Result : South Africa v England | 2nd Test | Jan 2-6, 2016 | Cape Town | Match Drawn

[dandapinda]

157 ahead, at least 37 overs left

Do you really think SA will try to chase anything above 4 RR ?? if only they played @ 3.3 to 3.5 SR instead of below 3 match should have been better.

 

[Ozymandiasza]

Bad light stopped play.

 

[Bilal7]

Draw confirmed now. It's been one unique test match this. Thoroughly enjoyable.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

As expected, looking a draw.

 

[Ozymandiasza]

Draw confirmed now. It's been one unique test match this. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Agreed.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Draw confirmed now. It's been one unique test match this. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Yes an Amla bhai double century and the other bhai performed as well....

1000 runs piled in 04 days.

Whatta match

 

[Bilal7]

What a crickety ending. Draw due to bad-light is confirmed but the captains are not allowed to shake hands. Someone needs to strike off this rule ASAP.

 

[dandapinda]

Only interesting things in matches are Stokes scintillating innings,Amla 200 & Temba bhai's maiden 100.

Only 4/5 interesting sessions out of 15.

ps : This test clearly showed how slow batting doesn't allow a chance for result.

 

[Robert]

Do you really think SA will try to chase anything above 4 RR ??

Definitely. And they would have most likely got it.

The bad light has probably saved England from defeat here.

 

[James]

Engerlund have played total facepalm cricket for the last 3 days now. 1-0 up after 2 Tests with 2 to play is a great position to be in, but a big improvement needed from them to close out one of the remaining games and win the series.

 

[dandapinda]

Engerlund have played total facepalm cricket for the last 3 days now. 1-0 up after 2 Tests with 2 to play is a great position to be in, but a big improvement needed from them to close out one of the remaining games and win the series.

They should stop dropping too many catches at critical junction + breaking SA defensive batting some how will help,for second point pitches also matters.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Cook is extremely overrated.

 

[Bilal7]

Cook is extremely overrated.

One of the two best openers in the world. However, the people calling him an ATG need to get real.

 

[Robert]

Dropping eight catches in one innings is unacceptable.

 

[Chrish]

Dropping eight catches in one innings is unacceptable.

Should i say dollys

 

[The_Odd_One]

One of the two best openers in the world. However, the people calling him an ATG need to get real.

He is a good opener but he is like any other batsman who is scoring runs after all great bowlers retired from the game.

 

[HitWicket]

He is a good opener but he is like any other batsman who is scoring runs after all great bowlers retired from the game.

And what do you expect him to do, go back in time so he can play against the 'great bowlers'...? This argument can now be put in place for any modern batsman then?

 

[Bilal7]

He is a good opener but he is like any other batsman who is scoring runs after all great bowlers retired from the game.

Who's to say that a few out of Starc, Hazlewood, Boult, Henry, Milne, Rabada, Finn, Amir, Yasir and Ashwin won't turn out to be great bowlers?

We've also had Steyn, MJ, Anderson, Southee, Asif, Ajmal, Swann and Herath around the international scene so there isn't exactly a dearth of good bowlers.

 

[The_Odd_One]

And what do you expect him to do, go back in time so he can play against the 'great bowlers'...? This argument can now be put in place for any modern batsman then?

I already called him a good opener. He is probably the best with Warner right now. However, calling somebody like Amla, Devilliers, Younis, etc. overrated but Cook ATG just does not make any sense.

 

[Bilal7]

I already called him a good opener. He is probably the best with Warner right now. However, calling somebody like Amla, Devilliers, Younis, etc. overrated but Cook ATG just does not make any sense.

Agreed. Amla is clearly a better player and the other two are as good as he is, at worst.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Who's to say that a few out of Starc, Hazlewood, Boult, Henry, Milne, Rabada, Finn, Amir, Yasir and Ashwin won't turn out to be great bowlers?

We've also had Steyn, MJ, Anderson, Southee, Asif, Ajmal, Swann and Herath around the international scene so there isn't exactly a dearth of good bowlers.

Yes, some of these bowlers might become ATG, no doubt. That is not the point. But you cannot compare achievements of today's batsmen in tests to ones who were facing bowlers like Pollock, Donald, Akram, Waqar, Mcgrath, Ambrose, Warne, Murlitharan, etc.

Cook is pretty good in this era but he was an average opener whenever he faced good fast bowling attacks. Check his record in Ashes. Except one, he was below mediocre in all of them. He is struggling even in the current SA series and has not that good in the past either against them. He never had to face Anderson and Broad and he failed against Asif and Aamir as well.

 

[Bilal7]

Yes, some of these bowlers might become ATG, no doubt. That is not the point. But you cannot compare achievements of today's batsmen in tests to ones who were facing bowlers like Pollock, Donald, Akram, Waqar, Mcgrath, Ambrose, Warne, Murlitharan, etc.

Cook is pretty good in this era but he was an average opener whenever he faced good fast bowling attacks. Check his record in Ashes. Except one, he was below mediocre in all of them. He is struggling even in the current SA series and has not that good in the past either against them. He never had to face Anderson and Broad and he failed against Asif and Aamir as well.

Cook hasn't chosen who he gets to bat against. I agree with all your criticisms of him except the one where you criticize him for not facing Wasim, McGrath, etc.

 

[Robert]

Yes, some of these bowlers might become ATG, no doubt. That is not the point. But you cannot compare achievements of today's batsmen in tests to ones who were facing bowlers like Pollock, Donald, Akram, Waqar, Mcgrath, Ambrose, Warne, Murlitharan, etc.

Cook is pretty good in this era but he was an average opener whenever he faced good fast bowling attacks. Check his record in Ashes. Except one, he was below mediocre in all of them. He is struggling even in the current SA series and has not that good in the past either against them. He never had to face Anderson and Broad and he failed against Asif and Aamir as well.

I think he would have done OK against Anderson and Broad. His problem is quick stuff outside the off stump.

To be fair he did get a century against A&A who all the batters struggled against in that series, which you may recall was played under total overcast.

 

[James]

Cook in my opinion is an England great, a world-class opener in his era who has been a very good player in the history of cricket also. But a great of the game, or an all-time great? I don't think that he is either of those at the moment. This should probably be reviewed again in 2 years or so.