Print

[Kulli]

Same 11 for me, no knee jerk reactions required.

[A-Swing-And-A-Miss]

IMO Steyn is nowhere near a considerable amount better than Anderson, if at all better...

Ohh really? Steyn bowled poorly on Day 1 then bounced back and was very good for the rest of the test, Jimmy got a good start at the end of day 2, bowled poorly on day 3 and didn't bounce back on day 4. The additional pace that Steyn has means he is still a threat even when there is limited swing and seam movement.

[Kieron_BT]

1 bad test and 1 good test for world class bowlers doesn't make a difference

if Steyn has a bad 2nd test and jimmy does great it doesn't mean jimmy is better than steyn

my point was they are both world class and wouldn't want to choose between them

[tim2000s]

Where they seem to be falling down is against teams with batsmen who are happy to play the waiting game, like Amla, Smith, Kallis, Azhar Ali, Shafiq, etc. and it becomes a real battle of attrition. Then when they bat it seems that this effects them as their precious game plan has been metaphorically widdled on.

I think what was telling was the discussion that Athers had with Strauss on Saturday, when he said that he (and flower) sets fields to bore out batsmen who like to play their strokes so they will play a false stroke. Well the South African batsmen don't get bored, so setting fields like that makes it very hard to get them out and they simply accumulate runs. The alternate view is that that approach works pretty well against England...!

I certainly think tactics need reviewing and I don't think that we bowled or batted particularly well.

[FvanN]

 

[Vic Nicholas]

Some facts.

World #1 England has lost five tests so far in 2012.

Given that there are two more tests here against the Yarpies and some more in India to follow, it is concievable that England will have lost more tests than it won in 2012.

For all the hero worship enjoyed by Anderson and Broad, they both have averages compareable to "he bowls them to the left, he bowls them to the right" who will never play another test again for Australia (barring 6 injuries).

Someone here is comparing Anderson to the great Dale Steyn??? Please, spare me the delusions.

Bopara will never make it as a test batsman. His technique is very sloppy. Short forms only.

Swann is a non threatening spinner who has done three fifths of f#@k all against quality opposition.

Having said all that, if England bring back Finn and Tremlett (when fit), they have considerably more fire power from two excellent pace bowlers. If England drop Bresnan, they are insane. A whole hearted cricketer that any captain would love to have in the team to throw the ball to.

[LEACHY48]

so Swan is ranked up there in the top 3 spinners in the world and can bowl like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0N4VL7MYqo

     and     

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaGWOvWMDDc

  and while Pakistan may not be what you consider 'quality' Australia definitely are, especially Ponting, who will probably go down in history as one of the greatest batsmen, while I agree on not dropping Bresnan and bringing in Finn and Tremlet, dropping Anderson, who, if you asked 500 people who the greatest English bowler of the last decade, they would probably all say, Anderson. To be perfectly honest, yes there is work to do, the selection I feel is almost perfect, I mean you look at pound for pound, the amount of talent in the teams is almost exactly equal, for example, Cook and Smith, Trott and Amla, Bell and Devilliers, at the end of the day it cam down to who wanted it more, and that was SA....

[TommO]

I'm not saying broad is a bad player and should be dropped. But his lack of pace is a concern, bowling 80 mph compared to 85+ regularly last year.

Where's the fire power?

[ppccopener]

Interesting post vic.im a diehard england fan, that is ive been abroad to support our great team,only back then we were rubbish.lost 3-1 in australia and after we lost in 100 degree heat we went on the lash in melbourne got drunk under the table by some aussie girls and my life was saved in the gents toilets after i passed out after 10 straight vb,s.the same girls slapped the life out of me until i came round.
England are number 1 on the same basis every other team is 2 or 3 or 4. Your 100 per cent right on bres and also right we have to win in india to be genuinely the worlds best team.but right now SA have deserved their win and we are in a dogfight.england will come back strong.

[Nickauger]

South Africa are quality... end of! Are they consistently an innings win better than england, perhaps not, but I agree with the sentiments about suffocating the batters until they do something silly and none of the SA top 4 will do anything but bat, bat and bat all day! While England play their shots and seem to struggle with a plan B. Changes to the gameplan... certainly, changes to the personnel.... there's a reason we're number one, and we deserve it too!

[FvanN]

Guys I think some of you are being a little harsh on your team.. England did not get to number 1 by playing rubbish cricket and have been one of the best teams for a while now.

While we all agree they looked like school boys this past 5 days they are a quality outfit I just feel that they seem to be running out of gas a little. They have prob played twice the amount of tests SA have in the last two years.

You have to remember what goes up must come down..

I'm sure the next test will be a much closer affair.. Until then I will enjoy ripping everybody...

[Vic Nicholas]

so Swan is ranked up there in the top 3 spinners in the world and can bowl like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0N4VL7MYqo     and      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaGWOvWMDDc  and while Pakistan may not be what you consider 'quality' Australia definitely are, especially Ponting, who will probably go down in history as one of the greatest batsmen, while I agree on not dropping Bresnan and bringing in Finn and Tremlet, dropping Anderson, who, if you asked 500 people who the greatest English bowler of the last decade, they would probably all say, Anderson. To be perfectly honest, yes there is work to do, the selection I feel is almost perfect, I mean you look at pound for pound, the amount of talent in the teams is almost exactly equal, for example, Cook and Smith, Trott and Amla, Bell and Devilliers, at the end of the day it cam down to who wanted it more, and that was SA....

Swan is ranked in the top 3 due to this being an unusually fallow time for spinners.

After ten tests against the worst Australian team in living memory, Swan has an average of 40.00. That is worse than ordinary my friends.

If English supporters think Anderson is the best English bowler in the last decade - then mediocrity certainly rules the game.

To head off your next question as to who is the best English bowler of the last ten years, I say unhesitatingly Simon Jones.

Jones was almost in the Steyn class before he got injured. We are talking about a guy who could violently reverse swing it through the air at 90mph. Jones bamboozled a full strength Australian line up of Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Martyn, Clarke and Katich...throw in Gilchrist for good measure.

Anderson in the 2006/07 and 2009 Ashes was worse than useless. He then cashed in against the worst Australian line up in decades to get 25 wickets in the 2010/11 Ashes.

For mine, Simon Jones was brilliant until the curse of injury finished him.

[Vic Nicholas]

Interesting post vic.im a diehard england fan, that is ive been abroad to support our great team,only back then we were rubbish.lost 3-1 in australia and after we lost in 100 degree heat we went on the lash in melbourne got drunk under the table by some aussie girls and my life was saved in the gents toilets after i passed out after 10 straight vb,s.the same girls slapped the life out of me until i came round.
England are number 1 on the same basis every other team is 2 or 3 or 4. Your 100 per cent right on bres and also right we have to win in india to be genuinely the worlds best team.but right now SA have deserved their win and we are in a dogfight.england will come back strong.

Give the man a medal!

Ten straight VB's is no big deal unto itself (Booney downed 50 on a long haul flight to Heathrow)...but by the sounds of it, you downed your ten pretty damn quickly! Kind of like T20 drinking!

Losing in India does not disqualify a team of #1 per se...it just may be that England may have lost 7 or 8 tests for the year by the time that happens...and that is not the performance of a #1.

[tim2000s]

The best English bowling attack of the last decade was that which won the Ashes in 2005.

[Vic Nicholas]

The best English bowling attack of the last decade was that which won the Ashes in 2005.

Absolutely.

To think otherwise is not taking into account the quality of opposition.

To topple a full strength Aussie line up was a MASSIVE achievement.