Rep South Africa in England Test Series and Tour

[amateur51]

Cook out early on, lbw to Philander and Shaun Pollock has noted that clouds are gathering.

What a good summariser SP is proving to be - lots of insight and no shouting - and he's 'feeding' Blowers' bus habit

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

indeed and ain't Blowers in fine form!

[amateur51]

indeed and ain't Blowers in fine form!

Have we been advised of the colour of Blowers' footwear today? - they were red yesterday

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

cor worra innins by wor kevin eh .... let us hope he can settle into a concentration, and stay at the crease to get a truly massive score today!

[amateur51]

cor worra innins by wor kevin eh .... let us hope he can settle into a concentration, and stay at the crease to get a truly massive score today!

That's exactly what I said to myself as I was going thru my Olympic routine on the side of the bed this morning, Calum

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yes an Olympic Routine .... i am reminded of Hancock opening the window and taking a deep breath ere the day began ...... challenging eh?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

wor kevin is a turnip

[amateur51]

yes an Olympic Routine .... i am reminded of Hancock opening the window and taking a deep breath ere the day began ...... challenging eh?

Up, down, up, down, now the other eyelid. It's not easy maintaining this fine physique y'know, a tribute to the Greek ideals.

That's Jimmy the Greek runs a café down Cheam High Street, nice man often throws in a fried slice for us regulars

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well what a closing session to come

[amateur51]

well what a closing session to come

I was amazed when Pietersen went out to open but fairly soon after sanity prevailed - England currently 113-4, with odds favouring the draw. Congratulations to both captains for creating an intriguing finish to a Test match almost ruined by the weather, Blowers still in fine form

[aeolium]

Quite a feat by Pietersen to get himself dropped after scoring 149 with one of the best displays of batting of the summer (and taking 3 wickets). What an (extremely talented) fool he is. Is there any other example in cricket history of someone being left out of a Test team after such achievements - Boycott perhaps the closest example?

I do think the England team have to progress without him as he has been semi-detached from the team for some time now. What a waste of a great talent.

[amateur51]

Quite a feat by Pietersen to get himself dropped after scoring 149 with one of the best displays of batting of the summer (and taking 3 wickets). What an (extremely talented) fool he is. Is there any other example in cricket history of someone being left out of a Test team after such achievements - Boycott perhaps the closest example?

I do think the England team have to progress without him as he has been semi-detached from the team for some time now. What a waste of a great talent.

Boycott is the obvious example, I agree aeolium.

Pietersen is clearly a very difficult person to manage and he's certainly not a team-player and yet he craves the adulation of his peers & public alike (again, like Boycott). I'm not sure that Flower et al are up to the job (who is) and they have taken the decision to omit him in the best interests of the team in the short-term. Puts huge and unnecessary pressure on Bairstow, his replacement too.

The South Africans must be laughing away and I can't say that I blame them

[JohnSkelton]

Quite a feat by Pietersen to get himself dropped after scoring 149 with one of the best displays of batting of the summer (and taking 3 wickets). What an (extremely talented) fool he is. Is there any other example in cricket history of someone being left out of a Test team after such achievements - Boycott perhaps the closest example?

I do think the England team have to progress without him as he has been semi-detached from the team for some time now. What a waste of a great talent.

I have very mixed feelings about this. I'll be sad if that's the last of Pietersen because international cricket is dominated by efficient rather than inspired cricketers, by game plans, skills execution, video analysis, rather than audacity. I also have mixed feelings because I wonder about the line between dressing room spirit, togetherness etc. and cliquiness. I also think it strange that it's OK for Swann and Andersen to pass comment on Pietersen in syndicated newspaper columns, for members of the team to let Nasser Hussain know they can't 'stand' Pietersen, but it's not OK for Pietersen to send a private text message to Morne Morkel (who comes out of this looking pretty despicable).

I have long held the view that without Pietersen this is a very ordinary group of players who have been flattered by success over disintegrating Australian and Indian sides. It's a poor period for Test cricket and they've done OK in it. The gap between the view of themselves Broad and Swann have and the reality of their abilities in IMO very wide indeed. I think some of this is the revenge of the mediocre against the exceptional, though if it's what certain of the team have wanted for some time Pietersen has obligingly flung himself into the trap.

All confirms my growing disenchantment with the present England teams. Hopefully Bairstow, Hales, Root, Buttler, Borthwick, Topley et al will fully break through in the nearish future.

[JohnSkelton]

John Reid's weak New Zealand team having its five Tests reduced to three. Barrington was out of form, and had been berated by the Surrey captain Micky Stewart for slow scoring, but was retained in the England team for the First Test at Edgbaston. This was the most controversial of his career as he played himself into form by taking 437 minutes to make 137 against a poor bowling attack and "almost brought the game to a standstill".[40] Coming in at 54/1 he spent an hour without scoring even though Mike Smith asked him to hurry up. As if to show that he wilfully obstinate he hit 2 fours and a six in one over to bring up his hundred after six hours and was the last man out in a total of 435. Though England won by 9 wickets Barrington was dropped for slow-scoring "for the good of cricket" and the Chairman of Selectors Doug Insole wrote to him "it is the only practical way of demonstrating that we're not prepared to condone cricket of the Edgbaston variety".[41] This caused a furore in the press as many reporters agreed that he had scored too slowly, but members of the public and other cricketers supported him. Barrington himself was depressed and even considered retirement, but worked on his batting and made 70 and 129 not out for Surrey against the tourists. England won the Second Test and with Boycott and Dexter injured Barrington was recalled for the Third Test at Headingley. Here he made 163 at twice the speed as his Edgbaston century, struck 26 fours and added 369 with John Edrich (310 not out) in just over a day, Mike Smith declared on 546/4 and New Zealand lost by an innings and 187 runs. His two innings gave him 300 runs (150.00) in the series.[42]

Ken Barrington http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Barrington

[aeolium]

I have long held the view that without Pietersen this is a very ordinary group of players who have been flattered by success over disintegrating Australian and Indian sides. It's a poor period for Test cricket and they've done OK in it. The gap between the view of themselves Broad and Swann have and the reality of their abilities in IMO very wide indeed. I think some of this is the revenge of the mediocre against the exceptional, though if it's what certain of the team have wanted for some time Pietersen has obligingly flung himself into the trap.

Yes, I'd largely agree with that, JS, though I think Anderson has led the attack well for several years and Swann at least up to the last year has been impressive as an attacking spinner, something England has lacked for a long time (he has certainly been helped by the DRS). Broad and Bresnan have been mostly average and the batting has been inconsistent (and, Pietersen and Bell apart, pretty dull to watch). The South Africans really put the quality of the England side into perspective in the first test and are likely to come out of the series as deserved leaders of the ICC Test rankings.

Thanks for the report re Barrington. He could be excruciating to watch but was a fine player. I remember the 256 he scored (with Dexter's 174) to save the game in 1964 after Simpson had scored a triple century for Australia.