Having endured a winter during which England plumbed the depths and kept on digging, it made a pleasant change to actually go and see some cricket, as I did today at The Oval. (that's the Brit Oval to you and me, the one in Kennington where Surrey and Yorkshire contested their first match of the LV=County Championship the day after England bowed out of ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 in Kensington.)
Jimmy Ormond, even more corpulent now than in his England days when his girth far exceeded his wicket tally, bowled the first ball to another old England lag Craig White in front of the ubiquitous "smattering", nevertheless a few hundred more than will be expending any interest in England's game against the West Indies on Saturday.
Had you half closed your eyes, and put out of your mind that the players were dressed in white, you might have begun to imagine that England was taking itself on in a one-day game. The batting was slow to begin with, and wickets fell just as the batsmen who had got in attempted to raise the tempo. The bowling was fairly laboured, with the return of 4 wickets in the morning session probably twice what they deserved.
While the openers scratched around, Anthony McGrath started to show why Yorkshire fought so hard to keep him, as he peppered the cover boundary with a few delightful drives before falling to Mahmood, the second of three wickets picked up by the Surrey medium pace duo of Mahmood and Clarke just before lunch. His predecessor Sayers was responsible for his own downfall, slashing at a wide offering from Clarke, which brought in the billed star turn, Younus Khan. Like many who single-handedly wear the crowd's expectations, he flattered to deceive, guiding his first delivery to the boundary before playing around a straight one three balls later.
With two of their three main batsmen having fallen on 73, Yorkshire were facing a repeat of the opening of the 2002 season against the same opposition and dismissal for a total of less than 150 on a pitch whose only concession to the bowlers was healthy carry through to the 'keeper. As he made his frequent wanderings towards square leg between deliveries, Jacques Rudolph's thoughts could have been forgiven for drifting away from the Kennington Oval to its near namesake in Barbados, where he might have been celebrating a crushing victory rather than scrapping to prevent suffering the reverse.
But if his concentration ever wavered, it did not show, as he safely saw Yorkshire through to the interval precariosuly placed at 87-4. After lunch, he and Gerard Brophy were responsible for the first period of bat dominating ball, with Brophy driving Ormond to the boundary three times in one over and forcing him out of the attack. Rudolph himself began to open up, revealing a pleasant array of off-side strokes to go with the natural left-handers' proficiency on the leg-side. Steve Magoffin, who bears some resemblance to his fellow Australian Shaun Tait in countenance if not bowling action (his arm is high and vertical) trapped Brophy on 127, bringing the great white hope of English leg-spin, Adil Rashid, to the crease.
Rikki Clarke, buoyed by a few wickets in the first session, brought himself back a tad prematurely, and decided to concentrate on a short-pitched line to the correspondingly sized Rashid. Maybe no-one has told him that small men tend to play short-pitched balls better than most, and, after Rashid had warmed up with a few wild and woolly fresh air shots, he was soon tucking into the Surrey captain, launching a hooked six into the crowd, followed up by a more delicate cut for another boundary. With Rudolph allowing no respite from the other end, Clarke soon elected to take the pace off the ball with spinners Doshi and Schofield.
The portents were not good, Rudolph greeting Doshi with three boundaries, all launched back over his head to the rope at long-off. To be fair, this was not reflective of the left-armer's overall performance, which was tight, if a bit lacking in bite. Chris Schofield, himself once the supposed future of English leg-spin, found himself bowling to his successor. One can only hope that Rashid ignored what he saw, as he was served up an entire repertoire of tripe all delivered at a pace too quick to allow the ball to grip on the surface. Both batsmen accepted the easy pickings, and it was Schofield who was made to look like the teenager.
As the game slipped away from Surrey, the two batsmen increasingly settled into the comfort zone, happy to wait for the bad balls, and scoring the majority of the runs in boundaries. Rudolph, in particular, accelerated once his half-century was registered off 84 balls, only braking once the second landmark was looming. Yet as he consolidated, Rashid pounced, a mixture of sweetly timed drives and savage leg-side hoicks rushing him past fifty and within sight of a maiden first-class century.
Sadly for him, he continued in this vein even when the new ball had been taken, and he was its first victim two overs in when he attempted to cut a ball too close to him and chopped on. Rudolph followed in quick succession, chipping to cover, before Surrey again lost the plot with the end of the road in sight. New captain Darren Gough strode to the wicket at 9, ahead of a man with a Test double-century to his name; maybe Magoffin stopped taking him seriously after a few almighty slogs (fresh-air, of course), but he made the mistake of dropping short and was clubbed for a meaty maximum over midwicket. Gough departed not long after, but Surrey could still not clean out the tail, with Bresnan and Gillespie ensuring that they will have finish the job tomorrow.
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Sorry England sinks without trace
Tomorrow, officially, the English cricket season begins. Yet for team England, today marks the end of a six month venture, in which they competed in three continents for three prizes and were dismal on every front. When Strauss and Collingwood's attempt at resuscitating an England innings which had been lifeless from the first ball failed, there was a definite sense of the life support machine being turned off; 5 wickets fell for only twice as many runs, and the ship which had been reeling ever since Adelaide back in December finally sunk below the waterline without so much as a ripple
In truth, the rats had long since fled; Ashes cricket has always contained some extraordinary matches, a concentration of which made the 2005 series so special. Yet even amongst those thrillers, there remained a sole example of a team losing a game they could not possibly lose. And with as much justification as Ian Botham had when he allegedly whispered the word "Headingley" in Allan Border's ear during a tight Australian run chase in 1985, Australians will now have course to remind England cricketers of Adelaide.
For that Test match, indisputably, was England's undoing. Pundits may pick endlessly over the significance of Harmison's first ball, or the selection of Giles over Panesar, but the fact remains that all vitality and spirit this England team had lies buried at the home of South Australia. From then on, it has been an arduous struggle, a long series of repair jobs on an already fatally wounded animal.
