The Willey and Whiteley Show

Yorkshire went top of the North group thanks largely to a couple of big innings from David Willey. Against Worcestershire, the Vikings smashed a county record 233-6, including a 55-ball 118 by the all-rounder. The Royals’ reply fell well short, but Ross Whiteley stole the headlines with that extremely rare achievement, six sixes in an over. Young off-spinner Karl Carver was the unfortunate bowler.

Burly Richard Levi was smoting sixes at will for Northamptonshire against Nottinghamshire and also whipped 41 in 28 in Leicestershire’s first defeat in the competition so far, albeit on Duckworth-Lewis. Meanwhile, Wayne Madsen furthered his reputation as virtually a one-man team in Derbyshire, accumulating 160 runs and five wickets as an opening bowler. I was also surprised when it was reported that Riki Wessels' 110 against Madsen's side was Notts' first T20 century. He'll miss his old mucker and fellow big-hitter Michael Lumb, though. The former England T20 star announced his immediate retirement this week.

Down South, the rain was the biggest winner. The champagne boys of Surrey lead the table after seven games but their closest rivals have only managed two wins. Poor Glamorgan have experienced three ‘No Results’, including another washout today. I’m not surprised: it poured here in Cardiff most of the day. Kevin Pietersen’s ego-boosting parachute into The Oval resulted in a man-of-the-match half-century followed by a disastrous seven in the London derby, allied to an embarrassing run-out of an angry team-mate Finch! This match, providing an entertaining spectacle under the lights in front of 23,000 fans, was more of a showcase for Surrey’s short-format specialist bowlers like Dernbach and Meaker, supported by the excellent Curran brothers. 

Indeed, it was the bowlers who enjoyed most of the success in the South Group. Jofra Archer’s 4-18 for Sussex was the best of the week, while Mohammad Amir (Essex), Gareth Batty (Surrey) Danny Briggs (Hampshire) and Steven Finn (Middlesex) were consistently economical. For all the latter’s fine performances, and McCullum and Morgan batting, Middlesex prop up the table. However, a few wins would put them at the top. It’s that kind of season. 

Team of the Week: Wessels (Not), Levi (Nor), Willey (Yor), Madsen (Der), Whiteley (Nor), Simpson (Mid +), Pringle (Dur), Batty (Sur), Archer (Sus), Mohammad Amir (Ess), Finn (Mid)

Alastair Cook quits, England need a new Chef

So Alastair Cook has fallen on his sword. Well, let’s hope the blade is blunt because his successor as England skipper will be sorely grateful for the opener’s runs and experience on and off the field.

After nearly five years and 59 Tests as captain of the national side, it remains hard to register that Cook is only 32. On quitting the England post, Andrew Strauss went the whole hog and retired from the sport but there are plenty of years left in Alastair’s cricketing locker. Good for Essex, great for England. Provided he stays injury-free and any dips in form don’t last, he could serve England for another five years at least. Maybe ten; just look at Misbah-ul-Haq! And then there is the issue of personal targets. Cook is already easily the highest Test run scorer in England’s history with more than 11,000 and 30 centuries.

His average of 46.45, though creditable, is the weakest of any of the other 11 men with at last 10,000 runs to their names. However, apart from Sunil Gavaskar, Cook is the only regular opening batsman on that short list of all-time greats, making his achievements even more impressive. His stats as captain ain’t bad either. The pressures of leadership haven’t had a notably negative effect on his scoring, although his removal from ODI duties may have helped.

Inevitably, scrutiny will be applied to his legacy as captain. He enjoyed a fabulous first few years including the memorable 2012-13 triumph in India and Ashes retention later that summer. The revenge at home to Australia in 2015 and subsequent success in South Africa last year were further highlights, but the demolition by Johnson, Harris and Warner Down Under and the recent woeful tour of Asia blotted his copybook. Nevertheless the best captain in the universe can't win matches on his own, and England's current transitional squad without a top-class spinner have brought Cook's win percentage down to a modest 40%.

