South Africa v England, 3rd Test, Day 5: Moeen Makes His Point

 

South Africa v England, 3^rd Test, Day 5: Moeen Makes His Point

July 31^st 2017

At the start of play the England target was to remove one or both overnight batsmen in the first hour. For South Africa, it was to see out the first hour and then build for Lunch.

For much of the time the atmosphere was one of inevitability such that the chat in the TMS box seemed almost peripheral to the cricket. This got to the point that Jon Agnew was able to pass a good fraction of one sleepy passage of play with an elaborate wind-up of Geoff Boycott. Boycott, bless him, fell for it completely. So clever and plausible was the story concocted and so complete the collaboration from the rest of the team, that hundreds of thousands of fans must genuinely have believed that Boycott’s famous hundredth hundred at Headingley on August 11^th 1977 was going to be struck from the record books. Sir Geoffrey’s reactions were tightly controlled (just as well), but witnesses could see that an explosion was building. Just as Sir Geoffrey launched into a brief denunciation of the plan on the lines of “that’s rooooobish that is!” (still, amazingly, without expletives), Jon Agnew responded calmly and matter-of-factly with “it’s also a complete wind-up”, before explaining how the team had collaborated to concoct a false press release from the ICC. Boycott’s reaction was a heartfelt “You MUPPET!!!” which left everyone helpless with laughter (including, one suspects, many listeners).

Why could the TMS team completely ignore the cricket in the middle? More than an act of God, it was an act of Roland-Jones. As the stand between Elgar and Bavuma prospered and passed a hundred, as the overs ticked by and nothing much seemed to be happening, the pitch not doing much, Joe Root must have started to wonder if he was going to suffer a new humiliation as captain, with South Africa wriggling out of what looked like a lost position. Showers were threatened later in the day. Surely Elgar and Bavuma couldn’t, could they?

The early thrust of Stokes and Broad was seen off and, as the advert goes, Joe Root decided to “make it Toblerone”. Two overs passed with little incident. Two overs of Moeen at the other end too passed with little of note. Not a lot going on. Pitch friendly. Ball soft. Weather kind. And then the unexpected.

The first ball of Tobias Skelton Roland-Jones’s third over was straight. Bavuma defended. Big shout. Turned down by Alem Dar.

And then something happened that, at Trent Bridge, would have needed divine intervention to come to pass: a sensible referral by England. Three reds. Marginally hit pad before bat. OUT!

In comes Vernon Philander. First ball nips back nicely. Philander pads up. Oh dear! It was a repeat of Faf du Plessis’s “Mike Gatting moment”. 150-4 and cruising becomes 150-6 and in deep trouble. It could so easily have been even worse as the hat-trick ball was edged and only just failed to carry to Ben Stokes.

Even then, Elgar and Morris seemed to be carrying South Africa to Lunch. Once again, a partnership started to build. Once again, South Africa could not make it count. What is more, it was the last ball before Lunch when Morris played a loose shot that he almost got away with because it rebounded off Bairstow’s leg, just within range of the diving Stokes.

It was a recurring theme as South Africa tried to save the match. It is why it all seemed so low-key and inevitable. Partnerships of 21, 27, 108, 45 & 47 all got going, but were cut off before they could become too worrying. Three batsmen made 20s or 30s, but could not push on to the 50s that Elgar needed to come at the other end if he were to save the match. Whenever there was a ray of hope for South Africa, you knew that they would be unable to make it stick.

Even then there was a final twist. After Lunch Elgar and Maharaj started one of those annoying partnerships that delays the inevitable. After two quiet overs, runs started to come in a flood: 12 off one Roland-Jones over, 12 off his next, 6 from Moeen who seemed rather innocuous.  Ben Stokes relieved Roland-Jones, presumably to provide three tight overs from one end before the new ball. There were ten dot balls broken by a single and, suddenly, Moeen produced one of those magic balls that he seems capable of when he relaxes.

Tossed-up. Into the footmarks. Grips. Elgar goes at it hard. Outside edge. Straight to Stokes.

Next ball. The only difference is that Elgar’s drive is replaced by Rabada’s push. The delivery, the edge and the catch are identical.

Would Stokes be a gentleman with Moeen hanging on a hat-trick, but six balls from Stokes to come? Maharaj is suddenly shotless, but keeps out the six. No great drama.

Morkel’s first ball is delivered in the middle of a fielders’ convention. Morkel misses. The ball slams into pad. Umpire Wilson waits and waits and finally shakes his head. And, with that shake, eleven fielders are jerked into making the T-sign simultaneously as if the umpire were pulling their strings.

“Going down leg”, say the commentators.

Then: “this might be close”.

Then: “I think that he might be out”.

Then: “it *IS* going to be out!”

It is not a No Ball. No edge. Pitching in line. Impact in line. Hitting full on leg stump. The review process ratchets-up the drama as the TV umpire Kumar Dhamasena goes through the checks one by one, like a Prosecuting Attorney presenting Exhibit A, Exhibit B, … and requesting a conviction. Three reds.

“You can give that out. You are on camera now.”

Cue screams of delight and wild celebrations.

Moeen has the first hat-trick in an Oval Test. It was the first by an England spinner since 1938 and only the third time that victory in a Test was sealed with a hat-trick (the last was in 1902).