In terms of this World Cup, England's failings are many and well documented. Any mildly interested England follower will be intimately acquainted with the failings of the top order, the blandness of the bowling attack and the reliance on individuals, some of whom could not even be relied on themselves. Frankly, progression to the semi-finals of this tournament would have been an indictment on a competition which is meant to be a showcase for the world's best.
Countless opportunities presented themselves, the structure and nature of the tournament even going so far as to offer England an effective quarter final, without them having had to win any game of note. In the end, even one big performance was too much to ask; that they have only two fragments of good play to show for in a tournament which seems to have lasted for an eternity is not far short of disgraceful.
For the fan who has suffered every beating along the way, the sanctuary of a Test Match, at home, cannot come soon enough. Any chance to bury the winter of discontent will be seized upon. But while fans seek to forget, it is of paramount importance that those in charge are made to hurt a little more, so that maybe they can glean something of use from such a hapless campaign, as they seek to build for what seems an uncertain future.
In truth, the rats had long since fled; Ashes cricket has always contained some extraordinary matches, a concentration of which made the 2005 series so special. Yet even amongst those thrillers, there remained a sole example of a team losing a game they could not possibly lose. And with as much justification as Ian Botham had when he allegedly whispered the word "Headingley" in Allan Border's ear during a tight Australian run chase in 1985, Australians will now have course to remind England cricketers of Adelaide.
For that Test match, indisputably, was England's undoing. Pundits may pick endlessly over the significance of Harmison's first ball, or the selection of Giles over Panesar, but the fact remains that all vitality and spirit this England team had lies buried at the home of South Australia. From then on, it has been an arduous struggle, a long series of repair jobs on an already fatally wounded animal.
In terms of this World Cup, England's failings are many and well documented. Any mildly interested England follower will be intimately acquainted with the failings of the top order, the blandness of the bowling attack and the reliance on individuals, some of whom could not even be relied on themselves. Frankly, progression to the semi-finals of this tournament would have been an indictment on a competition which is meant to be a showcase for the world's best.
Countless opportunities presented themselves, the structure and nature of the tournament even going so far as to offer England an effective quarter final, without them having had to win any game of note. In the end, even one big performance was too much to ask; that they have only two fragments of good play to show for in a tournament which seems to have lasted for an eternity is not far short of disgraceful.
For the fan who has suffered every beating along the way, the sanctuary of a Test Match, at home, cannot come soon enough. Any chance to bury the winter of discontent will be seized upon. But while fans seek to forget, it is of paramount importance that those in charge are made to hurt a little more, so that maybe they can glean something of use from such a hapless campaign, as they seek to build for what seems an uncertain future.
Sunday, 15 April 2007
Shadow Boxers must beware sucker punch
Achievement in sport is, of course, relative; when Australia cantered past Bangladesh they celebrated with no more than a casual shrug of the shoulder, a job well done, but nothing more than was expected. Yet for Ireland, today's victory, if not the pinnacle of their World Cup (for what could topple beating Pakistan on their own saint's day) at least justified their presence in the second round of the tournament and will be greeted with delirium back in the Emerald Isle. That was their cup final; tomorrow could be another.
Australia are almost certain to finish top of the Super 8, meaning that their semi-final will be against the winner of Tuesday's encounter between South Africa and England. Sri Lanka and New Zealand are already through, and are likely to meet in the first semi, which, considering the magnitude of Sri Lanka's victory in their initial match, would make the Asian side favourites. As it is hard to see past Australia in the other knockout tie, it is no surprise that tomorrow's clash is being touted as the dress rehearsal for the final.
Regardless of this, the match-up between the two front-runners has long been the most anticipated fixture. Bar Australia, almost the entire cricketing world will be behind Mahela Jayawardene's men. Steve Waugh wrote of Michael Bevan in his autobiography that, "his genius became mundane when people were spoiled by his continued brilliance" and perhaps we are suffering something of the same in judging Australia's performances. Why is it that Hayden is seen as a butcher, while Sanath Jayasuriya is revered as a flawed genius? Despite their five match hiccup before this World Cup, and the fact that the rankings would have Australia only the second best ODI team in the world, they have long been the leaders in the field. They are a machine which churns out victories time and again. Maybe it is this which leads the average cricket follower to regard a breathtaking Gilchrist innings or a choking and incisive spell by McGrath as just a bit ordinary. Conversely, this Sri Lankan side wins as a by product of entertaining; they have so many maverick elements that it would be nigh on impossible for them to be boring. They even overshadowed their only loss of the tournament, Lasith Malinga's 4 wickets in as many balls capturing headlines and imaginations alike.
Yet as much as tomorrow's match presents itself as a clash of cultures, there is some similarity between the make-up of the two sides. Both have opening partnerships which look to decimate bowling attacks. The first over for both innings will be bowled by a left-arm seamer, while the second (dependant on Malinga's fitness) will be hurled down from a decidedly unusual round-arm action. If Malinga makes it, Sri Lanka have the definite edge on the bowling front; Nathan Bracken may imitate Chaminda Vaas in form, but he possesses none of the latter's experience, nous and gumption. Shaun Tait is also a somewhat pale shadow of Malinga, both in bowling and personality. Sri Lanka, of course, have the superior spin options, with Brad Hogg closer to Sri Lanka's second slow bowler, Jayasuriya, than their premier twirler, Muralitharan. Should Australia continue to replace Shane Watson with an extra batsman, they may well be made to pay for spreading their bowling resources too thin, with Sri Lanka more capable on carrying out the sort of punishment England threatened.
On the flip side of the coin, no-one would dispute the superiority of Australia's batting unit over not only Sri Lanka's. but indeed that of any in the competition. The top 4 are all in supreme form, and, although the lower order has been deprived of crease time, a reserve of Symonds, Hussey and Hodge does not read too badly at all. On the other hand, while Sri Lanka can just about live with Australia up front, their batting is much more top heavy, with the trio of Silva, Dilshan and Arnold fairly unthreatening.