However, I won’t criticise him for his resilience in the face of Pietersen-gate and KP’s powerful but misguided supporters three years ago. The ECB was right to drop and banish Pietersen to the modern day equivalent of Saint Helena, i.e. the Big Bash and IPL. However, I’m sure he earned more than Napoleon did in exile two centuries ago!

Now for the succession. How England must regret James Taylor’s early retirement, forced by ill health. He would have been the perfect candidate; an excellent all-round batsman with experience of leading the Lions and his county. Joe Root must surely be handed the reins. At 26, he is old enough and mature enough, one of the few automatic choices for the Test XI and genuine world-class. Yet that doesn’t make him a good captain.

Most national sides resort to making their best player – no, best batsman - captain at some point, from Lara to Ponting, Tendulkar to Mathews. Yet, for all the stardust emanating from such players, the tactical nous and dressing room leadership can sometimes be missing. For England, Botham, Flintoff and that man Pietersen spring to mind.

Stokes and Buttler are non-starters (on account of temperament and Test ability, respectively) while Keaton Jennings is too much of a newcomer, and he has yet to take charge at Durham, for us to have evidence on which to judge him. Stuart Broad has been touted on account of his short-lived captaincy of the T20 team but leading in a Test match requires more than being able to add up to 20 and bringing in sufficient fielders during a Powerplay.

There are few obvious contenders from within the county game. James Vince and Sam Northeast have yet to convince as batsmen when it comes to the step-up to international level while picking Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty would be frankly ridiculous, although as a Somerset fan I am naturally biased! Some may prefer a more positive, combative leader in the McCullum mould, such as Stokes, Bairstow or Anderson? Really?!

No it has to be Root. I’m sure the selectors will trust his ability to learn on the job, applying the unflappability and decision-making skills obvious in his batting to the captaincy. All England supporters must hope the extra responsibility doesn’t hamper his day job. This is where Alastair Cook can continue to lend a massive hand. He may have resigned as skipper but his value to the England Test team will remain immense for some time to come.

Clive Rice – The Forgotten Legend

I’m no expert on South African cricket. However, I have been following county cricket for more than four decades and I have fond memories of the hot summer of 1981 when Nottinghamshire and Sussex battled it out for the Championship.

Clive Rice had been the Notts captain for a few years already, then with Richard Hadlee spearheading the bowling, the Trent Bridge outfit had become one of the most dangerous sides in England. That year they won the title for the first time since 1929, Rice leading from the front scoring 1,462 runs and taking 65 wickets. The county repeated the feat in 1987, also winning the Sunday League.

When he retired, he had played 283 first-class matches for Nottinghamshire, rattling up 17,000 runs and almost 500 wickets. He also boasted an impressive record in one-dayers, not only in England but also for the Transvaal where he enjoyed even more domestic success. A first-class career record of more than 26,000 runs at 40 and 930 wickets at 22 is an astonishing one, so why isn’t Clive Rice mentioned in the same breath as other all-rounders like Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Kapil Dev?

The answer, of course, lies in the wilderness years experienced by South Africa because of the country’s odious Apartheid regime of racial prejudice. As with Barry Richards, Mike Procter and Garth Le Roux, amongst others, Clive Rice was deprived of international cricket when at the peak of his powers. He was playing in the Lancashire League when Notts came a-calling when looking for a replacement for Garry Sobers in 1975 and he stayed there for many summers. He didn’t quite have the charisma of a Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Imran, Zaheer Abbas or many other overseas stars but, looking back, Rice’s contributions to the county game were as significant as any other import’s.

He was past the age of 40 when South Africa returned to the fold in 1991 and was granted the captaincy for the first ODI series against India. Those three matches were the only ones he played for his country, as he was dropped for the 1992 World Cup and that was it. His age may have been a factor but so was his outspokenness, which like another of his later protégés, a certain Kevin Pietersen, got him into trouble from time to time.

As manager of Nottinghamshire between 1999 and 2002 he brought KP and others into a failing squad and nurtured the talents of Pollock, Rhodes and others at Natal in the Nineties. Sadly he became afflicted by so many illnesses and conditions in recent years, and the end finally came after suffering from a brain tumour at the age of 66.

