Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith-England-skipper-Andrew-Strauss-coming-did-me.html

On 4 Nov, 18:17, Maxx  wrote:
> Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith...

He's got over it a long time ago, he's not some whiner who'll go on
about it for months after - at least I'd hope not.  This is just some
clever pre-series tub-thumping to rouse his countrymen (you included,
I assume). Mind you if he is still whining, he needs to gather up his
toy from around the pram and get on with it.

Richard

On Nov 4, 8:25 pm, Richard Dixon  wrote:
> On 4 Nov, 18:17, Maxx  wrote:
>
> > Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>
> >http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith...
>
> He's got over it a long time ago, he's not some whiner who'll go on
> about it for months after - at least I'd hope not.  This is just some
> clever pre-series tub-thumping to rouse his countrymen (you included,
> I assume). Mind you if he is still whining, he needs to gather up his
> toy from around the pram and get on with it.
>
> Richard

Actually I haven't read it yet Richard, but revenge won't be complete
until Strass & co's noses are rubbed in the dirt - Tests, 20-20's and
ODI's.

"Maxx"  wrote in message 
news:89123d43-9d91-4e8f-bcb8-6d7c18ea26f1@n35g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
> Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith-England-skipper-Andrew-Strauss-coming-did-me.html

Ah, you and the Daily Mail: a match made in heaven.

Andrew

On 4 Nov, 19:01, Maxx  wrote:

> Actually I haven't read it yet Richard, but revenge won't be complete
> until Strass & co's noses are rubbed in the dirt - Tests, 20-20's and
> ODI's.

You haven't read it yet. Loving your work.

Richard

"Maxx"  wrote in message 
news:92ff1a8b-df1f-4e4f-80c3-5bdef8b501a2@j19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
> On Nov 4, 8:25 pm, Richard Dixon  wrote:
>> On 4 Nov, 18:17, Maxx  wrote:
>>
>> > Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>>
>> >http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith...
>>
>> He's got over it a long time ago, he's not some whiner who'll go on
>> about it for months after - at least I'd hope not. This is just some
>> clever pre-series tub-thumping to rouse his countrymen (you included,
>> I assume). Mind you if he is still whining, he needs to gather up his
>> toy from around the pram and get on with it.
>>
>> Richard
>
> Actually I haven't read it yet Richard, but revenge won't be complete
> until Strass & co's noses are rubbed in the dirt - Tests, 20-20's and
> ODI's.

Revenge will never be complete because there's always another tournament on 
the way which you tell us South Africa will win, but don't.

Andrew

"Maxx"  wrote in message 
news:89123d43-9d91-4e8f-bcb8-6d7c18ea26f1@n35g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
> Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith-England-skipper-Andrew-Strauss-coming-did-me.html

Handbags at 20 paces.   The trouble with SAF (in many ways similar to 
England) is their tough talk isn't that tough.
Didn't Smith call Flintoff a baby and Vaughan gay in 2004-05?   Sure Smith 
is a more mature character now but I reckon
the Smith v Strauss debate will be the one that decides this series - with 
the bat and nothing else.

Strauss is, just at the moment, the test run machine in the England team. 
He's the best tactician and the most
mature member.

Smith is not a run machine - he's an awful starter with a lot of technical 
flaws that stem from his grip.   So much goes
through the on side that if you can swing the ball he can be drawn very wide 
and caught in the slips and I'm sure that's
why Hoggard made him look like a novice in 2004-05 and why we've struggled 
to bowl at him since.   In an England bowling makeup that's likely to be 
swing dominated - Smith is the only one of the SAF top order I predict to 
fail consistently.   I suspect Sidebottom will be the man for him.

No doubting Smith has the respect of his players and his media.

If we look at the 2008 series - IIRC Smith got a hundred on a featherbed at 
Lord's then not many at Leeds, a champion century at Edgbaston and not many 
at the Oval.   Strauss in 2008 was still going through his dip in form then 
but IIRC had an iffy series - no hundreds I can remember.

So I predict a great series and this will be one key battle - but not 
because of runners and ODI past performances - that's media codswallop 
drummed up to try and sell bogroll like the daily mail.

On Thu, 5 Nov 2009 21:39:44 -0000, "lk" 
wrote:

>
>"Maxx"  wrote in message 
>news:89123d43-9d91-4e8f-bcb8-6d7c18ea26f1@n35g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
>> Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>>
>> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith-England-skipper-Andrew-Strauss-coming-did-me.html
>
>Handbags at 20 paces.   The trouble with SAF (in many ways similar to 
>England) is their tough talk isn't that tough.
>Didn't Smith call Flintoff a baby and Vaughan gay in 2004-05?   Sure Smith 
>is a more mature character now but I reckon
>the Smith v Strauss debate will be the one that decides this series - with 
>the bat and nothing else.

Not the bat, who is the better leaver of the swinging ball.

max.it

>
>Strauss is, just at the moment, the test run machine in the England team. 
>He's the best tactician and the most
>mature member.
>
>Smith is not a run machine - he's an awful starter with a lot of technical 
>flaws that stem from his grip.   So much goes
>through the on side that if you can swing the ball he can be drawn very wide 
>and caught in the slips and I'm sure that's
>why Hoggard made him look like a novice in 2004-05 and why we've struggled 
>to bowl at him since.   In an England bowling makeup that's likely to be 
>swing dominated - Smith is the only one of the SAF top order I predict to 
>fail consistently.   I suspect Sidebottom will be the man for him.
>
>No doubting Smith has the respect of his players and his media.
>
>If we look at the 2008 series - IIRC Smith got a hundred on a featherbed at 
>Lord's then not many at Leeds, a champion century at Edgbaston and not many 
>at the Oval.   Strauss in 2008 was still going through his dip in form then 
>but IIRC had an iffy series - no hundreds I can remember.
>
>So I predict a great series and this will be one key battle - but not 
>because of runners and ODI past performances - that's media codswallop 
>drummed up to try and sell bogroll like the daily mail. 
>

On 5 Nov, 21:39, "lk"  wrote:

> Sure Smith
> is a more mature character now but I reckon
> the Smith v Strauss debate will be the one that decides this series - with
> the bat and nothing else.

