Thetownend.com

Solid start, they're 78-2

Butchers been dropped  :D

Butchers injured. he failed a fitness test this morning following two injections last night on his wrist.

Thats what they want to us to think....

It had a interview with him and he had his wrist strap up.

well now SA have moved on to 159-3.

we should really win this series, SA aren't a dominate force.

Butcher was def injured Dave.

But to be honest I was suprised that he would have been selected if fit.

In the first innings at PE both senior batsmen failed (Thorpe and Butcher), bur in the second Thorpe played a masterful innings. The selectors must look to move one of these players on and lest face it, Thorpe is much more reliable.

People give Key a hard time, purely because he is a bit chubby, his first class record is fantastic. Hopefully Key will do the business this test. Then theres that other fella (run machine, whats his name?)

Dont get me wrong, Butch has played some great innings for England, but you cant get chance after chance at 34.

Key's great, he's fat and ugly so gives people like me something to feel good about :-)

Yeh but we love ya Youthy

Key's got a bit of a dodgy technique. He loves the leg side as much as he loves pies which often gets him in trouble playing accross the line.

Pretty satisfied with the first day, it's obviously a belter and the predictably dour South African batting made me glad I was smacking ex Wiltshire Sound reporter Arthur Hunt's bowling about in Croft Sports Centre instead.

So does Strauss but he's doing alright

That's not the problem. The problem was highlighted 13 words later. Strauss never plays accross the line. Strauss' favourite leg side shot is the pull which you never bring the slips into play or being bowled as its a cross batted shot to a short ball. Key plays the whip through mid-wicket (quite well a lot of the time) which means that he frequently gets bowled or squared up edging behind.

Ntini... bowling wide of the crease.... Key should be quids in

Hopefully Key wont need to bat. Just eat the cakes at tea.

What a pile of shite England's batsmen are!
Why Why oh Why  :x

Key is shite face facts.

It's all over. End of.

Although not a great fan of Rob Key, you've got to have a bit of sympathy when you're called on, but haven't had a bat for ages.

 I said this series would be close,  we should be looking to get Bell and Pietersen in for the Ashes.

 Interesting that Giles and Flintoff should join the select group who've scored a thousand runs and taken a hundred wickets, in the same match.

I just wrote out a massive post, and lost it. Lousy two-bit PC.

General sentiments recapped...
 - Harmison, overrated against decent batters
 - Over dependance on Freddie to resurrect lost causes
 - Giles, not good enough to be a real Test threat, one-off year
 - Simon Jones is far too underused, wake up Vaughan

They are too inconsistent. I blame the manager, Get him OUT!

Bit harsh on Giles. I think he has done very well over the past five years.

No chance of winning now, we are 35-1. Trescothick out second ball :(

But, if we can bat for another day and half could still get a draw.  8)

haha, I love you ben

1. Harmison's problem is that the public and media expect him to be England's saviour, when in fact he is merely a good Test bowler who had an excellent year. He's bowling too short at the minute but there's no denying he's class. If Lara, Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Fleming aren't decent batsmen then there aren't any in the world.

2. Freddie resurrecting lost causes?! He's done it maybe five times in his career. I love him but for a clever lad he sure loses his brain a lot. If we over rely on anyone to resurrect lost causes, it's Graham Thorpe.

3. Giles isn't a Warne or Muralitharan - given. But he does his job fine. He won't deliver 7/66 every other innings but you can't expect him to. He creates pressure by building up dots - what Test cricket is all about.

4. I do agree with this although the only possible explanation I can think of is that Jones gets smacked about when he's tired so they want to keep him fresh.

For me there are just two issues:

1. The batting. We are a one-man batting line up at the minute. Vaughan, Key/Butcher and Flintoff need to show some heart and score runs.

2. Harmison bowling too short.

Vaughan hasn't played well in this series so far really. Flintoff has been relied on from time to time, but we need someone decent at number 3.
Butcher and Key are too inconsistent at the moment, Butcher i think should move aside and let Key have a go.

Vaughan's been facking shite. When in this series has Flintoff been relied on with the bat?! He's done fuck all.

My point re: Freddie is that when we are 100-5 too many people expect him to batter the bowling and score 100* every time.

At least this series has disabused us of the notion that we might be able to beat the Aussies in the summer..

 Which is a shame,  because its been too long, and its not good for the game.
  :(

Cricket Aid match on monday looks quite good. starts 3am on sky.

When Swindon go through a calendar year unbeaten I'm sure other Swindon fans will love King as much as you do.

That was five days of utter shite.

ah you'd think so but they were 13 tests unbeaten and we went 11 games unbeaten last year so I doubt it.

but anyway they are clearly not being motivated. MANAGER OUT! I refuse to go and watch cricket until this fool in charge is sacked. I will not listen to his pathetic excuses any more. Who is in charge anyway?

There's no such thing as a manager in cricket Benjie.

well yeah i know

but get him out anyway.

I know. Definitely someone needs removing. The selection panel is made up of David Graveney, Duncan Fletcher, Geoff Miller, Rod Marsh and Duncan Fletcher (coach). Graveney's Chairman of Selectors so usually I would hold him accountable but he's a 'Shire boy, so I don't know who's feet to lay the blame.

Lewie > Harmison.

Rodney Marsh? No fucking wonder the England cricket team is shite!

http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/PICTURES/DB/022004/050034.jpg

http://www.cricketbooks.com.au/images/upload/%7B7B08DDCD-75D0-4778-9CCC-F1CC465732F2%7D_Marsh,%20Rod%20inside%20Edge.jpg