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south africa in england
5-0; and Flintoff at three
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of September, 1 Comment »
I try not to get all partisan on this blog. But, bloody hell, come on England – wrap this up 5-0. It’ll be an immense achievement, even though the idea is still utterly bonkers. I mean, it’s just ridiculous, isn’t it? England and one-day cricket have had a relationship as turbulent as Blair and Brown, bless their red socialist socks.
However (there’s always a however on this blog), India is going to be a much tougher challenge, and Lawrence Booth made a very valid point in his Spin column today. Flintoff at No.5 is all very well in England, but not necessarily on the subcontinent.
Flintoff has a miserable record with the bat in India, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka, where his one-day average from 25 innings is 23. The vast
majority of those knocks have been played at Nos5 and 6, where he is
required to play with finesse. Yet the best time for a clean-hitter
to bat in Asia is early on: Flintoff is worth a try at No3 if only
because he doesn’t pull his weight lower down.
Johan Botha is no match for Kumble, Singh…hell, even Sehwag can rip it better than Botch Job. So I’m all for Fred at three; in fact, never lower than No.5 again.
1 Comment »England v South Africa, 4th Test, The Oval, 1st day
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of August, 2 Comments »
Steve Harmison is back; Stuart Broad returns. And Kevin Pietersen leads England out for the first time. Here’s the scorecard…leave your thoughts below.
2 Comments »Flintoff. Bloody Flintoff
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 4 Comments »
What an extraordinary day. England spent the most part of it staring listlessly at their feet, bowling wide and looking every inch the beaten team. With Jacques Kallis beginning to look in ominous touch, it seemed only a matter of time before South Africa would take the lead and build and build.
Andrew bloody Flintoff. What a cricketer, what a figure. His late burst contained some of the most thrilling bowling I’ve seen since, well, Flintoff last played for England 18 months ago. And his two overs to Kallis will never be forgotten; almost as good and penetrating as his over to Ricky Ponting, though that particular one is unlikely to be beaten (from an England perspective).
What made it all the more special was how settled Kallis was. He was in control and playing beautifully, yet was made to look foolish, scared and edgy against Flintoff. For someone renowned for his calm, unflappable temperament at the crease, he was sucking in air desperately trying to regain composure while Flintoff roared in. It’s not just his technical ability with the ball, nor his pace or aggression: it’s the figure, the man behind the ball, which makes Flintoff such an awesome prospect. He is absolutely massive, built like a boxer yet runs in like an athlete, yet somehow is unerringly accurate. I would love to know what the great batsmen of yesteryear – Boycott, Richards, Chappell, Imran, Gooch, Richards, Haynes – think of him and whether they would relish or fear facing Flintoff.
It was the magical inspiration England needed, but before his intervention England were truly shite. Horrific and abject are not too far off the mark, and at times embarassing. If Flintoff can inspire them to take early wickets in the morning, they might yet be spared their blushes.
4 Comments »Collingwood in, Harmison out; Sidebottom in, Broad out
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of July, 7 Comments »
Well well – no Steve Harmison for Edgbaston. More of a surprise is that Paul Collingwood, who was dumped for the Headingley Test, has returned at the expense of Stuart Broad. I can’t say I’m over the moon about Collingwood. He’s a brawler, I’ll give him that, but when you’re forced to describe cricketers with words such as “gutsy” and “a real fighter,” when they are so woefully out of nick, you know you’re clutching at a big, fat, pile of straws.
Broad is clearly knackered, and he’ll no doubt be back shortly. So should Collingwood continue to fail, he’ll be out on his ear.
Still – every cloud, and all that. It gives us a chance to laugh at my mate Dan. To call him a Collingwood dissenter is to underestimate his thrilling anger. Mention the C word and young Dan explodes into a ball (a very small ball, admittedly) of puce, boiling rage. Fortunately, he’s managed to wipe the phlegm from his chin and compose a reasoned response to Colly’s recall, dripping in frustrated sarcasm. On ya, Briggers – don’t hold back!
7 Comments »Why Blair would keep Tim Ambrose at six – and Brown wouldn’t
By Jonathan Liew 2 years ago, mid-July, 4 Comments »
You may have disagreed strongly with the idea of Tim Ambrose batting at number six, but the thing is, it’s done now.
Whenever you mess around with something as fragile as a batting order, you unsettle a team. England undervalued a generation of world-class batting talent in the 1990s by shuffling their batsmen around on a fortnightly basis. Stewart opens. Hick at three. Stewart drops down. Smith opens. Ramprakash at three. Ramprakash at six. Crawley at three. Hick at five. Knight opens. Hussain at three. Butcher opens. Butcher at three. Hussain at four. Ramprakash opens. You get the idea.
