England vs South Africa, 2012

[DrRingDing]

I think this has exposed the frailties of Strauss's man management. To let the team get divided this severely is disappointing. Even taking into account the massive cock Kevin is.

 

[Ted Striker]

Well, England didn't deserve that series.

We got wallopped in one game and matched them enough in the next 2 games. I still think SA have much better individuals, consistency and ergo, are the best side in cricket - and if England are no 2 then they're best by quite a stretch.

Re: Pietersen - I'd like to see the back of him because he's the worst possible no 3 or 4 batsmen that England need. An annual 150 does not a decent player make, and so many times he's come in when we really needed a sip-steadier and he's switch hitting his way to 25 off 19 balls then lbw'd to a standing ovation. HOWEVER, it's quite obvious the ECB, have been really quite cunty to him - I'd even call the ECB bullies - and escalated the rift they should have calmed. It's not too odd to assume there's nods and winks filtering down to 'out' KP in the dressing room, and he's dealt with it in the only way KP can - fighting fire with fire.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think this has exposed the frailties of Strauss's man management. To let the team get divided this severely is disappointing. Even taking into account the massive cock Kevin is.

Maybe. Pietersen has fallen out with every single team he's ever played for, though. Seems like the rest of the team is pretty united - in hating KP.

 

[The Octagon]

The natural order of cricket is returning, it wasn't long ago that England were the worst team in the world, then we had spot fixing but now things are going back to the way things were, England losing a 3 test series on neutral ground to Pakistan 3-0, England losing a home 3 test series to South Africa 2-0.

Normality returns to cricket.

Natural Order eh? Everyone and everything in it's proper place right?

Interesting.

England and Wales BTW, HTH.

 

[Ted Striker]

I remember not so long ago we either had a wicketkeeper who couldn't bat or a batsman who couldn't keep wicket.

Now we've got the boy Prior.

Who REALLY looks like a character from a film but I can't think which one. I'm thinking a burgular or a coffee shop worker or something but it's been nagging me for ages.

Thanks

 

[littlebabyjesus]

it's quite obvious the ECB, have been really quite cunty to him -

In what way? They won't let him skip test matches to play in the ipl. Cue massive sulk, and public outburst just after getting a big score. Pietersen's always trouble just after a good performance, thinking he's billy big potatoes and more important than the rest of the team put together.

 

[DrRingDing]

.......billy big potatoes.........

 

[mattie]

So, what would England need to do to get No.1 spot back?

I'd make a joke about the crims being good for a few series wins, but that wouldn't be nice. And could comeback to bite me on the arse.

 

[Idaho]

Still, if the twats in charge made this (a top of the table, most anticipated series for a long time) a 5 game series...

Yeah but we got a terribly meaningful 5 game one-day series against Australia - that was priceless

 

[Idaho]

We got wallopped in one game and matched them enough in the next 2 games. I still think SA have much better individuals, consistency and ergo, are the best side in cricket - and if England are no 2 then they're best by quite a stretch.

I think that's a generous interpretation. We got thrashed at the Oval and were significantly behind the pace in the other two matches.

 

[trampie]

England were hammered absolutely hammered in the series by South Africa, but there again England were second best for most of the series in 2009 against Australia but luck favoured England and England won 2-1, Australia haven't been the same since.

 

[mattie]

Luck? Surely England cheated in 2009?

 

[trampie]

All this talk about KP, it seems that England is wondering what side KP is actually on ?

 

[paulhackett]

All this talk about KP, it seems that England is wondering what side KP is actually on ?

You're like an echo. A slow one. But an echo nonetheless.

 

[Idaho]

England were hammered absolutely hammered in the series by South Africa, but there again England were second best for most of the series in 2009 against Australia but luck favoured England and England won 2-1, Australia haven't been the same since.

ABE can be an entertaining comic turn but you are rubbish at it.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Maybe. Pietersen has fallen out with every single team he's ever played for, though. Seems like the rest of the team is pretty united - in hating KP.

He spent much of his time at Nottinghamshire moaning and everyone was glad to see him go.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Luck? Surely England cheated in 2009?

Go on then I'll bite. How exactly did we cheat in 2009? Did we use some sort of mind control powers to make Mitchell Johnson and that comedy opener they brought with them play like stoned schoolboys?