Is he particularly liked in non-SA cricketing circles?

> Strauss is, just at the moment, the test run machine in the England team.

Thankfully...although with KP back and going on previous will probably
thrive in a hostile environment. The saffers will be better off with
silence as he comes out to bat !

> In an England bowling makeup that's likely to be
> swing dominated - Smith is the only one of the SAF top order I predict to
> fail consistently.   I suspect Sidebottom will be the man for him.

If they pick him! I have limited knowledge of the typical atmosphere
to expect over there.

> So I predict a great series

I'm looking forward to it greatly, especially seeing how Cook gets on
after his tinkering with Gooch. Am worried out our bowling attack
though (when haven't I been in the past 3 years!)

Richard

"Richard Dixon"  wrote in message 
news:679af43d-6aa6-45a0-b7a6-24a909225a4e@g31g2000vbr.googlegroups.com...
On 5 Nov, 21:39, "lk"  wrote:


> Thankfully...although with KP back and going on previous will probably
> thrive in a hostile environment. The saffers will be better off with
> silence as he comes out to bat !

I think they tried that in 2008 and KP got a hundred in 3 of the 4 games 
didn't he?   My memory is terrible
for recent games.   I know he got 94 at Edgbaston and a hundred in his 1st 
test as captain at the Oval.   IIRC he
got runs at Lord's too - the game where SAF batted for 3 days to save it. 
IIRC nobody got runs at Leeds - that
and the sheer stupidity of Geoff Miller picking that Pattinson bloke cost us 
that series courtesy of bad feeling in the dressing room.

I've just looked up the scorecard and indeed nobody really got runs for us 
but two things come to mind.
1) What a bad team we had: Cook (whom I've never rated), Vaughan (past it - 
sadly), Bell, Ambrose (do me a favour!), Flintoff (past it), Panesar and 
Pattinson.   Wasn't Moores still in charge then?
2) Remember the day 1 controversy with DeVilliers claiming a clear bump ball 
and getting it, then a much closer call saw Vaughan's catch overruled then 
Amla got one off the jumper down the leg side and England appealed but 
Bowden bottled it not wanting to make a decision and called no-ball instead. 
I have to say looking back that that particular piece of umpiring was the 
worst I've ever seen.

On 7 Nov, 10:34, "lk"  wrote:

> I've just looked up the scorecard and indeed nobody really got runs for us
> but two things come to mind.
> 1) What a bad team we had: Cook (whom I've never rated), Vaughan (past it> sadly), Bell, Ambrose (do me a favour!), Flintoff (past it), Panesar and
> Pattinson.   Wasn't Moores still in charge then?

This was probably by the time Vaughan had become Mr Grumpy and wore a
frown most of the time having preached to his players to go out and
enjoy themselves in the past... I

 can see where you're coming from re: Cook, I never seem to rest
easily when he's batting.

Richard

On Nov 5, 1:18 am, "Andrew Dunford"  wrote:
> "Maxx"  wrote in message
>
> news:92ff1a8b-df1f-4e4f-80c3-5bdef8b501a2@j19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Nov 4, 8:25 pm, Richard Dixon  wrote:
> >> On 4 Nov, 18:17, Maxx  wrote:
>
> >> > Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>
> >> >http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith> >> He's got over it a long time ago, he's not some whiner who'll go on
> >> about it for months after - at least I'd hope not. This is just some
> >> clever pre-series tub-thumping to rouse his countrymen (you included,
> >> I assume). Mind you if he is still whining, he needs to gather up his
> >> toy from around the pram and get on with it.
>
> >> Richard
>
> > Actually I haven't read it yet Richard, but revenge won't be complete
> > until Strass & co's noses are rubbed in the dirt - Tests, 20-20's and
> > ODI's.
>
> Revenge will never be complete because there's always another tournament on
> the way which you tell us South Africa will win, but don't.

It's always all about the next game Andy.

On Nov 4, 9:01 pm, Maxx  wrote:
> On Nov 4, 8:25 pm, Richard Dixon  wrote:
>
> > On 4 Nov, 18:17, Maxx  wrote:
>
> > > Like I said straight after the game, Karma's a bitch.
>
> > >http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1224775/Graeme-Smith.> > He's got over it a long time ago, he's not some whiner who'll go on
> > about it for months after - at least I'd hope not.  This is just some
> > clever pre-series tub-thumping to rouse his countrymen (you included,
> > I assume). Mind you if he is still whining, he needs to gather up his
> > toy from around the pram and get on with it.
>
> > Richard
>
> Actually I haven't read it yet Richard, but revenge won't be complete
> until Strass & co's noses are rubbed in the dirt - Tests, 20-20's and
> ODI's.

First objective achieved.

A rain-influenced, 1 run D/L loss when on course to win in the first
20/20 - no problem.

A record-breaking thrashing with only one team in the game in the
second 20-20 - pom noses in the dirt.

Next stop - ODI's.