The coaches have named their teams for the opening leg of the 1872 Scottish Cup, at BT Murrayfield on Sunday 27 December (kick-off 15:05 UK time; 17:05 SA Time). As reigning cup holders, Alan Solomons has made 2 changes to the Edinburgh starting XV that beat London Irish last weekend in the European Challenge Cup, while Gregor Townsend has called up former Edinburgh scrumhalf Grayson Hart replacing Mike Blair in the No 9 shirt as the Warriors return to Guinness PRO12 action following their back-to-back European Rugby Champions Cup wins over the Scarlets.
In total there are 20 Scotland capped players in the starting XVs (8 for Edinburgh, 12 for Glasgow) with a further 4 on the bench (1 for Edinburgh, 3 for Glasgow). With the RBS 6 Nations Championship only 6 short weeks away, the players will want to impress head coach Vern Cotter as well as win their team valuable Guinness PRO12 league points.
Edinburgh won the 1872 Scottish Cup at BT Murrayfield on 2 January this year, after a 5-year sabbatical in the Glasgow trophy cabinet, in a nail-biter before a then-record crowd of 15 810. This year’s attendance has already broken that figure, with sales increasing daily, making the match the must-see fixture of the festive period in Scotland.
Head coach Alan Solomons said: “We’re all delighted that we’ll have such a big crowd adding to the atmosphere of what is always a hard-fought fixture. With both clubs winning their European fixtures last weekend, the teams will be looking for the momentum to carry through to a winning performance on Sunday. We know how keen Glasgow are to win back the trophy – and how intent we are on retaining it – so I’ve no doubt it will be a highly physical encounter.”
Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said: “It’s great to hear that our supporters are travelling through to Edinburgh in large numbers to get behind the team, and their vocal support will once again give us a boost this weekend. The 1872 Scottish Cup matches are always highly anticipated encounters and we’re really looking forward to Sunday’s game. We must remain focused for the full eighty-minutes if we’re to come away with a positive result and crucial Guinness PRO12 points.
Teams:
We must just accept that the current Protea team ( does not matter who they select) is only an average team and cannot be compared to the team of a few years ago which had the incomparable Kallis and world class players such as Smith and Boucher playing for them. It is only a matter of time before they will lose their number 1 ranking in Test cricket.
29 @ Nama:
Hi Nama how are you doing? Was that a BB King song, great taste if it was
30 @ provincefan:
Hi provincefan, you will be way more familiar with the form of the players over there as don’t see the SA domestic cricket here so get your point on Duminy especially regarding his average, I like him and in the past have seen him play some fantastic innings so am surprised to see such a low average thought he was going to be a top player with an average well into the 40s by the time he retires. Is Duminy carrying an injury? Why I ask is I was surprised to see he wasn’t bowled more especially when Steyn went off injured, think he has taken quite a few wickets for a batsman/part-time spinner.
@ provincefan:
Interesting to see in your team you have dropped v Zyl down the innings, this is what I wrote ahead of Proteas starting their 2nd innings yesterday:
Not followed domestic cricket in South Africa but not impressed by Van Zyl as an opener. Think if we stand any chance in this test it is time for a big Amla innings. So need to change the batting line up for 2nd innings, would open with Elgar and Amla then du Plessis (who also owes a big score) at 3 Duminy at 4, de Villiers at 5 and then either of van Zyl or Bavuna at 6 and 7 in any order.
The thinking of putting Duminy ahead of de Villiers at 4 is that I rate Duminy as a classy player who could be comfortable at 4 plus it would may have given de Villiers time to rest a bit more after his keeping duties and I think he would have been better holding things together later in the innings, as it turned out it didn’t matter we were comprehensively beaten anyway. You never know which players will go out when but thought that batting order I suggested would also vary the left hand-right hand combinations to try make it a bit harder for the England bowlers to settle in on a line.
provincefan wrote:
Agree regarding Cook, thought even before the 2nd innings started that he could be selected for the next test as he did well when he got his chance against England in the warm up games. Would have had him in place of V Zyl but maybe he has earned a slight reprieve and a chance to bat lower down and who knows with his bowling could be a reasonable all round option? Surprised you think of not picking Piedt who did well to get his 6 wickets, including getting England’s best batsman in the first innings and then the 5 wicket haul in the 2nd innings, when I saw the team for the test was surprised that he was in the team instead of Imran Tahir but he did well in the 2nd innings, don’t know much about Harmer but if you rate his batting as well then maybe their is place for him in the 2nd test as well as Piedt, I would have thought Tahir and Piedt could both get selected. Over the years though think SA have not always been too kind on the spinners, as example think they got rid of Harris way too early.