Clive Rice was undoubtedly one of the finest, grittiest all-rounders of my lifetime, more a seamer than batsman, but his career stats are as impressive as any other man of his era. He won’t figure in the CricInfo pages for Tests, ODI or T20 but the plaudits and praise heaped on him after his death speak volumes.

Pietersen 355 not out - but Out!

No doubt about the English performance of the week… Andrew Strauss explaining the breakdown of trust with a certain Kevin Pietersen. On the pitch, KP’s perfect timing was again evident as he conjured up an amazing 355 not out for Surrey, including fifteen sixes. If he wanted to be considered for England Test selection, he was told to score runs. After two so-so matches, he plundered the Leicestershire bowlers, surviving six dropped catches en route for the Championship’s highest score since Brian Lara’s world record 21 years ago.

However, the incoming director of cricket, and KP’s former England captain, was in no mood to forgive the man who did his best to disrupt the national team then slag off all and sundry in his bitter book. The huge innings was in vain and Pietersen’s reaction was typical of the petty childish egotism we have come to expect: he abandoned Surrey before the match was over and buggered off to the IPL. And good riddance. I do see the point of Vaughan and others who would happily ignore every other player and pick KP regardless. He is indeed a ‘character’ and exciting batsman, and maybe there could be space for him in the T20 squad to generate fan excitement. But to forgive such behaviour would be too much. It’s just the way it ended that will add grist to the mill of the KP nuts.

At least his innings set up his county’s first Championship victory of the summer. However, his now ex-teammates had plenty to do on the last day. Ned Eckersley’s hundred and spirited resistance from the Leicester XI meant that Surrey needed a T20-style slogathon to take maximum points. With Jason Roy and Steven Davies opening, that’s exactly what they got, Their 145 partnership in 67 balls took them towards a surprise seven-wicket success, an heartbreak for poor Leicester.
Meanwhile, in Division One, Middlesex held on to the lead by defeating early front-runners Sussex by 79 runs. In a low-scoring contest, Mike Yardy scored the only half-century, and even that was eclipsed by the 62 extras conceded by the Sussex bowlers on day one!

Durham also won inside three days, overcoming Nottinghamshire by six wickets and advancing to second place in the table. Recent ODI debutant Mark Wood claimed seven victims and struck 66, but the losers’ Riki Wessels provided the game’s only century. Yorkshire could at last field their England fringe squad members for the visit of Hampshire to Headingley. Bairstow and Adil Rashid performed well and, with Pujara purring to a second innings 131 not out, Root and Ballance weren’t missed. Hampshire capitulated second time around but at least the match went into a fourth day.

In Division Two, Lancashire remain in pole position despite losing to unfancied Gloucestershire by 91 runs. Paul Horton’s first-innings 168 had kept the match evenly poised but bowlers Norwell, Payne and Miles held sway when it mattered.

The other two fixtures were drawn but provided some fabulously exciting finishes in which the sides batting last held on with just one wicket remaining. Aged 18, Matt Critchley made the headlines early on by striking his maiden first-class century in only his second game. However, Rob Keogh admirably guided Northants through an absorbing final day, He finished unbeaten on 163, not only saving the match but taking his side within only 37 runs of victory.

It was similarly tense at Canterbury where Glamorgan’s final pairing of David Lloyd and Michael Hogan held on for eight overs to deprive Kent of a first win of the season. This was the Welsh side’s fourth consecutive draw and the result leaves Kent stuck at the bottom.

Team of the Week (assuming the other ten are prepared to play with KP):
Horton (Lan), Davies (Sur), Eckersley (Lei), Pietersen (Sur), Keogh (Nth), Wood (Dur), Bairstow (Yor +), Critchley (Dur), Siddle (Lan), Brooks (Yor), Hogan (Gla)

Yorkshire Victorious without their stars

In the first week of the 2015 County Championship, newly-promoted Worcestershire must have fancied their chances against Yorkshire. The champions were missing Lyth, Root, Ballance, Rashid and Bairstow, plus the suspended skipper Gale, yet still they enjoyed a ten-wicket win inside three days. Cheteshwar Pujara's debut resulted in a duck, but the bowlers Jack Brooks and Steven Patterson made the greatest impact, taking 9-29 between them in the second innings.