With the absolute importance of this game relatively slim, Sri Lanka may choose to rest Malinga, which would tip the balance in Australia's favour. This would both mean that he could be given an easier return from injury, while it would also benefit Sri Lanka to prevent Australia getting a look at Malinga, so that they would be coming at him cold, should these two teams contest the final. And that outcome is very much on the cards; even so, this is a tournament which has thus far shown a distinct aversion to running smoothly. England vs. New Zealand for the final anyone?
Australia are almost certain to finish top of the Super 8, meaning that their semi-final will be against the winner of Tuesday's encounter between South Africa and England. Sri Lanka and New Zealand are already through, and are likely to meet in the first semi, which, considering the magnitude of Sri Lanka's victory in their initial match, would make the Asian side favourites. As it is hard to see past Australia in the other knockout tie, it is no surprise that tomorrow's clash is being touted as the dress rehearsal for the final.
Regardless of this, the match-up between the two front-runners has long been the most anticipated fixture. Bar Australia, almost the entire cricketing world will be behind Mahela Jayawardene's men. Steve Waugh wrote of Michael Bevan in his autobiography that, "his genius became mundane when people were spoiled by his continued brilliance" and perhaps we are suffering something of the same in judging Australia's performances. Why is it that Hayden is seen as a butcher, while Sanath Jayasuriya is revered as a flawed genius? Despite their five match hiccup before this World Cup, and the fact that the rankings would have Australia only the second best ODI team in the world, they have long been the leaders in the field. They are a machine which churns out victories time and again. Maybe it is this which leads the average cricket follower to regard a breathtaking Gilchrist innings or a choking and incisive spell by McGrath as just a bit ordinary. Conversely, this Sri Lankan side wins as a by product of entertaining; they have so many maverick elements that it would be nigh on impossible for them to be boring. They even overshadowed their only loss of the tournament, Lasith Malinga's 4 wickets in as many balls capturing headlines and imaginations alike.
Yet as much as tomorrow's match presents itself as a clash of cultures, there is some similarity between the make-up of the two sides. Both have opening partnerships which look to decimate bowling attacks. The first over for both innings will be bowled by a left-arm seamer, while the second (dependant on Malinga's fitness) will be hurled down from a decidedly unusual round-arm action. If Malinga makes it, Sri Lanka have the definite edge on the bowling front; Nathan Bracken may imitate Chaminda Vaas in form, but he possesses none of the latter's experience, nous and gumption. Shaun Tait is also a somewhat pale shadow of Malinga, both in bowling and personality. Sri Lanka, of course, have the superior spin options, with Brad Hogg closer to Sri Lanka's second slow bowler, Jayasuriya, than their premier twirler, Muralitharan. Should Australia continue to replace Shane Watson with an extra batsman, they may well be made to pay for spreading their bowling resources too thin, with Sri Lanka more capable on carrying out the sort of punishment England threatened.
On the flip side of the coin, no-one would dispute the superiority of Australia's batting unit over not only Sri Lanka's. but indeed that of any in the competition. The top 4 are all in supreme form, and, although the lower order has been deprived of crease time, a reserve of Symonds, Hussey and Hodge does not read too badly at all. On the other hand, while Sri Lanka can just about live with Australia up front, their batting is much more top heavy, with the trio of Silva, Dilshan and Arnold fairly unthreatening.
With the absolute importance of this game relatively slim, Sri Lanka may choose to rest Malinga, which would tip the balance in Australia's favour. This would both mean that he could be given an easier return from injury, while it would also benefit Sri Lanka to prevent Australia getting a look at Malinga, so that they would be coming at him cold, should these two teams contest the final. And that outcome is very much on the cards; even so, this is a tournament which has thus far shown a distinct aversion to running smoothly. England vs. New Zealand for the final anyone?
Saturday, 14 April 2007
Climate right for White Rose to bloom
In view of England's miserable winter, an Ashes thumping followed by what looks an increasingly forlorn World Cup campaign, the attention of those who support England first and their county second has begun to turn towards the start of the county season, with the first round of Championship matches beginning on Wednesday. Not least for those who follow my own preferred county Yorkshire. For White Rose fans over the last five years, the 2001 Championship has seemed but a distant memory, with many senior players deserting the ranks and being replaced by distinctly inferior talent. After another dismal season in 2006, salvaged only by the emergence of Adil Rashid and the triumphant farewell of Darren Lehmann, the trend looked set to continue. By October, both Lehmann and Michael Lumb had left the club, with Anthony McGrath set to follow them out of the exit door. Effectively they had lost the entire middle order. To compound matters, the man who had been lined up to both fill one of those holes and to take over the running of the first XI, Chris Adams, took one look and hot-footed it straight back to Sussex, who were more than happy to welcome him back. The only ray of light was the signing of Younus Khan; yet even that did not run smoothly, with Younus announcing himself as captain, while Yorkshire insisted they wanted someone who could be there from the beginning of the season. A side that had only just maintained its first division status in 2006 was left without a captain, coach, and its two most important batsmen.
Remarkably, when Yorkshire take to the field against Surrey on Wednesday, they will be almost indisputably stronger than last season. Jacques Rudolph was a major coup, and although there are misgivings about his contract and indeed his motives in agreeing to sacrifice international cricket, he is a far superior player to the man he replaces, Michael Lumb. After Jason Gillespie was confirmed for a second season, the general consensus was that the club had signed all the players it wanted, with the emphasis turning to finding a new coach and captain.
The only rumbling was about Darren Gough, yet to sign the contract Essex had offered him. Gough certainly made noises about Yorkshire, but to take seriously a man who was still convinced he could lead England's attack in the Caribbean, was a bit much to ask. So it was a major surprise when everything fell into place, and the club lured him back. The influence of his signing did not stop merely when the ink had dried on his two year contract; it answered the captaincy question, as well as bringing back into the fold both Martyn Moxon, as coach, and Anthony McGrath, reconciled and mollified by the presence of those he knows and trusts.