31 @ robzim:
Hi robzim not looking good at the moment for the Proteas, what is going on with the batting it has been quite a bad year for most of our batsmen? Asked the question yesterday on the Kirchner Leinster thread what is going on with Amla how can such a talented player perform so poorly for quite a while now, is he struggling with the pressures of captaincy or are there so external problems he is battling with, or has he just been targeted and received brilliant wicket taking deliveries so many times lately?
@ Bullscot:
Hi Bullscot..I think Amla is just going through a temporary loss of form and as a result is low on confidence. He will come right again.
All in all I think the team is just not very strong…
I place the players who played in the first test in the following categories (based on their career performances):
World Class: AB and Amla. Steyn used to be in this category too but sadly his body seems no longer able to handle the rigors of 5 day test cricket.
Good International class: Morkel
Average : Faf, Elgar.
Below par: Duminy, Stiaan, Abbott
Uncertain: Piedt
Out of his league: Bavuma
2016 has not been a good year for SA cricket. Neither for rugby… soccer.. etc
Athletics and swimming were a bit better…
@robzim & Bullscot:
Hi there…
The RSA test team from around 2011:Smith,Peterson,Amla,Kallis,AB,Prince,Boucher,Philander,Steyn, Morkel,Tahir.
Apart from Tahir,then each player in that squad was a very good test player compare to what we seeing at the minute.And that was also a very balanced 11,which is major reason why South Africa is struggling so much right now.
South Africa is missing it’s traditional strengths…A gritty test opener i.e. the Kirsten,Smith-type and a genuine fast bowling all-rounder i.e Kallis,Pollock,Klusener. Elgar can step up in the opener role, but he needs support from the other end.Stiaan Van Zyl is not an opener and selecting him in that role is a complete waste of his potential by CSA management.
They can’t get their selections right.They now bring in Morris for the all-rounder role,when Albie Morkel or Wiese is the better option imho.They overload AB to the point of him saying he wants to cut his workload and then they further burden him with the wicket-keeper role so as to have an extra batsman,but then select out-of-form Duminy/Faf and not Quinton de Kock.One can see how tired AB looked when got out in the 1st innings,having to come back onto the field so soon after he’s just gone off it toiling all day behind the stumps
So for me it’s just not a very good time to be ‘proudly’ South African,cause I’m just gatvol hearing about quotas,the fostering and encouraging of entitlement,the rewards for non-performance,the culture of excuses,the conservative approach to games,the no-pride in our sport,the acceptance of standards of mediocrity,the corruption,nepotism and any other “isms” infiltrating every other level in our society and that carrying on breaking down society in South Africa.So that’s just my reasons why I care less about South Africa or the sports in my country.
@ provincefan:
Very good post that; I can’t argue with your feelings at all, in fact I can only endorse them.
@ Nama: Hi Nama. Trust you and yours are enjoying the year-end break.
I have been absorbed by Test cricket since I was 8 years old, helped by growing up 500m from Newlands Cricket Ground main gate. South Africa has traditionally put together good teams packed with quality players and almost always an outstanding all-rounder. Certainly in my time. This particular team is one of the weakest I seen. On current form I reckon we sit behind all of Aus, Eng, Pak, Ind, NZ and at a stretch, Sri Lanka. On home soil I reckon the vastly improved Kiwi’s would beat us. Now that’s pretty bad if my opinion is accurate. Amla is the leader and engaged in a prolonged decline in form. This is affecting his captaincy and, going by recent results, the entire team. It has absolutely nothing to do with class or race. Its all about ‘head’ not skill. Clearly he’s a worried man. I know I would be. Personally, I wouldn’t drop him now. He might come right and return to form(he has the class as we well know). Conversely, if his current form persists to the end of the England tour and we lose 4 zip, then Amla would need to be replaced. Great as he was, our national side cannot afford to drop to the level of Zimbabwe because the captain has forgotten how to build an innings. The captain leads by example is a truism difficult to argue.