Somerset experienced their usual disastrous start at Taunton, falling to Durham for whom captain Paul Collingwood claimed a century and five-for, supported by Steve Borthwick's runs and wickets for Graeme Onions and Chris Rushworth. Hampshire at least pushed Sussex into a fourth day at Southampton before losing by 92 runs. Luke Wright and Ben Brown to a substantial first innings lead, then a solid display from all their bowlers finished the job.

Nottinghamshire had the better of Middlesex but a defensive masterclass from Nick Compton (85) and, in the last session, James Harris (36 not out in over two hours) ensured a draw. Chris Read and new opener Brendan Taylor each reached three figures for Notts.

Both Division Two fixtures were also drawn. A double-century partnership between Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg gave Glamorgan a great start at Leicester before Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley almost matched them on day two. The home side had no time to achieve that elusive win but at lest they avoided defeat. Wooden spoon rivals Gloucestershire batted out the last day while losing only two wickets after a flurry of late Northants runs set up a safe declaration. David Willey smashed only his second first-class century to go with a similarly rapid first innings 62, but special mentions should go to Glos medium-pacer Craig Miles (6-63) and 'keeper Gareth Roderick, who notched two half-centuries and claimed six catches on the opening day.

The other counties were getting some pre-season batting practice against the universities. Kevin Pietersen made the headlines for his Surrey innings of 170 against Oxford, but we shouldn't overlook Essex batsman Nick Browne's twin centuries against Cardiff MCCU nor Martin Guptill's effortless 161 for Derbyshire at Fenner's. It's always pleasing to note good performances by students against the professionals, be they superstars or 'muppets'. So hats off to centurions Charlie MacDonnell (Durham), Nitish Kumar and Mike Burgess (both Loughborough v Kent) and Steve Leach (Oxford). Who knows? They may become England staples of the future.

Next week sees Yorkshire meet title rivals Notts, Warwickshire take on Hampshire and Sussex look to make it from two from two against Worcestershire. Hopefully Cardiff will attract crowds to see KP in action but hopefully he will be out for two golden ducks....

County Team of the Week: Lees (Yorks), Browne (Ess), Eckersley (Leic), Borthwick (Dur), Roderick (Glos +), Collingwood (Dur *), Read (Notts), Willey (Nth), Brooks (Yorks), Briggs (Hants), Miles (Glos)

Big Bash = Big Business or Big Bore?

I am neither Australian nor T20 cricket aficionado. Yet people tell me - either to my face or through the media - that the Big Bash League is how this format should be played and marketed. I have seen nothing of it on TV but at six weeks long, it seems just as interminable as the IPL circus. I've no real idea of who the teams are: eight city franchises instead of the traditional states, but at least I'm familiar with a few of the players.

The concept is aimed at the same people the English original tournament was: young, non-traditional cricket fans, girls as much as boys. However, if that means playing music after every single delivery, that is surely taking it too far. If you want to dance, binge drink and pull a Sheila (or Bruce), go to a night club! Mind you , the language and behaviour is probably superior down at the disco than on the playing field when the likes of Flintoff, Warner and Watson are indulging in some 'banter' or 'passion'.

Nevertheless, the grounds are apparently full, the refreshment stalls doing roaring business and, almost as important, those who can't get to see the live action can watch TV coverage without paying a subscription. In England, hiding the product behind a hefty paywall means that broadcast audiences will never get to a million. I doubt whether many who go to a game to drink will be motivated to take up the sport, whereas boys at home are perhaps more likely to be inspired by the entertaining striking, bowling and athletic fielding. Concluding with such a cliffhanger finale doesn't hurt, either!

So who were the stars on the field in BBL 2014/5? Perth Scorchers retained the title thanks to a last-ball scramble involving some very experienced limited-overs cricketers, Yasir Arafat batting, Moses Henriques misfielding at the stumps and Brett Lee the helpless bowler at the other end, denied the opportunity of another trophy on his last-ever performance.

The victors inevitably boasted the competition's top scorer in Michael Klinger and three of the four highest wicket-takers in Arafat, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, a veteran of just one first-class match! England rejects Michael Carberry, Michael Lumb and a certain Kevin Pietersen enjoyed good tournaments, and Ben Stokes pulled off a few decent cameos with the bat after being overlooked (rightly) for the World Cup squad. KP did at least have some runs under his belt when he came out with his arrogant ridiculous outburst against 99% of his fellow cricketers. If they are mere muppets, how come he was so bad last summer that even Miss Piggy could have outscored him? If one good thing has come from this latest whinge it is that no county would ever again want to sign such a egotistical sod.

And then there is Brad Hogg. Just shy of his 43rd birthday, his economy rate of 5.33 for Perth shine brightly as ever. He may not be a sprightly young pup in the mould of the target audience but the BBL did at least demonstrate that a class player will thrive in any form of cricket, despite the bloody racket blaring from the loudspeakers between every ball.

I don't want to see a British Big Bash League but if the ECB can sacrifice a few quid to allow a free-to-air broadcaster access to T20, then it can only benefit the competition and maybe even domestic cricket itself.

We have to talk about Kevin Pietersen

First of all, I have a confession to make. I haven't read Kevin Pietersen's autobiography. Like everybody else, that minor detail won't stop me commentig upon it. It's no secret that I'm no fan of KP. If he's a team player, it's Team Pietersen. Even Geoff Boycott, another maverick genius who arguably scored runs for himself rather than his colleagues - although rather more slowly! - indisputably loved his county, something Mr P never did. Whichever county it happened to be.

Nevertheless, I can't deny that Pietersen was a mighty fine batsman, capable of winning matches alone, especially the big ones. Despite the questions about his effort and on-field demeanour during the last Ashes series, he produced some superb innings. His record against Australia usually makes the headlines yet his Ashes stats look mediocre in comparison with those achieved against India and the West Indies.

8,181 runs in Tests at 47.28, 4,440 in ODIs at a nifty strike rate of 87 and 1,176 at 142 are impressive figures but don't tell the story of Pietersen's contribution to England's rise to the top of world cricket. The silly haircuts, tattoos and audacious shot-making were part of Brand KP and he never shirked controversy. And that proved to be his downfall. KP wasn't the moustachioed pantomime villain who lost the Ashes, and he certainly puts a different spin on that miserable winter in the new book, but he lost the confidence of the Flower-Cook regime long before that.

George Dobell's excellent article on the ESPNCricinfo website plays it commendably straight, and recognises that the book highlights flaws in the ECB hierarchy. True, but Andy Flower oversaw one of England's most gilded of golden ages. Of course, it didn't last long, as team allegiances and individuals' form crumbled. Paul Downton confirmed earlier this summer that KP was history as far as England were concerned, and I really don't blame him. His replacements have generally done a fine job in Tests although the jury is out when it comes to 50-over cricket. Pietersen hasn't even done much to earn his T20 franchise millions, either, and now Surrey have pulled the plug, although that may have been a cute move by the player to avoid ECB punishment. After all, you can't ban someone who hasn't a team to play for, right?

As for the veracity of Pietersen's counter-claims, who knows? It's one man's word against another. And another. And another, and another, etc, etc. Not even Piers Morgan was present in the dressing rooms when all the acrimony spilled over into rather ungentlemanly behaviour and language that might even make Jimmy Anderson blush. KP has been careful to temper his criticism of Peter Moores and Alastair Cook, presumably because he still fancies his chances of getting the call to the World Cup. However, Matt Prior gets it with both barrels. Another South African import, Pietersen has gone all Balotelli: 'Why is it always me?' saying the wicketkeeper was the main protagonist in the unrest, not him. So why, if that's the case, didn't the management boot Prior out? Perhaps his injury and Jos Buttler's rise gave the new regime a way out? Or maybe KP's remarks are just untrue or, as Mark Butcher says, it's the truth 'as he sees it'.

