Day 3, 4th Test - SA vs Eng - Johannesburg

[Ernest]

Hi, one and all, please post your match comments here, in what looks certain to be a cracking days play.
Weather permitting.

Wondny more runs,Vaughan and Harmison can put on together?.

Cheers

[Occasional Fan]

Strewth, Ern: did you wet the bed or something? Sorry if the talk of an early start today got you a bit fired up - it will start early, but only by thirty minutes!

[R W S]

Blimey Ern - do you have a new young child in the house?

The saffers are 16/1, Eng 5/2 and the draw 10/3 on - is there value in England?

The whale is out trying to soak up excess water - there was 30mm overnight!

The weather looks like it might win this one with an inspection due in 5 minutes.

Come on England!!

[Occasional Fan]

Interesting odds. Although the game is still there to be won, with the weather playing up I would have thought that the draw would be favourite now.

[R W S]

Whoopee - England Declare on their overnight total of 411/8 - Vaughan pulls a masterstroke by making the Saffers think that England will bat on but as the Umpires have said play will start at 8:20 he invites Smith/Gibbs to come out an bat. Some amusing conjecture on the radio- sorry OF!

I like this positive approach = in your face Boycott!!

[Occasional Fan]

That is exactly the right decision. Good old Michael Vaughan, playing for the team, not for himself. I also heartily approve of his tactics. We often say that cricket is a game which is won or lost as much in the mind as it is on the field, and it follows therefore that the captain should take any opportunity available to steal a mental march over his opposite number. The Laws require ten minutes between innings, and Vaughan used the Laws to the fullest extent, declaring ten minutes before the start of play. Hoggy and Harmison have had hours to prepare mentally and warm up physically; Smith and Gibbs have been spending the same time doing their fielding warm ups while Ntini has been immersed in ice by his coach just to make sure he's really p***ed off before the days play. And now he gets a bit of time to relax in the pavilion with his nascent pneumonia.

By the same token, I really do look forward to seeing Vaughan win the toss one day thirty minutes before play and then stroll away to let the opposing captain stew for a while. The decision has to be notified ten minutes before play is scheduled to commence. That would wind up the opposition captain no end - not to mention a few TV producers, which is also a happy bonus!

[Mike_Hock]

Not a great start from England as overhead conditions have cleared and the pitch is playing like it did on the first day again. Harmison hasn't bowled particulary well again. I hope it clicks soon for him.

One thing I have noticed is Andersons pace seems to have improved. He hasn't bowled too badley so far.

[Occasional Fan]

SA are scoring pretty quickly here - it took England 15 overs to get to 45; SA are 48 in the twelfth. Still, that's not really the issue at the moment. A wicket or two would do nicely.

[Mike_Hock]

Smith gone LBW to Hoggy. Falling over again

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by Mike_Hock

Smith gone LBW to Hoggy. Falling over again

It may be a bit wicked of me to say it, but it's always an enjoyable sight!!