Indeed, Jonners and Aggers would have loved that.

QUOTE:
Vaughan has always struggled against really quick bowlers.

Which is kind of a drawback for an opener/no 3 batsmen, really.

Bravo KP. Excellent century, and let's hope he doesn't do his usual trick of getting out first thing. And Bell certainly hasn't got "easy runs" this time out.

QUOTE:
South African's are starting to look ragged in the field, you have to wonder about their match fitness. Some of them are looking a little porky.

Yeah, some hacks here predicted that match fitness would be the great leveller. England come off the back of a couple of mildly testing test series; SA have not played since, I think, February.

That Pietersen is a cunt.

Yeah, but he's our cunt. So you know, deal with it.

Yeah. I reckon if he was our cunt, I'd like him a bit better. But if he was our cunt, he wouldn't be as big a cunt as he is now.

Now Bell's got his ton.

Well, the Crunchies can't complain about home-town umpiring, that was a poor decision against poor old Colly.

Problem is, I think you have to drop Collingwood because when your form's wretched, you often get wretched decisions. Bell made a double ton in domestic cricket and I think it's shown by his confidence now. Collingwood should go back to Durham and get some runs under his belt.

But you can't bring in Flintoff at 6 and Vaughan has made it clear he's coming in whatever happens (way to boost your team's confidence) so we have to drop someone else as well. So Shah and Flintoff in for Collingwood and A.N.Other.

Or you could bring in Shah for Colly, and Flintoff for Anderson. Then all you would need is a wicket-keeper who could bat and you would be away.

Do you want Ambrose back at Warwickshire then, TPC? He didn't have any shortage of runs there.

Well, after that brilliant cameo, he may be stockpiling the runs for his county sooner rather than later.

I think I've worked recent England keepers out - they come in against a lower rated attack - Windies, NZ etc, rack up a few decent scores and they'r the next Alec Stewart. Then line and length appears and they're just the next Chris Read, only without the glovework skills.

Foster must be rueing that broken arm all those years back.

I was just about to post that SA hadn't used Ntini much as Bell cut him for two consecutive fours to reach his highest ever Test scores. This has been a wonderful innings.

To be fair to Geraint Jones, he batted decently in the 2005 Ashes - he was just rubbish with the gloves (in that series and in most others). Foster's only Test series for England was the piece-of-piss 2002-03 Ashes, and he still batted OK in the circs.

Stuart Broad is the new Botham and I claim my £5.00.

I would guess that Flintoff will come in for one of the bowlers - almost certainly Anderson, unless he blows the South Africans away in this match. It would be madness to bring Flintoff in at the expense of a batsman.

Shah has been unfortunate selection-wise over the past few years. He may come in for Collingwood.

Ambrose will get a bit longer to prove himself. Mind you, if Flintoff“s fitness is suspect, or if Moores wants a five-man attack, then perhaps Prior will come in with Flintoff and bat at 6, with Flintoff at 7 and Broad at 8.

It's pissing it down in Harrow. Looks like Broad won't get the chance to get his ton. And Bell his double.

If England win this Test, and they surely won't lose it, do you really think they'll change? Surely having the large shadow of Flintoff in the background is working pretty well just now?

And Broad's out almost immediately...