Moving on from Amla, I’d find a genuine opener(Cook is one such) to partner the in-form Elgar. I’d re-shuffle the middle order like some have said, by dropping Amla down the order facing an older ball. I’d experiment by bringing Quinton De Kok in at 3, followed by AB, followed by Amla, followed by Duminy(a few more chances). We are desperately missing Vernon P because he is an all-rounder, just not a great batsmen but capable enough(he’s no Shaun Pollock for example). Steyn can bat a bit and the less said about the tail the better. Piedt bowled well in the second innings. Needs to be given time to grow into the role. I like him. Morkel is Morkel. Our current Mr Consistency. Everything hinges on who’s fit.
If Cook and De Kok strike gold then we’ll see a very different team (and captain).
@ provincefan: Howzit PF. Yes, its very hard to be proudly South African in these times. There is simply nothing to be proud about. Maybe our natural beauty, the local wine and a few million hardworking South Africans. That’s about it. If I was brave enough, I’d rid this country of our oxygen-thief chief. That’s how angry I am with our so-called leader and his pathetic excuse for a government. They absolutely disgust me at almost every level.
@ Nama: pity you’re not around to continue the discussion. I know you like to debate. Duminy is not a quota player. Never has been. The word quota is anathema to me. It shouldn’t be part of our lexicon. Moving back to the subject; this team is not performing. That’s a fact. Sure the bowling has been exceptional. We don’t have to debate that. Steyn going out injured is an issue but not massive because we have a young Rabada who looks very good, just inexperienced. He could use Dale to mentor him into the side. But so be it. The real problem lies with the leadership. Hash is a great cricketer. Even exceptional, by any measure. But he’s not proving to be a good captain. Its affecting his batting which is affecting his and others batting and fielding and heads are dropping. This is not a race issue. Its simply a sporting issue. The fact that its our national team and one which affects the general psyche of our nation is also a concern. As a nation we’re staring down a barrel. People are scared. Being absolutely hammered in cricket Test matches is not helping one bit. That following our abysmal Springbok performances this past season simply adds grist to the mill. Meyer’s white. He was crap. Prefered PdV personally. At least he had balls.
and Alastair being touted as our next Springbok coach is not helping either. If rumours prove to be accurate, I think we’ll see more of the same from AC and the Boks. Alastair and attacking play? What attacking play? Alastair’s backs knew one thing. Strong defence. That’s it!!!!! He built a great pack of forwards. But forwards don’t win games any more. Skills do.
If Alastair is appointed(and THAT will be a quota appointment if that ugly word is to be employed accurately at all) then we are doomed as a top tier rugby nation. We might beat Japan again but it wont be pretty. Arg, Wales, Ireland, Eng, Scotland & France, will all be licking their lips. Don’t even think about competing with the two nations to our right, down under. We wont stand a chance. I am not simply being a pessimist. I believe that. Please reply.
adding De Kock and Morris to the squad is a positive. I think Quinton will definitely play at Newlands. All the signs are there. Who to drop in the middle order. Faf, Bavuma or Duminy. It has to be one of those three. Faf is an old hand and part of the leadership. He’s also joined at the hip with AB. Bavuma is a novice with huge potential as yet untapped and struggling. Duminy is a great talent, a useful all-rounder(under-valued) but not performing in his key role, batting. I wouldn’t like to be a selector. Here, race is going to be a big factory. Lets wait and see. I guess my friend Nama is going to nail me for this but that’s the way I see it. Make for an interesting debate when next he visits. 🙂
So……. very clearly, I’m talking to myself right now. Soon someone will come along and ‘fight’ with me. I really enjoy a good scrap. As long as it doesn’t get driven by the melanin content in one’s skin I’m up for it.
also…..I had a very good day today. So I’m ‘cool’.
Woke up early. No headache/babalas from too much celebrating. New Year is seriously over-rated. I’m ‘older’ but still cycled 50k this morning. Its stuffing hot down here but that’s okay. Riding again tomorrow(in the winelands). What’s not to like about that? I know Rob(zim) would appreciate what I’m saying. Whilst I can whinge with the best of them about sport and politics, I still appreciate what’s good about our country and lifestyle. I simply hope that things change and some of those less fortunate get a chance to eat at the table. Right now, the strong survive and the weak starve. That can’t be right.
and what I appreciate about this site is GB and his buddies getting down to basics and saying things as they are. Right down to ground level. I like that about the folk on this site. Keo introduced us to some great personalities over the years but also some seriously shady individuals of all hues and stripes. RT is a totally different culture IMHO. All of you out there are good value for a discussion. Speaking for myself, I enjoy you all. So……thanks for the friendship. And what happened to Tues Pub Night GB? You’re slipping.
