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andrew-strauss
Strauss deserves a break
By Rich Abbott 2 months ago, 2 Comments »
Not just from the cricket, but also from those criticising the move to rest him for the upcoming Bangladesh tour.
This time last year, England were in some disarray. Having waded through the debris of the Pietersen-Moores debacle, confirmation of their struggles was about to manifest itself in the form of a Test series defeat in the West Indies. The one plus of this trying period was the form of Andrew Strauss, which improved with his newly-acquired captaincy.
With the hundreds flowing – including three consecutive tons in the West Indies – he proved a strong and popular leader. His influence on the Ashes last summer was as great as Flintoff’s in 2005, and achieved without anywhere near the same level of help from his teammates. As England’s only reliable batsman at this time, he returned to the ODI set-up, in a move that will see him lead England at the next World Cup. In South Africa, England lost only two matches under his charge, but at last signs of weariness began to show – mainly in his batting.
He’s had a hell of a year, and but for him, England may have had the year from hell. With no commitments until the start of the county season, his batteries will be suitably recharged for another packed summer, not to mention the next Ashes, only ten months away.
The life of any England captain is finite. Strauss’s is likely to end through tear-stained eyes at some press conference in the future, and England need to prolong that date for as long as possible. Cook will have a chance to lead the side against Bangladesh, which makes sense, because as Atherton himself hints, it would be nice to have an indication that England have a replacement ready for when Strauss finally does call it a day.
2 Comments »Outclassed but not outfought
By Rich Abbott 2 months ago, 3 Comments »
That’s my assessment of England’s series, in a nutshell.
1-1. A lucky draw, should have been 3-1? Or, a plucky effort against a superior side? Only passed 300 in two out of seven innings? Or, only lost all 20 wickets in one out of four matches? There are several ways you can view this series.
What can’t be argued, is that that’s won two*, drawn one, lost one for the two Andys (not that Strauss could ever be an Andy) in Test series now. Improbably – out of series including Australia and South Africa – the defeat came last year against the West Indies.
England certainly aren’t winning for fun yet – only three Test wins in their last nine – but they’re proving difficult to beat, and building up a sizeable collection of final ball match saving efforts.
How was the series for you? And, with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia still to come this year, how would you assess England’s progress?
* One of those victories came at the start of the English summer in a two-match series against a group of cold and confused tourists masquerading as the West Indies cricket team.
3 Comments »Second Test, day one
By Rich Abbott last year, at the end of December, No Comments; be the first!
One man whose job gets much harder when the England team includes just four frontline bowlers, is Andrew Strauss. Each bolwer must assume greater responsibility, but ultimately they become juggling balls at the mercy of their captain. And unlike a clown lobbing coloured balls from hand to hand, cricket captaincy becomes harder the fewer balls you have.
An absence of crackerjack bowlers, the length of a day of Test cricket and the heat and humidity of Durban in summer means that Strauss not only has to scratch around for alternative bowlers, but that he must time their contributions just right. Sure, this complication would be negated by naming five bowlers, but England seem content with their captain’s ability to marshal his troops.
Today he showed why. A slow day overall, it required patience from both teams. Two early strikes – Prince and Amla – were met with predictably dogged resistance by Smith and Kallis. This seemed unlikely to be broken by the introduction of Jonathan Trott just before lunch, and even less likely in Sir Ian Botham’s eyes, by his re-introduction shortly before tea. Onions – effective in the morning session – was seemingly being under-used, though at one point, he had left the pitch for treatment.
Certainly, Strauss could have worn out his frontline options earlier and given the Smith/Kallis partnership less chance of developing. If he’d known play would finish at 15:37 he probably would have. But he recognised the need to finish strongly and not peter out – a situation that batting bullies Smith and Kallis would relish – and saved Onions for important spells either side of tea. The Durham man ended up bowling 15 overs – more than any other seamer – and taking a key wicket. Swann tied up an end and Pietersen was given an over. A fine spell of juggling was rewarded with a close of play score of 175-5.
No Comments »Strauss deserves respect and recognition
By Will last year, at the end of July, No Comments; be the first!