Having been discarded by many fans as not worth his place in the side after the Tests in India, Moeen Ali has 18 wickets at 14.7 in three Tests in 2017 at a strike rate of 26.7. Of all bowlers who have taken at least 10 wickets this year, the next best is Jimmy Anderson, with a strike rate of 43.5. Moeen cannot possibly keep up this rate of success but, since the end of the 2016 season, he has 39 wickets at 29.9 in 10 Tests, despite a dry spell in India where he took just 3 wickets in the last 3 Tests of the series.

Why do people keep questioning his place in the side?

So, since the end of the 2016 season, Moeen Ali’s contribution has been:

10 Tests

·       39 wickets at 29.9

·       636 runs at 33.5, with 2x100 & 3x50.

That is quite a contribution for a player regarded by many as a journeyman who is not good enough. Moeen has made his point. Quietly, but he has made it.

Now, we move on to Old Trafford and the 4^th Test. The hint is that the pitch will have a little more life. Trevor Bayliss has hinted that England will not need the extra batsman and suddenly, it seems, England have all manner of healthy problems.

1.     Who misses out?

Of the three debutants, Toby Roland-Jones took 8 wickets and made the vital breakthroughs in both innings. Tom Westley made 25 and 59 and looked calm and unfussed. It would be hard to drop either. Dawid Malan is the most vulnerable, with 1 & 10, getting two very good balls, although it has not passed unnoticed that both were in-swinging Yorkers that he failed to get bat on: there is a vulnerability there. However, Malan has earned his chance and showed in his T20 debut that he has the ability and the steel to make a success of an international career.

If Gary Ballance were fit, the most obvious player to make way would be Malan, with Ballance replacing him at #5, even if you feel that Malan would get another chance as soon as humanly possible. As it is, Ballance is not yet ready but, he has been assured that he is the man in possession when he is ready to come back.

2.     What about the balance of the side?

The pundits, without exception, liked the balance of the side, with 5 specialist bats, followed by 3 genuine all-rounders. With Bairstow at #7 and Moeen at #8 and Roland-Jones at #9, there was a formidable sting in the England tail. 183-5 became 316-8 in the first innings and 202-5 became 313-8 in the second innings.

However, Trevor Bayliss is hinting that he wants to play Liam Dawson at Old Trafford. If he does, Malan looks like being the player to make way, although you could suggest playing Dawson instead of a seamer. A much less plausible option, suggested by some pundits is to drop Jennings (who has been promised the four Tests) and ask Westley to open: this is the sort of fudge that has been universally condemned in the past.

Again, the balance of the side could depend on the weather forecast. The threat of rain and seam bowling conditions sealed Dawson’s fate at The Oval; a hot, dry spell may seal his place at Old Trafford.

3.     What about Woakes and Ball?

Chris Woakes will surely go to Australia. He will also be ready to play again come the 1^st Test v West Indies on August 17^th: who is rested to give him a game? If Jake Ball is going to go to Australia, does he get a Test, or will be played only in the ODIs and T20 that follow the West Indies series? With injured players coming back and looking for games, competition for places is going to be increasingly fierce.

4.     Can Alex Hales be re-commissioned?

Alex Hales is producing the sort of incredibly destructive form that got David Warner his first cap before he had even played a First Class match. Although Hales opens in limited overs and T20, he now bats in the middle order in First Class cricket. There are people who think that his form is now so exceptional that England cannot pass-up on his talent. Can he be fitted into the England middle-order at #5? With Tom Westley looking a good fit at #3 you can make a case for a middle order of Westley, Root, Hales, Stokes, Bairstow & Moeen that would give more than one side pause for thought.

However, right now England’s first problem is to close out the series.  Recently, far too many Test victories have been followed by a defeat in the next game. There has also been a pattern: England have won 14 of their last 17 home Tests batting first, but only 4 of 14 when batting second. The facile suggestion is to win the Toss and bat at Old Trafford, but a far more convincing demonstration would be to lose the Toss and win the match.

The keys to the England win at The Oval were:

·       Winning the Toss

·       Philander’s incomprehensible selection

·       Taking advantage and posting a solid first innings score

·       South Africa returning to the timid and fragile batting of the 1^st Test

And, almost more than anything else

·       Much better use of DRS.

Now, England have to show that it was the 2^nd Test horror show that was the anomaly in this series and South Africa have just 4 days to re-group. Which England and which South Africa will turn up in Manchester? England cannot rely on South Africa easing their way by making another dreadful selection mistake.

England v South Africa: 1st Test, 1st Day - Not bad for a first day at the office

 

Not Bad For a First Day at the Office

July 6^th 2017

The phony war of ODIs and T20s is over. Some players have even played some games for their counties – although the round of day-night pink-ball cricket inserted just before the 1^st Test has been declared a failure by just about everyone and was not great preparation, even for those who scored some runs, or took some wickets. The latest start to a Test summer in over 30 years, has begun.

For the record, England won the ODIs and the T20 series, although not without showing how infuriatingly inconsistent they can be, had one bad day in the Champions Trophy, which was saved for the Semi-Final and South Africa have had something close to the tour from hell. South Africa were so bad in the Champions Trophy that their eventual exit must have come as a relief. Their A side struggled on its parallel tour and, although South Africa won the 3^rd ODI and 2^nd T20 (both due to massive England implosions), they were generally completely outplayed overall.

The 1^st Test though has turned into more “Tales of the Unexpected” than “Great Expectations”, although the South Africans may have feared, not without reason that, rather than “Gods and Kings” their role would turn more into “Bleak House”.

Over the last few tours the visit of the South Africans has tended to produce more earthquakes in English cricket than the San Andres fault has produced in California. Their visit finished Nasser Hussain’s captaincy in 2003, Michael Vaughan’s in 2008 and Andrew Strauss’ in 2012 and went a long way to ending Kevin Pietersen’s spell in England colours. On this occasion, England have tried to buck the trend by appointing a new captain before the South Africa series rather than during or after it, although it was never the plan to elevate Joe Root so early and there must be some trepidation about making your best bat and key man in all three formats, captain of the Test side as well. There was always the fear that the load might be too much and that, with a tour of Australia approaching, that it could end in tears.

As it turns out, both Australia and South Africa have their issues. Not everyone is happy about the loads placed on them and South Africa’s most-feared batsman, ABdV, is already an absentee and expected to retire prematurely from Test cricket. Faf du Pleissis, his replacement, has family issues that have sent him home. Several bowlers, such as Dale Steyn are missing and, all in all South Africa look as vulnerable as they have looked for many years (NB: in 2003, they came with what many felt was a B-Team, under an inexperienced young captain, who then proceeded to finish several England careers with two double-centuries and a fifty in the first two Tests of the series). Australia have a players’ strike, have just cancelled the “A” tour and the tour to Bangladesh looks, right now, very uncertain to happen, with some even talking about the Ashes series itself being in danger: things in the Test world are looking very shaken-up right now.

Whatever issues South Africa have, England have their own. A raft of fast bowlers are either injured (Woakes, Ball, …) or just coming back from injury (Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes, …) The captain is wearing L-plates. And the brave idea to have a batting order consisting of Cook, Hameed, Jennings, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Ali… has floundered due to the dismal form of Haseeb Hameed since getting injury in the 3^rd Test in India and the fact that for all that he looks imperious in white-ball cricket, Jos Buttler is, more often than not, found out by the red (or pink) ball: his two innings, promoted up the order in the pink ball round to allow him to build an innings, were almost the briefest possible. Some writers have suggested that Hameed has been found out by English bowlers after a good first season but, in truth, his form through the winter was consistently dreadful over different tours and series and his medical issues not just limited to the broken hand. You feel for him, but something went horribly wrong and a Test series is no place to try to scratch around for some form.

England’s multiple issues led to some debatable, bordering on downright controversial, picks.

Despite the fact that, after an imperious start to the season, Keaton Jennings’ form has dipped alarmingly. He was the man in possession for the last two Tests in the winter, making a debut century and a fifty in the final Test and managed timely scores of 57 & 71 v South Africa A, followed by 39 against South Africa. However, there are many who think that Stoneman was unlucky, having moved from Durham to Surrey in the hope of a Test debut and various others have been suggested based on excellent county form this season.

Gary Ballance has had his second coming and is now onto a third and surely final opportunity. His form this season, in a stuttering Yorkshire side, has been nothing short of brilliant. However, after one of the great Test starts, he has not passed 20 in his last 7 Test innings and, having averaged 49.0 in his first 11 Tests, averages 18.7 in his last 11, with just 2x50 in his last 13 Tests. Yet it is Gary Ballance who has had to take on the hoodoo #3 slot earmarked for Keaton Jennings. Number 3 for England seems to have been a problem as long as I can remember. Back in Mike Brearley’s day, comedian John Cleese (yes, the Python) suggested numbering the position “2A” on the scorecard, but even then it was an old issue, going back at least to the Caribbean tour of 1974.

Further down the order, the expected return of Liam Plunkett has not happened, despite his excellent white-ball form. Adil Rashid has been consigned to the outer darkness again, once more despite some solid and occasionally destructive, performances with the white ball and the winner has been Liam Dawson.

The Dawson selection reminds you of when the wrong name was read out at the Oscars. Or when the Australians allegedly picked Peter Taylor thinking that they had picked Mark Taylor. Dawson is not even the first spinner for Hampshire – their go-to man is Mason Crane – and was sent to India late in the tour presumably to gain some experience before the inadequacies of others led to him receiving a quite unexpected call-up for the final Test. With Dawson announced as being in the XI ahead of the day, the media could trumpet England playing two specialist spinners in the Lord’s Test for the first time in decades. Others, more sceptical, suggested that Moeen Ali and Liam Dawson can in no way be described as a specialist spin attack. Although Liam Dawson did not let anyone down with a good 70 and some containing bowling, his is hardly an attacking selection. However, after the selection of Gareth Batty was shown to be a bizarre error – he hardly took a wicket during the second half of the season – and Zafar Ansari suddenly retired from cricket – having also shown himself to be far from the required level (although, at least with the valid excuse of the harm done by serious injuries in the previous two years) and Jack Leach at Somerset still coming to terms with a re-modelled action, maybe it was the best of a bad set of options.

