at last! :D

[jot1]

yes! yes! South Africa! at last. congratulationssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss s!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Occasional Fan]

Yes, indeed, Jot1! Congratulations are due. England batted poorly in the back end of their innings, bowled poorly throughout and didn't deserve to win. South Africa, on the other hand, fought all the way and Graeme Smith looks as though he played a blinder, supported in the middle order by that man HH Gibbs, often a good chap to know in times of need. Good for the South Africans, who deservedly took the game today.

Everything to play for now, 1-1 with four to go. What a great tour this has been for fans of all persuasions. Why I am sitting here in Europe instead of soaking up the sun in South Africa - well, I can think about that for a while and I may never get a sensible answer!

[Ernest]

Yep well done to south Africa jot1, the game is on now .

I know why I am not in South Africa OF, it's raising the cash.

[John]

The trouble is its still the old guard that are doing it for SA. Gibbs, Boucher,Pollock and Kallis. It would be nice if the youngsters came thru'. They better make their presence felt the 2007 world cup isn't far away.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Ernest

I know why I am not in South Africa OF, it's raising the cash.

There is that, of course! It's a bummer, isn't it?

[Zainub]

I'm not sure if England bowled poorly through out, Kabir Ali for once bowled very well, and for my money, the only really really poor bowler yesterday was Hoggard, he just had completely off day, kept bowling half trackers one after the other.
I watched the second half and the last 25 overs of the England innings, and personal impression was that over all England bowled just about ok, just about as well or badly as SA. What cost them the match was dropped catches, the chance Trescothick missed when Smith was on 53 was a dolly, and England would have definately improved their chances of winning by 50% had that been taken at that stage. And didn't G Jones miss a stumping of Gibbs as well, before he'd reached his fifty? I'm not about to start the Read-Jones debate, just in fact pointing out that it was poor fielding and lesser so poor bowling and even lesser so poor batting that cost England that match. There is no denying that fact that England should have got more runs, too many players got starts but no one hung around long enough to get a big one, had that happen they probably would have got 280-90 - but considering the average score for day and night matches batting first in Port Elizabeth is about 220, 267 was a very good score, it should have been enough had England taken all their catches and grabbed all the opportunities that came their ways. They didn't and they paid the price for it.

[Sean Beynon]

I think its harsh to say Kabir bowled well 'for once.' Four wickets in the warm-up game, a good spell at Jo'burg and another one yesterday augers well. He has had one bad game in three (and ended up playing a vital role in that) which is not at all bad for a youngster.

[jot1]

Not to mention Pietersen's missed throws at the stumps, Zainub. I watched the whole match and you are right. England's fielding lost them the match (Please continue in said way, England!) As for the old guard doing it for South Africa, John. Prince's nerves held up better this time, and I believe so did the others. IMHO after a few more matches, especially winning ones, the confidence will come and then we'll see what they're really made of.

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Sean Beynon

I think its harsh to say Kabir bowled well 'for once.' Four wickets in the warm-up game, a good spell at Jo'burg and another one yesterday augers well. He has had one bad game in three (and ended up playing a vital role in that) which is not at all bad for a youngster.

You probably took me the wrong way Sean, or may be I didn't use the right phrase, what ever the case, what I really meant was that if at all there was anyone in the England attack that didn't bowled "badly" it was Kabir Ali - I probably should have typed "at least" instead of "for once". I have nothing against that lad, he's bowled well so far, and should retain his place in the side.

[Occasional Fan]

That is a fair comment, Zainub: Kabir Ali did bowl well, but he was the only one who did in my opinion. When I said that England bowled poorly throughout, I meant that there was no period of time when they looked tight enough to have this game safe - SA were scoring too freely all through their innings. And then, in the last four overs when England really could have saved the game, Hoggard sends down an over for fourteen and Gough sends one for ten (admittedly with Boucher's wicket, but still just too expensive). I still think it was the bowlers collectively who cost England this game.