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Loading ...You’re being kind, Will. 0/10 for my money.
Pakistan v England, 1st Test, 2nd day thoughts
By Will 5 years ago, mid-November Add your comment below
Another good day for England with a performance bordering on excellent – and certainly a disappointing and dismal one for Pakistan. Despite their extra-long tail, which is almost unheard of in these days of multi-dimensional cricketers and bowlers “that can bat a bit,” few expected them to capitulate as feebly as they did.
Mind you, it was due to some brilliant bowling from England. Each wicket-taking delivery would, I think, have accounted for better batsmen than the Pakistani tail. First to go was Sami, tempted into a swish outside off in Matthew Hoggard’s first over. Hoggard (perhaps unusually for him) was right on the money from ball one, in ideal dewy conditions, moving the ball away almost at will.
Andrew Flintoff, opening the bowling with Hoggard, accounted for Inzamam who remained England’s only thorn at the start of the day; but even he could only add a handful of runs to his overnight score. Again, Flintoff’s delivery was inch-perfect, squaring up Inzy and presenting Andrew Strauss with a sharp but undroppable chance at second slip, a position he is making his own. This was quality bowling, and England had suddenly seized the advantage.
It was all over very quickly. Pakistan had succumbed quickly and feebly, losing 5 for 30 in two fewer balls than 20 overs. Agony for the home side and, curiously, a “matter-of-fact” response from the visitors who appear almost to expect this kind of performance. Whether it’s due to years of my own agony in watching England capitulate, much like Pakistan had done today, or whatever – I can’t imagine the day where I expect England to perform like they did today.
The batting, then, was dominant, solid and few would have realised England’s woeful pre-Test form had been such a concern. Marcus Trescothick, who was one of the few afforded a run of form before this game, simply played a blinder; his 13th Test hundred was played with class, confidence and control throughout. Strauss was undone by pace and swing by Sami – who looks a prospect, but shouldn’t he be more than simply a potentially good bowler by now? – and Collingwood relit the doubts I have of his defensive technique, but it was otherwise a great batting display. Not least, indeed, by Ian Bell who was arguably the player under the most amount of pressure. His 71 (?) was solid, reliable and very unflashy – just the sort he needed, and I bet he’s secretly hoping his usual captain buggers off home to rest his knee…
10/10 England. Probably 2 for Pakistan.
Tags: andrew-flintoff, batsmanship, batting, england, england-in-pakistan, ian-bell, marcus-trescothick, matthew-hoggard, pakistan, paul-collingwood, thoughts |
7 Responses to “Pakistan v England, 1st Test, 2nd day thoughts”
November 13th, 2005 at 4.46 pm
November 13th, 2005 at 4.49 pm
Bordering on the excellent sounds just the tiniest bit churlish to me… They’ve achieved my “rosy scenario” as near as dammit, what more do you want? This has been as fine an England performance as any two days’ worth this year, surely. Let the team play like Aussies, let’s not ape hypercritical Aussie fans 
One other point – one side knows what their best XI is, the other one doesn’t.
November 13th, 2005 at 5.03 pm
I agree – we’ve all obviously got greedy if we don’t think that today’s (and yesterday’s) performance was outstanding. But if you’re posting it from a ‘don’t want to speak too soon’ standpoint then I see where you’re coming from. Plenty of work still to be done – after all we’re still behind the Pakistani total and we want to get a good lead because we don’t want too many to chase on that wicket on the last day from the sounds of things. But credit where credit is due, I reckon.
Zainub – it sounded to me like Shabbir didn’t have too bad a game, so say…1/11?
November 13th, 2005 at 5.05 pm
Oh, and ‘multi-dimensional cricketers’ made me laugh, but I’m a physics geek, so it would…
November 13th, 2005 at 7.39 pm
I think it was on the Cricinfo bulletin that they’re already sugesting Vaughan could go home and skip the rest of the tour for treatment on his knee, which would probably get Bell smiling even more, and give Alistair Cook a good chance of a debut.
Excellent day from England, and unless Pakistan’s bowlers discover some form tomorrow morning, it could be a long day with Pietersen and Flintoff next in.
November 13th, 2005 at 7.48 pm
Hi -
Nice blog!
I quite agree with you about not being able to imagine expecting England to perform like this. In fact, it summed it up so well, I quoted it on my own new blog – hope you don’t mind).
For the last couple of years, watching the England team actually perform when they’re required to has been almost a disturbing phenomenon. After years of capitulation – or, at best, plodding “honest graft” – I think it might take a while longer yet to get used to the new look.
Anticipating the Ashes down under already.
November 14th, 2005 at 1.43 am
I’m going to disagree with Will on one thing. Bell was not under so much pressure. From the BBC site: “I felt there was nothing to lose,” said Bell. “I had lost my place in the side and here was an opportunity.”
If Bell’s problems are more pressure-related than technical, then with some added confidence (from innings like this one, perhaps) he could become a long-term asset for England cricket. It will be interesting to see if some day we look back on this innings as the start of something important to England cricket’s fortunes, or just a happier bit of drain-circling in Bell’s test career.
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