The change has been so sweeping that it is hard to gauge quite where Yorkshire stand. Their team to face Surrey will contain 8 internationals and there is a reassuring feeling to the whole team, with class performers in all areas. Much will depend on the starts they get at the top of the order, with the man to partner Craig White as yet undecided. Joe Sayers is likely to be selected, although Matthew Wood has a chance, and could be galvanised by the return of the coach under whose charge he did well enough to be an international prospect around the turn of the century.
There is also a decision to be made in the middle order, and they have to decide whether they want to play Adil Rashid in April, or jettison his leg spin in favour of an extra batsman, probably Andrew Gale. With Hoggard available early season, in addition to Gough, Gillespie and Bresnan, Yorkshire may decide that 4 pacemen will be enough to do the job on helpful early season pitches. Nevertheless, it is very much in the balance, and the decision may come down to how they read the Oval Pitch. The final dilemma is over who should keep wicket, a perennial bugbear since Richard Blakey's retirement. Both Guy and Brophy have shown good form in the pre-season, and either could get the nod, although the smart money is on the latter.
Yorkshire certainly have the talent and experience to challenge for the championship. That would, of course, be the best case scenario, with everything gelling perfectly under the management of Gough and Moxon. Even so, as party-pooping as it may sound before the season has even begun, it is worth sounding a note of caution: Khan and Rudolph have limited experience of English conditions, while the ageing pace attack could suffer if Gough cannot last the course and Gillespie repeats a disappointing debut season. Much expectation is also being heaped on Adil Rashid, and it is hard to banish the thought that producing a successful second season may be beyond him. Who knows? Gough could be the dream ticket or a recipe for disaster. Whichever it is, it will not happen quietly, and the result could be a season historic even in the rich heritage of a great club like Yorkshire.
Remarkably, when Yorkshire take to the field against Surrey on Wednesday, they will be almost indisputably stronger than last season. Jacques Rudolph was a major coup, and although there are misgivings about his contract and indeed his motives in agreeing to sacrifice international cricket, he is a far superior player to the man he replaces, Michael Lumb. After Jason Gillespie was confirmed for a second season, the general consensus was that the club had signed all the players it wanted, with the emphasis turning to finding a new coach and captain.
The only rumbling was about Darren Gough, yet to sign the contract Essex had offered him. Gough certainly made noises about Yorkshire, but to take seriously a man who was still convinced he could lead England's attack in the Caribbean, was a bit much to ask. So it was a major surprise when everything fell into place, and the club lured him back. The influence of his signing did not stop merely when the ink had dried on his two year contract; it answered the captaincy question, as well as bringing back into the fold both Martyn Moxon, as coach, and Anthony McGrath, reconciled and mollified by the presence of those he knows and trusts.
The change has been so sweeping that it is hard to gauge quite where Yorkshire stand. Their team to face Surrey will contain 8 internationals and there is a reassuring feeling to the whole team, with class performers in all areas. Much will depend on the starts they get at the top of the order, with the man to partner Craig White as yet undecided. Joe Sayers is likely to be selected, although Matthew Wood has a chance, and could be galvanised by the return of the coach under whose charge he did well enough to be an international prospect around the turn of the century.
There is also a decision to be made in the middle order, and they have to decide whether they want to play Adil Rashid in April, or jettison his leg spin in favour of an extra batsman, probably Andrew Gale. With Hoggard available early season, in addition to Gough, Gillespie and Bresnan, Yorkshire may decide that 4 pacemen will be enough to do the job on helpful early season pitches. Nevertheless, it is very much in the balance, and the decision may come down to how they read the Oval Pitch. The final dilemma is over who should keep wicket, a perennial bugbear since Richard Blakey's retirement. Both Guy and Brophy have shown good form in the pre-season, and either could get the nod, although the smart money is on the latter.
Yorkshire certainly have the talent and experience to challenge for the championship. That would, of course, be the best case scenario, with everything gelling perfectly under the management of Gough and Moxon. Even so, as party-pooping as it may sound before the season has even begun, it is worth sounding a note of caution: Khan and Rudolph have limited experience of English conditions, while the ageing pace attack could suffer if Gough cannot last the course and Gillespie repeats a disappointing debut season. Much expectation is also being heaped on Adil Rashid, and it is hard to banish the thought that producing a successful second season may be beyond him. Who knows? Gough could be the dream ticket or a recipe for disaster. Whichever it is, it will not happen quietly, and the result could be a season historic even in the rich heritage of a great club like Yorkshire.
Friday, 13 April 2007
The Super Six?
Although international cricket has now become a year round affair, the English season still runs April-September and the county game creaked back into action today when 2006 champions Sussex took on MCC in the traditional curtain-raiser. I have already previewed the prospects of each team, noting players to watch out for. Those were exclusively young, up and coming players, and here is an alternate list of 6 to watch, comprising old, young, overseas and homegrown.
Ali Brown (Surrey): 15 years on from his first-class bow, "Lordy" may be entering his final season at The Oval, where Surrey have long benefited from his extraordinary strokemaking ability in view of his limited opportunities at international level. He still opens for them in one-day cricket, now accompanied by James Benning, something of a protege in the big hitting department, and one to whom England may turn in their search for an attacking opener. Hidden in the middle order behind fellow old lags Butcher and Ramprakash in the longer format, on his day Brown has it in him to shine even brighter, and it will be a sad day for fans of the county game when he is no longer around to entertain them.
Varun Chopra (Essex): Following in the footsteps of Alistair Cook as an early-blooming Essex opener, he made a century on his first-class debut last year while still in his teens. He is still not yet 20, and a further four half-centuries in his nine games last year showed that it was no flash in the pan. His chances of a consistent first XI place depend to an extent on whether Cook is selected by England, but it seems that he is not the type to waste an opportunity. A former England under-19 captain, he has one of the best mentors available in Graham Gooch, and in a few years when Strauss, Vaughan and Trescothick are finding the lure of the commentary box hard to resist, England could well have a ready-made replacement and a opening partnership for some time to come.