Something odd happened to England’s spinners last winter. It may not be coincidence that Adil Rashid’s form slumped at the same time that Moeen Ali’s did.

After 4 Tests of the winter tour, Moeen Ali had 18 wickets at 27.3: healthy figures to say the least against spin specialists. In the last 3 Tests of the series he took just 3 wickets at 136.7.

After 5 Tests of the winter tour, Adil Rashid had 25 wickets at 29.0: again, a very healthy performance. In the last 2 Tests though he managed just 5 wickets at 69, with match figures of an eye-watering 4-192 and 1-153.

Whatever the cause of that slump, Adil Rashid has paid the price and after 10 Tests over 3 series, 49 ODIs and 23 T20s since 2009, is still to play a Test at home.

So, England fans had plenty of reasons to view the first day and the series with some trepidation. More so when, in less than an hour, it was 49-3. Jennings was unlucky, not to mention sold down the river by the non-striker (Gary Ballance). “Don’t bother to review it, Jet. You’re plumb dead!”. What Jennings did not know was that the ball had pitched outside leg AND was missing the stumps for good measure. With a start like that, Gary Balance owed England a few runs: he did manage to get into double figures for the first time in eight innings before a dismissal that brought dejá vu all round, as his went onto the back foot in front of the stumps, forgot that he had brought a bat with him and reviewed hesitantly after giving the umpire trigger-finger practice: his main hope may have been that the ball was burrowing under the stumps…

Fortunately England are made of sterner stuff now, and just as well. Two or three years ago 49-3 might have become 130ao. Despite Bairstow going cheaply too, 76-4 became 357-5 at the Close, with South Africa a dreadful three overs short despite an extra half hour.

The lesson for South Africa is that when you have your foot on the throat you don’t miss the opposition’s gun batsman badly twice. It might also be as well to remind the bowlers that there is no point bowling your best delivery when you have overstepped: two bad drops, two clean-bowled from no balls. Thanks very much!

After three lives, two of them before reaching double figures, Joe Root looks set for a double century. Stokes and Moeen have added 50s. England have scored at 4.1 an over despite being in strife all morning and Philander finishing with 16-2-46-3 (just 19 scoring strokes off him) and South Africa’s efforts in the field have looked slovenly, lacked energy and their heads have dropped.

If early breakthroughs with the still new ball can be avoided, 450 should be passed, 500 beckons and, with it, South Africa playing for a draw at best. From an England point of view, one hopes that the South African feeling that this is the “tour from hell” will continue for a while longer. England will, quite reasonably, hope to bat until Tea, at which point they may well be out of sight.

Final England World Cup Thoughts And An Eye To The Future

 

 

Cricket World Cup 2015

 

Anatomy of Another Embarrassment II

And looking Forward

 

March 22^nd 2015

 

The sad part of England’s World Cup campaign is that so many of the criticisms are ultimately unfair. England took a good side, packed with talent to the World Cup. Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, James Taylor, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler are all batsmen who can dismantle an attack. They are not poor players, or defensive batsmen who are locked in the 1960s: they are world class players and have shown it. However, after a dreadful pounding in their first two games, the team went into its shell and could not find the way out. The campaign stumbled from bad to worse with players losing confidence even when faced with inferior opposition. The fact that the captain could not even buy a run did not help. In Sri Lanka in November England had been competitive, even though they lost. In the Tri-series, England had beaten India twice and ran Australia close in one of their three encounters: in the World Cup Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka annihilated England – the games were as one-sided as any in the tournament and players with shattered confidence just could not pull themselves together for the Bangladesh game.

The sense of crisis in the side has returned after briefly disappearing last summer. The selectors have three Tests in the West Indies to find a combination that works before first New Zealand and then Australia come baying for blood. A 7-0 overall result would not be unexpected unless rain saves England in one or more of the Tests.

The side for the Caribbean reflects the uncertainty. Sam Robson has joined Nick Compton, Joe Root and Michael Carberry as openers who England have tried and rejected. Root has the satisfaction of at least still being in the side, albeit in the middle order. For Robson, whose late summer nightmare continued on the Lions tour, the chances are that his opportunity has been and gone. Nick Compton has gone back to Lords in the hope of getting back in the frame and is evidently still somewhere in the thoughts because he is in the MCC side in Abu Dhabi, opening alongside Alistair Cook and as captain to boot (Nick Compton will be relieved that the headlines will be of Cook’s 6-ball 3, rather than his own first ball duck). The latest winner of the poisoned ticket of opening with Alistair Cook is Adam Lyth of Yorshire, although the selectors have recalled Jonathon Trott who could, potentially, open alongside Cook or even conceivably, instead of him if Cook’s travails continue.

Previously a tour of the Caribbean was where you experimented desperately, hoping to find someone capable of stopping the oncoming tide more effectively than King Canute had one thousand years previously. Now, it is where you play a few up-and-coming players to ease them gently into Test cricket.

The Caribbean Test squad is interesting for those who stay from the World Cup team and those who come back.

·         New: Adam Lyth, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood.

The inclusion of Lyth was widely predicted. Many pundits expected a straight shootout with Sam Robson for the opening spot – it is obvious that Robson’s struggles on the Lions tour have altered those plans.

The inclusion of Adil Rashid was not expected. Rashid has toured several times with England without ever being seriously in contention. Once appearing to be the brightest talent in English cricket, he appeared to have lost his way completely before a good all-round season in 2014.

Mark Wood is possibly an even bigger surprise: he is yet another of the seemingly inexhaustible Durham factory of fast-medium seamers. Ominously though, Martin Emerson, the resident BBC commentator for Durham, says that he will do well “if he can keep himself fit”.

 

·         Recalled: Jonathon Trott, Ben Stokes, Jonathon Bairstow, Liam Plunkett and Alistair Cook

The recall of Trott is a risk. There is no doubt that the Australians will not be gentle with him. Will his health stand up to the rigours of an Ashes series? If he is up to it there is no doubt that his return will strengthen the England team and add some steel.

Ben Stokes will be thinking how things change. After a dreadful run in 2014 with scores of 0, 0, 0, 23, 2, 33*, 16, DNB, 6 and 11 wickets @40.8 there really were no grounds to select him, but runs and wickets in the Big Bash and with the Lions and the failures of others have made him look, once again, like a great all-rounder of mythical powers. Was his relative success in the 2012/13 Ashes just a flash in the pan, or is he the real deal? He needs to deliver more regularly.

Jonathon Bairstow is almost the forgotten man. No longer a regular, he remains in the side as the reserve ‘keeper and batsman. He has not played since the Sydney Test, getting in and getting out time and again against New Zealand and Australia in 2013 and 2014 and never quite breaking through.

Liam Plunkett only played four Tests last summer, but 18 wickets, a maiden Test 50 and some high pace suggest that, after a decent tour with the Lions, he probably should have gone to the World Cup because he would have added something different to the attack. His fans will hope that, like Steve Harmison in 2005, he will break through in the Caribbean after a similar roller-coaster career.

Time is running out for Alistair Cook. Having resuscitated last summer, playing on in the ODIs has tightened the noose again and a failure on his return in Abu Dhabi will not ease the pressure. A poor series in the Caribbean and the pressure to change captain for the summer will become overwhelming.

·         Retained: Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Chris Jordan & James Tredwell.

When your only specialist spinner played just 4 matches for his Division 2 county, taking 11 wickets @ 38.7 and finishing 9^th in his county bowling averages, you know that you have problems. He will not win you a Test, but he might tie up an end… you hope. Many fans will wonder why Simon Kerrigan was not given another chance.

After the World Cup almost all of the retained players have question marks against them. There are serious doubts about Broad and Anderson as a strike force. Ian Bell’s annus mirablis of 2012 looks far behind – his 3x50 in the World Cup have been heavily criticised as being runs when they did not matter while his returns against the big sides were poor. Gary Ballance burst on the scene last summer in the Tests, but struggled during the winter. Chris Jordan ranges from brilliant to mediocre according to the day and Joe Root was remarkably anonymous most of the time.

·         Miss out: Steve Finn, Sam Robson, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, …

Moeen and Chris Woakes were injured during the World Cup, although Moeen may yet play some part in the Test series.

It is hard to see Steve Finn playing for England again in the near future. The World Cup has shown that he was brought back far too soon and his confidence has taken another massive jolt. He needs possibly two seasons in county cricket to re-invent himself and decide whether he wants pace, or accuracy – in the World Cup he gave neither.

Similarly, Sam Robson knows that his chances of a return are slim at best. A strong Lions tour could have saved him. A century in a non-First Class match to start the tour was followed by 1, 41, 5 & 0. Thanks very much. Don’t call us, we’ll call you (but probably not).

England know that they have to win the series in the West Indies big. Anything less than 2-0 will leave England in crisis going into the toughest Test year that the side has had for many, many years. In contrast, convincing wins against the West Indies and New Zealand would put the side in much better heart to face Australia. For several of the side it may be a question of winning or seeing their England career end.

Another Glass Half Full Day

 

 

Cricket 2014

 

The Test Veers Off Course Again

 

June 22^nd 2014

 

Just as on Day 1 it had seemed that Sri Lanka were in control for a large part of the afternoon before things suddenly took on a whole different complexion with a massive collapse, on Day 2 England’s two colonial lions were squeezing the life out of the Sri Lankan bowling until a late collapse evened things up. Make no mistake, with England 63 ahead after two days and four wickets still left, Sri Lanka are still on the ropes, but they are not facing a standing count with the referee checking the eyes with a look of concern.

At Tea you would have put good money on England having a 300 lead some time on Day 3 and Sri Lanka having to bat six or seven sessions to save the Test. Now, the first priority is to push the lead past 100 and, if possible, towards 150: it is not obvious that even the former is going to happen.

In the  morning, Cook and Robson bettered their effort at Lords, but were still not able to register a fifty partnership. Cook registered another failure. In the last year he has had 34 international innings. In 24 of them he has reached double figures, but has only gone past 30 on 12 occasions. He is getting in, but then getting out, showing that the mind-set is not right. Geoff Boycott feels that his foot movement has gone, making him vulnerable. In plain language, what it means is that at the moment Alistair Cook is no more set when he has reached 50 than when he has just got into double figures. He has 7x50 in the last year but, four of those fifties ended immediately on reaching the landmark (50, 51, 51, 56) as if any tiny relaxation on crossing the landmark led to his immediate downfall.