Now Nama, please talk to me.
and finally, its time to light the kameeldoring.
I have two very fine sirloin steaks purchased from my favourite butcher in Paarl(Goede Hoop on Main Rd for anyone who’s interested). They are simply the best I’ve ever tasted. I absolutely mean that. R120/kg and worth every cent. I do a round trip of 130km to fetch them.
Washed down with a delightful 2014 Viognier from the Somerset West appellation. Wish I could share it.
Cheers all.
It wasn’t the best chatting to myself but what the hell. Someone will read my nonsense I suspect.
Great 2016 to you all, families included.
@Tassies
Howzit and happy new year to you.On the test team subject I guess if they decide to drop Faf then that might just hasten AB’s retirement from test cricket,better if they don’t do that, at least not whilst we still have 3 more games to play and a series to win.As for JPP then he should’ve been dropped when we last played Australia at Newlands,I remember he got caught at leg-slip and effectively lost us the series imho.And his situation now is similar to that of Makhaya Ntini and Neil McKenzie,who both at the time should’ve played their last test for us in Australia,but the selectors kept them on and then Ntini got taken apart cause of his lack of pace,both players at the time being so out-of-place and overstaying their welcome.Now the selectors are doing it to Duminy,history repeating itself I guess.Bavuma,the 12 year old man-child,is not up to it for whatever the reason,his technique was ok in India,but now he’s goes bonkers with a over-zealous brain-fart shot at Moeen Ali that got him out when he should play it safe.Just terrible that was.
However,I reckon if we lose the series we’ll drop down to 3rd on the ICC test rankings,which is not too bad considering that if they are going to redevelop our test team or if they are going through what the AUSSIES & POMS went through with rebuilding,then why not bring in the new faces now,the likes of Reeza Hendricks,Theunis de Bruyn and Tabraiz Shamsi for example,better to get them drafted in now before we fall out of the top 10 on the ICC ranking I guess.
On Quinton de Kock,then he should never have been dropped in the 1st place,just because he got a duck in Bangladesh,he was probably seen as a “failure” and yet if that was the case then every player now should get dropped with the exception of AB and maybe Elgar,cause the rest of them are all failing.Not saying we’ll win our next match,but picking a well balanced team could be a big step in the right direction for RSA cricket:1.Cook 2.Elgar 3.Rilee 4.AB 5.Amla 6.Stiaan 7.de Kock 8.Hardus Viljeon 9.Simon Harmer 10.Rabada 11.Morkel.Just a thought…
Our biggest problem though is not the team so much,but the coach and the fact that I don’t think anyone in the side respects him.The fact that they’ve now brought in Biff as consultant for their batting is ample prove that Domingo don’t have a damn clue what to do.
On quotas thing,well I won’t bother too much on that cause when one says that you against it then you get labeled and categorized a racist,so what’s the point arguing that when people have already formed an opinion about you on that???
But what I will say is this:Transformation requirements/targets,quotas system,SA sports needs more colour…is all bullshit and very dangerous talk,cause who are the people that says that we need that???The average South African that don’t even care about sport???NOOO…Coloured folks that loves rugby and cricket???NOOO…The White Afrikaner who supports rugby with passion and pride???NOOO…The ANC government because it’s a tool they can use to deflect attention away from their own incompetence in running SA????YEEEESSSSS absolutely!!!!!It’s really a question of what’s the motivation behind the representation?You asked any young and upcoming sports person in South Africa that wants to excel in any sport and all he’ll or she’ll ever say is that they only want to have a fair shot along with the best people that there is and a fair shot only.The politicians don’t care for that you see,all they care about is to further their own agendas,whilst South Africans by and large wants the best team to represent their country irrespective of the velkleur.So really one needs to ask what is the motivation behind the push for transformation???
