Bobby Londt reports:
The 2nd test ended in a draw, but as draws go, this was one of the more lively ones seen in recent years. Credit must go to both captains for positive decisions to make something out of the last session. The game could quite easily have petered out in a bore but the South African Captain, Smith, backed his bowlers to “force” the issue. Strauss, the England skipper, reciprocated by taking up the challenge and adjusting his batting line up to show some intent.
What can we take from this test? The premeditated move by Smith to try and force a result would have surprised England and the world. No more Mr Dour Dull, playing safely. The once predictable, safe and conservative approach of our test side appears to have been exchanged for a calculated bolder and braver one, which might just have the England side thinking twice in the last test.
Injuries in the Protea camp are still the main concern, but I believe there is still enough time to recover. The major “winners” in this test for the Proteas were Alviro Petersen with a brilliant 182 and don’t forget the important 69 scored by Jacques Rudolph. These efforts will ensure a very positive frame of mind for both players.
The media will be kept busy by the Kevin Pietersen saga, so we might benefit being under the radar for a few days. I have sympathy for KP. I think he has been played and bullied by the English Cricket Board (ECB) over the last few years and he is now retaliating. The fact of the matter is that KP has a massive ego and “the me, myself, I” approach will not win him much support. I do question his timing though, but perhaps he was forced into making his play.
Pierce Morgan, a well-known journalist and CNN anchor posted the following on twitter:
Piers Morgan @piersmorgan:
“Forget what you’re reading in the papers – @kevinpp24 has been frozen out by ECB, Flower and now some of the players. Disgraceful”
I did ponder the thought though – who would be the next England coach? If the Proteas win, Flower would have lost the series, the number 1 ranking and the services of his best player. My expectation is that, if history repeats itself, the ECB will turn on him too.
Follow me on twitter @bobbyl77
Thanks Bobby. While trying to locate the Ian Botham quote used in our newsletter, I came across the following two examples of sledging which I have not heard before. Just thought it might come in handy elsewhere.
An Aussie bowler said to the English batsman: ‘There’s a piece of sh*t on the end of your bat’. When the batsman lifted his bat to look at the bottom, the Aussie said ‘You’re looking at the wrong end!’
A batsman hit an easy catch of a Fiery Fred Truman delivery, but the fielder let it go straight between his legs. ’Sorry, Fred’ he said ‘I should have kept my legs closed’.
‘Aye’ growled Fred ‘And so should thy mother!’
Springbokke en Stormers Ewe Onnosel
Toe ek vanoggend lees dat Alister Coetzee sê dat hulle in die Curriebeker beoog om dieselfde rugby as in die Super 15 te speel, met moontlik een of twee klein eksperimente in die agterlyn, moes ek eers ’n draai gaan loop. Letterlik.
Hoe regverdig hy dit dat hulle met ’n agterlyn vol Springbokke die minste drieë in die kompetisie druk? En dis vir hom aanvaarbaar? Wil hy wragtiewaar dieselfde taktiek in die plaaslike reeks gebruik en dan weer hoop om bo te eindig?
Om te wat? Ondersteuners te verloor? As dit sy doelwit is, gaan hy beslis slaag.
Nog ’n vraag. Wat doen Robbie Fleck daar? Wag hy weer vir Deon Kayser om hom onder die pale te duik? Ag nee sies man, ek dink Ikeys het jou baie meer nodig as die WP.
Ek het dieselfde probleem met die Springbokspan.
Waarom word spelers wat in Japan speel nie oorweeg nie, maar dié wat in Europa speel wel? Goed, laasgenoemde is waarskynlik ’n taaier reeks, maar as ek luister na wat die spandokter sê oor die swak fisiese kondisie van die gekose spelers ná die Super 15, en wat nog op hulle wag, dan sal ek eerder al my topspelers aanraai om in die Ooste te gaan speel.
Ten minste sien niemand daar op hulle neer nie, soos ou Archie Bunker sou sê.
Die pad vorentoe vir die res van die jaar gaan vir die Bokke straf wees. Twee weke na die Rugby Kampioenskap, wag Ierland vir die Bokke. Ouens soos Gio Aplon en Robert Ebersohn moet net geduldig wees. Dat hulle gaan speelkans kry, is gewis.
Laat ek darem op ’n positiewe noot eindig. Heyneke Meyer se kommunikasie met al die kandidate, sowel as die gekose Bokke, is uitstekend. Spelers soos die twee hierbo genoem, verstaan waarom hulle nie in die span is nie en dit hou negatiewe gedagtes uit hul koppe. Dit is so belangrik dat hulle nie toelaat dat swak moed hul spelpeil in die plaaslike reeks benadeel nie.
Nou ja, ou Grote, met die lang naweek ophande en die koue onder lede, sal ons maar moet vuurmaak om die koue leeu van die agterdeur af weg te hou. Ten minste gaan niemand kort van ys raak met sneeu op die voorstoep nie, of wat praat ek alles.
Salut!
PK the DJ