One of the marks of a good journalist, not necessarily an impressive writer, is in making a compelling argument for something which might appear, initially at least, slightly left-field. Lawrence Booth is both a shit-hot journo, flowing writer and, even worse, a good bloke to boot, and often does exactly this. Read his stuff, including this on Strauss.
No Comments »The fact is, Strauss is easy to overlook. Did you know that since he made 177 at Napier in March 2008, an innings that – ridiculous though it now seems – saved his career, no one in the world has scored more than his 1,712 Test runs? Or hit more than his eight Test centuries? No one in the world. Yet still we hear that Kevin Pietersen is England’s only truly world-class batsman.
Gamesmanship
By Will last year, mid-July, 8 Comments »
So, what’s the verdict in the Ponting v Strauss mountain out of a molehill? It’s beautifully divided between the two nations, it seems: Australia are disgusted by England’s delaying tactics; England are flippant and condescending about Ponting’s accusations.
And then the mousy Hauritz decides not to side with his captain, rather ending the whole furore.
I can’t help but feel it’s blown out of all proportion, and Ponting is in danger of letting England and the media get under his skin. As happened in 2005.
You?
8 Comments »The highs and lows of England’s winter
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-April, 4 Comments »
So England’s winter is finally over and after events in St. Lucia last Friday, a slight gloss has been applied to what was otherwise a woeful away season. Captaincy changes, managerial controversy and some truly dire results had left many writing off England in all formats of the game and, arguably, those critics were fully justified in their prognosis. But the one day series win against West Indies has altered the balance just a tad and will provide England fans with a cruel glimmer of hope and optimism.
With the home series return with the West Indies just weeks away, there is hardly any time for reflection on what state English cricket is in. But we can all try our best to analyse so let us have a brief look at the successes and failures of England’s mostly winless winter.
Successes:
Andrew Strauss – The main man. Strauss’ resurgence as one of England’s most important batsman started way back in early December with those twin centuries in Chennai against India, becoming the 10th Englishman in history to register three figures in both innings of a Test match. Elevated to the captaincy in the wake of the Kevin Pietersen/Peter Moores scandal, Strauss’ batting went on leaps and bounds as he blasted three big hundreds in consecutive games during the run fest against the West Indies. But it was in the one day arena where he really impressed both as a captain and batsman. With critics from all corners doubting his limited overs technique, Strauss scored a backs-to-the-wall hundred in Guyana before a rapid, match-winning 79 not out saw his team home in Barbados. England’s series win will be a huge fillip for Strauss as he looks to build on the slow progress his team are making.
Paul Collingwood – For a man who is supposedly on the brink of being dropped most of the time, he is a capable batsman. His century in India evoked memories of his maiden hundred in Nagpur back in 2006. But he really came to the party in the Caribbean, scoring two tons and falling agonisingly short of a third, trying to up the pace in Barbados. His one day exploits were crucial for the new captain Strauss. Perfect for keeping a lid on flamboyant scoring or for getting some important runs in a tight situation, Collingwood is England go-to guy in one day cricket and will be for a while yet.
Stuart Broad – For a while, Broad’s batting was threatening to overshadow his bowling. His performances with the ball in the Caribbean will have informed people that progress is being made. Broad wasn’t in the same verve as Harmison circa 2004 and at times he and the rest of the attack hardly looked like taking a wicket (those long spells in the field for England in Barbados and Trinidad spring to mind). But he did show promise; in Jamaica he took 5-95, his first five wicket haul. During England’s wicket hunt in Antigua, he bowled a superb spell to remove Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, ending their frustrating partnership. He has all the accuracy of a young Glenn McGrath and is developing a dangerous pace too. He is still a work in progress – but what a work he is.
Failures:
Ian Bell – From stylish fixture of the middle order to unused drinks carrier, all in one tour. Bell’s miserable winter has seen him lose his place from all formats of England’s side. Bell began in India at number three, hoping to secure the place vacated by Michael Vaughan. A desperately lean series was followed up by a poor performance in the first Test at Jamaica and with the selectors looking for a sacrificial lamb, Bell was replaced by Owais Shah. Cast aside for the time being, is Bell too gifted a player to be left out? It is frustrating watching him play for England. He looks technically superb and, when in the right frame of mind, can be a dominant, free scoring batsman. But he is light-years away from being consistent enough, especially for the coveted number three spot. His best hope for a recall would be in the middle order, where the bulk of his previous Test runs have come.
Ryan Sidebottom – Another player who has gone worryingly backwards in the last year. He ended last winter by taking a ridiculous number of wickets in New Zealand and becoming the leader of England’s blossoming attack. Frequent injuries have reduced him to a shadow of the bowler he was. Ailing, slow and unthreatening, Sidebottom’s performance in the Barbados Test match left plenty to be desired. He looked slow in the field and was frequently barracked by his team-mates for misjudgements. When bowling, his pace was down and he was generally off colour. His status as the teams most dangerous swing bowler has now gone to James Anderson, who is a great deal quicker too. One feels for him as the amount of injuries he has suffered has surely had a harsh effect but England cannot put up with his level of performance for much longer, especially with the Aussies rolling in soon.
Monty Panesar – From a claim to be the world’s best finger spinner to England’s number two – Panesar has gone through quite a turnaround in his international career. Dropped for the Antigua Test and replaced by Graeme Swann, Panesar had clearly exhausted the patience of the England selectors. His deficiencies are well documented; poor batting, awful fielding, lack of variation when bowling, etc. In short, Panesar had become an unthreatening spinner. His lack of success on a fifth day pitch in India was extremely exasperating, especially so given the success had by fellow spinner Swann, a Test match novice. Panesar was back quickly, though, as England opted for two twirlers at Trinidad. And, thankfully, he showed some imagination, bowling with a great deal of thought and variation. The jury is out for the Ashes, however. Swann is a fine spinner and at least offers something with the bat. Panesar will need a huge amount of selectorial faith and some early season accomplishment if he is to be trusted by England again.
Honourable mentions must go to Graeme Swann, who excelled after making his Test debut and had already bagged two five-fors after just a handful of games, and Andrew Flintoff, who played a fine, supporting innings to Kevin Pietersen in Mohali and really thrilled with the ball at times in the Caribbean, ending things with that hat trick. Dishonourable mentions? Steve Harmison didn’t really excel like we prayed he would in the West Indies and looks to be well short on pace and, crucially, confidence. Owais Shah finally had his long awaited chance handed to him and he promptly decided to keep everyone guessing with some inept performances. Whether his ‘extended run’ in the side will last depends purely on the early season form of Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan.
4 Comments »Strauss drags England back
By Mark Tilley last year, at the end of March, 1 Comment »
For all the criticism they have received, it was refreshing in the extreme to see Andrew Strauss and co. show us that there’s still an England cricket team out there. Yesterday’s win was something of a jolt to the system – it came out of the blue, especially when in the game’s infancy Chris Gayle was happily dispatching England’s best and brightest way back into the Bajan public in the stands. Once he was nipped out by the progressively angry Stuart Broad, it was as if the tide of the match had reversed completely.
England bowled cannily, with the possible exception of one Steve Harmison, and picked up key wickets when it mattered. Dimitri Mascarenhas bowled the medium pacer role to absolute perfection, wobbling the ball around at a deceptive speed, not so much keeping the lid on West Indian scoring but almost stopping it in it’s tracks. He picked up three wickets into the bargain, including the one everyone cherishes so when bowling at the West Indies, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Only the brilliant Dwayne Bravo really annoyed the tourists. At 173-7, England might have entertained thoughts of an easy win but Bravo played a whole host of textbook and more unorthodox shots on his way to a commanding 69 off 72 balls. Without him, West Indies would have had significantly less hope than they did after compiling an achievable but respectable 239 all out.
Andrew Strauss then demanded the centre stage. I mentioned previously that Strauss would have to lead his team from the front and inspire them in ways only a captain should. Well, he certainly achieved that goal and answered a hell of a lot of critics simultaneously. Chasing a revised 135 off 20 overs due to persistent rain, Strauss’ 79 off 61 balls was exactly the kind of innings you would want in the match situation. Bold, authoritative and assured, Strauss, with the understated and excellent support from Ravi Bopara, guided England to their target with time to spare and proverbially stuck two fingers up to those who had lambasted his one day credentials.
As hard as it is to believe, England have levelled the series at 2-2. Both sides head to St Lucia for the final game and it’s sure to be a nail biter (or an England collapse). Yesterday’s win will have surprised a fair few and shows that England, albeit an unconvincing side in all formats of the game at present, shouldn’t be written off. Even though at times watching them makes you want to question your love for the game. It’s an endless struggle, England fans, get used to it soon.
1 Comment »It’s not getting any better
By Mark Tilley last year, at the end of March, 5 Comments »
My goodness me, England truly are appalling at one day cricket.
Check today’s current scorecard for further evidence. Kevin Pietersen’s ‘mental fatigue’ comments this morning can only add to the wretchedness of what has so far been a miserable tour. I don’t think we’re reaching the cavernous lows of Australia in 2006 but Andrew Strauss and his men are not a really happy bunch at present.
This is where Strauss’ captaincy will be really pushed to the limit; that Guyana century aside, Strauss doesn’t look like he suits the one day side. He’s currently leading a weary bunch of unhappy and beleaguered cricketers and it’s up to him to lift them, somehow.
Pietersen’s admission that he “really and truly, can’t wait to get home” only serves to exacerbate the dark mood surrounding the England camp. It’s going to require a big, big performance to arrest this slide and I honestly don’t know where that performance is going to come from at present. How’s that for a defeatist attidude?
I’d rather watch Daniel Vettori perform minor miracles for New Zealand in their struggle with India.
5 Comments »England men offer their congratulations
By Mark Tilley last year, at the end of March, 1 Comment »
Alan Tyers, who writes side-splittingly good mock diaries of England team members for The Wisden Cricketer, has been at it again, this time writing under the guise of Charlotte Edwards, the World Cup winning England women’s captain.
1 Comment »Andrew Strauss congratulated us on our most recent win, although he did say we should have batted on for another couple of hours to really make things safe. I tried to explain that it was a 50-over game but he just got impatient and said that he was sick of hearing how his team haven’t mastered the one-day format and changed the subject.
He asked me what positives I was taking from our recent performances. I just said “well, we won, so that, I guess…” but he said that was rather a one-dimensional view and that often the positives were more important than the result.
Strauss not right for Twenty20
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-March, 6 Comments »
Just a thought on England’s miserable Twenty20 performance tonight. As admirable and as brilliantly as Andrew Strauss has played and captained the side since his elevation to skipper, how can the powers that be possibly have included him in the team for this format of the game?
Yes, he’s the captain and in an ideal world, the captain should play across all formats of the game. But, this isn’t an ideal world English cricket finds itself in. Strauss, a masssively talented batsman, is blatantly not a Twenty20 player. He may have a fine collection of shots in his locker and he may even have a good future in the 50 over version of international cricket. But he doesn’t really fit in with this format of the game.
His innings today wasn’t necessarily terrible. After all, in a lame England batting performance, Strauss notched up the second highest score. But his 22 came off 25 balls and featured just two boundaries. Twenty20 cricket is demanding and a strike-rate of under 100 is unforgivable in the majority situations. There comes a certain point where unless your partner down the other end is belting the ball to all parts, you are just wasting balls.
Surely, Paul Collingwood or someone else could have been asked to captain the side for just today’s game? Strauss will lead the team in the conventional one day series and rightly so but for this condensed version of cricket, why couldn’t someone else have done it? Was it really worth including Strauss in the side just because he is captain? Australia regularly choose Twenty20 games as an opportunity to rest Ricky Ponting and give Michael Clarke an opportunity to take charge. It baffles me as to why England have not done something similar here.
