Cricket - proteas

[thebish]

and amla gone cheaply...

du plessis is having a bit of a tonk, though

[TANGODANCER]

S.A. 250-5 and rain looking quite heavy as play is stopped.

[TANGODANCER]

I've never been to South Africa. That old steeotype thing again. I always imagined it as a burning sunshine land with game reserves where lions and hyenas roamed below Table Mountain, while game rangers roared around in Land Rovers with the radios playing Matt Monro singing "Born Free". Certainly didn't see "rain stopped play" in a cricket match as a reality. Ah well, another myth shattered....

All over and we win as the rain makes further play impossible. One-nil to us.

[thebish]

england are bagging some stunning catches lately - Jordan plucks a catch from behind his shoulder - not unlike stokes the other day - and De Villiers both times!

edit: and now Buttler has pulled off a blinder to dismiss Rossouw

[TANGODANCER]

With S.A at 225-6 it's looking pretty decent so far. That catch was far more difficult than it might look. Superb..

Edit...245-7 now....

[TANGODANCER]

262 the total to chase. Reporter says England seem well happy with that. Time to pick up the bat....

[TANGODANCER]

Not the best of starts with Roy gone for 14.....come on lads.

[TANGODANCER]

3 down for 169. Almost a ton needed but we can do this...

[TANGODANCER]

26 smashed off the last five balls as we win the game. Moeen hits two fours and Buttler hits three sixes off three balls. 2-0. Good stuff..

[Worthy4England]

Looking like less than we might have been hoping for - looked like a 350 total at one point with Root and Stokes going well. then commentators opened their gobs...

[TANGODANCER]

Looking like less than we might have been hoping for - looked like a 350 total at one point with Root and Stokes going well. then commentators opened their gobs...

Is that it, 318 for 8? Seems pretty decent to me, but it's up to the bowlers now.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Looking like less than we might have been hoping for - looked like a 350 total at one point with Root and Stokes going well. then commentators opened their gobs...

Is that it, 318 for 8? Seems pretty decent to me, but it's up to the bowlers now.

Just over six per over is not that good. Thank goodness for Rashid and Willey who put on 26 in the last two and a half overs.

[Worthy4England]

Looking like less than we might have been hoping for - looked like a 350 total at one point with Root and Stokes going well. then commentators opened their gobs...

Is that it, 318 for 8? Seems pretty decent to me, but it's up to the bowlers now.

Not saying 318 is a particularly bad score - but we looked like getting another 30/40 on top at one stage...

[BWFC_Insane]

Only a few years back, 318 would be considered a very, very, very good score on virtually any surface in a 50 over innings.

I know it might not be enough now, but surely something has to be done to redress the balance a bit? We can't have scores of nearly 400 needed most of the time and the game basically being about plundering 6s and 4s till you get out. It is becoming a longer 20:20 match.

Seeing high scores is fascinating from time to time but not if it just becomes the norm. IMHO.

[TANGODANCER]

Just come back in from having the dog drag me out in the rain. Sodden, and hard to picture anybody playing cricket right now. Quick couple of wickets needed please...

[TANGODANCER]

We're getting slogged all over the ground....ouch...

[Worthy4England]

Aye 318 looking very short of the mark now...

[TANGODANCER]

Won by seven wickets with 22 balls to spare is the result. Their day today....terrific stuff from Amlah and De Kock.

[Worthy4England]

That other 30/40 runs mighta helped.

[Worthy4England]

This isn't looking very good from 87-1 to 97-4.