Cricket 2014
The England Tailspin Continues
July 22nd 2014
India were just too good on the sort of greentop surface that, previously, would have heard them screaming foul and taking to the field already defeated. Two balls before lunch, England were right back in the game and one dared to hope of an astonishing chase being pulled off but, yet another catastrophic collapse and fine, aggressive Indian bowling finished things off astonishingly quickly after the interval. There is every possibility that the series will finish 2-0, or even 3-0 to India. Just four Tests into the summer, with a Test series lost and another slipping away, added to defeats in an ODI series and a T20, there are already whispers that Peter Moores’ renewed tenure as England manager may be brief unless he can come up with some answers rapidly.
After the Ashes, the general feeling from the pundits was that England would see off Sri Lanka and India comfortably and mask the issues that were shown up over the winter. Losing both series was not even regarded as a possibility: it is now looking increasingly likely and a winless summer is becoming an uncomfortable possibility.
England’s catastrophic series of results claimed its first victim as Matt Prior stepped down from international duty for the rest of the summer and, presumably, for good, on the grounds of injury. He has struggled for a long time to manage an Achilles tendon problem and, this season, has had muscular problems and a hand injury too. Prior will have an operation on the Achilles tendon, but will struggle to get his England place back, even assuming that he gets back to full fitness after the operation.
Having made his debut in ODIs in Zimbabwe in 2004, he waited a year for his next cap. Then, he played another 11 matches in two series, mostly as a batsman, with limited success before being dropped for nearly 15 months and then re-gaining his place in the aftermath of the disastrous Ashes series in 2006/7. A century in his first Test innings and 324 runs in the 4-Test series against the West Indies, showed his batting class. However, his wicket-keeping was criticised and he was soon was out of the side again for a year as things went horribly wrong in Sri Lanka, with Peter Moores struggling to get England out of a post-Ashes slump. Once back in the side, he went from strength to strength, both as a wicket-keeper (having not even been Sussex’s first choice ‘keeper initially) and as a belligerent batsman, but never translated that success to ODIs.
Matt Prior’s aggressiveness meant that he was not always popular, even with home fans and he rarely got the respect that he deserved as an exceptional wicket-keeper batsman. His decline over the last fifteen months when he has rarely been injury-free has been rapid and sad to watch. In the twelve Tests since returning from New Zealand in 2013 he has averaged just 22 and has wicket-keeping has suffered too. It is hard to avoid the impression that, like Alec Stewart before him, he has tried to go on for one season too many. Matt Prior though has been a tremendous servant for England and we should not forget it.
An indication of the extent of England’s struggles comes in the list of leading run-scorers and averages for 2014. Seventeen players have represented England in the five Tests so far this year – itself an indictment – and only five players have played in all five Tests. Apart from Joe Root, a relative newcomer, the next three highest run aggregates are all for debutants (Ballance, Robson and Moeen Ali) and the next is a bowler: Stuart Broad. Ian Bell has 197 runs in 9 innings, Matt Prior has 179 in 9 and Alistair Cook 129 in 9, just ahead of Jimmy Anderson’s 119 and Liam Plunkett’s 112 (from 8 and 7 innings respectively and both with better averages than the captain).
Not all recent debutants have been a success though this summer. Ben Stokes announced himself with the only century of the Ashes series for England but, since, has hardly scored a run. Stokes' recent scores for England in all formats have been: 0,5,5,4,0,4,0,0,0,0 – 18 runs in his last 10 international innings. He has been picked ahead of Chris Jordan, who is unquestionably the better of the two as a strike bowler at this level and, arguably, a more reliable bat on recent form.
Jordan has to play at the Ageas Bowl but, it is as likely to be for Stuart Broad as for Ben Stokes. Although only Jimmy Anderson has more wickets for England in 2014 than Stuart Broad, that is largely down to opportunity: the heavily criticised Liam Plunkett has the same number of wickets (18) in one fewer Test, at a better average and far superior strike rate; even Moeen Ali has a better strike rate than Stuart Broad in Tests in 2014.
Astonishingly, Stuart Broad’s best match figures in his five Tests so far this year are a disappointing 4-103. He seems to be struggling with injury and is not the penetrative bowler that he can be when fully fit. Broad was bowled into the ground in the 1st Test and looked tired at Lords when England needed him fresh. A rest can only do him good, while forcing him to bowl 30 or 35 overs in an innings time and again with inadequate rest could lead him to break down completely.
Depending on the surface prepared for the 3rd Test, there may be a case for England playing both Jordan and Chris Woakes for Stokes and Broad. Woakes has many detractors – although not at Warwickshire – but came back strongly at The Oval after a difficult start. With 36 wickets in a strong County Championship Division 1 at 19.6 each and some fine recent performances, he is right on form. There is also a strong case for giving Liam Plunkett the new ball and letting him pitch it up, with Jordan coming on early as first change with a still new ball in hand, rather than a battered rag twenty or twenty-five overs old.
The usual calls will be made for Graeme Onions to play. He has managed just six First Class matches for Durham this season and has 12 wickets at 43.3. His only First Class match since return from injury finished with 1-121 so, one can assume that those demanding his return are not regular followers of the game.
The final decision concerns who should replace Matt Prior. Seemingly, most fans would like to be Read or Foster as a short-term measure while Buttler gains experience. However, the likelihood is that Peter Moores’ mind is made up and that Jos Buttler will become the latest non-specialist to be thrust prematurely into the role. The reasoning is that, as Buttler will spend most of the time standing back anyway (Simon Kerrigan may not be impressed with this news), his technical flaws will be less important than his run-scoring. Where though would England go if, like Jonny Bairstow, he neither impresses with gloves nor with bat over the rest of the series while trying to combine both jobs? Personally, I would prefer to see James Foster see out the rest of the series and let Jos Buttler play a full season and then tour in the winter, before asking him to step in.
Buttler’s First Class record is mediocre (average 33). He may be another Marcus Trescothick or Michael Vaughan who came into the Test side and immediately averaged ten above their First Class average, but then he may not. It is more likely to be similar to Alec Stewart, who was not Surrey’s regular wicket-keeper and who found batting at six (and often opening) in Tests and learning his trade with the gloves to be a huge task initially.
Whatever happens, despite Alistair Cooks’ first reaction that he would go with the same XI for the 3rd Test, there will have to be changes and, most likely, unless the errors of Lords are repeated, at least three new faces in the starting XI, including the forced change.
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