Off Topic SA v England 4th Test

good start with the bat for South Africa, very fast scoring, but honestly who cares, we've already won!

 

Series in the bag... England naturally foot off the pedal!

 

Bit of a chastening experience for England today 224/1 at tea......could be looking at 340/350 for the day.......

Sounds like a batting dream strip, loads of runs and not much in it for the bowlers.......high scoring draw likely......

 

After ABD's weasel words it would have been nice to rub their noses in it, However, it is often the case that the series winning team tend to take their foot off the pedal in dead rubbers at the end of the series.
The intensity clearly isn't there from England's bowlers.

Oh well..................we've won the series.

 

Big mouth De Villiers out for a duck as Broad bends his back with one!!
2 quick wickets and Cook is looking very nervous on 98. Gone to a review for LBW against him.

 

So close to being out there for Cook.

Goes to his 100 on debut...............well played that man.

 

Lot of starts for. England, but no big scores. Interesting position, think we'll be under some pressure final innings.

 

They look like being down to three front-line bowlers, so may struggle in England's second innings. The declaration could be a tricky one.

 

They are the ones looking for the win so they have to set a tempting target, although I think England have already left for home mentally, there just didn't seem to be that spark in this match especially with those dropped catches...

 

They'll probably want to set England 400, which could mean a declaration soon after tea if they crack on. This would give them nearly four sessions to bowl England out, but also tempting for England at something like 3.5 per over.

 

What was it that DeVilliers said?

 

England will lose this test baring rain which will be a shame!

 

So Jimmy's lost his pace has he AB? Still too good for you.

 

SA still batting 377 ahead and weather threatening. AB doesn't seem to be too adventurous as a captain. They must be confident that the pitch will see England off...

 

382 to win, enough time, do we have the minerals?. Come on lads do us proud.

 

Bye bye Hales, presumably for good.

 

The wicket is very up and down all of a sudden. Hales got one that kept very low.

 

Still haven't sorted our top order yet.

 

I think they'll continue with the same line-up in Sri Lanka, if Hales continues to fail that'll be his lot. Compton is an opener but too slow to play alongside Cook, you have to have one opener capable of pushing the score along, that's why Hales is in but it doesn't look like he can carry his one-day form into the Test arena. They should have stuck with Michael Carberry but his face obviously didn't fit...

 

It really didn't.
He played it as if it had, but he keeps being caught in his crease to a ball that nips back a tad. It was hitting 3 or 4 inches below the top of middle!! Maybe he thought it would get higher from the length of the delivery, but it really wasn't that short. His technique has been badly exposed.

England may as well go for it tomorrow. Series in the bag, Root in and Stokes to come. Highly unlikely, but may as well give it the long handle!