Saqlain Mushtaq (Sussex): The forgotten man of spin bowling, he was as influential as either of his two more illustrious partners in crime during his pomp in the late 1990s. It was him, not Muralitharan who brought the doosra to the game (although back then, it was just Saqlain's "mystery ball") and this brought him success at Test level, although it was in ODI cricket where he always prospered the most, often bowling at the death. Unfortunately for Saqlain, injuries, loss of form and the rise of Kaneira have all seen his international prospects decline, and he was finally discarded after a mauling at the hands of India in early 2004. In theory, the country he would now represent is England, with his British passport pending. Of course this will not happen; the England selectors may be prepared to accommodate an import like Pietersen, but there is no question of them considering someone who has already had a long international career for another country. Nevertheless, re-united with Mushtaq at Sussex, he could still have a major impact as he once did for Surrey, and a decade after the two twirled away in tandem for Pakistan, the prospect of them revisiting past glories will be more than appealing to Sussex fans eager for a third Championship pennant.
Graham Onions (Durham): Pacy and capable of extracting useful lift, he earned a call-up to replace the injured Darren Gough in England's one-day series against Pakistan at the end of last summer. He should see plenty of bowling, as Harmison and Plunkett will likely be summoned by England, and will want to build on his 50 wicket haul in 2006. With England looking to mould a new ODI side in the aftermath of the World Cup, there is a place or two up for grabs, although he will have to fight off the likes of Stuart Broad, as well as the more established Plunkett and Mahmood. However, if the men in possession continue to founder while he carries on supplying catching practice for Durham's appropriately named keeper Phil Mustard, there is a chance that they will turn to him; the fact he has started to be included of squads certainly indicates he is not far from the selector's thoughts.
R.P.Singh (Leicestershire): The latest in a long-line of Indian left-armers, he was one of the young players Greg Chappell attempted to bring into the Indian team, before the youth policy was discarded and with it the World Cup. Tall, quickish and capable of swinging the ball both ways, he would hope to have the same sort of impact as Zaheer Khan last year for Worcestershire. It is rare enough for county batsmen to have to face left-arm fast bowlers, and the better ones tend to prosper, as evidenced by the healthy returns of Khan, Ryan Sidebottom and Jason Lewry. The prospect of him opening the bowling with England hopeful Stuart Broad is an exciting one for the Grace Road faithful, and those two may need to be the key performers if the team is to do well. A county spell was the springboard for Khan to make a successful international return, and Singh will want to emulate him, his chances improved by the wind of change already uprooting trees on Indian cricket scene.
Adil Rashid: (Yorkshire): Something of a cliche for a list like this, but I'll include him anyway. Surely Yorkshire would not have known last season when they drafted him in for the injured Darren Lehmann to bat in the middle order and bowl a few overs of spin that they were in fact unearthing the great new hope of English spin bowling. Six wickets on debut created a predictable frisson, especially with the knowledge that he had been scoring centuries in almost equal measure for the 2nds. The batting never really materialised, despite one half-century, but he did carry on his bowling form, picking up 25 wickets at about that average. The worry about him being overbowled came to the fore when he suffered a stress fracture at the end of the season, which has led to a remodelling of his action. As rare as it is to bowl leg-spin on the English domestic scene, it is even more unusual to have another to bowl in tandem with. Yet this is a luxury Rashid enjoys, the performances of Mark Lawson being as crucial as his own in ensuring Yorkshire's survival last season. What sets Rashid aside from Lawson is his control and good economy rate (3.41 in first-class cricket); he is not the archetypal young leg spinner, magic balls buried beneath a mountain of long-hops and full tosses. What is paramount is that he must be given time. All talks of England are ridiculous as we stand; what he needs is a few full seasons in county cricket, learning his trade, and, equally importantly, working on his batting. After all, English spin is in the good, very large hands of Monty Panesar and there is no pressing need to rush Rashid. Possibly the best young talent in the English game, definitely the most hyped, all Rashid can do is perform for Yorkshire and a good second season, which tends to escape many promising players, will stand him in good stead.
Ali Brown (Surrey): 15 years on from his first-class bow, "Lordy" may be entering his final season at The Oval, where Surrey have long benefited from his extraordinary strokemaking ability in view of his limited opportunities at international level. He still opens for them in one-day cricket, now accompanied by James Benning, something of a protege in the big hitting department, and one to whom England may turn in their search for an attacking opener. Hidden in the middle order behind fellow old lags Butcher and Ramprakash in the longer format, on his day Brown has it in him to shine even brighter, and it will be a sad day for fans of the county game when he is no longer around to entertain them.
Varun Chopra (Essex): Following in the footsteps of Alistair Cook as an early-blooming Essex opener, he made a century on his first-class debut last year while still in his teens. He is still not yet 20, and a further four half-centuries in his nine games last year showed that it was no flash in the pan. His chances of a consistent first XI place depend to an extent on whether Cook is selected by England, but it seems that he is not the type to waste an opportunity. A former England under-19 captain, he has one of the best mentors available in Graham Gooch, and in a few years when Strauss, Vaughan and Trescothick are finding the lure of the commentary box hard to resist, England could well have a ready-made replacement and a opening partnership for some time to come.
Saqlain Mushtaq (Sussex): The forgotten man of spin bowling, he was as influential as either of his two more illustrious partners in crime during his pomp in the late 1990s. It was him, not Muralitharan who brought the doosra to the game (although back then, it was just Saqlain's "mystery ball") and this brought him success at Test level, although it was in ODI cricket where he always prospered the most, often bowling at the death. Unfortunately for Saqlain, injuries, loss of form and the rise of Kaneira have all seen his international prospects decline, and he was finally discarded after a mauling at the hands of India in early 2004. In theory, the country he would now represent is England, with his British passport pending. Of course this will not happen; the England selectors may be prepared to accommodate an import like Pietersen, but there is no question of them considering someone who has already had a long international career for another country. Nevertheless, re-united with Mushtaq at Sussex, he could still have a major impact as he once did for Surrey, and a decade after the two twirled away in tandem for Pakistan, the prospect of them revisiting past glories will be more than appealing to Sussex fans eager for a third Championship pennant.
