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[mcgill123]

Most points have already been made re kook ball, unfavourable conditions, fitness etc but in Jimmy's defence, and I've watched every ball of all four tests so far, he's beat the bat on countless occasions without finding an edge and is due a bit of luck in my opinion.
Variance can make the best look ordinary sometimes.

[Woodyspin]

Fair to say if Simon Jones' career wasnt ruined he would have given both Anderson and Steyn a run for their money!

[uknsaunders]

Alderman - what a genius, swung it late and just enough. Actually formed a lovely partnership with Lawson.

Imagine an attack with the Dukes ball of:

Alderman
Steyn
Anderson
Flintoff
Swann

mmmm lovely!

Alderman bowled with a readers in 81/89 I believe. Until the late 90s they use to toss for the ball, England famously got done in part by Pakistan in 1992 because pakistan won the toss for the entire series and chose readers for reverse swing. England picked an attack of dukes specialists!

Sent from my Lenovo B6000-F using Tapatalk

[Seniorplayer]

Seen Alderman many times including the match when he hurt his shoulder which ended his career he wasn't that great.

[FattusCattus]

All of which debate masks the fact that Jimmy continues to be average in this series - sadly he's also paired with the similarly ineffective Woakes.

Assuming Broad, Finn and Stokes are all fit, the other options to consider are Wood (if fit), Plunko (if fit), Footit, Jimmy, so the cupboard is hardly bare.

[Woodyspin]

Plunkett is another Onions... Just a squad filler

[MD2812]

Anderson average third innings speed: 82.30 mph
Anderson average third innings speed to de Villiers: 86.49 mph

[Neon Cricket]

Anderson average third innings speed: 82.30 mph
Anderson average third innings speed to de Villiers: 86.49 mph

That's a great stat - old Jimmy can still push it through when he wants then!

[uknsaunders]

I think Jimmy still can, when he needs to. Plenty of bowlers have and do operate in the 80-85mph bracket. It's only when you are bowling with a kook on a flat deck that it becomes a problem. I didn't watch all his spells but from memory he beat the bat and was unlucky in some spells. I think he bowled a pacey unlucky spell on the 3rd evening at Cape Town to Amla and Faff.

[Thesmiff]

I think Jimmy still can, when he needs to. Plenty of bowlers have and do operate in the 80-85mph bracket. It's only when you are bowling with a kook on a flat deck that it becomes a problem. I didn't watch all his spells but from memory he beat the bat and was unlucky in some spells. I think he bowled a pacey unlucky spell on the 3rd evening at Cape Town to Amla and Faff.

agree with that, had a couple of catches spilt too ( didn't all the bowlers though) it's seemed to be at times he was struggling a little for rhythm. Probably due to his lay off, and this is where the age thing maybe an issue. Just as it tends to take longer to recover as you get older it can take longer for the body to get back up to match readiness or find that 'rhythm'. He's still some time left in him yet me thinks

[ppccopener]

really hope he carries on for a couple of years yet if nothing else for the priceless look when anyone misfields or drops a catch only topped by the refusal to field sometimes when he thinks someone could of stopped a single and let's the return just hit him in the leg.

English - legend

any other country - moody prima donna

sums up us fans  !!

[TangoWhiskey]

I have no worries about Jimmy. He beat the bat a million times and just didn't catch the edge. When Broad was running through them in Joburg Jimmy was doing the same thing at the other end but not getting the chop on's or the nicks. On another day he would have taken 6 or 7 wickets. He'll be fine when we get back to England.