South Africa v England: second Test, day one - live! - The Guardian, Theguardian.com

4. 42 amEST(******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************:

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (th over: England – 1 (Sibley

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, Denly) Another over, another nudge for a single. Nortje seems to be pronounced Norkia, is that right? Like the Queen telling you her preferred brand of phone.

On Twitter, Paul Speller isn’t happy. “Treatment of Matt Parkinson is shocking, esp as Eng camp, in traditional style, have been leaking plan for days. Selecting a not yet fit quick for tour not v clever, either. ”Fair point about Wood, and yes some sympathy for Parkinson, but with Woakes unwell and the tail flopping at Centurion, Bess’s batting is clearly needed.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** th over: England – 1 (Sibley********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, Denly 13)

du Plessis turns to spin, in the shape of Keshav Maharaj, probably because Sibley gave him that return catch in the first Test. Denly strokes a single past the bowler and Sibley gets a gift on his pads, which he duly flicks for four. That’sdrinks, with honors evenish but England doing not too badly, all things considered.

4.

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********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (th over: England (1) Sibley , Denly 13) A rest for Philander as Nortje comes on. He is quicker but less threatening, and Sibley picks up two more with a push into the covers. He’s getting a taste for the off side now.

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************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ (th over: England – 1 (Sibley 18, Denly 13

A single to Sibley, nudging off his pads.

“It occurs to me,” says Sandy Fyfe, “If Philander is an artist, as you suggest in the 7th over, he would be an elegant impressionist whose quality and skills stand the test of time and are obvious for all to see. A Monet perhaps? Or Degas?

“Jonny Bairstow on the other hand would be Martin Creed, unashamedly trying to pass off crumpled up pieces of paper as art. A bit like he has tried to pass off his batting technique as Test standard for some time now! ”Know what you mean, but Bairstow’s technique was good enough to make him a successful Test player for a few years. Then he started missing straight balls in Tests – while lording it in one-day cricket and the County Championship. You’d think that a good batting coach would be itching to work with him.

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************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (th over: England) *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (1) Sibley 17, Denly 12)Denly decides to stand outside his crease to cut down on Philander’s movement away from the bat. Philander tries a bouncer to push him back, but Denly is ready for it and hooks, authoritatively, for four. Good contest.

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************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (th over: England) ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** – 1 Sibley (******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, Denly 7)

A nudge for a single by Denly off Rabada, and a row of dots for Sibley, who deals easily with a rare bouncer.

“Good morning,” says Damian Ainsworth. “Just tuned in, noticed Bairstow’s absence and am left wondering how the Guardian’s OBO warriors will occupy their time without him to discuss (criticise). Root’s captaincy perhaps? Yours, a cussed Yorkshireman. ”Ha. So do you believe Root is a good captain?

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9th over: England************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** – 1 (Sibley

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************, Denly 6)In his first Test innings at Mount Maunganui, Sibley made without troubling the scorers once on the off side. But now he manages to hit a cover drive for four, off Philander of all people. Maybe he’s less limited than he looked in New Zealand. He’s certainly been positive today, making his (off only) balls.(********************************** 4). (amEST(****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************:

8th over: England**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (1) Sibley. , Denly 6)

This time Denly’s square drive is a touch later, which takes it away to cover’s left, for four. He gets a couple more in the same direction with more of a prod. After all those solid fifties, today would be a great day to get his first Test hundred.

“I’ve just woken up to see the line-up,” says Adma Levine, “and with all these callow batsmen and medium pacers, it feels like I’ve had a bump on the head and come to in some sort of 94 s cricketing equivalent of Life on Mars, with Chris Silverwood in the attack rather than the dressing room. I’m half expecting to see Jason Gallian opening and Mark Lathwell and Hugh Morris jog to the crease at some point. Hoping to see Martin McCague come into the attack and also hoping that the ‘new Botham’, Ronnie Irani, lives up to the hype. All soundtracked by Supergrass and the Fugees natch. Have fun OBO’ing this impending train wreck of a Test match. ”

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7th over: England********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (1) Sibley

, Denly 0)Philander offers a rare freebie and Sibley helps himself to a clip through square leg to move into double figures. Irritated, Philander beats his outside edge with a lovely leg-cutter, then beats his inside edge with the nip-backer into the pads. The man is an artist.(********************************** 3) . (am EST):

6th over: England****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Sibley (1) , Denly 0)Joe Denly, a spectator so far, faces a full over from Rabada, and it’s a good contest. Rabada is more accurate and Denly, as is his wont at the start of a Test innings, is obdurate. He does produce one elegant square drive, but it goes straight to the man at cover point.

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5th over: England****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Sibley (1) , Denly 0)

Sibley plays out a maiden from Philander, who has picked up precisely where he left off at Centurion. His figures are 3-2-1-1, while Rabada has 2-0 – – 0.

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4th over: England************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Sibley (1) , Denly 0)

And now Sibley edges Rabada, through the gap at fourth slip, for four. Hard to see why Faf du Plessis hasn’t gone for a full cordon.

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3rd over: England 8-1 (Sibley 4, Denly 0)These teams are a funny mixture of old and young, and in that over Philander’s experience easily overpowered Crawley’s youthful promise – helped by a fine diving catch from another senior player, Quinton de Kock. And England’s decision to go with Crawley over Jonny Bairstow has backfired already.

“Optimism?” Says Colum Farrelly. “This is really a variation on Tom van der Gucht’s second reason [8:31]. England play awful rubbish when they’re cocky. This team won’t be afflicted by arrogance and will focus admirably. (I hope I’m not too late with this, and they’re 0-2 after 1 over.) ”Not far off.

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Wicket! Crawley c de Kock b Philander 4 (England 8-1)

Nerveless or not, Crawley’s missed a couple outside off and now he nicks one, coming down with a crooked bat as Philander finds that immaculate outswinger of his. Shame.

