it bowl four and bat to six, or will we go balls out with a five man attack and rely on only five specialist bats.

My team

Strauss (C)
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior (w)
Broad
Swann
Onions
Siders
SuperJimmy

Too light on the batting attack, need another down at 6. Siders is looking dodgy isnt he, so replace with...Im loathe to say Bell, but you know they will. Have we included Morgan in the test squad? Adil Rashid?

[Gargamel]

Can't play Rashid now - hasn't featured in the warm up games. its either Siders or Bell at this point.

On the plus side - Cook, Swann, Prior, Strauss have all made decent runs in the warm ups - so I would guess if Sidebotham plays well he is in.

[Gargamel]

Feels like a long wait for these Tests to get underway, but we are nearly there.

Trott to bat three, so whither now Ian Bell - number six or number twelve.

Expect

Strauss
Cook
Trott
KP
Colly
Bell
Prior
Swann
Broad
Onions or Siders
Jimmy

Lots of chat that the pitch looks green so four bowlers looks increasingly likely. Outside bet has swann not playing and four up pace attack (can't see it myself as that looks like a calculated gamble and I don't think Strauss is that type of Captain)

Edited by Gargamel on Tuesday 15th December 14:34

[Gargamel]

No Cricket fans on here ?

[Nom de ploom]

I think the thread title has put a few off imho.

it has me. well apart from this post obviously...

[Gargamel]

I think its because the South Africans are genuinely worried that our four boers are better than them.

No Steyn, Kallis unable to bowl, smith out cheaply, the omens are not looking good for them.

I always knew that SA becoming the NO1 test side was a statistical fluke, and never had any real substance. Reckon England will take the series 1-2 or 1-3

[lenandsons]

well the international 11 has done fairly well, however last time I checked today Kallis is having fun with them. I wonder when England will ever actually field an all English 11 !!!!!!

[Gargamel]

England & Wales Cricket board.

[lenandsons]

Gargamel said:

England & Wales Cricket board.

OK the when are you lot going to field a team consisting of English and Welsh players only.