Saturday, January 2, 2010

Live - South Africa v England

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times GMT)

To get involved e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk (with 'For Tom Fordyce' in the subject), text 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) (with "CRICKET" as first word) or use 606 (Not all comments can be used)

By Tom Fordyce

0845: Andrew Strauss calls heads - it is heads - and England will bowl. "Good overcast conditions," he says. "It's a great opportunity for us. It's meant to be cloudy most of the day and it was swinging nicely in the warm-ups."

0843: Here come skippers Smith and Strauss - we'll toss shortly.

0830: Hold on - what's that? Toss at 0845? If it doesn't rain again?

0822: Uh-oh - is that a little more heavy mist in the air? End of delay has been delayed, I fear.

0818: Former England coach Duncan Fletcher, who is currently helping the South African side, has joined the Test Match Special team for this Test. He's alongside his old skipper Michael Vaughan in the commentary box. I'll keep you posted.

0808: At the mo, however, there's a light mist hanging round Newlands - the covers are coming off, but a little late. Delayed toss, and almost certainly a slight delay to the start. Overcast conditions, touch of green in the pitch - is it a day for sticking the oppo in?

0805: We also think that El Gingero Collingo will be passed fit. Not yet sure if he'll be fielding at slip to the quicks, but he batted at full whack in the nets on Saturday.

0800: News aplenty from Cape town - no teams through yet, but red-hot rumours that Makhaya Ntini has been dropped. If he has been, it looks like Friedel de Wet will come in, and that Ntini will announce his international retirement and sign for Middlesex as a Kolpak player.

0750: Heart-rending drama. The favourite beaten. The plucky outsider coming from nowhere to claim the title, after a brutal test of fitness and skill. Still - enough of Danielle Lloyd's defeat of Sally Gunnell and Dom Littlewood in last night's Celebrity Total Wipeout - there's some cricket to be watched...

ะพ 8:55 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)