Bet some of the players made good money from bets

Seems a bit suspect!

Excellent fightback from the Aussies. The Indians just cant seem to win in Aus. The last tour to Australia also resulted in them not winning (although I think they lost every match - not sure though) a single match in all formats. Looks like that may repeat itself.

didn't they technically win a world cup game?

Considering India didn't even leave Australia during that time till they had a week in NZ for the world cup in March 7-14.

Re-arrange the words


Straws at Grasping

Is it wrong that this was my first thought too?

New Zealand openers going great guns again in the deciding T20 against Pakistan

50 00 off 4.1 with Guptil 40* of 14 balls

kiss of death as Guptil goes for 42

Wickets falling but the r/r is still neary 9

NZ 96/3 in 11

we should have a bonus prediction for one of the fantasy games of how many wickets will fall within an over of someone posting how good they are looking

I'm getting quite good at getting wickets this way....

Consensus of the pundits seems to be that Woakes will replace Finn

I think we should have a look at Footitt to see how he adapts to the step up
Harsh on Woakes but the only way to find if someone has the temperament is to play them !

i would be playing footitt as well , series is already won and it would be good to get a look at someone who may offer some variety rather than just go with a poor man's jimmy anderson

Cook calls wrong and AB opts to bat


5 changes for South Africa !

In come Stephen Cook,Duminy,Piedt,Abbott and De Kock

Out goes Vilas.Du Plessis,Viljoen,van Styl and Morris

As expected, Woakes replaces Finn

bit of a conservative selection going with woakes imo

i know he has never had a proper run in tests but just doesn't strike me as someone who is going to be successful at this level

Spreads calling South Africa runs at 330 - 345

Might be a tad high but no involvement for me

Solid start for SA........35-0 after 40 minutes

Anderson has looked off the pace and has been replaced early in the day by Mooen Ali as first change.......

edit.........I got a wicket !........

so did Mooen.........

(subject to review)

Elgar eventually given out after about 10 minutes......

Another short leg snaffle from Taylor

said a few times there needs to be a time limit on things like that

if the TV umpire cant see from first 2 or 3 views that the onfield decision was wrong then just go with it and as bumble would say , just get on with the game !

89-1

England are 'on the beach'...........poor bowling

been a poor first session , a bit reminiscent of the last test on the first day

not really created much at all with the ball

Never really got the hype about Woakes.
No idea why the Warwickshire fan boys go crazy over this guy.

just recently Dobell a massive Warwickshire fan was bigging up Woakes and even saying that the social media people that don't want woakes in the team are wrong.

another poor drop from bairstow

i just think he flatters to deceive a bit

good county stats in usually helpful conditions , looks like he has talent, but his figures at international level, in albeit a small sample size, are pretty mediocre

need to improve his keeping big time if he wants to keep Butter out of the side, Buttler more of a natural keeper.
He dropping or missing too many chances, Johannesburg is an exception really since that ground is the easiest place to keep in the world.

Not really keeping tabs on his wicket keeping misses but I would say he misses 3-5 chances a game and lots of them are the ones he should take.

not his fault but woakes is one of those players that are so good for county cricket/domestic cricket and just not good enough for international cricket.
bowling hasn't got that extra nip to get people out in international cricket.

Chris Woakes best chances to actually playing more cricket for England was to improve his batting so he could play in the top 7 but it seems like England have gone for Stokes in that role.