Anyway looking forward to 2016 and the things that can or might happen in sport:
-Japanese side,the Sunwolves,to lose all their SR matches,giving the RFU a false sense of security under Eddie Jones…
-Someone to please knock out Tyson Fury asap…
-Us WP ouens to be less paranoid about who the next Bok coach will be(especially if he comes from you know where),however having said that,to the Kapenaars,Bok rugby does comes 1st before Province rugby,when it’s the other-way around with all the other unions,still…
-In the EPL…Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to fire at least 3 managers this year,Arsene Wenger to win the title after a 10 year wait,Jose Mourinho still calling himself the ‘special one’ even though everyone wants Pep Guardiola,Jurgen Klopp to stop wondering why the Liverpool fans leave the stadium early and our philosophy-man Louis van Gaal to finally win a game again.
-Proteas to regain their confidence,stop dropping catches at crucial times and score more than 214 runs in a test match.
-Stormers rugby to improve their standards a lot more…not limp into the play-off’s with a total that would’ve ordinarily placed us outside the top 6,attract the imagination a bit more,and to be more competitive in Super rugby even with our lack of depth in certain departments,getting a class 10 that offers more spark than what the Greek did and WP to wrestle back the Currie Cup from the Lions.As for the Bulls and Sharks hope they do better than their 5 & 6 game losing streaks of last season and to use their dream draws better if they do get that again in the future.Lions,lost just 3 of their last 12 SR matches and recorded their best season in 2015,so I reckon they might go one better this season.Good luck to all SA teams.
Duminy gets completely crushed by any form of expectations.
Test cricket he is almost embarrassing at times —> T20 cricket players play with little to lose and thrive on talent, and that he no doubt always had.
What cant be blamed on duminy though has been our fielding, we must be one ofnthe worst fielding/catching teams in the world at the moment.
@ provincefan: Ja, some interesting observations. I agree about the coach being ill-equiped at this level. Seems like a nice enough guy. But nice guys don’t necessarily deliver. Hash is a nice guy too. Just not No 1 Test nation leadership appropriate. Nama mentioned Cook as his slump in form. He makes a good point. However Cook is a completely different personality to Hash. Has the determination and steel of Bif. Hash doesn’t do that for me. My opinion.
Top cricket sides were never run by the coaches.
Aus sides were run by Steve Waugh, Border and Ponting, SA was Hansie and Smith. Coaches like Bucchanon (sp) and Woolmer and Mickey Arthur didn’t coach, they sat back and let the captain run the show. That’s why Jennings didn’t make it, he wanted to run the show and the senior players together with the captain wasn’t for it.
The coach was just there, those successful captains ran the whole show.
If Hash doesn’t wield that sort of power, then Domingo comes into play. Maybe Hash isn’t up to that sort of captaincy, and Domingo is out of his depth as well.
Those captains mentioned, always surrounded themselves with some seriously good senior players and together they were in charge.
SA doesn’t have a core of great senior players anymore, the Faf’s and Duminy’s may be senior, but they aren’t greats.
Only AB falls in the great category.
Happy New Year to one and all, I hope it is an exceptional one for everyone. But back to cricket.
I mentioned before the Durban game I thought we may be in for a bit of tap. My reasonining was simply that our batsmen were out of form, the team was low on confidence after India and that as so often in the last few years Durban would offer a nothing pitch.
What I wasn’t prepared for was just how far the team has regressed in the last year under Domingo (I haven’t been able to watch much SA cricket in the last year). The fielding and catching must be the worst I have seen since re-admission – some of that will be down to confidence levels, but that shouldn’t be an excuse, but for such talented sportsmen there is more to it than that.
AB as keeper. Wow, what a decision. How to wrap your best bowler in cotton wool and look after him goes straight out of the window on this one!!! They have seen the error of their ways for the second test, but I believe the damage has been done. Pure speculation, but I think, as has been alluded to in the press, AB has put his foot down and threatened if the gloves weren’t removed from him and the powers that be capitulated. Whilst they have seen the light, AB now knows he has God-like status which,as we have seen in the past (read bok rugby under PdV) could lead to player take over and discontent in the team and which will ultimately end in disaster.
Selectors and management are to blame for this. For them to have come up with the daft idea of giving AB the gloves, they must have had exceptional reasons for doing so. If that was the case, what has changed in the second test? They must have known how AB would perform with the gloves, how tired he would have been, the backlash from both him, the press and the public. Their reasoned must have overridden all of these. So I ask again, what has changed for them now to capitulate and select de Kok? If anything, the injuries to bowlers should have solidified selectors reasons to have AB keeping wicket again, to open up space for more bowling options.
