Have the Saffers ever shut up on this tour yet?

Damn,whether we've won, lost or drawn I cannot remember another tour where we get a bulletin on our side from the opposition camp almost bloody daily!

Yep, I've noticed that. It's non-stop. England have said very, very little.

Maybe because we have so many South Africans in our side, the real SA team are confused and think they're us.

Wait and see if they talk up their chances for the second Test: "Yah, we've git Tritty and Cully in some grit form, Jacques back to his best, Steyn should be fit and Swinny's bo-ling really well."

Shoeshine wrote:Yep, I've noticed that. It's non-stop. England have said very, very little.

They do chirp away with the mind games quite a lot, but in a fairly obvious and therefore ineffectual way.

Rob I wrote:

Shoeshine wrote:Yep, I've noticed that. It's non-stop. England have said very, very little.

They do chirp away with the mind games quite a lot, but in a fairly obvious and therefore ineffectual way.

Indeed. How embarrassing for them to be worse at it than Australians.

The laugh of it is, you don't even need mind games to get England in a panic.

A couple of wickets in quick succession or a steady hundred partnership is all it takes for the wheels to come flying off and the entire clown car to implode in an apologetic heap.

Mind you, it's noticeable they haven't bothered with Ian Bell isn't it?

Or the sight of Bell walking to the wicket.

cripes you lot are cannibellistic!

I always get the feeling that whenever a team tries the mind games in the press, it's far less effectual than out on the pitch or at practices. Especially when it's so obvious and non-subtle. I mean please, "Yeah they will be scarred by that". How piss weak can you get.

Waugh and Warne were far more subtle and effective. Have read numerous reports of them saying things that lingered with batsmen for days, sometimes tours, the sort of thing that makes the batsmen think "why did they say that?", essentially just disturbing their mental game.

I seriously doubt that "Hey guys I bet you are scarred from the last test where you got out of jail!" was top of their top ten sledge list.

They've been taking lessons from Gayle . . .

Gayle has to be down at that level so Watto can work out he is being sledged

that explains the crap skully has been throwing around at Vikas.

BTW, is Watto dumber than Smerky?

KP is certainly sanguine re. England's chances. I notice he had a jibe about Sooky's lack of runs in the press yesterday too. Perhaps Sooky should shut up completely until he learns how to make runs again.
KP wants to create a special moment
Wednesday 23-December-2009 15:13

Pietersen - wants to finish on a high.

Kevin Pietersen is hoping to end a difficult year on a "special" note for himself and England when he plays Test cricket for the first time on what was once his home ground.

Pietersen began 2009 by losing the England captaincy, endured four months out after an Achilles operation - while the Ashes were being regained - and has only just battled back to his true form.

But after innings of 40 and 81 as England scraped a draw in the first Test of four against South Africa at Centurion, a Boxing Day return to Kingsmead may come at just the right time for the Pietermaritzburg-born batsman.

"You could say 2009 hasn't been the most fantastic time - but I'm still playing cricket for England," said Pietersen.

"We all love playing for England and are very privileged. It's true 2009 hasn't been fun. But hey-ho - life isn't always good."

It is just under 12 months ago that Pietersen and former England coach Peter Moores' inability to work together led to them both losing their posts.

Pietersen, however, has proved a willing assistant to new captain Andrew Strauss - and it would be fitting indeed if he could close the calendar with a star contribution back at the ground where he grew up watching cricket and then began his professional career.

"My family are all here, and it's something that is special," he said.

"Playing England in South Africa is something I love and enjoy."

Pietersen's Christmas wish, though - irrespective of his own contribution - is that England produce the goods to go 1-0 up in the four-match series.

"It's not all about me playing in Durban; it's about the team coming here and doing special things," he insists.

"We want to do special things here. We fought off a hungry South Africa attack in the first Test and hope we can do some good things this week."

Neither does Pietersen prize his own Test runs any more highly in Durban than elsewhere.

"I love getting Test runs at The Oval; I love getting Test runs at Lord's; I love getting Test runs anywhere - anywhere you can do it, I don't mind," he said.

"Here is absolutely no different."

He has had to work hard to get his game back on track at the highest level, after spending so much time on the sidelines.

But after Centurion, Pietersen is confident it has paid off - and satisfied too that England have the ability to beat hosts who have only just narrowly been knocked off the top of the Test rankings.

"I've worked a lot on my technique to get it back to where I was. I feel pretty good now," the 29-year-old said.

"I truly believe we can win the series.

"I think we've got the attack to bowl South Africa out - and I do believe we can score runs against them as well.

"As long as we're consistent, I think we've got a great chance.

"I thought we were fantastic in the first Test match, the way we went about our business and the strength of character that we showed.

"The boys are really fired up and want to keep the momentum going from the Ashes - not like in 2005."

Back then, England failed to follow up a shock home victory over Australia with a winning winter on the subcontinent.

If Pietersen can help put that right this time, it will be a cherished chapter in a career which began with controversy when he left his homeland to seek his fortune elsewhere.

Reflecting on a decade which was immediately preceded by him playing against England - with distinction - for KwaZulu-Natal at Kingsmead, he said: "It is incredible. But life changes; these things happen.

"My life has turned around in a big, big way - from running around here as a kid to where I am now.

"I love it; I would never change anything.

"We're all privileged to be out here playing Test cricket for England.

"I just see every day as a challenge.

"To be back playing Test cricket is something I love doing and something I'm very fortunate to be doing.

"It's not something I take for granted. No one in the team does, and we all fight together and believe we need to keep ourselves grounded."

Meanwhile it looks certain that SA will remain stuck with the pedestrian Ntini if Steyn is passed fit. Sooky has given him his imprimatur. What amuses me is that they keep saying it's not fair to chide him after one bad test. It's hard to remember when Ntini last looked threatening with the ball.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/24/2779949.htm