Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Play officially called for the day... 172-4 could have been worse, not too bad a first day for us...honours even IMO,

Looks like SA day. And England just have their support spinner to rely on in the fourth innings.

In order to catch up lost overs, is there any good reason why play isn't starting at 10:30 tomorrow?

ianp1970 wrote:In order to catch up lost overs, is there any good reason why play isn't starting at 10:30 tomorrow?

To much of an advantage to the bowling team?

yuppie wrote:

ianp1970 wrote:In order to catch up lost overs, is there any good reason why play isn't starting at 10:30 tomorrow?

To much of an advantage to the bowling team?

A reason yes, but not a good one, as it is the norm everywhere else in the World.

Also, they rarely go off for bad light at the end on an elongated day abroad. Happens all too often here.

Certainly a wicket with a lot of help in it for the bowlers so 171-4 represents a disciplined batting performance. Given the weather forecast for the remainder of the game the wicket shouldn't deteriorate given the amount of play that will probably be lost. Shouldn't therefore get the normal Oval 5th day wicket. Problem is though Maharaj doesn't need a wearing wicket to cause chaos.

Good to see England batsmen being got out not giving it away

backfootpunch wrote:Good to see England batsmen being got out not giving it away

Absolutely ! I think they've actually done pretty well to finish on 170/4 on a difficult day like that (some splendid bowling - particularly from Philander , but Morkel had one excellent spell and both Morris and Rabada produced the odd "special" delivery.)
I'd call it an even day , in the end. Much credit to Cook , whose powers of concentration are quite outstanding and make him the ideal batsman for a day like this.

Whether England can turn this start into a good enough first innings score remains to be seen ; but they do have a fair bit of batting left and that ball is nearly sixty overs old now...Don't know how batting conditions are going to be over the next few days either but I imagine it won't be exactly easy tomorrow morning so the first session may be crucial.

Cook goes early and as ever the crucial middle order 6-7-8 starts under pressure. Watching the highlights, England looked a bit fortunate to get to their overnight score, with the ball beating the bat regularly. Credit to Cook for riding his luck, as he seems to. But he must be doing something right as it happens so regularly, and he kept getting stuck on the crease in the manner that caused the downfall of the others. Tough debut for Westley and Malan and not the best conditions for KJ to bat his way out of his slump. Maybe better to bowl yesterday, unless the pitch really is going to go, which you'd guess it won't.

Going to be a very hard slog to get to a good enough score, although at least England are really knuckling down in tricky conditions this time. A good response to Trent Bridge, but a long way short of enough first dig. This afternoon should be good for batting, so hopefully England can hang around to get the best conditions, rather than South Africa. Tomorrow looks like bowler-friendly weather again.

Rabada gets his second wicket. Bairstow out in the 30s.

The score is creeping up though. Given the conditions, 350 might be a good total.

Moeen out to morkel for 16.

This tactic of trying to get the tail on strike by giving the established batsmen a single never works well

Yes, all the intensity goes out of the fielding side.