Second Test: England v South Africa, Nottingham, July 14-18

[alfie]

Looks like SA justifying their decision to bat first.

Not much there for Dawson on a first day pitch.

Brightening up where I am.

Yes...was a brave call to go in first on a gloomy morning but they've come through the hard part well and are looking like cashing in now...

England will still feel if they can grab a couple of wickets somehow they will be well into this batting order. And they might be ; but hard to see where the wickets are coming from at the moment.

Fifty for de Kock

[alfie]

100 partnership

Has been a good one ; safe and at a good rate. SA moving into a good position as tea nears...

[alfie]

Stokes not having much luck...Amla was not in control of that hook , not for the first time today , but it fell safely...

Has played a few false strokes today ,in with the good ones , but luck has been on his side. Probably worth trying to bounce him now and then.

Good spot for SA at tea 179/2. Lot of work left for England.

[alfie]

Didn't take long to break through after tea !

Looks a different game when the two main bowlers are on ; which does give concern for what happens when one or both are gone...

Though the currently injured Woakes gives hope ; have been a few bowlers who have flattered to deceive over the last few years and none have earned permanence.

[sussexpob]

Broad gets him

Credit to Alfie, the short ball worked

[alfie]

So the bouncer indeed does for Amla at last... He'd got away with a couple of those , not too surprising but sensible variation from Broad , who is in the middle of an impressive spell.

Bit of a swing in the game : one more and they're into the ""tail".

[alfie]

Broad gets him

Credit to Alfie, the short ball worked

Broad reading my posts ?

Maybe he will stop asking for daft reviews then

[sussexpob]

Hard innings to critique for Amla. Made runs, but his shot selection at times looked a bit iffy. Still think he looks out of nick. I doubt an Amla at the top of his game would play at those short balls. Usually a bad sign for a batsman when thye want to feel bat on ball all the time.

[sussexpob]

Maybe he will stop asking for daft reviews then

Stokes wins the prize for that one today, that review he had was ridiculous. Aside from the fact Amla middled it, it was way outside off.....

In the order of balance, Stokes deserved a wicket this afternoon. Ironic isnt it..... when he bowls, hes far better than his stats, when he bats, he's bless by unbelievable luck.

[alfie]

Hard innings to critique for Amla. Made runs, but his shot selection at times looked a bit iffy. Still think he looks out of nick

Was a bit of a curate's egg , was it not ? Some quite glorious strokes ; but he had a few dodgy ones in there too. Didn't ever look as comfortable as de Kock . Though in fairness he did get a few good sequences of balls from Anderson and even Stokes as well as his eventual conquerer .

I'd like to be as out of nick as him ; but I do get what you mean .

[sussexpob]

Never heard of a "curates egg" before. Learn something new everyday

[sussexpob]

This isnt a great spell from Anderson, lots of boundary balls creeping in.

[alfie]

Good point re Stokes , Sussex.

He does seem to have all his lucky breaks when batting : guess the bowling side of things is the gods of cricket enforcing karma ...

Mind you , some of the chances he creates are the result of one good ball in between a load of rubbish.

Anderson not having much luck today either : lot of balls beating the edge but whenever he's over pitched its gone for four...

Time for Wood to come to the party now I think.

[sussexpob]

Bauvma playing a million ways to not get out, but look like your trying to....

[sussexpob]

Ha ha...Stokes gets a gift from a leg side ball....

This means hes going to be out to a no ball with the bat...