I am not too sure Pie Chucker. Morkel will find bounce on any wicket. He was troubling both openers especially Cook who has not been moving his feet too well. The problem is that Ntini has been bowling too many wide deliveries and so far, so has Nel. Shows how much we miss Pollock.

The England openers have done well again. They have seen off Morkel and it looks like the rest of the bowlers will be easy pickings. The pitch looks a little slow so perhaps England were correct in going in with the swing bowlers but if it does not swing then this match will most certainly be a draw unless Monty does something special.

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

It's just positive 'intent', rather than the 'hesitancy' and 'confusion' that surrounded the Pattinson selection. They are playing mindgames with the South Africans by doing the exact opposite to what they expected. In any case, South Africa wouldn't make any changes to their team based on the team England select.


I'm in full agreement with you, I'm just not sure how delaying the team selection helps the opposition. It gives them a full day to look at a team that's exactly the same as the one they first played apart from Flintoff for Broad. The opinion of the groundsman was as open to SA as it was to England, so they knew the conditions as well.

As far as I'm concerned, England are simply saying, here's our XI and we think they're good enough to beat you.

Two gone in two balls. Strauss stands on his middle peg and then Vaughan gets what at first looks like a dodgy decision but snicko seems to suggest he might have hit it. Whatever, another failure for the England skipper. How much longer can he go on?

Please someone explain to me what Vaughan is doing in the side?

And as a prelude to Collingwood's first Test century since goodness knows when: could someone also explain to me why Collingwood (who was sent back to his county to score runs - and scored naught) is back in the side?

England all out for 175 anyone?

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Red-it, Red-it, Read it and wept

As the new high command, who put the jerk in knee jerk, vaughan, bar a century in the second innings may well have played his last match for england.

EDIT: Of course they may just drop another bowler and pick another batsman.

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Looks like a crucial toss to have won for England. It not only gives them the chance to go out and have first use of a pitch that looks highly likely to deteriorate as the game goes on and put big first innings runs on the board, it also brings in Panesar midway through the game (and at the end) when it's more likely to be turning, rather than on the first day.

After a sedate start, two quck wickets. A big misjudgement from Strauss, stepping on his stumps and a feather edge through to Boucher for Vaughan first ball.

England need to put big runs on the board first innings to have any hope of winning this game.

ALSO, anyone else think that FEC Cook will be out somewhere between 50 and 67 ?

He seems to have lost the art of concentration over long periods that must be part of his opener's stock-in-trade.

I wonder if that's anything to do with the Stanford matches coming up this winter!

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Red-it, Red-it, Read it and wept

Yes... it is a crucial toss to win, so that England can bat really badly on the first day. South Africa can run up a huge total while resting their lightly used bowlers, and England can lose quickly by an innings.

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Red-it, Red-it, Read it and wept

And now KP's out. Given out caught when he didn't hit the ball. How many more poor decisions are we getting here? Athers is suggesting he was lbw anyway but the ball hit him clearly outside the line.

We could do with a dodgy decision against them at a time when it might just count. We've been done several times in this series and I'm waiting for it to balance out!

74-3; Vaughan a golden duck; Pietersen a dismal four runs. OK - so maybe some of the guys are unlucky here, but we always say you make your own luck. That must go for bad luck if it goes for good. Disappointing stuff, I'm afraid.

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Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan