Posts tagged ‘england v south africa’
SA v Eng: Reaction – Test Cricket At Its Best
Many will look at England, who were left clinging on against a rampant Friedel de Wet, and suggest they were lucky to escape with a draw.
But the tourists more than played their part in the match and a number of individuals turned-in excellent performances. Jonathan Trott continues to show his maturity, Graham Onions bowled well and showed his nerves are strong with the bat, Paul Collingwood demonstrated the determination and skills he has made his name for, and Kevin Pietersen’s swagger seemed to be returning during his vital 81 this afternoon.
Swann on song
And then there was Graeme Swann. Swann has enjoyed a superb year as England’s premier spinner and that continued at Supersport Park. A hard-earned five-fer and an innings-saving 85 saw him pick up the man of the match award.
But there are some concerns for the tourists, heading to Durban for the second Test. Alaistar Cook and Stuart Broad look horribly out of form and Matt Prior doesn’t appear to have the stomach for a fight, despite his improvment behind the stumps.
The biggest problem, however, is the continued selection of the gutless Ian Bell.
End of Bell?
How many times has Bell got to show the selectors what a poor player he is? Yes, his cover drive is nice to look at, but if you lack the mental qualities to apply that ability at the highest level, you haven’t got a hope.
The time has surely come to throw Bell on the scrapheap where he has regularly shown he belongs and look to the future.
Cook and Broad will probably get another chance, but chances are quickly running out.
Until then, we can all enjoy Christmas safe in the knowledge that Test match cricket is alive and well…. and England are just about level in the series.
South Africa All Out, Referrals Not Convincing
England dismissed South Africa for 418 in their first innings of the first Test at Centurion, in what is warming into a nicely balanced contest.
The tourists will be fairly happy with their display. The bowlers worked hard for their ten wickets, Graeme Swann the pick of the bunch with 5 for 110.
For the hosts, Jacques Kallis stroked a chanceless hundred and there were decent contributions from Ashwell Prince, JP Duminy and Mark Boucher – but none made enough runs to take the game away from England.
The one contentious issue has been the new referral system. On day one it worked splendidly, giving reprieve to Prince and AB De Villiers.
But, on day two, Graeme Swann trapped Morne Morkel on the crease and everyone – umpire Steve Davies included – thought it was a straight forward decision.
Hawkeye, however, disagreed and Morkel was given another life. From every angle I saw, it looked as plum as an lbw can be.
If the system is there to make Test cricket better – and it needs something given the terrible crowd at Supersport Park – I’m not sure this system is it.
Watching Morkel, a hulk of a man, prod around for an extra half hour, blocking and nudging, is not going to turn anyone’s eye from Twenty20.
As if batsmen need any more help in this day and age; bigger bats and smaller boundries, now coupled with some extra lives, spells a dark era for the world’s bowlers.
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.
Trott Stars as England Win in Final Warm-up
England, missing a handful of first-choice players, beat South Africa ‘A’ in their final warm-up match before the first ODI on Friday.
Jonathan Trott was once again the star, stroking 78 from 89 balls as England chased down a tough total.
Graham Onions, playing his first match on tour, and Luke Wright took two wickets apiece as a strong South African second-choice – skippered by Hashim Amla and including Herschelle Gibbs and Morne Morkel – made 279-8 batting first.
Andrew Strauss got England’s reply off to a flier, hitting 65, while Trott took over in the middle overs.
Matt Prior (54) and Luke Wright (25no) then finished the job for the tourists with 11 balls remaining, a timely confidence boost ahead of the ODI series.
Plenty to Ponder for Selectors After Loots Goes Ballistic
England escaped with a 1-1 draw in the Twenty20 series and more questions may have asked than answered.
Let’s start with the positives. In Eoin Morgan, England have unearthed a real gem from the Emerald Isle. The young Irishman gave another expert example in finishing a limited-overs innings with a blistering, unbeaten 85 in the first match. Morgan whacked 7 fours and 5 sixes – including a towering heave out of the ground over square leg, off Dale Steyn, which left the South Africa quick scratching his head.
Similarly, Jonathan Trott seems to be a man with unnerving temperament and bags of talent to boot. Trott picked up where he left off in the Ashes, hitting 84 in his two innings at a decent rate.
Paul Collingwood and James Anderson also looked in good nick and Kevin Pietersen’s breezy 29 at Centurion suggested three months away from cricket has not dented his confidence.
The story elsewhere looks rather more glum.
Joe Denly was out first ball at the Wanderers, making it two in a row, and managed only 14 in the second game today.
Whoever decided picking Alaistar Cook in this form of the game needs to take a serious look at themselves. England, for the large part, played positive cricket in both games, but what kind of message is it sending about the side’s commitment to Twenty20 when they select someone with such a lack of purpose to bat in the powerplay.
The bowling was, at times, even worse. Sajid Mahmood has learnt nothing from his couple of years out of the national set-up. After disappearing for more than 10-an-over in the first game, he was smacked to all parts by the brilliant Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman this afternoon, conceding 61 from his four overs – the second worst figures in internatonal T20. He will hope his chance has not come and gone.
Equally, Tim Bresnan bowled far too many four-balls and Adil Rashid was drilled for 21 in his only over today.
England will need to improve before the one-day series begins on Friday if they are to return with anything other than an overwhelming defeat.
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
England Struggle in Final Warm-up
England’s final warm-up for their South African tour curtain-raiser on Friday ended with a hammering. The tourists – at near full-strength – were rolled over for just 89 in 17.3 overs of the Twenty20 match with a decent South Africa ‘A’ side.
Alastair Cook was the only batsman to pass 20, despite England fielding a strong batting line-up – Sajid Mahmood, who knows which end of the bat to hold, was last-man-in.
Graeme Swann and Adil Rashid picked up a couple of wickets each with the ball, but England eventually lost by four wickets.
Hoggard Signs for Leicestershire
Matthew Hoggard has ended the speculation about his future by signing a three-year deal with Leicestershire. Hoggard will captain a talented, young squad at Grace Road as they push for promotion from Division Two of the County Championship.
Panesar Update, Worst Over Ever?
I just have a couple of clips I came across today and thought I would share.
First up, click here for an update on Monty Panesar’s progress in South Africa.
Secondly, I once watched a 22-ball over from the comfort of the mid-wicket boundary at Creigiau Cricket Club, in South Wales. But that was a club game, this is a professional. The worst over ever?
