Christ, I missed Pietersen's whole innings.

Cook is playing very well.

KP appears to be focused on showing SA up by going for the big shots when he should be focused on playing for his off stump, the silly fucker. And he got out to Kallis, who I hate on the grounds that he just loks like an objectionable cunt who was captain of everything at school whilst being thick as two short planks.

I haven't seen it, but wasn't Pietersen's dismissal to an attempted defensive shot?

Yeah, at one he didn't need to play outside off.

He went after it, realized his mistake and tried to pull the bat away - too late. What was shaping up to be England's morning suddenly went away from them.

The Purple Cow wrote:

QUOTE:
Pattinson's dad on hearing that his son has been selected for England...

"But he's Australian..."

Didn't he play in the 20/20 against Yorkshire?

Cook temporarily possessed by the spirit of Atherton, it would seem.

All over now.

KP scores 150, top scores with 40ish in a piss poor innings and then gets out defending for a low score and gets criticised?

Some people just want to have a go at him for being unorthodox and because of his nationality history.

Well, all I've got to go on is his figures today, when he needed to bat for some hours, of 4,4,1,4,out. Which doesn't look particularly defensive to me. Obviously someone who's watching this whilst chomping on Rupert's member may have a different view...

Or someone listening to TMS where they're discussing it right now and saying they couldn't criticise his wicket today? What about them?

I bet Boycott's criticising his wicket.

Cook gone now - he at least showed that you can stick around if you apply yourself, but we're now relying on Tiny Tim and the new (old) new (old) Botham to bat for a day and a half.

Fortunately that convicted woman beater isn't on at the moment.

I'm still upset that he has been taken back into the world of commentary.

barndoorio wrote:

QUOTE:
Or someone listening to TMS where they're discussing it right now and saying they couldn't criticise his wicket today? What about them?

Yes. Hindsight's a wonderful thing. As you may notice, I posted the moment he lost his wicket. Maybe we should all stop commenting on matches until the year's Wisden comes out, so we know what to think...

barndoorio wrote:

QUOTE:
Fortunately that convicted woman beater isn't on at the moment.

I'm still upset that he has been taken back into the world of commentary.

Who does meet the exacting moral standards of otf these days?

Boycott - wife beater

Pietersen - racist

Pattinson - Australian

Vaughan - crap

Jesus - too religious

Indeed it is all over now.

Spent a curiously enjoyable weekend at Headingley. As my companion put it this was "old fashioned test match play" by South Africa, putting caution first and fully understanding the draining effect on opponents that long occupation at the crease can have.

This was how test matches were before the Aussies re-wrote the book.

As a lesson in application it was flawless, but one that the current England side clearly can't learn from. The contentment of South Africa's high order to continue plodding along carefully at two and a half runs per over is in stark contrast to the likes of Pietersen and Flintoff who look to score that many per ball.

On the plus side, Anderson was superb all weekend and Flintoff is almost there but Broad looked tired, Panesaar's very average performance was polished by a couple of tail-end hoiks and Pattison's inclusion is a major worry. Is that really all that's out there when an injury stikes?

Edit - with Flintoff currently 9 not out off 53 balls he appears to have got the message. Only a day and a half to go, Freddie.

GO, of course hindisght is good, but your criticism of someone watching it on sky just came across a bit bitter.

I'm really not convinced Pietersen is a racist.

And I think it's generally accepted that beating your long term partner into hospital is morally dubious. I don't understand why he's on the air, but he is, so I presumably am in the minority.