Alistair Cook is going through the same slump that in recent years we have seen hit Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss and, in the past, has paralysed even batsmen such as Graeme Gooch and Geoff Boycott. You just do not know where your next run is coming from. All came back as good, or better than ever. He will crack it too, but it may yet cost him the captaincy.

The better news was that after looking strokeless and paralysed with nerves at Lords, Sam Robson kept up his scoring sequence by following two failures with a century. Every time this season that he has failed twice in a match he has come back in the next and made the bowlers pay. This innings was not a classic, but was still pretty good and should keep his place safe for a couple of Tests (Nick Compton scored centuries in consecutive Tests in New Zealand and was dropped three Tests later). He solid. When he is in he is very hard to dislodge. And if he can conquer those problems around off stump the way Chris Rogers has, he will enjoy a very productive career [those around Middlesex who know Rogers well, thought that his early vulnerability around off stump could end up being meat and drink to new ball bowlers in Tests, especially if there was some movement to exploit – however, he has sorted it out and bowlers are regretting it]. England have had one-innings wonders before, but one hopes that Sam Robson will go on to make runs against India and then consolidate himself next summer against Australia.

Gary Ballance has shown again that the loss of Jonathon Trott has been repaired – he is still young and inexperienced and will take time to learn all that Trott learnt, but the runs will still come as he does it. England’s #3 problem is fixed. Ian Bell managed another classy 50. Sadly, neither could accompany Robson past the century. Root and Moeen fell quickly, leaving Prior and Jordan to effectuate recovery this morning.

England are still in the box seat, but a lot less than they should be. They need at least one fifty from the remaining batsmen to hammer home the advantage. At Lords, the tail scored runs in both innings. Here they are needed to perform again, first with the bat and then with the ball.

It Is England's Match To Win

 

 

Cricket 2014

 

Safety-first Cook May Have Killed the Game

 

June 16^th 2014

 

The facts: Sri Lanka have only once chased 350+ successfully in the 4^th innings of a Test. That was in 2006, at home against South Africa. In fact, only eight sides have ever chased down 350+ to win a Test. Sri Lanka have only ever chased 300+ successfully twice, both times at home: the 352-9 against South Africa and 326-5 against Zimbabwe in 1998.

Sri Lanka’s largest ever successful chase in an away Test was 220-8 against Pakistan in 2000, followed by 163-2 against Bangladesh in 2006.

There is nothing in Sri Lanka’s record to support the affirmation by some of their fans on CricInfo that they would have no problems in chasing down 360 in around 60 overs. Unless a target is clearly an easy one, or the risk of defeat is minimal, the approach is usually safety first; sides rarely make much effort to chase anything over 200 at 5-an-over (a rare exception being England’s near miss at The Oval last summer).

Only once has more than 300 been chased successfully at Lords and that was in 1984 when England went off for bad light in the evening, when on top and then batted on, briefly and disastrously next morning, handing over the initiative to the West Indies. A Greenidge 200 later, the West Indies had rushed to 344-1 and what should have been an impossible victory was achieved with some comfort (it was this result that ensured that the 5-0 Blackwash would happen).

Once England’s lead reached 330, the likelihood of Sri Lanka chasing successfully was minimal, especially as the ideal atmospheric conditions for batting of the first three days have been replaced by something more typically English. The situation was made for a short burst at the Sri Lankan batsmen before the Close, with Liam Plunkett being told to go flat out for 2 or 3 overs and try to unsettle the openers. At one point, with Broad and Ballance were hammering the ball to all parts, the lead was 370 and surely the declaration was coming with the England players crowding the balcony? Not a bit of it!

It may be that Alistair Cook decided that letting Gary Ballance get his century was worth losing the chance of a few overs with the new ball before the Close and that his bowlers would do better to get a rest overnight before making a final effort in the morning. If so, fair does to him. Possibly he had decided that if Ballance fell, he would declare – we may never know. However, it would have been nice to see an aggressive declaration as a statement of intent.

Certainly, batting has got more difficult. After the first 14 wickets in the match garnered 864 runs, the next 14 have put on just 335 and that it was that many, was only thanks to a big England recovery from the depths of 121-6. Sri Lanka’s last 6 wickets added just 68 runs from their high-water point of 385-4. Everything suggested that some aggressive captaincy would be rewarded.

England may yet force a win on the last day, especially as the overhead conditions are now a lot less friendly and the pitch is not as easy as it was. It may prove to have been a good move to give the new ball bowlers night’s rest before they come out and try to take 10 wickets in 90 overs (although, given the prevailing over rate, 85 may be more like it). However, the delayed declaration also means that the new ball will only become available shortly before the Close, when it may well be too late to help England’s cause.

Ballance’s century in only his second Test saved England from a possible defeat that seemed impossible in the morning. To reach it with a six was a pretty big statement on his part. And, after the top order had been blown away, he received solid support from Jordan and Broad, adding 78 with the former and 57 with the latter to set up a position from which only England can win. Tail-end runs often sap the resistance of the opposition: could the dashing of Sri Lanka’s hopes of an amazing turnaround turn out to be a killer blow? It would not be the first time that a side batting last sees itself collapse after watching the tail remove all hope of a victory that, a few hours earlier, was in touching distance.