Strauss’ inclusion was not the sole reason for England’s defeat (you’d need about three blogs to cover their various Twenty20 inadequacies) but they aren’t doing themselves any favours at all with poor selection choices such as this one. People lambasted the England selectors for including Alastair Cook in the Stanford Series squad and by the same token Strauss should have been left out here. A great player, no doubt, but not the most innovative and Twenty20 is clearly not his forte. England, please take heed in the future.
6 Comments »Time to take stock and try again
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-March, 4 Comments »
A great deal has been mentioned already on the subject of England’s series defeat in the West Indies. It’s an odd thing; England didn’t necessarily play their worst cricket we’ve seen and, at times, dominated the West Indies. Indeed, Andrew Strauss can point to two key sessions where had his side picked up just a few tail-end wickets, then they would have won the series (the last wicket stand in Antigua and yesterday’s tense finish in Trinidad). However, what is patently obvious is that good Test teams would have made more of those opportunities. Dominant sides like South Africa, Australia and India would have found the extra spark in those moments to do what was needed and win the game.
Tom Fordyce picks upon this point in his BBC blog. He also talks about the need for winning momentum in the run up to the looming Ashes series. Before that heart-stopping triumph in 2005, England won series in both the Caribbean and South Africa, as well as a summer whitewash over the New Zealand and West Indies in 2004. England had the mentality and the aura of a winning side. Under the astute leadership of Michael Vaughan, they were fresh, confident and effective.
One can argue that the quality of players back then was greatly superior than that of the current crop. But the bare facts still make for stark reading; England have now lost three consecutive Test series and are in poor, poor form. And whilst a few weeks ago some were saying that England need not worry about their own tribulations as the Australians were in a sharp decline of their own, those of that opinion need only look at the remarkable and supremely impressive resurgence of the Aussies down in South Africa. As much as I loathe to say it, they’re back and they’re looking ridiculously formidable.
As ludicrous as it sounds, there were precious few positives that England can reflect on in the aftermath of their defeat. Andrew Strauss embodies a man possessed with the desire to score as many runs as possible and it is clear that the captaincy of the side is driving him on and on. Alastair Cook finally got the ‘no century in ages’ monkey off his back and scored that elusive Test hundred, albeit in a nothing situation on a pitch more akin to a road that a competitive wicket. Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior and Paul Collingwood also notched up much needed runs, in a variety of situations, which will help their own personal form and confidence.
Stuart Broad bowled like a identikit version on a young Glenn McGrath. Naggingly accurate and massively consistent, he bowled to an immaculate line, picked up the prized wicket of Guyanese defensive wall Shivnarine Chanderpaul three times and bagged his first Test five wicket haul in Jamaica. He may not have the raw pace of Steve Harmison or Andrew Flintoff but a reliable, line and length bowler is just what England need and his runs at number eight are ideal for the the inevitable England batting collapse. Duncan Fletcher must rue not having him around when he was coach.
Regardless of individual promise, it is abundantly clear that England have problems – problems that require immediate and urgent attention if they are to ever get out of this decline and start becoming an competent Test side again. Will that era be shepherded in with a glorious Ashes victory this summer? At the moment, you’d pick up seriously long odds.
4 Comments »Strauss the captain
By Mark Tilley last year, at the end of February, 2 Comments »
‘I am the master of my destiny; I am the captain of my soul.’
I wonder if, by any chance, Andrew Strauss is a fan of William Ernest Henley? His above quote is entirely appropriate for the England captain. His sublime, bold innings of 142 on the first day of the Fourth Test wasn’t merely a sole brilliant innings, drifting alone in a sea of low scores. It was his second big hundred of the series following on from that majestic 169 in Antigua. Both innings have come just after his captaincy of the side has been announced – a coincidence? Not on your life.
Strauss’ world class form is fundamentally linked to him being appointed captain. When in charge of the team, he is as confident as the gargantuan slog sweep for six that brought up his hundred in Barbados. The Jamaica debacle aside, Strauss has been quite brilliant with the bat this series and it follows his twin centuries in Chennai earlier this winter, made in much trickier conditions. Yes, the pitches so far this series may be as flat and as batsman friendly as your local village green but take nothing away from Strauss. His batting is ridiculously formidable at the moment and will hopefully tide over into that small matter of the Ashes later this summer.
It is not the first time Strauss’ batting and his captaincy have had a concurrent relationship. Way back in the heady days of 2006, when Monty Panesar was still a hugely promising young bowler, running rings round the Pakistani batsmen, Strauss was made captain in Andrew Flintoff’s enforced absence. He duly cracked two counter attacking second innings hundreds in the series and helped himself to as much acclaim from as many quarters as possible. He even wedged himself into contention to captain that winter’s Ashes series down under; he lost out to Andrew Flintoff and we all know what happened there.
Strauss’ form dipped dramatically from that moment on, likely as a result of his casting aside from the England selectors. He had a poor Ashes series, registering only one score of over fifty in the drubbing at Melbourne and proceeded to be equally as profligate in the home series with the West Indies and India. Without a Test hundred since that Pakistan series, he was dropped for the series in Sri Lanka, where England took something of a pasting, and managed to scrap his way back onto the tour of New Zealand. He hit a staggeringly huge hundred, although he was hardly at his convincing best and then reinforced his position with some sporadically good performances over that following summer. All of which has led to the Strauss that we now find ourselves with.
Strauss isn’t the only man to see his batting flourish in the role of captain. Many lament Flintoff’s captaincy and his form during the brief and painful time he was in charge but perhaps those critics forget his first few Tests in charge. Four consecutive fifties in four innings in India helped England to a famous draw, immediately after he was tossed into the breach as captain. It is noteworthy that his bowling also earned him a whole dictionaries worth of superlatives.
And who can forget Kevin Pietersen’s hundred at the Oval last summer in his first game as captain? There were concerns that the leadership of the side would hinder his explosive style of batting but Pietersen combined attacking flamboyance with restrained defence to score a wonderful century (before getting out next ball). He also weighed in with a supreme 144 in India this winter, even finding the time to unveil his unique switch hitting abilities.
Captaincy of a side can drive a man to great things. One needs only observe Ricky Ponting’s single minded determination to win back the Ashes in 2006. Ponting, found liable by many an Australian media outlet for the defeat in the 2005 Ashes, embodied a man possessed as he scored a massive volume of runs, crushing English spirit and hopes and showing his own side the way forward. His 196 in Brisbane was a master class of batting and a pure example of a captain showing his team what is possible. And don’t forget Graeme Smith’s courageous, match-winning 154 not out at Edgbaston against England last summer. Here was a man and a captain so determined to win a game and a series for his nation that he closed his mind to the possibility of getting out or anything else and just batted and batted and batted.
Strauss’ performances so far as captain have only served to reinforce the theory that his batting form is inextricably linked with the captaincy. Maybe it is just an ego thing, a man desperate for his name to be up in lights. Or maybe it’s just a man charged with representing and leading his country by example. Maybe it’s the responsibility that sits so well with Strauss – the need to back up his position with good scores and the desire to not have his authority or his place undermined. Either way, it’s extremely refreshing to see Strauss in such good form and providing there are no more dramas regarding English captaincy between now and July, then he could be in the best possible position to perform his own version of Ponting’s 2006 heroics and seriously murder some inexperienced Australian bowling. Here’s hoping the rest of the team can follow the example.
2 Comments »Just for one more wicket
By Mark Tilley last year, mid-February, No Comments; be the first!
What a match. When everyone arrived at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium last Friday, you could have scarcely believed the turn of events that would progress over the next few days. In the end, we were treated to a fantastic Test match, culminating in a brilliant last day in which England tried and tried and ultimately came up short.
One can point to Andrew Flintoff’s hip injury, which, despite his lion-hearted, heroic effort, slightly hindered his bowling. However, to say that it lost England the game is inaccurate. They bossed the game and the only time they let the West Indies get on top was the mammoth partnership between the high scoring Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. You can argue that having dominated the game and then not been able to win it shows England for the slightly weakened force they may well be nowadays but in the wake of the Jamaica shambles, the performance was pretty impressive.
