Following the embarrassing 2nd test defeat at Lords yesterday, it seems it cannot get any lower for the England cricket team. Having now gone 10 test matches without a victory, there seems to be more and more questions without any hint of an answer coming from within the England Cricket Board.
Yet how has it got this bad? Following the 5-0 whitewash in Australia, the decision was made to keep Alastair Cook and remove the combustible Kevin Pietersen. Rest was the order of the day for many senior players who missed the Caribbean one day series before the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. Yet the results have not improved. A test defeat to Sri Lanka has been followed by inept cricket in two tests thus far versus an equally inept Indian side.
What is the solution? Do England make wholesale changes? Do they remove the senior players for a new zest of youth and form players. In this test series only four players can be picked on form; Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Liam Plunkett. Tellingly there is only one bowler in my list, and he was nowhere near the Ashes squad in November. It seems that Jimmy Anderson has got slower, Stuart Broad is again injured and Ben Stokes' poor batting form is affecting his batting. Plunkett, meanwhile, has transferred his early season county form for Yorkshire to the test arena.
Therein is an answer. Plunkett played domestic first class cricket and his batting has been useful also. However, Anderson and Broad had torrid winters and Stokes lost to a locker room door in a straight fight. Dropping Chris Jordan sent out the wrong message, he has youth and pace on his side as well as a desire to succeed and achieve.
Perhaps too many of these senior players have achieved too much and now want to gain riches of the IPL, where is there short term and long term targets now. Matt Prior has removed himself from selection for the remainder of the summer and probably played his last game for England, his fitness issues were too much to overcome. Yet the decision to play him despite being less than 100% fit was indicative of Cook wanting seniority instead of form, when Jos Buttler's one day form was screaming for selection for first test versus Sri Lanka.
Yet the in house hegemony of the England cricket team which is very cliquey and looking after their own is doing a disservice to the players who are and are not picked. Look at how James Taylor was treated after he played two tests and did nothing wrong, supposedly dropped at the behest of Pietersen who did not rate him. Even the call back of Simon Kerrigan of Lancashire, who was coached by Peter Moores last season is a fair form of nepotism or naivety in not knowing who else is available.
England need to pick players in form. Players like Daryl Mitchell of Worcestershire, Ravi Bopara of Essex, Adam Lyth of Yorkshire and his team-mate Jack Brooks, the bowler. This is unlikely however as England do not pick players or from winning counties. They ignored Mark Alleyne when Gloucestershire was winning every one day competition; have any Lancashire player been selected after they won the domestic title, Glen Chapple remains the best county bowler not to earn an England test cap.
Yet I feel they need to change the order and ask Moeen Ali to open the batting as he does for Worcestershire with Mitchell. Then have Ballance at three, Root at four with Bell at five or six. England need to have a long look for themselves and if players are not fit then they need to do the honourable thing and stand aside as Prior has done.
It seems England have been more worries about selecting eleven players who will fit the ethos and mindset of a supposed identity, yet when the results are not happening you go back to picking players who will create results and from there a new ethos can be ushered in.
There are many dilemmas to be addressed but only the coach, Moores and the captain, Cook, who should both remain can supply them.
Showing posts with label Matt Prior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Prior. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Monday, 20 August 2012
England v South Africa Test review
South Africa completed the series victory on English soil at Lords today in quite convincing fashion. The 2-0 test series win lifts the Proteas above England in the ICC Test rankings and England's one year hold of the title Best side in the world has been relinquished.
Whilst England lost, credit should be given to a South African side who have dominated England in all facets of the game across three games starting at the Oval when we marvelled at Hashim Amla's incredible triple century - the first by a South African; the drawn test match at Headingley which was overshadowed by the Olympics and the backroom politics involving Kevin Pietersen and whether he did or did not text tactical banter to the South Africans regarding his teammates.
At Lords, England had to win the test match to not only level the series, but to salvage the No.1 ranking. Having had S.Africa on the ropes at lunch on the first day at 66-4, South Africa managed to get to a score of 309 thanks to Vernon Philander's 61 runs. The total should have been 50-60 runs less than that. England could only sustain a six run lead thanks to the wonderful maiden half century from Jonny Bairstow eventually dismissed for 95.
A facet of South Africa this year has been the ability to take wickets at vital moments. In the first innings at Lords, captain Strauss looked like he was playing himself into form and then one from Morkel got through two balls before lunch. Prior having done most of the hard work with Bairstow then succumbed to the first ball of the second new ball, when they needed solidarity. Oddly enough, he was caught by Kallis when bowled to by Philander, an identical dismissal occured in the 2nd innings. The wicket that ended England's valiant run chase of the required 346.
Over the three tests; England had few moments of sunshine, and South Africa have done to England what they have done to many teams in recent years.
At the first test England were undone by scoreboard pressure as they did against Australia when down under. England were in first on a flat Oval pitch and despite 115 from Alastair Cook and 60 from Matt Prior could only score 385. South Africa mustered 637-2; Graeme Smith 131, Amla's magnificient 311 and Jacques Kallis' 182. England had to reach 252 to make S.Africa bat again, yet only Bell offered resistance with 55 as we lost by an innings and 12 runs. Dale Steyn took 5-56 to complete the destruction.
Changes were made for Headingley as a personally conflicted Ravi Bopara made way for debutant James Taylor who has been earmarked for test cricket for some time. England also though dropped Graeme Swann for an all seam attack, which in hindsight was a knee-jerk reaction, considering it did spin for Tahir, and Kevin Pietersen took 3 wickets himself. This sort of selection decision is unlike England in the past, they stick with a formula and consistency of selection putting faith in the players selected to put it right; England were worried by Swann's dodgy right elbow, which did not flare up in the Lords test.
