5th ODI, S. Africa v Eng, East London, Wed 9th Feb

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Pete

He's just run out Strauss too. I'm beginning to think that it's not just before the match that he's a useless tosser

Michael Vaughan, Michael Vaughan, Michael Vaugh-orn. You all know the tune.

Herrrrumfff... Michael Vaughan. I'm not allowed to air my feelings here.
Somebody will complain: "why is it whenever england lose, you people complain?"

Well I can think of a few reasons... But at time of writing England are 128 for three, nowhere near the run rate, no chance of winning, following the trait established during the second one dayer which finished in a tie, and basically dashing (hardly dashing) headlong to defeat.

Now, I hate one-day cricket. I am a traditional dyed-in-the-wool Test match man. So as a rule I divven giv a sh1te-mun whether we win or lose in the football fan's version of the game. And I'm prepared to back up that slight. But when your skipper comes in that early and plays like a veritable New Zealand Richardson in a Test match and when... and when...
And those bloody TalkSport commentators: "we need to be entertained don't we?"
And after agreeing how sad it was that the spectators appeared to be setting the rules, taking any hope away from the bowler by setting the ropes practically round the square... it's a bloody silly game.

Hoggard in one-day cricket? Can't wait to see him bat.

Growl, moan, growl, moan, growl, moan, growl, moan, growl..... gr owl.

[John]

Well it looks like SA are going to win. Just what we needed. No talk of crisis and panic measures now I hope.

[Ernest]

Congrats to South Africa, one winning a high scoring game, over 600 runs in 100 overs, cricket is the winner.

[John]

Oliver,
I agree with you about Test matches for me they are the number one. Although i have got sometime for the oneday stuff.
You absolutely right Vaughan is not suited to the oneday game. The best he could do resign from the one day game. Unfortunately the people who see Test matches of much greater importance have loss touch with the times. It is just not as popular with the MTV generation and thats how it is.
They had to turn Test matches into oneday format. 90 overs a day, Australia scoring at 4 an over.

[jot1]

Great game. Very exciting. Just one other player in the English camp with Pietersen and the outcome could have been very different. Vaughn scored too slowly. Pietersens ton fastest ton ever in an ODI by and English batsman. I was just starting to think the ODI's are getting boring, but this game has proven to be a corker. Lovely match.

[Pete]

Vaughan did score too slowly, but Trescothick's 4 off of 20 deliveries didn't help.

[Oliver]

Yes John, good point.

One wonders if Twenty20 cricket will spell the end for the fifty over game.

Twenty20 at International level would be a lottery.
It isn't at county level, because Surrey are far and away the best and appear to humble everyone out of sight. Perhaps they didn't win the trophy - can't remember, but I did go to Lords (with four non-cricket fans) to see them wipe the floor with Middlesex. The non-cricket fans enjoyed it tremendously, though the girls did get just a little bit confused by the point to it all, when Middlesex had absolutely no chance of winning and the match carried on until the final ball. A strange and bizarre custom, which wouldn't be strange or bizarre in a Test match.
If it had been a boxing match, the ref would've stopped the contest around the halfway stage. And if it had been a football match the ref and his linesman would have contrived to make the game a draw... Middlesex being the home team and playing at the most famous stadium in the country. Thus spake the bitter Spurs fan. But that's another story.

If Twenty20 did overtake ODIs as a natural progression to excite non-Test match fans, there would be some sound thinking behind it.

Anyone can win. Though it is largely a question of who has the best sloggers (so it isn't really cricket, more like baseball.)
International players wouldn't be worked into the ground quite as quickly as they seem to be nowadays.

However, the chances are, that Twenty20 would be worked into the STUPID ICC touring schedules.
OK England are playing an Ashes tour, they'll need to play five Test matches, so that's four rest days when they could play four Twenty20 matches and then we'll have the World Series, fifteen ODI's with New Zealand as the third nation, and three finals.

Great, England touch down in Sydney on 14th December and fly back on February 1st.

Good tour guys.

[Occasional Fan]

I missed this match completely, and have only now taken a look at the card. There were five batsmen run out yesterday, surely a very high number? Any particular reasons for this that anyone spotted?

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

I missed this match completely, and have only now taken a look at the card. There were five batsmen run out yesterday, surely a very high number? Any particular reasons for this that anyone spotted?

Chasing a high total, needing stupid run-rates. Oh, and KP always being good for a run out or two!!

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

I missed this match completely, and have only now taken a look at the card. There were five batsmen run out yesterday, surely a very high number? Any particular reasons for this that anyone spotted?

Yes OF, England were several snooker tables behing the eight-ball throughout. There was basically no chance of winning unless two of the South African bowlers could bowl as badly as did two of the English ones.

Oh and Vaughan thought he was playing a Test match, and Jones is opening, thereby completely wasting Strauss who is curiously removed from his preferred position... If they must have left hand - right hand at the top of the order, at least make it Solanki, who appeared to bat pretty well late in the innings.

Basically suicidal running was important, because Nel, Ntini and Pollock are a good deal better at bowling in ODIs than Gough, Ali and Hoggard.

If Gough and his chronic knee really thinks he can stay in contention until the 2007 World Cup, I think that should tell you what a paucity of talent we have at the sharp end of the ODI business.

Goodness how we missed Flintoff yesterday. Take an early bath there Mr. Vaughan - if he played like he did yesterday in Test matches - he'd probably score a lot more runs. Just a bit slower.