Third Test. SA v England. Jo'burg, Jan 14-18

[Dr Cricket]

It's supposed to be a grassless cracked pitch in Johannesburg, and preparation hampered by the drought, much as at Cape Town. Maybe it won't be typical.

yeah be so hard to be so sure how the pitches behave since what happens in other countries normally doesn't happen in SA or Australia.
believe the Groundsman said it was his fault for the cape town pitch, he assumed with the wicket being so dry and a bit cracked it would crumble on day 4-5 so he added water in the deck before the game and kept a bit of grass but sadly the grass just helped the wicket stay together and the pitch wasn't dry enough to take turn.
the only thing certain about this pitch would be the pace and bounce, the altitude makes the ball travel and bounce quicker and higher.

Although technically the drought won't affect the pitch now, been thunderstorm and rain in the last week at johannesburg so the pitch/ground water levels should be normal or high now.
Although impossible to say till tomorrow when the broadcaster do the pitch report, so annoying Sky don't show them any more in Overseas trips.

[Dr Cricket]

My mistake the newland pitch didn't really have grass either, no idea why the pitches didn't really spin or crumble then.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Too hard I think, it never dusted up, and it didn't start moist enough to get dented by the ball on the first day.. I don't think either side's bowlers got enough out of it either. There was bounce. A good spinner would have done more too.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Seems a big risk for SA to go in without a spinner. Can't see the point.

[Dr Cricket]

Too hard I think, it never dusted up, and it didn't start moist enough to get dented by the ball on the first day.. I don't think either side's bowlers got enough out of it either. There was bounce. A good spinner would have done more too.

TBH Hardness doesn't really have anything to do with spin.
but yes agree with those points, a good spinner would have gotten more out of it.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not sure I was saying the hardness had anything to do with the spin, but there was some bounce, and Broad got some cutters to grip, so maybe there was something for them. Still, whenever they created a chance, it was fluffed. And Piedt took some wickets on the last day. So maybe I'm being too harsh.

[bigfluffylemon]

Broad needs four wickets to go past Bob Willis as England's third highest wicket taker. He will get them in an equal number of Tests if he does it at the Wanderers.

if you could bet on a cricketer breaking someone record I would put money on Broad or Ishant Sharma to break McGrath pace wicket record.
it feel unreal that he on 322 wickets at the age of 29.

It still feel like broad on 200 wickets or something.
it was only last year English media were going crazy over Anderson reaching 383 wickets.
feel so unreal that broad nearly there.

Sharma? You've got to be kidding. He's been playing test cricket for nine years and has 200 wickets at 36 and an SR of 66. At that rate, to go past McGrath he'll still have to be bowling when he's 41.

It's partly that India don't play enough tests - Ishant's played an average of eight a year since debut, while Broad's been closer to 10, which is going to make it hard to break records, but I don't see a bowler with a strike rate of 66 breaking too many records, even if he did debut at 18. To be honest I'll be surprised if Ishant finishes with more than 400.

[westoelad]

Hales doubtful with stomach bug(SSN)

[Dr Cricket]

Broad needs four wickets to go past Bob Willis as England's third highest wicket taker. He will get them in an equal number of Tests if he does it at the Wanderers.

if you could bet on a cricketer breaking someone record I would put money on Broad or Ishant Sharma to break McGrath pace wicket record.
it feel unreal that he on 322 wickets at the age of 29.

It still feel like broad on 200 wickets or something.
it was only last year English media were going crazy over Anderson reaching 383 wickets.
feel so unreal that broad nearly there.

Sharma? You've got to be kidding. He's been playing test cricket for nine years and has 200 wickets at 36 and an SR of 66. At that rate, to go past McGrath he'll still have to be bowling when he's 41.

It's partly that India don't play enough tests - Ishant's played an average of eight a year since debut, while Broad's been closer to 10, which is going to make it hard to break records, but I don't see a bowler with a strike rate of 66 breaking too many records, even if he did debut at 18. To be honest I'll be surprised if Ishant finishes with more than 400.

Ishantsharma is more of a joke bet, saying that he still only 27 and India are shedule to play a lot of test matches around 14-17 test a year so not impossible he will get to McGrath record.
Him getting loads of wickets would be just funny reply to all those people that say if you score or take wickets you are a good player.
Weirdly enough Ishant actually been quite a good bowler lately so he might actually be approaching his peak soon and he grown on me since 2014.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anderson could go past McGrath.

[bigfluffylemon]

Broad needs four wickets to go past Bob Willis as England's third highest wicket taker. He will get them in an equal number of Tests if he does it at the Wanderers.

if you could bet on a cricketer breaking someone record I would put money on Broad or Ishant Sharma to break McGrath pace wicket record.
it feel unreal that he on 322 wickets at the age of 29.

It still feel like broad on 200 wickets or something.
it was only last year English media were going crazy over Anderson reaching 383 wickets.
feel so unreal that broad nearly there.

Sharma? You've got to be kidding. He's been playing test cricket for nine years and has 200 wickets at 36 and an SR of 66. At that rate, to go past McGrath he'll still have to be bowling when he's 41.

It's partly that India don't play enough tests - Ishant's played an average of eight a year since debut, while Broad's been closer to 10, which is going to make it hard to break records, but I don't see a bowler with a strike rate of 66 breaking too many records, even if he did debut at 18. To be honest I'll be surprised if Ishant finishes with more than 400.

Ishantsharma is more of a joke bet, saying that he still only 27 and India are shedule to play a lot of test matches around 14-17 test a year so not impossible he will get to McGrath record.
Him getting loads of wickets would be just funny reply to all those people that say if you score or take wickets you are a good player.
Weirdly enough Ishant actually been quite a good bowler lately so he might actually be approaching his peak soon and he grown on me since 2014.

Fast bowlers often follow the trajectory Ishant has - burst onto the scene with spells of fire and pace and look like the next big thing, struggle for a while with control and injury and other teams working you out, then come back with a remodelled action, slightly slower but with a lot more tricks as a result of experience. Most bowlers get better with experience, but for fast bowlers the sweet spot with sufficient experience to be really good, but young enough not to struggle with injury, can be elusive.

Anderson will need 3 more years playing tests for England at the same sort of returns he's been getting for the last few to get near McGrath's record. I wish he would, but even with a reduced workload due to giving up ODIs I doubt his body will last that long. I foresee retirement sometime within the next two years - post 2018 Ashes at best and probably before. Sadly.

[bigfluffylemon]

Broad needs four wickets to go past Bob Willis as England's third highest wicket taker. He will get them in an equal number of Tests if he does it at the Wanderers.

Equal tests, fewer innings bowled in but substantially more balls bowled.

[Dr Cricket]

De kock out of test match, villas is in and duminy not playing because no one can open lol.
Although a chance of villas not being here on time, duminy comes in and captain takes gloves

[Dr Cricket]

Holy crap sa have broken the unofficial quota rule.

[Dr Cricket]

Nasse/rob key this pitch isn't a green top lol as anyone even seen the pitch their lol.