Which is why some of the press speculation in the aftermath of the Headingley defeat has the whiff of the knee-jerk about it. We armchair experts can pontificate at great length about the changes we would make if we were in charge, without ever having to engage with reality. To move Ambrose back down to seven would be the simple short-term solution, but counter-productive in the long-term: the weak, cowardly act of a ditherer. And as any opinion pollster will tell you, ditherers hardly inspire confidence – either within their own ranks or among the public.
Far better, surely, to give Ambrose more than two innings to bed down in his new position. And remember that Ambrose outscored Strauss, Vaughan and Bell at Headingley. And remember further that with Broad and Anderson at eight and nine, there’s some lower-order insurance there should it be required.
Pattinson can go – no worries about that. But England’s selectors should resist the urge to tinker with their middle order yet again.
4 Comments »England v South Africa, 2nd Test, Leeds, 1st day – live chat!
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 3 Comments »
We’ve barely had time to catch our breath from Lord’s, but here we are with another Test upon us. England are already feeling the strain: Sidebottom’s crock, so is Anderson (well, duh) and Broad has apparently snapped his ankle. Or something less severe, probably. A roof-tiler has been called up (Darren Pattinson. What do you mean you’ve never heard of the Grimsby-born, Australian-raised, Nottinghamshire quick with a slightly chest-on action who probably bowls a “heavy ball”? It’s only the bestest rags-to-riches story this week). But who frankly gives a toss about any of these chancing chancers when Andrew Flintoff is back in the side?
Until he breaks down with a rare stress fracture of his left buttock at about midday on Saturday, let’s enjoy his 5 for 21 from 94 overs and blistering 18 from seven balls. Here is the scorecard. You know what to do. No, not that – that.
3 Comments »A poor advert for the game?
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 21 Comments »
Help me out here. I’m struggling to decide whether the past five days has done Test cricket a good deal or not.
My instinct says no. England racked up nearly 600, bowled South Africa out once, then the South Africans realised how placid the pitch was and applied application to their obvious ability. It subsided calmly to a draw, as though carefully lowering a heavy box full of antique china. It might have made you want to gauge out both your eyeballs, but McKenzie and Amla’s resistance was pretty remarkable, even on a pitch more akin to Lahore than Lord’s. In fact, it’s got to be one of the world’s most benign surfaces.
But we’re not used to such gentle, lackadaisical play these days are we? So did you enjoy this meticulous cricket, or do you feel it was a poor advert for the game?
21 Comments »England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord’s, 4th day
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 6 Comments »
England are owning this Test, but they’re by no means going to walk this victory. Sri Lanka were bowled out cheaply here in 2006 and responded in their follow-on with a monstrous effort, the figures of which I’ve utterly forgotten and can’t be bothered to check. That said, Monty is bowling like a dream on a pitch offering increased turn. Scorecard. Commentrs. You know the deal. Be prolific.
6 Comments »England dominate; South Africa fold; Prince reigns
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 1 Comment »
It’s late and I’m beery. Briefly, England were disconcertingly excellent today. And even more briefly:
- James Anderson’s catch at mid-on to dismiss AB de Villiers was a bit special, proving (were any proof needed) that fast bowlers these days are as vital assets in the field as any other member of the side. They have to be.
- Hashim Amla’s beard continues to amaze and enthrall. Fortunate not to be bowled when his helmet fell off, evading a bouncer.
- Neil McKenzie has buckets of class and similar quantities of oddities. His obsessive compulsive habits were fascinating to watch, and metronomically repetitive. A scrape of the crease with his bat is followed by a scrub with his foot (right). He glances behind to fine leg, then to square leg, and then composes himself in his stance. Right before the bowler reaches his delivery stride, he mouths “watch the ball”. And when he does finally connect, it’s often pleasingly elegant. A nice sideshow to the series, watching McKenzie.
- Stuart Broad is enjoying his best Test match by a distance. Runs in the first innings, and today bowled his heart out, rarely straying from an immaculate line. Knows when to dig it in short or fire in a yorker. He will be a world force in 12 months.
- Monty Panesar is so hard to play in England. Favourite moment of the day came when he did Morkel like a kipper, eventually bowling him through the gate (with the final ball of the over, I think). Looks like he’s beginning to really know his game now.
- Billy Bowden’s mum died a couple of weeks ago, poor sod.
- Ashwell Prince showed the benefits of patience. Good, old-fashioned Test innings by a very underrated player rediscovering his touch. His celebration bordered on angry; a kiss of the badge was followed by him pointing at it to the dressing room, evidence that for all South Africa’s aggressive wordplay, they continue to be haunted by political turbulance.
- Andrew Strauss’s fine catch at first slip to dismiss Jacques Kallis (off the top of my head) confirmed how important slippers are to England. Alastair Cook has done well, but we could do with another safe pair of hands. Flintoff would do.