Graham Onions (Durham): Pacy and capable of extracting useful lift, he earned a call-up to replace the injured Darren Gough in England's one-day series against Pakistan at the end of last summer. He should see plenty of bowling, as Harmison and Plunkett will likely be summoned by England, and will want to build on his 50 wicket haul in 2006. With England looking to mould a new ODI side in the aftermath of the World Cup, there is a place or two up for grabs, although he will have to fight off the likes of Stuart Broad, as well as the more established Plunkett and Mahmood. However, if the men in possession continue to founder while he carries on supplying catching practice for Durham's appropriately named keeper Phil Mustard, there is a chance that they will turn to him; the fact he has started to be included of squads certainly indicates he is not far from the selector's thoughts.
R.P.Singh (Leicestershire): The latest in a long-line of Indian left-armers, he was one of the young players Greg Chappell attempted to bring into the Indian team, before the youth policy was discarded and with it the World Cup. Tall, quickish and capable of swinging the ball both ways, he would hope to have the same sort of impact as Zaheer Khan last year for Worcestershire. It is rare enough for county batsmen to have to face left-arm fast bowlers, and the better ones tend to prosper, as evidenced by the healthy returns of Khan, Ryan Sidebottom and Jason Lewry. The prospect of him opening the bowling with England hopeful Stuart Broad is an exciting one for the Grace Road faithful, and those two may need to be the key performers if the team is to do well. A county spell was the springboard for Khan to make a successful international return, and Singh will want to emulate him, his chances improved by the wind of change already uprooting trees on Indian cricket scene.
Adil Rashid: (Yorkshire): Something of a cliche for a list like this, but I'll include him anyway. Surely Yorkshire would not have known last season when they drafted him in for the injured Darren Lehmann to bat in the middle order and bowl a few overs of spin that they were in fact unearthing the great new hope of English spin bowling. Six wickets on debut created a predictable frisson, especially with the knowledge that he had been scoring centuries in almost equal measure for the 2nds. The batting never really materialised, despite one half-century, but he did carry on his bowling form, picking up 25 wickets at about that average. The worry about him being overbowled came to the fore when he suffered a stress fracture at the end of the season, which has led to a remodelling of his action. As rare as it is to bowl leg-spin on the English domestic scene, it is even more unusual to have another to bowl in tandem with. Yet this is a luxury Rashid enjoys, the performances of Mark Lawson being as crucial as his own in ensuring Yorkshire's survival last season. What sets Rashid aside from Lawson is his control and good economy rate (3.41 in first-class cricket); he is not the archetypal young leg spinner, magic balls buried beneath a mountain of long-hops and full tosses. What is paramount is that he must be given time. All talks of England are ridiculous as we stand; what he needs is a few full seasons in county cricket, learning his trade, and, equally importantly, working on his batting. After all, English spin is in the good, very large hands of Monty Panesar and there is no pressing need to rush Rashid. Possibly the best young talent in the English game, definitely the most hyped, all Rashid can do is perform for Yorkshire and a good second season, which tends to escape many promising players, will stand him in good stead.
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Road to nowhere
Luck, perhaps, has not smiled on England during the course of this World Cup. They have not really deserved much, truth be told, but the little things which can have such significance on one-day cricket have seemed to be piling up against them. Yet in the field today, a few things started to go England's way: Michael Vaughan's horror show of a dropped catch somehow turned into a run-out, while Paul Nixon's drop fell not to ground but into the hands of Strauss at slip. The general performance in the field was slack, with none of the teeming enthusiasm displayed against Sri Lanka, and it was only thanks to a fast bouncy Kensington Oval pitch that they managed to unsettle the Bangladeshi batsmen, who have thus far found little success away from the low, slow decks similar to those they have at home.
From 65-6, they should really have finished the job and knocked over the rest for under 100. But instead of bowling the common-sense line and length which had brought early success, Flintoff was forced to pursue a short and wide angle of attack against stand-out batsman Saqibul Hasan, after Vaughan employed an 8:1 field. This is one of his weaknesses as a captain; as much as pre-conceived plans can be useful, he sometimes struggles to see the wood from the trees and ploughs on regardless of situation. There was some merit in the idea that short-pitched bowling might unsettle the Bangladeshis, with their inexperience playing the bouncing ball. Here, however, it should have been obvious after a few lacing back-cuts that this was a line of attack the batsman relished and that the sensible option would be to post a normal field and tell Flintoff to bowl straight. Nevertheless, Saqibul was allowed to continue on his merry way to an unbeaten half-century, with his tail-end partners succumbing only to a few flighted deliveries from Panesar.
Masharafe Mortaza is often cited as Bangladesh's only pace bowler of international class and his threat is underestimated by few. However all this attention has allowed less glamorous partner Syed Rasel to slip in under the radar and bag the greater hauls, as he did today, finding Ian Bell's edge and pinning Andrew Strauss to the crease. Bell's dismissal, attempting to force the pace after a slow start was partially explainable, but for Strauss to give it away after he had looked good and got himself in was poor. Worse were the dismissals of Pietersen and Vaughan, both misjudging leg-side heaves. By the fall of the fourth wicket, with Pietersen continuing his journey down the pitch to Razzak all the way back to the pavilion, all thoughts of boosting net-run rate had gone with him, the outcome of the game suddenly in doubt again. Flintoff did his best to settle it with a few lusty blows before he was deceived by Rafique's cunning arm ball, his wicket falling in the same over as Bopara's and opening the game up as a contest when he had been on the verge of sealing it. Collingwood and Nixon limped over the line, in the same fashion one might be expected to complete a three-legged race, but once again Bangladesh gave an excellent account of themselves in defence of what had seemed a terminally insufficient score.