During Headingley, England dropped numerous chances dolly ones by their own standards which reached a pinnacle down under led by Paul Collingwood. Unfortunately, in this series safe hands such as Alastair Cook at short leg, Strauss in the slips and Anderson have all been guilty of bad glaring chances. If you take all the runs those South African batsmen accumulated after being dropped, it amounts to 500 runs in the series. South Africa amassed 1,974 runs in the series, that is nearly 25% of their runs given to them.
Never did it count more than at Lords when Amla was dropped by Prior on 2, he scored 121.
England will feel that they should have won the Lords test but due to the refusal to take opportunities, the silly run out involving Jonathan Trott and James Taylor on the last day, and the lack of bowling firepower in contrast to the unit bowling of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and new discovery, Vernon Philander (who can also bat), England can think of themselves as a team that lost the test and series because they did not meet their own formidably high standards they set themselves in recent years.
Credit should not be withdrawn from South Africa though, all men have played their part in this series triumph at one point or another. Alvaro Petersen's 182 at Headingley was a daddy hundred that frustrated England, helped by JP Duminy's invaluable unbeaten 48 at number 8 in the same innings. Perhaps Jacques Rudolph did not do as well, but no matter in a team when someone picks up the baton.
Congratulation to South Africa on a deserved triumph, next for them is a test series in Australia who seem resurgent at the moment under Michael Clarke, should be a brilliant series for bowling. As for England, after nursing their wounds is a four test tour to India; with some decisions to be made. Whilst Bairstow and Taylor have shown glimpses, the question remains about Kevin Pietersen's involvement. Decisions need to be made and changes attempted now as the Ashes return next summer.
Whilst England lost, credit should be given to a South African side who have dominated England in all facets of the game across three games starting at the Oval when we marvelled at Hashim Amla's incredible triple century - the first by a South African; the drawn test match at Headingley which was overshadowed by the Olympics and the backroom politics involving Kevin Pietersen and whether he did or did not text tactical banter to the South Africans regarding his teammates.
At Lords, England had to win the test match to not only level the series, but to salvage the No.1 ranking. Having had S.Africa on the ropes at lunch on the first day at 66-4, South Africa managed to get to a score of 309 thanks to Vernon Philander's 61 runs. The total should have been 50-60 runs less than that. England could only sustain a six run lead thanks to the wonderful maiden half century from Jonny Bairstow eventually dismissed for 95.
A facet of South Africa this year has been the ability to take wickets at vital moments. In the first innings at Lords, captain Strauss looked like he was playing himself into form and then one from Morkel got through two balls before lunch. Prior having done most of the hard work with Bairstow then succumbed to the first ball of the second new ball, when they needed solidarity. Oddly enough, he was caught by Kallis when bowled to by Philander, an identical dismissal occured in the 2nd innings. The wicket that ended England's valiant run chase of the required 346.
Over the three tests; England had few moments of sunshine, and South Africa have done to England what they have done to many teams in recent years.
At the first test England were undone by scoreboard pressure as they did against Australia when down under. England were in first on a flat Oval pitch and despite 115 from Alastair Cook and 60 from Matt Prior could only score 385. South Africa mustered 637-2; Graeme Smith 131, Amla's magnificient 311 and Jacques Kallis' 182. England had to reach 252 to make S.Africa bat again, yet only Bell offered resistance with 55 as we lost by an innings and 12 runs. Dale Steyn took 5-56 to complete the destruction.
Changes were made for Headingley as a personally conflicted Ravi Bopara made way for debutant James Taylor who has been earmarked for test cricket for some time. England also though dropped Graeme Swann for an all seam attack, which in hindsight was a knee-jerk reaction, considering it did spin for Tahir, and Kevin Pietersen took 3 wickets himself. This sort of selection decision is unlike England in the past, they stick with a formula and consistency of selection putting faith in the players selected to put it right; England were worried by Swann's dodgy right elbow, which did not flare up in the Lords test.
During Headingley, England dropped numerous chances dolly ones by their own standards which reached a pinnacle down under led by Paul Collingwood. Unfortunately, in this series safe hands such as Alastair Cook at short leg, Strauss in the slips and Anderson have all been guilty of bad glaring chances. If you take all the runs those South African batsmen accumulated after being dropped, it amounts to 500 runs in the series. South Africa amassed 1,974 runs in the series, that is nearly 25% of their runs given to them.
Never did it count more than at Lords when Amla was dropped by Prior on 2, he scored 121.
England will feel that they should have won the Lords test but due to the refusal to take opportunities, the silly run out involving Jonathan Trott and James Taylor on the last day, and the lack of bowling firepower in contrast to the unit bowling of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and new discovery, Vernon Philander (who can also bat), England can think of themselves as a team that lost the test and series because they did not meet their own formidably high standards they set themselves in recent years.
Credit should not be withdrawn from South Africa though, all men have played their part in this series triumph at one point or another. Alvaro Petersen's 182 at Headingley was a daddy hundred that frustrated England, helped by JP Duminy's invaluable unbeaten 48 at number 8 in the same innings. Perhaps Jacques Rudolph did not do as well, but no matter in a team when someone picks up the baton.
Congratulation to South Africa on a deserved triumph, next for them is a test series in Australia who seem resurgent at the moment under Michael Clarke, should be a brilliant series for bowling. As for England, after nursing their wounds is a four test tour to India; with some decisions to be made. Whilst Bairstow and Taylor have shown glimpses, the question remains about Kevin Pietersen's involvement. Decisions need to be made and changes attempted now as the Ashes return next summer.
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