Particular highlights? Graeme Swann’s display in both innings was highly impressive and was exactly what England fans have been praying for from Monty Panesar in the last few years. His five-wicket haul was the focal point of England’s first attempt at bowling to the Windies and was agonisingly close to picking up that final wicket in the dying moments of the match.
Stuart Broad also impressed. He’s picked up Chanderpaul’s wicket every time he has batted this series and bowled an inspired spell with the new ball on the final day. He batted brilliantly for a number eight in the first innings and Johnathan Agnew on the BBC website was moved to say that he thinks this series could be the making of Broad at international level. Andrew Strauss played a quite superb innings on the first day and was well supported by Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood. Alistair Cook played his part too although, infuriatingly, he was out in the 50’s in both innings of the match.
All in all, England can be proud of their effort. Yes, the inability to pick up the last wicket and win the game was both heart-breaking and disappointing but the whole five days were a good way to bounce back from the shambles of 51 all out the week previous and Strauss will know a lot more about his team and their character. Both teams move on to Barbados next week for the fourth test.
No Comments »Moving on
By Will last year, mid-February, 1 Comment »
When you’re 51 all out, it seems inconceivable that you’ll ever escape the horror, let alone it become a distant memory. Much like bereavement and mourning, it takes time.
It hasn’t taken England long, though, and they’ve had two large slices of luck. Firstly, the sandy mess at North Sound was exactly what they needed. Not only were they not to blame (and crucially they were at the crease, so no one could crow and spit about the weakling tourists’ bowlers) but it gave them more time to mourn the rotting corpse of 51-all-out. And secondly, the movement of this Test took the pressure off their batsmen slightly, and took the gloss off West Indies’ starry bowling performance. In a matter of days, the Kingston calamity hadn’t been forgotten, but no longer were England caught in its gravitational pull. They’d moved on.
Their other piece of luck came today when Chris Gayle chose to bowl – which is exactly what Andrew Strauss would have done had the coin fell his way. Yet, amazingly, it morphed from spicy-track-of-horror-and-death to placid-lifeless-bowlers’-graveyard. Luck plays a far greater part in sport than anyone ever gives it credit, and it’s helped England hugely.
Still, Strauss needed a big score – lady luck or not. It’s difficult to put it into context given this tour’s various farces, but also the mess which led to Strauss’s appointment. Watching it today, he was pulling as quickly and confidently as he first did for England five years ago, but also his feet were dancing to the spinners. He’s still very much the cautious batsman these days, but he even hit a six (granted, the ground is postage-stamp-sized, but still)…the first time since 2006, would you believe.
All in all, a fascinating day to witness England’s revival. How long that will last, who knows, but to see Strauss assert his authority so emphatically was the year’s highlight so far as an England fan.
Shame about Owais Shah’s hapless running, though he batted sublimely until then.
1 Comment »KP ton. Bell non-ton. Shah nearly ton
By Will last year, at the end of January, 3 Comments »
Kevin Pietersen, a man scorned, raced to a blistering hundred today. I say it was blistering purely on statistical evidence, and because all “quickfire” hundreds are either described as blistering, brisk, slick, breathtaking, “fine”, superb, brilliant, chancy, chanceless or sublime. For those who care, sublime is generally reserved for innings made a) at a quick rate and b) by someone naturally elegant. Most of Michael Vaughan’s hundreds before he was made captain were sublime, even when they were probably not.
But I digress. The scorecard for England’s first warm-up, against an Invitational XI, makes for interesting reading, and here’s why:
- Andrew Strauss makes nought. Well, he is the new England captain after all.
- Ian Bell does his best impression of Ian Bell by scoring 36 from 62, an innings neither aggressive or subdued. If innings were animals, this would be a goat with hearing difficulties lost on a moor.
- Kevin Pietersen does his best impression of Kevin Pietersen pre-captaincy. Normal order has resumed.
- Owais Shah, who will replace Bell eventually, creams 80 from 85 (with just one four, curiously).
After the debacle of the past few weeks, at last we can return to analysing and ridiculing England’s cricket and selections.
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