So to the end of the tour. The final game. Lord knows when we’ll return, given it’s been six years since we last turned up. Maybe we can squeeze in two more Ashes tours before the next visit? That’s what we all want, right?
England will be smarting from the defeat on Friday. Well, if they aren’t they bloody well should be. They didn’t make enough runs, but not by as much as we thought at half-way, and then bowled and contained well to get themselves into a winning position. The ending summed up the game. England lost the game on a fielding error that prevented the match going to a Super Over.
Today the game is in Jo’burg. The legendary bull ring. The graveyard of bowlers in T20 cricket. There have been eight scores of over 200 there in the limited history of T20 international cricket. Last year South Africa posted 231 and lost.
But we heard all this in the run-up to the ODI and it was, by recent standards, relatively low scoring. So who knows what we’ll get.
Comments on the game, if you care, below. “These people” on the blog will be honest and forthright and tell it as it is. And that’s from me.
UPDATE – South Africa win the toss and bowl. England bring in Billings for Willey.
Being Outside Cricket 
I have stayed away from cricket since getting rid of sky tv, following it only loosely since the ECB forced me not to care about England cricket, but having lunch with the parents allowed me to watch the game live. Almost enjoyable, until the standard collapse. 7 for 14 runs? Thats impressive even for England.
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Oh dear.
Chris Jordan.
1.4 overs for 40 runs.
Hmmm
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Which Associate nation will England lose to this time at the World Cup?
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Australia?!
😉
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Find out on March 24th!
England have in reality got the easier associate draw as they’ll play the winner of Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, HK and Scotland (wouldn’t like to call that – hope it’s Afghanistan of course).
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100/0 off 6.5 overs.
Imagine what the score would be if Strauss hadn’t come in and got every major decision right?
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SA 121-0 after 8 overs…
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De Villiers gone. The fightback starts here.
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Yesssssssssssssssssssss!
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Another nice fumble from Buttler. Still, it’s not as if Rashid needs all the help he can get staying in the team with Mike Selvey making his case all the time . . .
Oh.
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Looking forward to how the ECB stenographers try to spin this one. Maybe it was those missed chances again? That missed stumping on 144/1 was crucial….
Newman was already starting to turn this morning:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3456343/As-England-prepare-T20-series-decider-Trevorlution-limited-success.html
He’s obviously found the big issue – Alex Hales (unlike any other young man with a bit of cash before him) is fond of a flash car.
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Knight spinning better than Murali….
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What I don’t like about T20 is that if I’m busy doing family stuff for 2-3 hours and then switch on, the bloody thing has already finished. Looks like missed something special.
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I know. Had to go out for food shopping during the South African innings.
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I don’t mean to sound like a twat, but could you not record it?
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They were 50/0 when I left. I’m not wasting precious space on the Tivo for that.
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To be fair, Root, you could have the same problem during any England innings in a Test Match…
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Hilarious. Cake tin proportion. ECB XI needing some ironrod leadership. I say.
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Really, really sucked, didn’t they?
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Mouthpiece – “But this is a young team and we’re still learning. It’s a work in progress. It will develop into a World Cup winning outfit!”
Scared non-embedded journalist “*cough* – there’s a World Cup in a few weeks?”
Mouthpiece “We’re building for the next one. Or is it the one after? I didn’t read the notes that closely….”
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Not sure anyone could call SA’s bowling attack experienced
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That was the highest PP score conceded by a Test-playing nation.
Only Scotland and Ireland have gone for more.
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If this doesn’t get home the message that we’re not as good as we think we are, nothing will.
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