Logic suggests that Alistair Cook will wait as late as possible before the start of play to declare, just to keep the Sri Lankan openers guessing, hoping that he will be daft enough bat on, before unleashing Broad and Anderson at them. Sri Lanka should save the Test but, knowing that victory is out of the question, there is just a chance that they could lose a few wickets and start to get nervous. Liam Plunkett needs to keep the ball pitched up, unleashing his 95mph thunderbolts and using the short ball sparingly. If he does it successfully, he could be the key man, taking wickets both for himself and for the bowler at the other end.

Whatever happens, we have seen enough from Ballance, Moeen, Jordan and Plunkett to feel optimistic about the future. The one of the new boys to miss out has been Sam Robson. Given the lack of patience that England have shown recently with Compton, Root and Carberry as openers, Sam Robson will have been disappointed to have got in and got out today – one hopes that he will be given the full summer to bed in, but two failures in the 2^nd Test would heap the pressure on him and lead to calls for yet another change. It is one crisis that England would prefer to avoid.

It is not beside the point that none other than Geoff Boycott is already suggesting that Sam Robson’s place is in jeopardy and that the fans are asking why he was selected in the first place. We tend to forget that, less than a year ago, Australia changed its qualification rules in the hope of attracting Sam Robson back to the Australian fold and not a few people suggested that Australia had picked the wrong MIddlesex opener last summer. People are talking about Robson’s vulnerability outside off stump; in fact, exactly the same criticism that was made initially of Chris Rogers, who ended up coming good after a slowish start (16, 52, 15, 6 last summer).

England's Selectors Facing Some Interesting Posers

 

 

Cricket 2014

 

Some Interesting Posers Emerging For The Selectors

 

April 20^th 2014

 

Despite rain wiping-out more than two-thirds of the Division 2 programme, the three Division 1 games have got a full day’s play and a number of England players or pretenders have had a chance to make their mark. The biggest winners of the day are probably Gary Ballance – 117 not out in a strong Yorkshire performance against Northamptonshire – and Chris Woakes – 5-63 against Lancashire, who are showing that life in Division 1 is going to be a lot harder for them than it was in Division 2.

While Peter Moores’s supporters point to his leading Lancashire to Championship success in 2011, the detractors point out that the side was relegated the following year and, despite bouncing straight back up, look rather thin to mount a challenge in Division 1 this year. The implied criticism is that he has not been effective at reinforcing the side and that rather than turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse, took a Championship-winning side and turned it into a sow’s ear.

There is a strong suggestion that Lancashire’s chances will depend very much on how much Jimmy Anderson can galvanise them to early wins. Today, despite bowling with pace and good rhythm, his new ball spell went wicketless and Warwickshire made a strong start chasing Lancashire’s 247ao. Jos Buttler’s much-anticipated first innings of the season ended on 28, with a catch to Tim Ambrose (six in the innings, four of them off Woakes). For the first time in the last six years, Jimmy Anderson’s name is not a given in the England side after a difficult tour of Australia. He needs some wickets, just to remind the selectors that, despite the rise of rivals such as Chris Jordan, he is one of the best four seamers in the country: one assumes that Broad and Jordan are already pencilled-in.  

The stand-out performance of the day was Ballance’s 117*, with 18x4 and 1x6. Ballance has started the season with 101, 77, 5 and, now, 117* and is making a pretty powerful case to occupy the spot of either the unfortunate Jonathon Trott or KP.

In the one Division 2 game to get in nearly a full day of play, Michael Carberry has not helped his case by adding another attractive 45 to 0, 6, 27 and 100*. Carberry needs some big runs to stay in the frame, with Sam Robson and Alistair Cook already making pretty irresistible cases to open.

The one real area of doubt is the wicket-keeping spot. Jonny Bairstow and Matt Prior are injured. Jos Buttler is playing his first game and one wonders if the selectors would want to go back to someone like Steven Davies if others are either unavailable, or unconvincing. There is even a chance that the selectors could go with someone with international experience such as Craig Kieswetter if he gets into a run of form. People tend to forget that, barely 26 years old, Kieswetter is still relatively young and probably 3-4 years from reaching his peak.

Win The Toss. Win The Match!

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

Which way will England jump?

 

December 12^th 2013

 

One thing that seems to have passed unnoticed is that Alistair Cook only needs to do one thing to bring England right back into this Ashes series: win the toss! So far, of the seven Ashes Tests this year, five have been won by the side winning the toss; the two exceptions were seriously rain-affected and also dominated by the side batting first. With the Perth match almost certain to produce a result, the chances that the sequence will extend to six wins from eight tosses won are very high.

England’s shadow side, the EPP, chased down 348 to win in a maximum of 77 overs against Western Australia 2^nd XI. Key to the win was Jonny Bairstow’s 123, opening the batting. What was more interesting was that, if Gary Ballance is really intended to make his debut tonight, what he was doing batting down the order in a frantic run chase is open to question. It was Ballance though who saw England home with two overs to spare in company of Varun Chopra.