As for England, a win is what they can claim, but a sloppy fielding display and a batting performance for which the word pathetic only begins to do justice, is what they must account for. South Africa are next up, the first of two knockout matches, and a team bristling in new-found confidence following their slaughter of the West Indies on Tuesday. They laid down their marker in emphatic style, challenging England to do the same. After they had bowled Bangladesh out for 143, there was a good opportunitu to storm to victory, boosting the net run rate as well as their own confidence at the same time as re-opening the still fresh wounds of South Africa's humiliating loss to the same team. In time-honoured style, England seized on an opportunity as a chance to fail miserably and are still to convince. Rational England fans have now given up hope they ever will in this tournament.
Two games remain for England in the Super 8 stage of the tournament. We know the line-up, the opposition and what is required. Sadly for England , we think we know the outcome as well.
From 65-6, they should really have finished the job and knocked over the rest for under 100. But instead of bowling the common-sense line and length which had brought early success, Flintoff was forced to pursue a short and wide angle of attack against stand-out batsman Saqibul Hasan, after Vaughan employed an 8:1 field. This is one of his weaknesses as a captain; as much as pre-conceived plans can be useful, he sometimes struggles to see the wood from the trees and ploughs on regardless of situation. There was some merit in the idea that short-pitched bowling might unsettle the Bangladeshis, with their inexperience playing the bouncing ball. Here, however, it should have been obvious after a few lacing back-cuts that this was a line of attack the batsman relished and that the sensible option would be to post a normal field and tell Flintoff to bowl straight. Nevertheless, Saqibul was allowed to continue on his merry way to an unbeaten half-century, with his tail-end partners succumbing only to a few flighted deliveries from Panesar.
Masharafe Mortaza is often cited as Bangladesh's only pace bowler of international class and his threat is underestimated by few. However all this attention has allowed less glamorous partner Syed Rasel to slip in under the radar and bag the greater hauls, as he did today, finding Ian Bell's edge and pinning Andrew Strauss to the crease. Bell's dismissal, attempting to force the pace after a slow start was partially explainable, but for Strauss to give it away after he had looked good and got himself in was poor. Worse were the dismissals of Pietersen and Vaughan, both misjudging leg-side heaves. By the fall of the fourth wicket, with Pietersen continuing his journey down the pitch to Razzak all the way back to the pavilion, all thoughts of boosting net-run rate had gone with him, the outcome of the game suddenly in doubt again. Flintoff did his best to settle it with a few lusty blows before he was deceived by Rafique's cunning arm ball, his wicket falling in the same over as Bopara's and opening the game up as a contest when he had been on the verge of sealing it. Collingwood and Nixon limped over the line, in the same fashion one might be expected to complete a three-legged race, but once again Bangladesh gave an excellent account of themselves in defence of what had seemed a terminally insufficient score.
As for England, a win is what they can claim, but a sloppy fielding display and a batting performance for which the word pathetic only begins to do justice, is what they must account for. South Africa are next up, the first of two knockout matches, and a team bristling in new-found confidence following their slaughter of the West Indies on Tuesday. They laid down their marker in emphatic style, challenging England to do the same. After they had bowled Bangladesh out for 143, there was a good opportunitu to storm to victory, boosting the net run rate as well as their own confidence at the same time as re-opening the still fresh wounds of South Africa's humiliating loss to the same team. In time-honoured style, England seized on an opportunity as a chance to fail miserably and are still to convince. Rational England fans have now given up hope they ever will in this tournament.
Two games remain for England in the Super 8 stage of the tournament. We know the line-up, the opposition and what is required. Sadly for England , we think we know the outcome as well.
Monday, 9 April 2007
Last throw for weary England
World Cups, with their cyclical occurrence, should be a point at which a team is performing at its zenith, tactics and line-up honed and perfected over a four year gestation period. At the end of this tournament, barring an unlikely England triumph - the ultimate golden sticking plaster - the usual platitudes will be rolled out. We will be assured how the team and the management will endeavour to "build for the next one", the same tawdry line that has been re-heated three times ever since Sri Lanka painfully blew them out of the tournament, and into the modern era, in 1996.
Yet the four years spent building for 2007 has produced a team clouded in doubt: they don't know who should be opening the batting, or the bowling for that matter. There is the thorny issue of a captain, with whom the comparisons with Mike Brearley have never been more prescient (for the wrong reasons) and a spinner meant to be the best our best since Derek Underwood, being made to bowl like the man whom he succeeded in the role, Mike Yardy. Add to that the fact that the star all-rounder is batting about as well as the aforementioned spinner and you begin to understand why this is a team which is left in the unenviable position of needing to beat three Test teams on the bounce (by the way, in case you're wondering, England's last three World Cup wins against Test Nations span 5 tournaments).
A year ago, during the tour of India, Duncan Fletcher pronounced that he knew 10 of his preferred 11 for the forthcoming tournament, (for the record, the ten would have been: Trescothick, Strauss, Vaughan, Collingwood, Pietersen, Flintoff, G.Jones, Giles, S.Jones, Harmison, ) the only doubt being over the No.9 position, where they were still to find a strike bowler capable of swinging the bat (Flintoff anyone?). Of that 10, just half made it to the Caribbean, with one of them, Strauss, not as first choice.
It is the names at the head and foot of that list which have proved the greatest losses. Trescothick has long been England's one reliable one-day performer; he was the man to get England off to a fast start, also possessing the ability to milk and slog the spinners in the middle overs. His 11 centuries easily outweigh the number scored by the entire touring squad. Harmison, on the other hand, was not exactly Mr.Dependable; he was, however, a bona-fide strike bowler, able to pick up wickets with the new ball and then return to winkle one out in mid-innings. In short, they were England's two gamebreakers, who led the attack in their respective roles. Yet neither came close to making the final 15. One cannot criticise Trescothick, whose problems are myriad and mystery, although the timing and nature of his comeback innings, slaughtering a Devonian bowling attack for over 250, put the failings of England's top order in a very cruel, albeit realistic light. Harmison could be there, returning to spearhead a misfiring attack on the pitches where he found glory 3 years ago. But after a year where he struggled for consistency with the white ball, he threw in the towel and shied away from the battle. A month later, when made to face his failings with ball in hand at the Gabba, he was shown to be unfit for the task, and the career of a fast bowler who had it in him to be great may be slipping into the shadows.
