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Two Winters and One Summer of English Cricket and Continued Adventures
Logie66:
Happy New Year
We saw the New Year in at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, a ten minute walk from our hotel. The whole tour group were entertained at Quay 4, a restaurant/bar where we were served food and drinks and entertained by a band.
Under a bright moon with a strong breeze we watched the Fireworks see in the New Year, lots of loud bangs before heading back to the hotel in the early hours of Friday.
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Logie66:
New Years Day - Tour of Cape Town
After a bit of a late morning recovering from the night before we prepared ourselves for a trip around Cape Town and hopefully a visit up Table Mountain. We were picked up by our guide "Super" just after 1pm, unfortunately he gave us some bad news, it was too windy and the cable car was closed, we would have to try another day.
We were then provided a tour of the city and given an insight into its history, some of it quite fascinating. A lot of people in Cape Twon originate from Malaysia, they were the first slaves to be brought into the country. "Super" a Cape Coloured himself, told of the four races defined in South Africa, Coloured, Black, Indian and White.
We were then introduced to the six flags of South African rule, Dutch, English, Dutch, English, South African Union and finally modern day South Africa.
We saw a few kids walking around in multi-coloured track suits, these are the uniforms that they will be wearing at the festival on the 2nd. The festival celebrates the abolishment of slavery and to celebrate the slaves wore coloured clothing for the first time and this is celebrated on the 2nd January each year at the Minstral Festival, the colours get more bright and garish every year.
It was an interesting tour and gave us a good insight into what has made Cape Town over the years. Hopefully we will get to make the top of Table Mountain soon.
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Logie66:
Cape Town Test Day 1
After a glorious day out fishing we awoke to an overcast and damp morning, just as the weather forecast had warned. England have been beaten in Cape Town in previous series and the toss could be key. We arrived at the ground, and what a view, Table Mountain in the background although covered in cloud. Covers on and a delayed start.
The clouds slowly moved away and the stadium announcer informs everyone we have a delay to the start of the game. Eventually the Captains are out to toss up, Strauss calls heads and it comes down in Englands favour, Strauss says we will have a bowl.
Lots of England supporters in the ground and the atmosphere is building, Jimmy Anderson opens up and Smith takes a single, Prince who struggled in Durban nearly goes first ball and then Jimmy gets a bit of lift and he edges behind to Prior who takes the catch, great start from England. Onions shares the new ball and his first delivery is a wide one which Smith chases, edges to the slips, Swanny drops it !! Was a dolly ! Could be expensive that, Collingwood injury costs England as he would surely of taken that.
Amla and Smith steady the ship and Amla survives a referral after England seemed confident that he had edged behind, Onions then catches Amla in front and he"s gone. Kallis strides forward to the wicket are we going to see Smith and Kallis pull it round like we did in Durban, Lunch 51-2, could have been better !
Immediately after lunch Smith feathers Anderson behind and Prior is screaming with delight, not as expensive as it could have been Swanny ! De Villiers and Kallis then start building a partnership, Kallis looking his imperious self as always. They see the score past 100, and its looking good as the recovery is building, out of the blue Swann forces De Villiers into a mistake and he is caught by Strauss, Duminy gets his customary first ball and Swanny is on a hat-trick ! Boucher survives, impetus with England now, 127-5.
Kallis and Boucher dig in and work hard to keep South Africa in the game, Kallis reaches another 50 against England and is looking well set. Boucher supports him well and survives some good bowling from Anderson who doesn"t have much luck, beating the edge on numerous occassions. Tea 183-5.
After tea Kallis and Boucher continue to work the bowlers and keep the scoreboard ticking over, England struggling to make the break through. 200 passed as the batsmen are getting on top, Boucher reaches 50 and the partnership is now worth 89. Broad then catches Boucher in front of the stumps, umpire gives it, Boucher goes for the referral, on field decision we have a break through at last !!