- The moment of the day? Kevin Pietersen taking the new ball to bowl at Graeme Smith owing to the poor light. The pair of them murmuring to eachother, staring one another down, was a fitting end to a near-perfect day’s Test cricket by England.
England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord’s, 3rd day
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 4 Comments »
Huge first innings of 593 for 8 by England, how will Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie get on? Here’s the scorecard. Leave a gazillion comments like the frenzied animals you all are.
4 Comments »England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord’s, 2nd day
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 13 Comments »
Genuinely enthralling day’s cricket yesterday. Who needs Twenty20 (etc etc). Keep your eye on the scorecard today and wibble away like champions in the comments.
(Edit: woops. I didn’t mean New Zealand…!)
13 Comments »Pietersen’s first hundred against South Africa
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 5 Comments »
I need sleep. But briefly:
- Remarkably controlled innings from Pietersen, both in the circumstances of the match and the opposition. One of the best I’ve seen from him.
- South Africa were mostly disappointing and at times very disappointing. Morne Morkel looks the real deal, but the whole attack’s inexperience should worry South African supporters. England dominated.
- The ovation to greet Pietersen’s hundred was pretty special. When did Lord’s, or an English crowd, last stand for so long?
- South Africa look overweight. This is unfounded, but the likes of Smith, Kallis, Boucher are carrying a few extra pounds. Granted, they all pump iron these days, but with the exception of AB de Villiers this team is lacking the gazelles which once made them so attractive to watch in the field.
- Makhaya Ntini has boundless energy, but even he might tire by the end of this series. He’s got a lot of bowling to do.
- I’d have gone for Nel instead of Cricinfo’s Paul Harris. He did not impress.
- 75% of Dale Steyn’s wickets are to right-handers.
- Why does Michael Vaughan always look so astonished when he’s bowled by a straight (albeit swinging) delivery?
- Alastair Cook is a younger, slightly more elegant Graeme Smith.
- Ian Bell bats like god on days like today. Needs a monstrous hundred tomorrow still, though.
An enthralling start to the series. Highlight of the day? Smith chewing on his lower lip while semi-applauding Pietersen’s hundred. Oh the agony of it…
5 Comments »England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord’s, 1st day – live chat
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 10 Comments »
I thought I’d start up the live-chats we did a couple of years ago, now that the South Africans are here and let’s face it…it should be a more engaging series than the New Zealanders’ (though I personally thought it was a belter against the Kiwis).
So, keep glued to Cricinfo’s scorecard and whatever else, and in the meantime chat away in the comments below.
10 Comments »Flintoff recall unlikely
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of July, 1 Comment »
It looks like Andrew Flintoff won’t be picked for the first Test, according to Geoff Miller, England’s national selector.
“It’s plain for everybody to see where he’s at: the work he has put in has been absolutely fantastic but there is bat form to consider, he will want some runs, and a few more miles in his legs as well,” Miller told the Press Association.
“We have just picked for this first Test match because obviously Fred [Flintoff] is in a situation and there is a chance for us to have another look at that. We are not sure where we are beyond that first Test match.”
The likely omission of Flintoff marks a more cautious approach from the selectors, who were ready to bring him back against New Zealand in May before he picked up his side strain against Durham. But with four high-pressure Tests in five weeks, followed by a Twenty20 and five ODIs, it makes sense not to rush Flintoff back into the international arena.
True, he hasn’t made enough runs, but he’s fit and bowling quickly and accurately. This decision smacks of over-caution to me, and the selectors should have their biscuits confiscated from them immediately.
1 Comment »The Boks have arrived
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of June, 13 Comments »
I always relish series involving South Africa, even though I have an entirely unreasonable dislike of their team. It is always painful losing to Australia, but it’s no less galling to be beaten by South Africa.
And look what’s happened! Rumours abound that Graeme Smith, the most unmellowable of characters, might have mellowed. How boring. He’s now friends with Shane Warne when once he wouldn’t have leant him a sheet of bog roll, though I’m happy to report the rift between him and Kevin Pietersen still appears to be impressively wide. It will be fun watching them both toss if KP again captains in place of Collingwood for the Twenty20 and first ODI.
They’ve begun ominously, South Africa, with Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis (what a dynamic duo that pair are) both filling their leather boots with monstrous hundreds. Somerset managed a feeble 249 in response to their 515 for 3 declared.
After watching New Zealand for what has felt like a decade, it’s actually bloody exciting to think we have a brand new series coming up against a side I am itching watch. To steal a mate’s phrase, however, England could get “thoroughly shat upon”. Then again, the Boks are nothing but bottlers, so it seems only fair to stir the pot at this early stage and get the bok-bottling-ball rolling once more.
Have a read of previous series, right the way back to 1888
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