Cricket
South Africa v England, 2nd Test at Cape Town
|
By:
|
|
By:
Generally agree Dan but would suggest that a batting average of 27.7 is pretty bad for a number 6 batsman so there is somewhat of a case to be made against Stokes, which a bowling average of 40.7 isn't exactly making disappear, especially as England will be playing an all rounder in Ali anyway and the alternative to Stokes is Woakes, who has a far better county bowling and batting average, although he's yet to make either facet to his game cut it at test level so far.
|
|
By:
Theres no doubt Stokes needs to improve his figures, i suppose you could bat Bairstow at 6, moheen at 7 and woakes at 8, that tail still looks pretty strong. I would just want Stokes in my team his aggressive, competitive nature rubs off on others.
|
|
By:
Moeen averages the same with the bat (27) and less with the ball (34). There is your all rounder that is better at least as far as numbers are concerned. Of the two though all the commentary has been whether Moeen is worth his spot rather than Stokes.
I'm a big fan of Stokes - He is great to watch. My point is though that he has to start delivering at some point. You can't live forever on potential. If you think he can maintain a Test career at 6 averaging 27 with the bat because he can fill a role as a fifth bowler and an outstanding fielder I think you are kidding yourself. He needs to start making runs. PS - You could also make an argument that Woakes is a better 'all rounder'. He is clearly regarded as a much better bowler given he opens and he averages 25 with the bat in Tests. And his first class numbers are better than Stokes' with both bat and ball. But we never see any chat of him at no.6. Why not? Because it would be ludicrous to have a guy with that low a batting average at no. 6. Wouldn't it... |
|
By:
Having Bairstow and Moeen at 7 and 8 allows for more patience to be shown to Stokes.
As with Buttler in the Summer who also escaped scrutiny despite a number of failures, Stokes is a lucky boy and needs to get the hang of grinding out a few scores. When he does make runs he's a game changer. |
|
By:
I keep taking the 4.7 on the draw and more money keeps appearing?? Someone's very confident about that price..
|
|
By:
Agree rob, with the particular oddity around the questioning of Moeen's place being being that Moeen may well be our best spin bowler and certainly doesn't have specialists or other spinning all rounders around clearly better than him, whereas it's quite easy to find better fast bowlers than Stokes and Woakes is at least arguably a better pace bowling all rounder, albeit that England seem to see him as much more of a bowler than a batsman and think of Stokes as more of a batsman than bowler.
|
|
By:
Backing the draw for 3 reasons
1) WI took the game to the 5th day last year 2) England are the visitors and will be well supported. Cricket SA will want 5 days drinking revenue 3) The groundsman has stated he has prepared the pitch to last 5 days Groundsman Evan Flint this week: "I'm preparing it for the Test to last five days, but the Cobras batsmen says there is always something in the wicket in the morning session. |
|
By:
Sounds like we're all in the same boat. Let's hope it's not too leaky. I like your reasoning jucel69, although I still think the draw's an unlikely final resting place for me or the test match, especially if Anderson plays.
|
|
By:
Anderson back for England and Steyn out for SA, whose batting lineup has no confidence whatsoever. England usually lose the next Test Match, after a win, to complicate things even further, so just about anything could happen. Obviously England are favoured, as they have a stronger bowling lineup, than the last Test, whereas SA have a weaker bowling attack.
|
|
By:
|
|
By:
No, sure jucel, get that that's your approach, just as it is mine. Might be interesting to do a break down of draws per country rain and not rain affected. Can hardly think of a recent example of a draw in England without rain although does have to be said that my memory is far worse for recent tests than for those in 2005. There were draws against Sri Lanka and India in 2014 in England and I honestly can't recall whether rain was involved in either. Think they may just have been very flat tracks and somewhat flat attacks.
|
|
By:
England 3.2???? how it happened to such folly? is incredible - 3.15 or 3.2. absolute madness.
|
|
By:
|
|
By:
|
|
By:
Australia India drawn Sydney Jan 6-10, 2015 Test # 2156
West Indies England drawn North Sound Apr 13-17, 2015 Test # 2157 Bangladesh Pakistan drawn Khulna Apr 28-May2,2015Test # 2159 England Pakistan drawn Abu Dhabi Oct 13-17, 2015 Test # 2180 Australia New Zealand drawn Perth Nov 13-17, 2015 Test # 2187 |
|
By:
Draw price has crashed already, happy days
 |
|
By:
england call correct..will bat.
|
|
By:
EXCELLENT news England Bat 1st, though I reckon England can win batting 2nd too.
Everything is in Eng's favour here and If Hales or Cook .......or both fall early I'll back Eng again. |
|
By:
Indeed Dan
 Nice start to the New Year. |
|
By:
Can't see this bowling lineup giving too much trouble to England batsmen :/ Anyhow its their home and its England, so you never know.
|
|
By:
whod of thought england would be favs going into a cape town test..just a short while back.
|
|
By:
Surprised they dropped Duminy but kept Bavuma. Also Piedt plays. I would have thought they need 4 quicks and use Elgar as their spinner.
|
|
By:
SA have only lost to Aus on this ground!(since readmission)
|
|
By:
Draw price keeps coming in, is it a good batting track?
|
|
By:
Should be a good batting track on days 2 and 3.
|
|
By:
I'll take a look at draw price when Compton comes in.
|
|
By:
Pitch looks good to me, decent carry and not alot of movement
|
|
By:
away teams have a poor record batting 1st@this venue.
|
|
By:
No session runs for an England test, is this another sign of Betfair's decline in the new year?
|
|
By:
I can see it.
|
|
By:
1st action for m3 laying SA @3.10
|
|
By:
layed england.waiting for the wounded animal to kick in....
|
|
By:
Draw dropped massively once toss news in then stalled at about 3.4. Surprised not to see it come in more with Hales not out in first few overs.
|
|
By:
|
|
By:
SA will bat well first up I think
Might build up on the draw here. SA lay is the bet right now. Back the batting side too and also wait for the draw to creep up |
|
By:
England always capable of a horrific collapse, but don't think an attack of Morkel, Morris, Rabada and Piedt would frighten many test sides.
|
|
By:
Anyone explain draw up to 3.8? Appreciate England may be better placed to force a win with a good first innings score but surely the draw comes in as runs are scored. I've topped up at 3.6 after getting a lay matched at 3.6 before play and part of one at 3.2 before the market hopped up again.
|
|
By:
Although without knowing why it came up, not sure when it will come down.
|
|
By:
Might be because England scoring at a good rate? Dont know tbh, would have expected it to drop and SA to have moved out more
|