In a matter of hours SA will be test #1

[Arnik]

I was hoping for soemthng big from baistow and trott

Dem not playing the West Indies - this attack has teeth all round.

[Arnik]

The fat lady has cleared her throat and is now warming up her voice.

[mapoui]

not that I am looking but that Bairstow kid is impressive.

I love how he has come back to score on a good attack after wat could only have been nerves against the westindies.

interesting england went back to him after those failures

[mapoui]

and batsmen like cook, bell for eg are exactly what i have always thought of them..absolute bully in the case of cook..mediocrity in the case of Bell..exposed by good saffie bowling.

strouse is ok..tuff..hard trier but not a great batsman.

properly selected and led our westindian team team right now, acclimatised to englsh conditions can beat this englsih side on its best day. ..give it lots of trouble every day

[Arnik]

not that I am looking but that Bairstow kid is impressive.
I love how he has come back to score on a good attack after wat could only have been nerves against the westindies.
interesting england went back to him after those failures

England are not like the WI who in the last few years jump all over the place when a batsman "fails".

1. Bairstow's first class average in 60 matches is a healthy 45.82.

2. Bairstow played 3 tests against the WI but effectively had 3 innings. His scores were 16, 4, and 18.

3. Bopara withdrew from the English squad citing "personal reasons"

Now given those circumstances why would the English selectors not give Bairtsow a second chance?
The difference is that in the Caribbean folks would have been calling for some player with a putrid or non existent average and the universal braying would have been that Bairstow had his chance and he can't bat, he frighten the short ball, blah blah blah.

[mapoui]

Now given those circumstances why would the English selectors not give Bairtsow a second chance?
The difference is that in the Caribbean folks would have been calling for some player with a putrid or non existent average and the universal braying would have been that Bairstow had his chance and he can't bat, he frighten the short ball, blah blah blah.

YUH REAL SWEET YES. YU ARE INDEED FORRINER! .

If england selection reflects a certain stability at the moment, it does not establish that that has always been the case.

england suffered the same type of rapid player change for a long time for 2 reasons...first they were going through a low period like westindies are now, with a flow of poor players, few of whom stuck as class players able to cope with the world.

also england has 60+ millions of people..10 times the westindian poplation and a lot more to choose from. england does not need to stick with players for any duration unless they are actually good.

the fact is that rapid player change fits or coincides with a certain stage that all nations go through, consistent with rise and decline..ebb and flow.

rise is when you have a certain pool of players who are world beaters and do not need to change often..and decline is when you do not have such players, you fail and must seach for those who can win..so there is rapid change.

now yu use a natural flow in the evolution of things to beat up on the westindies eh!

yes we compound our problems by stupid and backward administration. but the stupidty of administration is also part of decline..as was the case in england.

the only cricket admin that has historically been sharp enough, at all their times of decline, to make their low periods as short as possible, by smart administration, have been the Oz.

[mapoui]

so wat heppen to the forriner...he engross in the game so he done post?

66 runs with 3 wicket in hand. this cud get tight

[mikesiva]

South Africa win the series 2-0 in the end....

[BallOil]

congrats to the new #1 ranked team South Africa

good call Arnick :

[mapoui]

300+ is tuff to win a test in a fourth innings. and when the opposition is good well nigh impossible

and this england batting without pietersen was up a tree.

I never count on Bell against tuff bowling.

and Cook is very suspect as far as I am concerned in the same situation. Bell made at least 1 big fifty. I dont recall Cook making any

and strauss is not as good as he was..clearly declining. and he certainly could not deal with the saffie pace consistently

Trott alone stood between the saffies and a V..until Bairstow showed up