Third one-day international, Newlands, Cape Town:
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**By Ben Dirs **
SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS
8th over - 40-0 Bit of width from Broad, and the loose-limbed Amla twirls him to third-man for one. Broad struggling with his lines and he’s flipped away by Smith for one more before Amla, feet staked to the crease, plays and misses outside off. Does anyone under the age of 25 reading this even know who Joe Bugner is If not, that makes me really sad…7th over - 38-0 Wide half-bunger from Anderson and Smith piles into that, clubbing the Lancashire man through the covers for four. Brutal, that was Bugner-esque. Two more for Smith, good save from Pietersen down on the long-leg boundary.“The sandwich was the tastiest thing on the train this morning - your staring at me put me right off my sarnie.”
Alex, Rush Green, Romford, in the TMS inbox****6th over - 32-0 Amla glides Broad to third-man for one, where KP fields and flings one in. “I am a little bit vain, but only because I want to realise my potential as a human being in every possible aspect.” Not my words, the words of Kevin Pietersen. Oh, hang on a minute, apparently it was Sting. Big lbw shout from Broad against Smith, but that pitched outside leg, and Smith drags Broad round the corner for a single next ball. Decent enough over, just two from it. 5th over - 30-0 Single from Amla before Smith lumbers three off his pads. Scrappy fielding so far from England, no way that should have been three. Width from Anderson and Amla flashes extravagantly down to third-man for a couple. “Hi Ben. Aggers is talking of refrigerated boxes. It would have to be a seriously hot day for me to don one of those.” Will, Yorkshire, in the TMS inbox****4th over - 23-0 Amla clips Broad through mid-wicket for four - I think we’re looking at a 350+ wicket here, even Alex lying in bed eating Crunchy Nut Cornflakes (see below) and listening to the game on the wireless can see that. Short outside off and that’s four more for Amla, flashing the Notts man through point. Amla nicks the strike with a sharp single to mid-wicket, good start for the hosts. 3rd over - 14-0 Anderson short and Smith’s onto it in a flash, hauling him through mid-wicket for four. Lots of emails in claiming this might be the best England batting line-up in memory. It certainly does have a solid look about it. Smith nudges off his pads for a couple, good running there and a wild throw in. Not much of a crowd in at Newlands, although it is a school day I suppose. 2nd over - 7-0 Stuart Broad straight back into the thick of it, and his first ball is punched off the back foot through point for four by Amla. It’s one icy outfield at Newlands, there’s runs out there at Newlands… two slips in for England, Strauss and Swann, which Duncan Fletcher thinks is one too many. Just the one boundary from Broad’s over, it was a tight one. Mark (see below), I have James Blunt ‘You’re Beautiful’ moments on the Tube all the time, although it’s not always reciprocal: I once travelled all the way from Romford to White City only to look in the mirror in the lift at Television Centre and discover I had a dried bogey smeared across my face.“Sounds like you had a James Blunt ‘You’re Beautiful’ moment with this Tube girl. From my experience of the Underground, that’s as rare as a positive ODI series from England, so that’s a good omen.”
Mark in Swindon in the TMS inbox
1st over - 3-0 You can listen to TMS via our website now, that’s all working. I think. Hashim Amla, he of the backlift that looks like a flower opening up, to face the first delivery of the match, from James Anderson. First ball on leg and Amla twirls it away for a single. Bit of a delay as Smith has a moan about the sight-screen, before some clown appears with a screwdriver. No idea… cheeky single from Smith with just a dab to mid-on, Broad hits the stumps and South Africa come back for a second. Broad on his heels there, Anderson not too happy. Three from the first over, no hint of swing. 1227: We’ve got the anthems now, we’ll have play in just a few minutes. Not a reggae version of the South African anthem today, as before the rugby union match between France and the Springboks. Nope, it’s a Goth Hop version instead.“Sitting in bed, cricket on the radio in the background, eating a bowl of Crunchy Nut. The joys of student life… Looks like England have got their work cut out today though, the wicket looks a belter.”
Alex in the TMS inbox “That suddenly looks like a cracking batting line-up from England for one-dayers! Let’s hope they can build on the confidence from the last game.”
**Ryan, Bristol, in the TMS inbox ** “I fancy England to be the first to win under floodlights here, providing our bowlers can get us off to a good start and restrict the Saffers.” Sportsfanm87 on 606****1218: Big Duncan Fletcher in the TMS summariser’s seat today. He’s turned Queens, so to speak, and is now a consultant with the Saffers. 1213: Bit of spin expected at Newlands today, which will be encouraging for England - they’ve got Swanny, South Africa haven’t got much in the way of tweak. However depressed with work you may feel today, take succour from the fact that I turned up at 7am for my shift, not realising that I was expected in at 1130. It was a long and diabolical journey back to Romford, only made tolerable by a smashing blonde lady sitting opposite me on the Tube nibbling on a sandwich. Aaaah… South Africa: GC Smith (cap), HM Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, AN Petersen, MV Boucher (wk), R McLaren, WD Parnell, RE van der Merwe, M Morkel, DW Steyn
England: AJ Strauss (cap), IJL Trott, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, EJG Morgan, MJ Prior (wk), LJ Wright, SCJ Broad, GP Swann, TT Bresnan, JM Anderson 1209: Two changes for both sides: Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann in for Saj Mahmood and Adil Rashid for England, Wayne Parnell and Morne Morkel in for Charl Langeveldt and Albie Morkel. Twelve times South Africa have won the toss in floodlit matches at Newlands, 12 times they’ve won, 12 times they’ve batted first and 12 times they’ve won. Someone wants to have a rifle through Graeme Smith’s loose change…
1205: Hello. The third ODI between England and South Africa at Newlands today, with England bidding for their seventh straight win over the Proteas in the 50-over format. Spanking day in Cape Town, looks like a painting by Gauguin, if he’d ever done pictures of cricket grounds… Graeme Smith has won the toss and his South Africans are going to have a bat. It really does look smashing out there..This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.