AB should never have been behind the stumps in the first place – it wasn’t the reason for our loss in the first test, but what I am trying to highlight is that the decisions being made are leading to where SA’s cricket is at the moment.
These kind of decisions, and what is happening behind closed doors is leading to crickets downfall. Whilst I agree with Tassies that quotas had nothing to do with the loss of the last match, I think this was directly so. Indirectly, quotas are having a massively damaging effect. management are perhaps over their depth, and perhaps some players that could/should be there are not being given a chance. Potential players of the future are being clouded with thoughts of moving to other countries when their one thought should be playing for SA. The same could be said of ex players, potential coaches, etc coming through to manage the team.
When you know that you are the best, but rules will make it more difficult for you to ply your trade, eventually you will start looking elsewhere. Graeme Smith is a current case in point. This morning,on tv, he has effectively declared his allege cry to Sky tv by saying that he has commitments and thus whilst prepared to pop in to talk to the team, has has not made a deal with the Proteas as has been suggested in the press. He knows which side his bel read is buttered on, where his future is and which side is not going to drop him at any moment. This is the same for every other aspiring player/potential coach. Even those that commit to SA cricket (as with all sports in SA) have thoughts raging through their heads about other options, I can guarantee you, and that is not healthy.
All this stems from the quota issue, and we are losing potential greats, and is going to lead to the demise of cricket in SA.
Back to today’s game. As I write this, Cook has just gone due to a brilliant catch by Morris. Great take, but I am not so sure that England will give away much more wickets so easily. I see a rather large first innings score on a wicket that is are for smacking the ball all over the ground with an attack of 3 bowlers, who on this pitch will simply be be bowling one ‘hit me’ ball after the other. All 3 bowl a similar ball and rely on the pitch – not much swing amongst them.
Morley was the perfect foil to Steyn, but with 3 similar bowlers it is just allowing the poms to get their eye in, and as soon as the ball softens a bit, I can see even Compton going at 4 an over, and that’s saying something!!!
Piedt will have little or no effect on the match in the first couple of days, and am sure he will get a bit of tap, and I think, it won’t be long before the poms start targeting Rabada, the 20 year old, to see how quickly they can get him out of the test team.
Eish, I see another hammering coming up. Our only chance is if our out of form batsmen can come to the party.
Morris as the all rounder is looking good so far – certainly the only one who is offering a bit for doubt to the English batsmen
Morley = Morkel
@ nortie: Hullo Nortie. Nice to see you around. Compliments and all that traditional stuff. Interesting observations and I can’t disagree. The great coaches are probably wannabe psychologists. Gary Kirsten springs to mind. Woolmer was a great thinker. They play a big role. However, the captain sets the tone, as you say. AB makes a good captain(IMO). Hash is struggling. Different personality I’d guess. Bif was not well liked amongst the public. But he definitely was a great captain. Perhaps even the best we’ve ever produced. That ‘clique’ of Bif, Bouch and Kallis was the glue that produced the fire that delivered. We no longer have that glue.
@ Tassies:
Compliments to the season to you as well Tassies.
There couldn’t be a bigger difference between rugby and cricket coaches, rugby the coach is the main headline attraction.
Looking at the Aus teams under Border, Taylor and Waugh, the coach was non existent. The captain had all the power. That’s why Warne was so keen to get the job and was so pissed off when it went to Ponting.
Under Clake they did revert slightly back to a coach that was more hands on involved, but that was due to losing players like Ponting, Warne, the Waughs, Langer, McGrath, Gilchrist and Hayden more than anything else.
Under Hansie we did well, but he ran the show.
Same with Smith, but as you mentioned, he had Kallis, Bouch etc to back him up.
Cricket coaches IMO are only a glorified title, but with Hash as captain and no decent senior players to back him up, it seems Domingo is more in the forefront, and showing his lack of depth.
@ Just For Kicks: interesting assessment. I don’t know who the selectors are. I have to wonder if they have all played cricket at the highest level. On the face of it, it appears not.
Well done with your prediction. At the start of the second session England are doing exactly as you predicted. They have decided to go for it because they can. England will likely post 400 plus on this pitch and this toothless attack. Maybe even a lot more than that still. South Africa are in for a very long rebuild. That’s also assuming the house actually gets built at some future stage. We compete in the first world with third world tools sadly.
So…. It looks like a couple of things ringing true already. Compton upping his scoring rate and batsmen taking it to Rabada and Piedt
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