We still have little idea what the England strategy will be bar the rather open “there will be changes”. As there was really no chance that England would play two spinners at Perth, that one is pretty obvious. As it is also assumed that Tim Bresnan will play, one option is the straight swap of Bresnan for Panesar. This has some advantages: it would beef-up the tail and give England four seamers, while leaving Graeme Swann in the side for variation and as a specialist slip fielder. The worry here is that, with Stokes at 6, Prior at 7 and Broad at 8, the reliable batting would end with Ian Bell. Can England make enough runs for even five bowlers to defend?

Other options? Ballance for Stokes at 6. With temperatures forecast to reach as much as 40°C, going in with only three seamers is a huge risk, especially if England lose the toss again and the Australians continue to target Graeme Swann. Finn for Monty? Possible. Finn has to be bowled in short, sharp spells and bowl fast and aggressive. However, England badly want to have Tim Bresnan in the side to have a control bowler for long spells.

Quite possibly England will leave the top seven unchanged and make the straight Bresnan for Panesar swap. It may well be the least bad option, although I would love to see Steve Finn thundering in with the new ball tonight.

We will know in a few hours…

England Looking For Bal(l)ance?

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

Watching the tealeaves

 

December 11^th 2013

 
 

For those looking at the tealeaves for hints of what England plan to do at Perth, one sizeable hint has passed under the radar. Gary Ballance was shipped off to Perth early to play for the EPP side against Western Australia 2^nd XI. With Chris Jordan and James Harris both impressing with three wickets in oppressive heat on the first day at Perth (albeit Jordan’s 3-83 was fairly expensive compared to Harris’s 3-58), the EPP XI has had a chance to make a point to their seniors, chasing the Western Australia 2^nd XI’s 319-8d on Day 1.

Ballance batted with enormous determination in stifling heat to score 89, but was still overshadowed by Sam Robson’s 108* in England’s 220-2d last night (European time), declaring when Ballance fell.  With Western Australian 2^nd XI collapsing to 32-5 just, 131 ahead, with Tymal Mills having an opening spell of 3-6 and Chris Jordan also taking a wicket with the new ball, it looked as if a swift end might come tonight. However, the middle order has staged a big recovery and, at 167-6 and a lead of 266 at the Close, the EPP are going to face a substantial fourth innings chase. This will allow Gary Ballance a further chance to push his case.

With a lot of pundits expecting Gary Ballance to bat at 6 in the Test, if he is picked to make his debut, he will have just one day to recover before walking out again. The fact though that Ballance could not quite finish the job and reach his century (like several of the England players at Adelaide), even against a very modest attack, does make one wonder if he is the solution to England’s lack of runs in the Tests. However, as these matches are almost not being reported, it is hard to find out what happened and just how meaningful any performance – usually reported through social media – is. The EPP matches are not ranked as First Class, which gives a strong indication of the quality of the opposition.

In contrast, after a modest second half of the English season, Sam Robson is going from strength to strength and is becoming well-nigh undismissible playing for the EPP. He is available for Tests next May, in time for the Sri Lanka series and, with England’s top 3 in a state of flux, there is a real chance that he may go straight into the side. Very few people see Michael Carberry as more than a short-term solution as an opener, Joe Root seems not to be ready to move up and there is increasing speculation that Alistair Cook may want to move away from the new ball in the future unless his form comes back. With two centuries for the EPP side, albeit against modest opposition, he has been the undoubted star of the team.

With Chris Jordan being picked for the ODIs to follow the Tests, England seem to be wanting to bring on players for a further regeneration of the side although, Australian claims notwithstanding, the England side is actually significantly younger than the Australian Ashes side. Chris Jordan’s ODI selection seems to be at the expense of Jade Dernbach who has finally – and many fans would say, not before time – exhausted he patience of the selectors, although still in the T20 squad. Jordan is very much at the crossroads In his career. He is now 25 and, after starting as an all-rounder of enormous potential for Surrey, lost his way as so many young players have done recently at that county. However, his performances for Sussex, particularly in the first half of the season and then for the Lions, in his ODI debut and now for the EPP have been encouraging but, if he does not break through in the next season, he may have missed his chance. Jordan though has declared for his adopted England ahead of his native Barbados (although also qualified for England through his grandmother), showing that he is prepared to burn his bridges in an effort to get into the tougher England set-up. If he decides to re-qualify for the West Indies in the future, he will be past 30 and unlikely to get a chance to play Test cricket, so this is very much an all-or-nothing shot at success.

With the EPP side already playing in Perth, there are people calling for Tymal Mills to be added to the England squad for the 3^rd Test, on the grounds that England need someone fast to counter the menace of Mitch Johnson. It is an interesting theory, but Mills is very raw and, like his teammate, Reece Topley, before him, who has only in 2013 played his first full season, is being only very lightly used by Essex in Division 2 of the county Championship. Mills played just 6 matches in 2013, taking 11 wickets, which hardly qualifies him for a Test debut and would make his elevation almost a desperation move.

Whatever combination England try, it is a fairly safe bet that Tymal Mills will not be in the XII! Australia though are trying to confuse things though by indicating that Nathan Lyon may well be in their XI and in suggesting that the Perth pitch will not just suit seam. It seems likely though that England, who must win, will go with four seamers and try to use the life in the pitch. Monty, Swann and Stokes will be nervous for their places, with Bresnan, Ballance and Finn all hovering, hoping for Andy Flower to wander up and give them some good news.