Day 2, 4th Test - SA vs Eng - Johannesburg

[Richard Jenkins]

Rain delays this morning which is frustrating for those cricket fans. I reckon sout Africa will take the situation , as would England if offered to them. England need to dig deep a bit here, Hoggard needs to hang around today; We need to bat all of today and try to construct some innings. We have some big names still to come, but hats off to Ntini who bowled superbly yesterday at the death.

[Goatman]

Just put a post up in the day one forum - see here:-

http://www.world-a-team.com/showthre...3597#post33597

[flanflinger]

Goaty,

With you on Jennings... What has he actually achieved. Nothing. Lsot in India, is still to win this series as Coach. Yet he seems to think that his comments matter a jot.

Maybe he is playing some form of Psychological game with his comments. But I don't think it will effect Fletcher or Vaughan. As a coach he may need to learn that whatever ridiculous comments he makes off the pitch, it's the result on the pitch that counts.

Pity about the rain, I was hoping for a good batting day for England, hopefully Vaughan has had a good rest and a good net and will be getting his feet moving better when he heads out to bat.

[Goatman]

reply to RJ's post :-

http://world-a-team.com/showthread.p...3601#post33601

The fact that he had to do a U-turn to end all U-turns shows that he had gone way beyond the facts in his first comment. Had he said "ENG are looking very underprepared - if they lose they have only themselves to blame" which was basically what all the other journo's said, his change of heart would not be such an absolute contridiction of his first statement. He's no better than Jennings; he always goes beyond the facts. The only difference is that everything is hunky-dory in Jenningsland, and everything is going to the dogs in Boycott Valley.

Had he stuck to the facts he would not have had to make a U-turn even with the benefit of hindsight; thats the point.

What also annoys me is his careful couching. He makes sure he has set himself up so he can have a go later;

"SA can't win - but ENG can lose it". He says. OK, ENG played crap in Newlands, but for Gods sake - has Boycott not heard of Pollock? Or Kallis? Has he never seen Gibbs flay good bowlers all over, or Smith rack up 200's? Has he not noticed that they are actually quite a good team, and than SA have only lost a home series against AUS since thier return to test cricket? What a prat. He went WAY beyond the facts. And why?

What he did manage to do was set up a situation in which, no matter how ENG lost - which was going to happen at some point, as SA are not a crap team at all - he could go "See! I told you so! Thier a bunch of lily-livered, unproffessional losers! Not like me. I'm a proper cricketer. I had an average of 55 you know! And it would have been better if people hadn't kept running me out! So ner!".

Its all about self-glorification with Boycott, it always was. He's an unholy ****.

[Richard Jenkins]

Just read that crickinfo article. The bloke Jennings is a complete nutter.
Chuck him in an ice bath.
Abusing people to get results is short term and counter productive.
The only lasting solution is to provide people with a reason to improve and then giving them the tools and support to do just that.
Jennings seems quick to acknowledge poor performance, but this is often as a result of poor management, inadequate training and insufficient support and a lack of appropriate communication . Which is Jennings' responsibility.

[yubeingfunny]

Boycott just makes himself look a fool at times, the problem is his self confidence is such that he will never accept that!

His Simon Jones criticism is slightly strange:

BBC Sport

"Jones doesn't look like he's going to get people out and has taken very few wickets for England. It's a big worry," said Boycott in his BBC column.

"We've been relying on two major bowlers, Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard.

"Harmison's been a shadow of himself and Jones we tend to use sparingly because the captain doesn't have confidence in him." Jones is second in the England bowling averages on tour and has the second-best strike rate after Andrew Flintoff

Only thing is now Jones has been dropped, Boycott will be sat there with a big grin saying told you so.

The other thing i've noticed with Boycott is that he's full of criticisms - but not many answers... other than "recall me.. i'm better than any of these young un's today... i averaged xx.xx.... blah"

It wouldnt be so bad if the criticism was at least constructive... but it never is

[Richard Jenkins]

When will play start I hear you yell.


News from the Wanderers, it has stopped raining and the groundstaff
are very busy with getting the water off the field.
9.40 GMT covers coming off
Lunch
It is now 12.00pm to 12.40pm (10.00 to 10.30am GMT)

[Ernest]

Play starts at 10:30 GMT, according to talkSPORT.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by yubeingfunny

The other thing i've noticed with Boycott is that he's full of criticisms - but not many answers...

You ae so right on this one. It is very easy to find fault, it is much harder to find the right solution. .

[yubeingfunny]

hmm, i have a bad feeling today, slightly clammy pitch, overhead conditions and the early signs are the new ball doing a bit.

Really need Hoggy to stick around for a while and see off the new ball for as long as possible, if he doesnt we could be in trouble.