The Cricket Thread

[Super_horns]

Chris Woakes in for James Anderson.

 

[Magic]

Looking forward to this series. Something else to add into the festive sporting calendar this year!

 

[Aber gas]

Chris Woakes in for James Anderson.

:jones:

 

[Super_horns]

Cook gone early to Steyn - not the greatest of shots and he edged it to the slips..

Big test for Hales and Compton on his return.

 

[Baz]

Brilliant start from Cook, the old gremlins of no footwork strike again.

 

[JJH]

Hales ain't going to last long in Test Cricket if he plays daft shots like that.

 

[hodge]

Nice work from Taylor, Compton so far showing England were harsh on him beforehand.

 

[JJH]

Taylor and Compton proving a lot of critics wrong here - Taylor's looked at ease with facing fast bowling, and he's played the short ball very well.

Steady recovery.

 

[hodge]

That's some pretty serious turn for a day 1 pitch

 

[RavenBish]

They need to back Hales even if he fails miserably in this series - he's never batted in South Africa in his career before this tour and it's his Test debut against Dale Steyn with the new ball. Protect him by switching him with Compton if you want. I like Hales but I've never fancied him as an England opener, you've got to eventually stick with one though even if his first series is awful.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Good comeback. Poor start with Steyn pumped up and Root/Cook gone cheaply with poor shots, or lack of. Can't fault them though. Every time I watch Taylor I grow more and more fond of his unique technique and ability to score runs at a good rate.

Really talented player. Can we get another 120 or so from this position? I think 350 would be a great score after being 50-3.

The West Indies have been an embarrassment in this series vs Australia. Put them out of their misery.

 

[Super_horns]

Aussies v West Indies has been a waste of time - how good are the likes of Burns and Voges really?

Morkel and Steyn certainly proving they are fit and on form.

 

[kieran_vale]

Morkel has always troubled our batsmen, more than Steyn in fact. Great knock from Compton, really held things together and a shame he couldn't go to a century. If England get to around 300 then that will be a decent total though having been put in.

 

[Super_horns]

Not good news for Pakistan (potentially)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/35185202

Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has been provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test.

Yasir, 29, tested positive for banned substance chlortalidone following the second one-day international against England in Abu Dhabi last month.

He has been provisionally suspended by governing body the International Cricket Council (ICC) "pending the outcome of the disciplinary process".

2nd cricketer to fail a drugs test in recent weeks.

 

[Baz]

303 is just above par isn't it? Believe cricinfo said yesterday morning par score at this ground for first innings was 301.

As for Shah it's his own fault as they know what diuretics they're allowed to take so if you take the wrong ones it's stupidity.

 

[RavenBish]

That was an interesting leave.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

For once an England dropped chance doesn't prove costly

 

[RavenBish]

Can't deal with Mbangwa's voice

 

[JJH]

Pendulum has swung again with those two quick wickets.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

That is really poor from Cook especially considering the score and we hadn't used any reviews.

 

[kieran_vale]

Very good days test cricket. Great to see a real contest between bat and ball.

England just shading it at present with the runs on the board already. Couple of early wickets tomorrow and think we have a great chance of winning.

 

[Baz]

I'd say it's advantage England at the moment, that first hour tomorrow is going to be a big one indeed.

 

[Baz]

Two quick wickets this morning. Saffers in loads of trouble 150/6. 153 runs down, this could be a very big lead for England the way this pitch is going. This transitional South Africa side is pretty poor outside of 4 players isn't it?

 

[kieran_vale]

Brilliant morning for England getting them 7 down already. Really in control of this now. Batting last on this track is going to be nasty.

RSA's batsmens look done after the flogging they received in India.

 

[Baz]

Been a brilliant knock by Elgar though. When you consider he got 100+ and AB got 49, it just shows how bad the rest of the team has batted around them.

 

[kieran_vale]

Very nice 1st innings lead for England then. See if can set them anything above 300 and that should be more than enough to win this.

Great credit to Elgar for carrying his bat though. Great achievement.

 

[hodge]

England in a strong position here, great chance to make a big total for SA to chase, got to see Steyn off.

 

[Baz]

Won't need anything more than 250 on this wicket and given how Saffers only have two batsmen that look like scoring any kind of runs. So with that in mind we only need to hit 160 in this innings

 

[hodge]

Expect England to bat for a bit over a day and try and have a lead of 300-325 minimum

 

[kieran_vale]

I don't know what the hell SA were playing at there risking Steyn coming back in to the attack and now he's gone off again.

That review was speculative to be kind to it.