South Africa v England, 7th ODI, Centurion, Sunday 13th Feb.

[Ernest]

Well the last match in South Africa, the last on dayer, we have lost the series 2-1, so there is nothing to play for, except pride, and to cement places in the team.
we will be without cricket for a while, so we had better make the most of this.

Please place your pre match, and match comments here.

Gough seems unlikely to play with a breathing problem. according to the BBC, either Hoggard ot Harmison are expected to replace him.
Lets finish with a win lads.

Starts Sunday 0800 GMT

[tigerlillythe7th]

I love getting up early on Sundays! Fingers crossed Gough will be fit - the bowling department doesn't fill me with confidence as it is. Looking forward to a score from Tres & Strauss - surely we can't go a 7 match series without a half-century from either of them?!

Hopefully the lads will put in a good performance tomorrow & end the tour on a high so that the long wait until May 26th doesnt seem that bad! (though I have a feeling that alcohol might provide a more reliable method to end the end-of-tour blues...)

xxEmmaxx

ps. does anybody have any news on the pitch/weather?

[Ernest]

I would rather have the matched starting at noon, because they last longer intothe day

http://www.southafrica.co.za/weather/

One SA weather page.

[John]

Well hopefully SA will make it 4-1 Take some sting out of the Test series result.
I agree the Tests are more important but 4-1 will be a real tonic for the troops, especially seeing Gibbs putting the English bowling to the sword.
The SA players couldn't have made a better reponse to the recent defeats, so 4-1 is the order of the day!

[jot1]

Gough has a respitory virus. It's doubtful if he will play. Seems Harmison will be playing instead. Weather is partly cloudy, temp 28 degrees cel. Scattered thunder showers 30% chance. Wind moderate north- easterly.

[Kirsty Harris]

It's funny, I really do think too much international cricket is being played now days,but yet the idea of no England games till late May makes me feel very fed up!! It just seems so looooonnnnnngggg!!!

Anyway, I hope England will end the tour on an upward note. This might not have been the best ODI series for England, but a win tomorrow to make it 3 - 2 will mean we can forever argue we would have squared the series without the rain in the last game (even if we might have lost it!!!!)

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

It's funny, I really do think too much international cricket is being played now days,but yet the idea of no England games till late May makes me feel very fed up!! It just seems so looooonnnnnngggg!!!

Ridiculous, innit?

Instead of jam packing the tours, they should just space it out abit. That way players couldn't moan about fatigue and us fans wouldn't have to wait so long for the next matches.

[Paoli]

Adam Bacher is on his dead last chance.

Tours should be this long...I am quite disappointed that Australia play just one 5 test series and one 4 test series nowadays. South Africa comfortably.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Pete

Instead of jam packing the tours, they should just space it out abit. That way players couldn't moan about fatigue and us fans wouldn't have to wait so long for the next matches.

But there are two teams involved, Pete, and South Africa are hosting Zimbabwe later this month, so England's tour could not have been much longer in fact.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Ernest

Starts Sunday 0800 GMT

Now, there was I, thinking this was a day-nighter. Delighted to find your post at only 0910 Prague time today, Ern. Less delighted to see that Trescothick and Vaughan have already repaired to the pavilion for morning coffee, England 1 for 2 wickets.