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Jon Lewis and Sajid Mahmood called up
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of May, 4 Comments »
So then, Sajid Mahmood and Jon Lewis (hereafter known only as Never Knowingly) are in the squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka, as is Alastair Cook. The only curious announcement from David Graveney was the confirmation of Cook to bat at No. 3 in place of Ian Bell. Graveney will deny speculation that Bell is living on borrowed time - after all, he did have a pretty good winter - but this surely does ring warning bells (sorry) for him.
It does show the strength in depth in our batting, though. Cook is so ridiculously gifted - he’s hardly out of nappies, either - and it’s quite some ask to be asked to bat in such a pivotal position so early in your career. I suppose also it sends a message of arrogance to Sri Lanka; yep, he’s young and inexperienced but we think he’s good enough to play there against you lot.
Either way…an interesting choice on a day where little else of interest happened. South Africa nearly did what only they seem able to do these days: cock up spectacularly. But they didn’t and, in all fairness, deserved to win the Test. Their 2-0 series victory is a little generous though and, despite their rollicking three-day win today, they are very much a team in transition with some old pack-leaders in decline.
4 Comments »Trescothick- Shoaib was the difference
By Scott 3 years ago, at the start of December, No Comments; be the first!
England opening batsman Marcus Trescothick conceded that England had been outplayed in Pakistan, and pinpoints Shoaib Akhtar as the difference:
There’s no point making excuses: we were outplayed, simple as that. They had qualities that we didn’t. Most critically, they had Shoaib Akhtar, who bowled better than I have ever seen him bowl before. Sure, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Danish Kaneria had big series, too, but it was Shoaib who kept putting us under pressure early on in our innings. Without him, Pakistan would have been a much less fearsome unit.
Shoaib is a huge figure in world cricket; a volatile, dynamic, and emotional man who has a huge role to play in Pakistani cricket, and I wrote about him at length the other day.
Trescothick also muses about the lessons England need to take from their defeat:
But the lesson here is that we have to learn to adapt. You can still be positive by scoring at two runs an over. We have to become flexible enough to control any situation.
The best example of this was our run-chase at Multan, which ended in failure and so set the tone for the series. We had two half-decent partnerships - first Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell, and then Geraint Jones and Shaun Udal - which relied on playing patiently and seeing off the bowlers. While it would have been nice to dash to a quick win - and the pitch wasn’t getting any younger - hindsight certainly suggests we were too eager that day.
You don’t get many opportunities to win games in Pakistan, so it really hurt to let that opportunity slip. We had outplayed them for most of the match, and if we had won it, I’m sure the whole tour would have been a completely different story.
In a three Test series, it is so hard to come back after you’ve dropped the First Test. Mismanaging the runchase as they did, England will have to learn if they want to do better in the sub-continent in future.
No Comments »Pakistan v England, 1st Test, 2nd day thoughts
By Will 3 years ago, mid-November, 7 Comments »
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.
7 Comments »And now Bell falls. To Warne…
By Will 3 years ago, mid-September, 5 Comments »
And now Bell falls. To Warne…was it the straight-on one? Can’t remember…104-3, with lunch coming up. Australia’s session…England need to consolidate. Strauss and Kevin Pietersen at the crease.
5 Comments »Ashes debutants for Lord’s
By Will 3 years ago, mid-July, 1 Comment »
Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Geraint Jones, Kevin Pietersen and Michael Clarke are all Ashes debutants on Thursday. Rather a lot.
1 Comment »Vaughan out of today’s game
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of June, 1 Comment »
So, it’s confirmed - he’s out of today’s game, Ian Bell covering for him and Trescothick captaining. I just hope Kevin Pietersen bats higher than he did against Bangladesh…
1 Comment »Bell booked in for a career
By Will 3 years ago, at the start of June, 5 Comments »
Ian Bell has been in England’s wing for years it seems - four, to be precise - and has had praise lavished upon him by all who coached and watched him. And today, he made his first Test century without somuchas breaking a sweat. Given the attack he was facing, his celebration was more Atherton than Slater - but comparisons between him and Atherton have been common in the past week or so, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re pretty similar in their textbook techniques, and both are calm at the crease. If you say “Mike Atherton” to most cricket fans, they’ll say “Dogged,” “Amazing concentration,” or “Jo’berg.” But it was only towards the latter period of his career that his shots became limited. He was one of my first cricketing heroes, as I watched him almost from his first Test - and his off-drives and, in particular, leg-glances were always exquisite.
Bell seems similar, but a lot stronger square of the wicket - pretty fierce through point too. Andrew Miller makes mention of Bell’s class, something many observers might feel sheepish about discussing given the opposition. But, as TMS were saying, the runs still have to be scored whatever the bowling’s like: class is class, they felt, and this article seems to agree.
To score your first Test century against Bangladesh may devalue the experience a fraction, and Bell’s understated celebrations were considerably more restrained than Trescothick’s cartwheels, who now has three Bangla hundreds to his name. But Bell is at least in good company. Among his international contemporaries, West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwan and South Africa’s Jacques Rudolph both made their first hundreds against Bangladesh, and to judge by his demeanour at the crease, Bell has the technique and temperament to be better than either.
The article also suggest that Pietersen’s time is not now - this is Bell’s, and Pietersen must wait. I’m so confused about the Pietersen/Bell issue that I can’t comment any more. Who’d be a selector?
5 Comments »Ian Bell interview in MP3
By Will 4 years ago, at the end of November, No Comments; be the first!
I’ve converted a RealPlayer audio stream from BBC’s site to MP3 - much easier to listen to - of Agnew interviewing Ian Bell. Download here.
No Comments »Bell hits debut half century
By Will 4 years ago, at the end of November, No Comments; be the first!
Well played Ian Bell today. Can’t have been an easy week with all the political distractions, and the added pressure (albeit against the weakest side in international cricket) of it being his debut. He made an excellent 70, testament to his sound temprament and orthodox approach to batting
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