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

[Durhamfootman]

or at least they never admit they got selection wrong in the first place.

Stonemercenary not playing any cricket atm, so perhaps he's picked up an injury?

[ianp1970]

Is the next game at the Oval?

[Durhamfootman]

or perhaps Sorry decided that his 12 runs in 2 matches didn't cut it, so dropped him for the next 3

[Dr Cricket]

Is the next game at the Oval?

yep.

[ianp1970]

Doubt it will happen, but looking ahead to the winter, I'd be inclined to pick Crane for Dawson and to win this series, a batsman for Wood?

[sussexpob]

Rich,

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz2L1H1DEc8

1.10 min in. Finally got a clip of it to share.

Not seeing any footwork at all there. He puts the bat out without moving his feet to the ball, and plays outside the line, hence the edge. It's poor technique.

The ball doesn't really move anywhere near as much as suggested. Back foot is deep in crease.

Not seeing much difference between the then and now ballance

[sussexpob]

Also could say as his head is on the move too. Ends well outside the line of the bat.

[westoelad]

Known weakness of Ballance's which he hasn't rectified. Doesn't say a great deal about the new England captain's judgement of cricketers.
Needs to be acknowledged though that this is a seriously good SAffer attack and I'm not sure that there's anyone better than Ballance. Wood needs to be rested but there's no like for like replacement.

[backfootpunch]

Ballance is beginning to look like the new ramps/hick

Scores very heavily in domestic cricket but against the higher quality bowling in tests he keeps falling short

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bairstow was quite untidy today.

Terrible referral from Broad.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Sunny day tomorrow, should be good for batting overheads-wise. Erratic bounce though.

Cook has a good recent record batting second (last two years). No one else has. In 28 Tests, three hundreds shared between two players (Cook and Stokes).

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

[alfie]

Stopped watching halfway through middle session but had already read the script so the final position was unsurprising...

474 eh ? At England's usual rate of scoring that means they''ll get the target a little before tea on Tuesday then .

Unless SA slow down their overs of course

[bigfluffylemon]

lol is dawson the worse england player ever to play 3 test matches.

I see your crap England spinner, and raise you Ian Salisbury:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/con ... 20051.html

That said, Dawson is a complete waste of a spot in the current side. I think we all agree he needs to be replaced with a batsman.

I wouldn't pick Crane now, as the next tour is to Australia. They murder all but the very best spinners down there - it won't do anything for him except knock his confidence.

For all the typical bluster and bravado at the end of the day by the England team ('we believe we can save/win this game, we need to bat as well as we can, show some fight, etc.'), you just know that it'll all be over tomorrow with a pathetic capitulation. I don't think anyone expects them to win or draw this game now, but actually demonstrating some fight, making South Africa work damn hard for every wicket, and taking the game into day 5 would be something. But it'll all be over shortly after tea for a 200+ run defeat, assisted by some horrible shots against balls that should have been left alone. And they'll make excuses about 'we have to play our natural game, this is the way we play', rather than actually having enough professional skill to adapt their play to the situation.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Quite a few candidates from back then. Schofield?

Dawson hasn't scored a second innings run for England yet, so hope he breaks that duck later today.

[rich1uk]

Rich,

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz2L1H1DEc8

1.10 min in. Finally got a clip of it to share.

Not seeing any footwork at all there. He puts the bat out without moving his feet to the ball, and plays outside the line, hence the edge. It's poor technique.

The ball doesn't really move anywhere near as much as suggested. Back foot is deep in crease.

Not seeing much difference between the then and now ballance

his back foot isn't deep in the crease at all and he has got his front foot forward,

"back then" all his movement was backwards and he was dropping almost right on top of his stumps

i repeat what i said earlier, i am not saying he doesn't have technical problems, i am not saying he is guaranteed his place in the side, i am saying his problems are nowhere near as exaggaerated as they were and that based on his county form this year he earned the recall