 

[paulhackett]

He spent much of his time at Nottinghamshire moaning and everyone was glad to see him go.

I read somewhere he took out an injunction against Jason Gallian after Gallian smashed his bat to pieces and threw it off the balcony (after apparently KP had spent the summer saying he was off to Hampshire, before staying one more season ).

 

[mattie]

Go on then I'll bite. How exactly did we cheat in 2009? Did we use some sort of mind control powers to make Mitchell Johnson and that comedy opener they brought with them play like stoned schoolboys?

Hey, it's not my troll.

 

[marty21]

It's a pity it was a 3 test series. surely worth a 5 test series this, I think they shortened it to allow a one day series with the Aussies - which is not as good as a test series.

 

[SpookyFrank]

It's a pity it was a 3 test series. surely worth a 5 test series this, I think they shortened it to allow a one day series with the Aussies - which is not as good as a test series.

Definitely. I've been looking forward to England vs South Africa for ages and it's a real shame to see the series end just as England looked to be hitting some form.

Four tests against India coming up though, that should be good.

 

[redsquirrel]

Natural Order eh? Everyone and everything in it's proper place right?

Interesting.

England and Wales BTW, HTH.

Jews in their banks.

 

[Idaho]

Four tests against India coming up though, that should be good.

If you are Indian. We've played very poorly on slow, low, turning pitches.

England had a brief period while in Australia, where our batsmen looked uncrackable. Before and since, we've had that air of fragility. I've lost count of how many England tests I've seen where only one top order batsman got any runs. Sometimes none of them did, and the middle and tail dug us out or put up a beatable total.

 

[gabi]

Interesting piece on the KP fiasco here

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/...s-a-problem-worth-having-for-english-cricket/

He's got an interesting point re: individual performances sticking longer in the memory than the team's

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Boycott railed against Aggers the other day when Aggers compared Pietersen to him. Boycott said, and I agree with him, that whatever his differences with management, when it came time to play, he just played. Same with Botham. These are different cases from Pietersen. There was never any questioning Boycott or Botham's desire to play for England.

 

[gabi]

Those were different times. I suspect Botham would've enjoyed quite a lucrative contract in the IPL had it been around. And also struggled to balance that with his England commitments.

I don't get the KP/Boycott comparison at all though. Did Aggers mean they both weren't liked in the dressing room?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I don't get the KP/Boycott comparison at all though. Did Aggers mean they both weren't liked in the dressing room?

Yes. Boycott made no bones about it - he doesn't drink, doesn't go to pubs, and went straight home at the end of play, which didn't sit well with his teammates. But he was there to play, without equivocation.

 

[paulhackett]

Yes. Boycott made no bones about it - he doesn't drink, doesn't go to pubs, and went straight home at the end of play, which didn't sit well with his teammates. But he was there to play, without equivocation.

Well unless he went off to play golf during a Test? Or took a 2 year sabbatical? Or was dropped for slow scoring? Still doesn't sit with the KP situation.. Aggers occasionally morphs into a stick in the mud fool..

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well unless he went off to play golf during a Test? Or took a 2 year sabbatical? Or was dropped for slow scoring? Still doesn't sit with the KP situation.. Aggers occasionally morphs into a stick in the mud fool..

A player wants to take time off? Fine. And in Boycott's day, or at least at the beginning of his career, players weren't even paid for playing test cricket, so very different rules apply. Pietersen signed a very lucrative contract with the ECB - worth the best part of half a million quid a year. But he wants more. It's sad to see it, but it's the same situation there is now in football - paradoxically, the more you pay players, the less they care about playing for you, and the more they think they are doing you a favour by turning out.

 

[paulhackett]

A player wants to take time off? Fine. And in Boycott's day, or at least at the beginning of his career, players weren't even paid for playing test cricket, so very different rules apply. Pietersen signed a very lucrative contract with the ECB - worth the best part of half a million quid a year. But he wants more. It's sad to see it, but it's the same situation there is now in football - paradoxically, the more you pay players, the less they care about playing for you, and the more they think they are doing you a favour by turning out.

Yes. The best part of Boycs' career was pre Packer (we'll ignore the SA rebel tours..) so it's a bit steep to compare their motivations. God help me I'm a Boycs fan.. even when he bowled with his cap on the wrong way round