England tour of South Africa

[Durhamfootman]

I reckon Broad and Archer will both play on Thursday, practice match or no

[Slipstream]

Both bowled 5 overs each on 2 respective days. It's only 3 weeks ago they bowled in New Zealand. I bet they go with 5 seamers.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes is missing because his dad is ill. So might go with four seamers.

Get well soon to Mr Stokes sr.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes now likely to play. These are the sides cricinfo is suggesting.
1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Zubayr Hamza, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Anrich Nortje

1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Ollie Pope/Jonny Bairstow, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Sam Curran, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 James Anderson, 11 Stuart Broad

So if Pope is unfit, JB1overtakes Crawley as next in line. And Woakes makes way after being the best bowler in the last Test. Vd Dussen replaces the injured Bavuma.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Woakes has flu though...

[mikesiva]

Yeah, that's the Saffer side I would expect to play...maybe Phehlukwayo instead of Pretorius?

[Durhamfootman]

No Pope, so Bairstow returns

[Arthur Crabtree]

Jimmy the Saint in for Woakes.

[mikesiva]

Debuts for van der Dussen and Pretorius.

Markram fit again after fracturing his hand after punching a dressing room wall.

[Durhamfootman]

you not starting a 1st test thread, Arthur?

[Durhamfootman]

Santiago strikes with his first ball

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thought this was it.

Two openers out off their first ball today.

[Durhamfootman]

fair enough

yes... an interesting statistic. Too much Christmas pud?

[Durhamfootman]

Markram punishing anything that's loose

[Durhamfootman]

but not any more