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don't do that.

actually I don't care.

41-2, cooks wasnt out, vaughan never really looked settled. And i bet flintoff doesn't reach double figures

i love henry bloefeld

Blimey some terrible batting today, has every wicket (so far) been wickie or slip caught?

yes. bad batting

Making excuses for them i know but i would have thought the conditions are good for bowlers at the moment? Bet Boycott is loving it! Picking Pattison is a bit of a strange one,i thought he was an Aussie?

I'm off to Leeds for the third day.The weather forecast isn't too bad so should get some action this year i reckon :)

born in grimsby

Where abouts in Australia is that?

i was pointing out his englishness...

Derby.

203 all out. Pieterson highest scored with 45.

Pittiful.

All i know is his Dad has been saying to anyone who'll listen [ie the BBC cricket website] that he's an Aussie,parents eh ::) Can't say i'm too bothered in a way,i mean its not as if he's the first foreigner to play for England is it?

Sure if he gets a shed load of wickets then i doubt anyone will care either.

surely that would mean it is a case of good bowling rather than bad batting? if they were all getting out caught cover etc. then i would agree

He's not out but the umpires gave it didn't they?

Surely the South Africans have dictated the play there?

What happened. Sounded reet confusing on the radio

Vaughn "caught it" (he actually dropped it) Amla walked got to the boundary and Smith told him to go back to the crease - cue confusion and Amla remains not out.

to be fair you wouldnt mess with smith would you

Of course not! But I was amazed how the umpires allowed the celebrations, allowed the batsman to walk and then allowed Amla to come back.

SkySports are replaying it over-and-over again - but Vaughan clearly doesn't have his fingers wrapped around.

He didn't drop it though, RP. Great effort by Vaughan, but the right decision in the end.

I was more pissed off that Billy B gave a no ball 2 balls later, with Freds foot behind the line, and Amla gloved to Tiny Tim. Not happy

Drop was the wrong word. I was fuming after the no ball which was gloved.

Big roller is out.

Beefy thinks the pitch is going to do a bit.

He also says that the grass feels fresh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7515256.stm

1289-3! bloody hell SA have turned it on.

Amla given LBW, never out. Send him back.

Did they not tell Amla to stay out there again this time? Cheating Bastards!

I actually Vaughan got the ball. I think he got his fingers underneath the ball. Not like De Villiers. Cheating Bastard.

I disagree... He didn't have control and his fingers were not sufficently underneath the ball.

There was no way that was out. Glad he came back for that reason tbh.

pattinson looks about as much of a threat as a cripple with a peashooter at the somme

why didn't tremlett come in for sidebottom? in fact, why not harmison or even hoggard? maybe even jones? i can't understand the logic of it at all.

i think we're getting a bit stale at the moment.

Selectors really have dropped a nice clanger there. The recriminations have only just begun I fear.

Pattinson is mystifying enough, but Ambrose at 6, Fred at 7? When Vaughan is so spectacularly out of form, that's one huge risk. If we play 5 bowlers, Prior needs to be the keeper.

Probably because Tremlett and Broad are very similar bowlers. Broad bats a bit better. It had to be a swing bowler to replace Sidey, but then when it came round to us bowling it wasn't doing much at all so not sure that Hoggard would have made much difference (although he knows Headingley as well as anyone).

SJones and GBH are in pretty good nick at the moment.

Don't talk about that gutless, pea-heart, thrown away chance after chance, doesn't give a fuck about england, waste of space, steve harmison in the same sentence as selection ever again

they picked pattinson cos they reckon he's the best swing bowler in county cricket. but it looks silly now. jones must be close for the 3rd test

By the time they called up Pattinson into the England squad on Thursday most counties had already begun LV matches - including Jones and Harmison. If England were that worried about Sidebottom they would have pulled one of them out of the Counties before that round of matches started. Fact is they weren't that worried. It got too late and they thought of bringing Patto into the squad instead of Hoggard on form - which is fair enough - he HAS bowled well this season and got very good batsmen out. Decision to play him instead of Tremlett is probably because he relies on swing, not pace and bounce like Broad/Tremlett.

The fact of playing Pattinson in place of Hoggard or whoever is not the reason we're looking down the barrell in this test, our batsmen failed first and foremost.

Another day underway with depressing familiarity, although Broad's hurt his foot. Could be a blessing in disguise that, he's got huge potential but I don't think his bowling is quite up to standard yet; although his batting has put some of the top order to shame.