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(************************************************************************************(************************************************************************************ (**************************************************************************************************************************************************Zak Crawley watches as the ball is caught by South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. Photograph: Halden Krog / AP (******************************************************************************************

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2nd over: England 8-0 (Crawley 4, Sibley 4)Kagiso Rabada goes very full to Crawley, who leaves one tempting half-volley outside off, then pushes the next into the covers for a comfy three. Dom Sibley gets off the mark as Rabada stays full and strays onto the pads, the one place where you don’t bowl to Sibley. This pair may lack experience, but they don’t seem cowed.

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1st over: England 1-0 (Crawley 1, Sibley 0)Philander is not a man who needs a loosener and, sure enough, he beats Zak Crawley, fourth ball, with a jaffa. Then he gets too straight and Crawley is able to flick him away for a single, which is greeted by the England fans as if it was a six from Ben Stokes. Mike Atherton reckons the crowd is 74% English.

Updatedat 3. (am EST) ************

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Play!It’s going to be Vernon Philander to open the bowling in his farewell series. In the first Test, he was not so much Big Vern as Absolutely Immense Vern.

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Time for some rampant optimism. “It might be because this is the last weekday of my Christmas holidays,” says Tom van der Gucht, “and I’m on a sugar high after eating a Toblerone for breakfast, but my money is firmly on an England win, for the following reasons.

1. South Africa haven’t lost here for ages, except against Australia (according to Simon Wilde on Twitter) and are therefore due a loss.

2. England’s bounce-back-ability, they often follow up a shambolic loss with an unlikely win

3. South Africa are no longer the underdogs and therefore are likely to choke.

4. Nearly all of England’s batsmen are due a big score – hopefully they’ll cash in today with a double ton for one of them.

5. England might have a more balanced side if they have a spinner … Er, that’s all I’ve got. ”

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A word from the Cape.

“Good morning from a sunny but windy Cape Town Tim,” says Trevor Tutu. “I would be going to the ground, but have given my tickets to my son, as he says he and his mates are going to barrack the Barmy Army.” Good luck with that. (********************************************************************************************************************** (**************************************************************************************************************** (3.) ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (am EST): Oh my goddess

And here’s John Starbuck, sorting out my Greek theology for me. “Good morning. The Greek god of disarray [Preamble, below] is really a goddess: Eris, the one with the golden apple who started the Trojan war. Mischief incarnate, her. ”Well, there are times when Tests at Cape Town seem to be going on for ten years.(************************************************************************************************************************** (******************************************************************************************************************** (3) ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (AM) ********** (EST) *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************:

(This new top three)

The first email of the day comes from John Phaceas, who sees my line about England’s top three and goes one better. “‘ Sibley, Crawley and Denly, who sound more like a set of adverbs than a source of runs. ’Nice turn of phrase Tim. Though the image that sprang to my mind was of competing Bradford rag-and-bone men. ”(****************************************************************************************************************************** (************************************************************************************************************************** (3) **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** amEST06: 06

(Teams: a lot of inexperience)

As expected, it’s Zak Crawley in for the injured Rory Burns, Ollie Pope for Jonny Bairstow, and Dom Bess doing his utmost to stand in for Jofra Archer. The bowling could be all too medium-fast. South Africa, in a much calmer place, make only one change, Pieter Malan for the injured Aiden Markram. They, like England, have three players in the top six with fewer than five Test caps apiece.

England

1 Sibley, 2 Crawley, 3 Denly, 4 Root (capt), 5 Stokes, 6 Pope, 7 Buttler (wkt), 8 Curran, 9 Bess, Broad, Anderson.

S Africa1 Elgar , 2 Malan, 3 Hamza, 4 du Plessis (capt), 5 van der Dussen, 6 de Kock (wkt), 7 Pretorius, 8 Philander, 9 Maharaj, 10 Rabada, 14 Nortje.(************************************************************************************************************************************ (**************************************************************************************************************************** (3.) ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* (amEST(******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************: ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************(Toss: England win and bat)

“We’re going to bat first,” says Joe Root. And that big smile is back on his face.

(*************************************************************************************************************************************** (******************************************************************************************************************************** (5. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (PM) ********** EST(****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************: 51(Preamble: from bad to curse)

Morning everyone

and welcome to England’s first Test of the s. It feels like the last Test of an Ashes winter: half the team injured, replacements flying in, wheels falling off. Two weeks ago it was South Africa who were in disarray. Now they’re one up and feeling quietly pleased with themselves, while disarray, like a Greek god, has changed sides on a whim. England’s luck has gone from bad to curse – first a flu epidemic, then Jofra Archer’s bad elbow, now a football injury taking Rory Burns out of the whole series. If Alastair Cook was due at this game as a commentator, he’d probably find himself playing in it.

England’s top three may well be Sibley, Crawley and Denly, who sound more like a set of adverbs than a source of runs. Sibley has played three Tests, Crawley one; Sibley has (Test runs, which is**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** more than Crawley. Denly, who’s on 660, has at least found a way of making uncharacteristically dour fifties, but England may need a bit more than that here. Newlands, in Cape Town, is made for batting, almost as much as for taking pictures.

South Africa are expected to bring in Pieter Malan, their third 35 – something debutant of the series, in place of the injured Aiden Markram. England may be wishing they had a Malan too – Dawid Malan averages 37 in Tests away from home, and clearly has the temperament for the top, as well as some local knowledge. The way things are going, he could be on the next plane.

Among the bowlers, Dom Bess is the most likely understudy for Archer, which is rather like replacing a sword with a Swiss Army knife. See you for the toss at am in Cape Town, 8am GMT.

Updated at 5. PM EST(**************************************************************************************************************************************

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