Graeme Swann has stuck his head above the parapet and described the autobiography as 'a work of fiction' and no doubt there will be other versions emerging in print in the coming years. For now, Pietersen's book will top the sports book bestseller list between now and Christmas. Whether on the fiction or non-fiction shelves, he will rake in more money in advance of the next Big Bash, IPL, etc.

Do I feel sorry for him? No. Several years ago, England were a better side with him in the line-up but now are better off without him. Cricket is more of an individual sport than football but team spirit is still vital and the fact is that nobody has really admitted liking him. The SA Textgate affair, the cavalier attitude to county loyalty have overshadowed his batting achievements.

Like an ageing primadonna, his words remind me less of a proud patriotic warrior and more of Kenneth Williams' memorable line in Carry On Cleo as his Julius Caesar faced the knives of his soon-to-be murderers: "Infamy! infamy! They've all got it in for me..."

KKR are the new Kings of IPL

Regular readers will know that the IPL and me are not natural bedfellows. I don't sit in front of BBC4 every afternoon in May yawning through the timeouts and ad breaks while the pitches gleam like coloured glass, the boundary ropes creep ever closer to the stumps, the cheerleaders shake their....pom-poms and that blasted trumpet trill punctuates seemingly every over.

Nevertheless, the IPL is part of the world cricket scene and I can't ignore it. Many players in the UAE and India have smashed or twirled their way into my Team of the Week and it's always interesting to see how many globetrotting T20 mercenaries fail while internationally unknown locals find themselves thrust into the spotlight, if only for a few months. I don't necessarily see it as a training ground for proper cricket, Test cricket, but it does produce some entertainment and excitement, the vital ingredient for any sport.

IPL 2014 definitely benefited from its truncated length. Maybe more franchises should go bust and keep the competition even more concise and less drawn out. Another positive from this year is the way the two best sides reached the final and produced a classic of big hitting, albeit not from the big names.

For once, Chris Gayle was useless, accumulating fewer than 200 runs at barely a run a ball. The Bangalore opener was presumaby unfit but an essential part of the IPL nonetheless, at least in the eyes of sponsors and the casual spectator. Kevin Pietersen fared a little better as Delhi skipper, yet a single 50 in 11 innings at a scoring rate of 126 was not a good return. Dare I suggest he was - er - distracted?!

Of the Aussie recruits, only Glenn Maxwell and David Warner did the business with the bat, while Watson, Bailey, Finch and Mike Hussey disappointed on the whole. The English counties will surely hope from more from their Antipodean investments this summer. South Africans Miller, AB and Duminy were their consistent selves, unlike De Kock and the once reliable Jacques Kallis. With no international cricket in his schedule, the Saffer legend produced only one score of note, a 72 in the very first game for KKR. At least he was part of the victorious squad.

With the ball, Sunil Narine took another 21 wickets at a typically miserly 6.35 an over, Mitch Johnson had some memorable days but Dale Steyn proved human, at times being clouted around the grounds he once ruled as a dangerous death bowler. Meanwhile Lasith Malinga restored faith in his ability to bowl fast and full to frustrate the big hitters when it matters.

Overall, numerous Indian players caught the eye. Sehwag, Raina and Yusuf Pathan might be remembered for their brutal landmark innings but they were not the outstanding performers of the tournament. Robin Uthappa demonstrated the consistency of a great Test opener rather than a Powerplay power merchant. He struck a sensational ten consecutive scores of 40 or more in a total of 660. Only 18 sixes yet a laudable scoring rate of 138 made him a deserving winner of whatever colourful trophy goes to the top run-getter.

Mohit Sharma took more wickets than anyone else (23), albeit conceding more than eight an over. Another seamer Bhuvi Kumar wasn't far behind, but his economy rate for the Sunrisers was a more impressive 6.65. The experienced Harbhajan Singh, Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin bowled creditably, but for me the star names were probably 20 year-old Akshar Patel and a man more than twice his age, Pravin Tambe. Slow left-armer Patel's 17 wickets at only 6.13 an over proved vital for Kings XI's progress to their first final. Meanwhile leg-spinner Tambe, whose age in years easily outnumbers the number of senior matches under his belt, usually proved hard to hit for the Royals. Tambe's time for a Test career has probably past him by - by about twenty years - but Patel is a promising prospect. He'll command big money at IPL 2015 and how he copes with that may determine his opportunities for international cricket, whatever the format.