Who would you have in the team if everyone was fit? I just tried this and its a toughie, ended up with the Ashes bowlers and basically a whole new batting line up. Difficult really, selectors have got a hard job now.

That wasn't bad (Pattinson to Prince)

Pattison over Hoggard? What's up with Hoggy these days? Has he been injured or something?

Nope, he's been bowling pretty well. They had him on TMS on Friday, was diplomatic but sounded distraught, think his England career is probably done, which is criminal. One bad game and he's gone, when so many players get away with murder.

Yeah it's pathetic really. I think our selectors are fools tbh. Always have done though.

So we finally bowl them out. 319 behind afetr the 1st innings. And now it's 3-1. Oh.

Two of the top six need to make big hundreds to save this. I think we can safely count out Ambrose and Strauss, so that's down to four. Deliver us from evil KP.

We can bat for two days - Erm....

And that's Vaughan gone.

That chap seems to be attracting good balls at the moment.

Cook, Pietersen and Bell left then in all honesty.

And more importantly, Jon Bon Jovi is a standard forum avatar. Odd.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44848000/jpg/_44848223_devils282b.jpg

De Villiers talking to the England selectors there.

So SA will do what we never seem to be able to - finish off a fucking match when on top for pretty much the whole time. Great.

The last time we were on top for most of a test match we did win? Both NZ serieses

we need a hero
we need a hero blah blah blah
he's gotta be strong he's gotta be good at batting
and he's gotta be fresh from the fight

i'm thinking janderson.

You say that, but some chap on TMS (I think its Vic Marks, I've only just woken up) reckons he bats a bit like David Gower.

Harris is on, no worries there then.

anderson is averaging over 70 this year!

Go'an Jimmy!

Nice shot that one.

Dale Steyn, you can't do that to a number 10 bat! That's just sick.

Owch, 90+ mph bouncer to the face doesn't appeal to me.

KP 8 off 2 balls, not a bad start as they go.

EDIT: Fuck.

he'll be out within the half hour

kp's gone back to his old cavalier style.

i hope bell gets a tonne here, just to shut up boeta up about his favourite stat.

Big innings needed from Bell. Cook seems to be going along steady.

Don't worry, super Fred will save the day!

So Bell and Cookie need to bat out the afternoon at least.

I still think we can save this mind. Fuck knows why!

This is the last batting partnership that I have any faith in. That's worrying, considering we have lost four wickets, one of whom was the night watchman (Who it must be pointed out scored the same as Strauss, Vaughan and Pietersen put together)

what stat?

 Incipient mental breakdown would be my guess....doubtless our boys will be eyeing a decent day on the golf course tomorrow.

Bell has never scored a hundred in an innings in which no other England player has scored one first. It's a sign of being unable to cope under pressure, apparently.

I prefer to think of it as my natural cheerful optimism, the sun is shining, there's cricket on the radio.

Nah you're right there's no fucking chance is there?

oh yes, naturally.

Bell goes to a stunning catch. It's really not our day.

Oh, its DeVilliers, I wonder if bounced.

Just hang in there Fred and Tim. Only another 4 and a bit sessions to go...

6 batsmen have got "in", only 1 has made a half century (although as I am writing Broad is still in).

Weak men.

Oh.

Well done Broad! Quickfire 50.

Yes - fair play, he's been quite useful with the bat of late.

What at Lords last week you mean? Should have won by a street.

Shame about his bowling.

I jest.

another fifty for broad, his third in test cricket. doesn't make a difference but even so, time in the middle is good...

as for pattinson, can't see him playing again even with england's new selection policy of perseverance. there are five england qualified bowlers who have taken more wickets than him in first-class cricket this season and they have plenty more experience of conditions in england too. still can't grasp why he was picked.

And Pattinson's Dad said that he's a proud Aussie!  >:(

Should have recalled Hoggard.

Right then, what's the odd on the Saffas all out for 6?

COME ON ENGLAND! YOU CAN STILL DO IT!

But... I've just started to conduct a rain dance.

I wouldn't be suprised if we got a wicket!

cue pattinson hattrick!

I think KP will bowl them all out. They'll get to about 3.

At least we don't lose by an innings.  :D

Damn right!

Poor Jimmy :(

Blowers' commentary of De Viller's catch off Bell is ace.