Now this is strange Steyn is stepping out to the wicket, promoted in the order ? We all reckon Morkel was on the loo ! Last hour is negotiated with ease, Kallis registering yet another 100 ! Bad light draws in and we reach the end of the first day, honours even I would say.
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Logie66:
Cape Town Test Day 2
We awake to a normal clear day and no threat of cloud and rain like the first morning, after breakfast we head back down to Newlands to enjoy the view whilst watching the cricket.
Resuming on 279-6 South Africa will be looking to push on and get a big score, England have other ideas and Onions gets Kallis second ball of the morning, another edge behind to Prior 280-7. Anderson then joins in getting Steyn, Trott taking a cracking catch at third slip 280-8. Swann then snaffles Morkel off Anderson 281-9, what a start to the day !! Anderson then wraps up the innings and completes a five wicket haul, 291 all out, we weren"t expecting that, I lose the sweep once more as I was confident that Kallis was going to large it today.
England come out to bat and get off to a bad start, Strauss trys to drive Morkel and gets an edge, he is furious with himself. A recovery is started and we reach 36, then disaster, Trott plays on and then Pietersen punches the ball straight back to Steyn who holds on, only South Africans out today so far ! Colly and Cook see England through to lunch, 64-3.
Not long after lunch Morkel catches Colly in front and he"s gone, four wickets down very early and England are under pressure, can Bell deliver. Cook and Bell dig in and play very sensibly, Cook leaving a lot and Bell very patient, Bell eventually off the mark with a text book cover drive for four.
Hundred up and Cook passes 50, he looks in good nick after his hundred in Durban. The remainder of the session is heavy going as England work hard and don"t play at what they don"t need too, 133-4 at Tea, and 60 runs in 25 overs, not pretty to watch. You have to say three of the batsmen out to poor shots, could have been in a much better position than we are.
Disaster at the restart, Cook paddles one to Prince, poor shot and all that hard work has been wasted, he had got himself in and just got himself out. Prior joins Bell and the number of shots to balls bowled should increase now. A lot of overs to bowl in this session, I expect we will be here till 6pm, light will not be a problem tonight.
Rub rate increases and Bell and Prior are looking good, Bell has a confidence about him that has been missing, the 100 in Durban has obviously helped. Then a short wide one and he slaps it straight to a fielder, another batsmen gets himself out rather than being got out, too many loose shots today for England !
Broad joins Prior and once we are digging in, a good recovery each time, but all the hard work is being undone. The score creeps past 200 and another partnership is building. This one reaches 50 and then Broad departs, Steyn beats his defence and removes the bails, at least the bowlers had to work for that wicket. Swann joins Prior who passes fifty and they see us through to close of play, 241-7, still honours even.
Forecast for tomorrow is hot, hot, hot, going to be in the 40"s !! A little bit warmer than home. We are enjoying some hospitality tomorrow, hopefully a view to die for up in the gods behind the bowlers arm.
For the third time we attempt to get up the mountain, closed again and have to abort once more !!
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Logie66:
Phew, It"s a Scorcher !!
Hospitality suite today, complimentary food and bar, will be enjoyed as it is going to be very hot today, health warnings being posted by the local authorities.
We enjoy a couple of G&T"s for starters early doors, very refreshing in this heat. We then sit down and watch South Africa do to England what we did to them the previous morning, a few more runs are scored though as we finish 18 runs short of South Africa, Prior last man out and a good effort from him to get us there.
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South Africa come out to bat, Prince under pressure as he has not performed in the last two tests, he starts a lot more positive than usual, but is then given out caught down the legside, he immediately refers this !
With the hospitality box we get to see the replay and it"s a shocking decision, his bat was at least a foot away from that ! Decision rightly reversed. Soon after Swann catches Prince in front and is given LBW, confidently Prince refers the decision only for the replay to show he was plum in front. Amla joins Smith and they start to make hay, England struggling in the heat !! It"s going to be a long day. We are even flagging in the heat and with South Africa well on top we decide to make our fourth attempt at getting up the mountain, no more cricket for today.
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