Unless there is a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, England's World Cup campaign faces a similar fate. The top order has not produced once when it has mattered; Ian Bell booked his place with an assured 70 against the Australians, although England are have four options as to who partners him (put another way, they haven't got a clue). Joyce, Strauss and Vaughan have all failed repeatedly, although it is likely one of them will get the spot. Most probably, the captain will plod on, hoping to find a sucker willing to give him the even break he is in desperate need of. It has been mooted that England should send out of form Flintoff to replace him at the top, with Vaughan slotting in down the order. England have two different ways they can try and use Flintoff as a batsman: either he does go in as opener (Can he do any worse, they cry) with license to wreak havoc in the powerplay. Failing that, they ought to keep him back until after the 40th over, to add impetus to the end of the innings. What needs to be avoided is him being exposed to good spin bowling in a delayed powerplay situation, where there is a compulsion to attack. Should they persist in sending him in at four down against Bangladesh, he is going to be subjected to trial by left-arm spin, and England will be wasting one of their two big hitters. Against Bangladesh, to avoid him coming in cold against the spinners, he may as well open with Bell, although this precludes Pietersen coming in at 3, both as it makes England's batting too top-heavy with hitters, and also because it increases the chance that they will have to bat together, a situation in which they rarely appear to be fighting the same cause.
One can only hope that the selectors recognise that Mahmood has frittered away any favour he might have gained against Sri Lanka with another guileless display against the Aussies. Plunkett would be the obvious replacement, although with Stuart Broad having joined the squad, they might as well throw him in. It is very doubtful he will do any worse, and the addition of a fresh face may just be the kick England need to put them back on track. A long shot maybe, but the time has come for England to gamble.
Yet the four years spent building for 2007 has produced a team clouded in doubt: they don't know who should be opening the batting, or the bowling for that matter. There is the thorny issue of a captain, with whom the comparisons with Mike Brearley have never been more prescient (for the wrong reasons) and a spinner meant to be the best our best since Derek Underwood, being made to bowl like the man whom he succeeded in the role, Mike Yardy. Add to that the fact that the star all-rounder is batting about as well as the aforementioned spinner and you begin to understand why this is a team which is left in the unenviable position of needing to beat three Test teams on the bounce (by the way, in case you're wondering, England's last three World Cup wins against Test Nations span 5 tournaments).
A year ago, during the tour of India, Duncan Fletcher pronounced that he knew 10 of his preferred 11 for the forthcoming tournament, (for the record, the ten would have been: Trescothick, Strauss, Vaughan, Collingwood, Pietersen, Flintoff, G.Jones, Giles, S.Jones, Harmison, ) the only doubt being over the No.9 position, where they were still to find a strike bowler capable of swinging the bat (Flintoff anyone?). Of that 10, just half made it to the Caribbean, with one of them, Strauss, not as first choice.
It is the names at the head and foot of that list which have proved the greatest losses. Trescothick has long been England's one reliable one-day performer; he was the man to get England off to a fast start, also possessing the ability to milk and slog the spinners in the middle overs. His 11 centuries easily outweigh the number scored by the entire touring squad. Harmison, on the other hand, was not exactly Mr.Dependable; he was, however, a bona-fide strike bowler, able to pick up wickets with the new ball and then return to winkle one out in mid-innings. In short, they were England's two gamebreakers, who led the attack in their respective roles. Yet neither came close to making the final 15. One cannot criticise Trescothick, whose problems are myriad and mystery, although the timing and nature of his comeback innings, slaughtering a Devonian bowling attack for over 250, put the failings of England's top order in a very cruel, albeit realistic light. Harmison could be there, returning to spearhead a misfiring attack on the pitches where he found glory 3 years ago. But after a year where he struggled for consistency with the white ball, he threw in the towel and shied away from the battle. A month later, when made to face his failings with ball in hand at the Gabba, he was shown to be unfit for the task, and the career of a fast bowler who had it in him to be great may be slipping into the shadows.
Unless there is a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, England's World Cup campaign faces a similar fate. The top order has not produced once when it has mattered; Ian Bell booked his place with an assured 70 against the Australians, although England are have four options as to who partners him (put another way, they haven't got a clue). Joyce, Strauss and Vaughan have all failed repeatedly, although it is likely one of them will get the spot. Most probably, the captain will plod on, hoping to find a sucker willing to give him the even break he is in desperate need of. It has been mooted that England should send out of form Flintoff to replace him at the top, with Vaughan slotting in down the order. England have two different ways they can try and use Flintoff as a batsman: either he does go in as opener (Can he do any worse, they cry) with license to wreak havoc in the powerplay. Failing that, they ought to keep him back until after the 40th over, to add impetus to the end of the innings. What needs to be avoided is him being exposed to good spin bowling in a delayed powerplay situation, where there is a compulsion to attack. Should they persist in sending him in at four down against Bangladesh, he is going to be subjected to trial by left-arm spin, and England will be wasting one of their two big hitters. Against Bangladesh, to avoid him coming in cold against the spinners, he may as well open with Bell, although this precludes Pietersen coming in at 3, both as it makes England's batting too top-heavy with hitters, and also because it increases the chance that they will have to bat together, a situation in which they rarely appear to be fighting the same cause.
One can only hope that the selectors recognise that Mahmood has frittered away any favour he might have gained against Sri Lanka with another guileless display against the Aussies. Plunkett would be the obvious replacement, although with Stuart Broad having joined the squad, they might as well throw him in. It is very doubtful he will do any worse, and the addition of a fresh face may just be the kick England need to put them back on track. A long shot maybe, but the time has come for England to gamble.
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