Referrals: Should They Stay Or Should They Go?

Mark Benson is preparing to retire from umpiring after he returned home from the Adelaide test because of the controversial referral system, according to Cricinfo.

It is now high time the ICC made a decision about the future of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS).

First pioneered a year ago, the system has come under constant criticism from players and umpires alike.

Ricky Ponting was the latest to vent his dismay at the UDRS during the current Test with the West Indies, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was given not out, despite video evidence apparently supporting a dismissal. Ponting and bowler Doug Bollinger’s heated exchange with Benson is thought to be the chief reason for the English umpires walkout.

After a year of testing, the time has come to either integrate the UDRS permanently into all Test series or to scrap it and go back to the drawing board.

Not surprisingly, the notoriously idiotic big-wigs at the ICC are still dodging the issue.

If we have learnt one thing from the last year, it is that cricket has enough on its’ plate at the moment without having to worry about checking every decision with a bloke in the commentary box.

And where do 30-second breaks every couple of overs fit into the 100mph, rock-star slugfest that is Twenty20?

Replays have worked at international level for run-outs and, to a point, for catches. But the biggest problem with the UDRS is that it takes the professional game too far away from the grass-roots games being played on our parks every Saturday afternoon.

Football benefits dramatically from the fact that it is fundamentally the same game at Old Trafford as it is at the local recreation ground. Twenty-two players, two sets of goalposts, one referee, one ball.

The more changes you make, the wider the gap becomes between the pros and the amateurs.

Stop meddling ICC and lets get back to concentrating on bat vs ball.

Superb England Put the Frighteners on Proteas

England produced one of their finest one-day performances to hammer South Africa at Port Elizabeth today, and Jimmy Anderson provided the star turn once again.

Anderson had his finest hour in the blue of England as the tourists rolled Graeme Smith’s men over 119, their lowest ever total in ODIs in South Africa, before Jonathan Trott’s unbeaten half century saw England home by seven wickets.

The spearhead of England’s attack, Anderson has emerged as a world-beater over the past two years and must now be considered as one of the finest fast bowlers in the game. His efforts today, bowling a full length and extracting uneven bounce from a pitch with a St John’s pitch with a grassy top, were as good as anything Brett Lee or Dale Steyn have produced.

The defeat leaves South Africa with no chance of victory in the one-day series and puts them firmly on the back foot heading into the Test leg of the tour.

England, awful against Australia at the end of the summer, now look like a real force in ODI cricket. Trott has brought assurance to the top of the order and the return of Kevin Pietersen brings quality to the top order.

In Collingwood and Morgan, England have players in extraordinary form who bring balance to the side. And, in Tim Bresnan, they seem to have found a bowler who compliments the qualities of Anderson, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad.

Most importantly they have the edge in the series and have installed in South Africa something which is not easy to shake – fear.

South Africa v England: Twenty20 Preview

England’s tour of South Africa kicks in to gear on Friday with the first of two Twenty20 internationals, at Johannesburg.

The tourists’ preparations had been going well with two big victories over the Eagles and the Warriors in 50-over matches. But they were brought back down to earth with a bang by a strong South African ‘A’ side on Tuesday – losing by four wickets in quick time.

Still, England will head into Friday’s match in good spirits after their surprisingly good showing at the Champions Trophy here in September and October, when they beat the hosts in the run-fest at Centurion.

The make-up of the Twenty20 side is perhaps the most interesting selection headache of the tour.

With Strauss unlikely to feature after claiming he was “not comfortable” with Twenty20 in April and Alastair Cook not nearly aggressive or inventive enough for the format, it remains to be seen who will partner Joe Denly at the top of the order.

Denly, the 23-year-old Kent batsman has already shown glimpses of his immense talent in his nine One Day Internationals to date. And, despite a first-ball duck in the abandoned Twenty20 against Australia, at Old Trafford, in the summer, he should be given an extended run in the shorter formats of the game.

Matt Prior and Luke Wright have both opened for England in Twenty20 but neither has looked comfortable with the role. A more likely option would be Jonathan Trott.

Having made a century on debut in the deciding Ashes Test this summer, Trott has been thrust into both squads for this tour. He has plenty of experience opening-up for Warwickshire and averages more than 40 for them in Twenty20.

The middle order – likely to be without Kevin Pietersen, who is still missing with a troublesome achilles – will consist of Wright and Prior, Eoin Morgan and Paul Collingwood.

Pietersen’s absence does leave England a batsman light and the tourists will need to think about options down the order in assembling their bowling attack.

Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad – who can comfortably bat at 8 and 9 – and Jimmy Anderson are shoe-ins. Tim Bresnan could get the nod, owing to his all-round ability, leaving one final spot.

It could be time for England to take the plunge and place some confidence in Adil Rashid. At just 21 years old, Rashid bowled with great heart and maturity at the World Twenty20 in June and impressed when given the chance in the one-dayers against Australia later in the summer.

He also showed his talent with the bat in making an unbeaten 31 – in spite of receiving a tirade of bouncers from Brett Lee – as England came desperately close to winning the first ODI of the Australia series. He has earned his chance and would add depth to the batting order.

South Africa will provide a stiff challenge, tougher than they did at the Champions Trophy, and England will have to be at their best to triumph in either game.

 

Probable England line-up: Denly, Trott, Prior, Collingwood, Morgan, Wright, Bresnan, Rashid, Broad, Swann, Anderson

Fixtures:

1st Twenty20 Friday, Nov 13, Johannesburg

2nd Twenty20 Sunday, Nov 15, Centurion