S. Africa v. England Tests

[K]

Scyld Berry, The Telegraph:

"England are set to make the shock decision to select Mark Wood over Jofra Archer for the third Test against South Africa, starting on Thursday.
...

The likely selection will be a blow to Archer, who has struggled this winter after an electrifying start to his England Test career in last summer's Ashes. The 24-year-old took two for 207 in two Tests against New Zealand and, although he took six wickets in the opening Test against South Africa at Centurion, they were expensive and also came at the cost of an injured right elbow, which ruled him out of the win in Cape Town.

Archer has now recovered, but Wood's extra pace when bowling at top speed – he clocked 152 kilometres per hour during the World Cup – will counter that of Anrich Nortje, the fastest bowler in this series to date, whose hometown is Port Elizabeth.
...

Port Elizabeth is known as the "Windy City", and St George's Park is exposed to sea breezes at the top of a hill only a mile from the Indian Ocean. As the wind blew when England practised in the nets adjoining the ground yesterday, it would have favoured Sam Curran's inswinger from the pavilion end and Stuart Broad's outswinger from what is known as the Duck Pond End.

If these conditions applied in the Test, Curran, as a left-arm swing bowler, is suited to bowl opposite Broad – with Wood as third seamer from either end.

When Ben Stokes bowled his knockout final spell on the last afternoon at Cape Town, he also made the ball reverse swing, so it makes sense for England to increase their firepower in a department where they have so far surpassed South Africa."

[K]

Berry also notes Paul Collingwood's backhanded compliment to Sibley:

"I'm delighted for the youngsters last week. For Sibbers to come in and do what he did, it was great to see how someone's mentality can overcome technical deficiencies. I don't mean that in a bad way, but the mind can be very powerful at times and make you succeed."

Berry reacts:

"As someone who shovelled straight balls through midwicket with a more dominant bottom hand than most, he should know."



[What those who spruik the mind overcoming defective techniques don't acknowledge is that it only happens consistently on flat pitches. On sporting decks, the defective technique is just found out, whatever the "mentality".]

[K]

"Jack Leach is to fly home from England's tour of South Africa after failing to recover from illness.
...

Leach was also taken ill in New Zealand in November. Originally described as a bout of gastroenteritis, it now transpires the episode deteriorated to the extent that he was suffering from sepsis.

Leach's situation is complicated by his long history of Crohn's disease, which requires him to take immune suppressant medication."

(cricinfo)

[K]

Miller, cricinfo:

"Only time will tell whether Stokes himself will be asked to step up to the role - his predecessors' experiences would caution against it - but for the time being, his relationship with Joe Root is perhaps the most interesting of the three dynamics … because it isn't actually very dynamic at all. Whereas Brearley and Vaughan are widely recognised as two of the most tactically astute England captains of all time - and the only two men of the modern era with a greater than 50% win ratio - Root's lumpen leadership has been in the spotlight for several months now, never more fervently than after a flaccid defeat in the first Test against South Africa.

And yet, with Stokes as his vice-captain and reputational gatekeeper, Root might just prove to be unimpeachable."


[Why the English are so obsessed with getting rid of Root I don't know. There is no one else viable, and captaincy is not their biggest problem: their defective batting is.]

[K]

3rd Test:

England win toss, bat.

Dane Paterson debuts for South Africa. Mark Wood in for England.

Roller (cricinfo) sounds unimpressed by Crawley's technique: "Crawley's bat doesn't look very straight when he defends straight balls."

[Donny]

0/61. Yawnnnnn.

[K]

England are batting at Smith pace. Well, I'd be the last person to want slogathon batting in Tests, but...

Meanwhile, two wickets have fallen after lunch.

Denly is 13* from 83 balls and counting.

If England are (e.g.) 3/160 when the second new ball is due, and if the second new ball hoops around, the slow batting could come back to bite them.

--------------------------------------------

England 2/117 (58 ). Tea.

[Donny]

4/168 from 73 overs.

Nothing else to say, really.

[Pies4shaw]

Stumps. 4/224. Partnership presently 76 at about 3 an over.

[Pies4shaw]

England presently 4/289. Stokes 81*. Pope 60-something.

[K]

Rabada suspended from 4th Test.

[Donny]

Why ?

[Pies4shaw]

[Donny]

4/351. Stokes 120*, Pope 79*.

[Pies4shaw]

5/351. Stokes gone.