KP finally set adrift with his ego

So the ECB finally had the balls to tell Kevin Pietersen that they were no longer able to tolerate his divisive behaviour. I must admit I wasn't expecting it, but if there was ever going to be an opportunity, this was it. Straight after an Ashes humiliation and crushing ODI and T20 defeats, with World Cups fast approaching, any decision to close the door on KP could be vindicated by talk of 'going forward' and rebuilding for the future. And that's pretty much what happened this week.

Readers of this blog will know that I am no fan of KP the man. However, the statistics don't lie when they tell the story of a hugely gifted batsman who could win a match, and even a series with just one blistering innings. 277 appearances and almost 14,000 runs for his adopted country speak volumes for his cricketing ability. Like many, his career has in largely been defined by his performances against Australia and they have on the whole been positive ones. Yet, unlike almost every England player in post-war history, it is KP the human being who has made just as many headlines, and they have rarely been glowing.

He has upset people at evey club he represented, abandoning South Africa when he couldn't walk into the national side, Nottinghamshire when he pissed off team-mates and management alike, Hampshire when he declared the drive down the M3 to Southampton was too far from his London home, and England on any number of occasions. Botham and Flintoff often pushed the patience of management to the limit but usually survived. Times have changed and, even after Andy Flower's departure, those remaining at the top, apparently supported by senior players, have bitten the bullet and left him out of the next touring parties. There are other issues to resolve but this was the first, brave step along the road to recovery.

For all his words, the England badge tattoo, there have remained doubts about his true allegiance. I don't mean that 'textgate' suggests he still favoured the land of his birth, but that KP's allegiance has always been, and always will be, to himself. However, he was not to blame for England's disastrous trip Down Under. Not on the pitch, anyway. Maverick characters like his attract the undying affection of diehard cricket fans, who are also quick to blame the 'suits'. No doubt we will have to wait until the autumn ghosted autobiographies to learn the truth, or the different versions of the truth, regarding what happened in the England dressing room, especially the decisive post-Ashes post-mortem led by Cook and Prior.

What is not in doubt is Pietersen's flair, whether his dodgy haircuts, those tattoos, or the flamboyant 'flamingo' shot. For all the brilliance of Cook, Trott, Bell, Anderson, Broad, Swann et al, I can't imagine many people flocking to Lord's, Sydney, Centurion or Mumbai just to see them play. KP was another matter.

Yet despite that I still think Paul Downton, James Whitaker have made the correct decision. Without it, there would have been more years when all questions would have been around accommodating KP's desire for IPL and Other T20 contracts. KP is NOT bigger than England, no matter what he thinks. It's a while since he made a great innings for the side but he does leave a hole in the side.

If England fail to win the World Cup or T20 tournament, KP's absence will be cited as a reason, yet even he cannot win every competition in which he particpates. It's an eleven-a-side game. To be optimistic, his departure leaves the number four position vacant for someone else (Bell, Moeen Ali, Nick Compton, James Taylor?) to make it his own. That would be a great outcome, and well worth the gamble. Fingers crossed...

One-dayers can never be Test practice!

So Australia and England continued in the first ODI where they left off in the Ashes series - a comfortable victory for the home side.
Alastair Cook couldn't even blame bad luck with the toss. He elected to bat first and immediately ran into trouble, lasting only four balls. Joe Root fared even worse, scratching around for only three runs in 23 deliveries. Ian Bell and Gary Ballance steadied the ship while Eoin Morgan posted a typically smooth half-century, Bopara and Stokes provided useful cameos and Jos Buttler some end-of-innings biffs to close on 269-7. In the past, that would have been a challenging target at the MCG but not so much in 2014.

The Aussie openers Aaron Finch and David Warner shared an opening stand of 163 in just over half the allotted time and the damage was done. Finch completed his second ODI century, Michael Clarke made a run-a-ball 43 and Baileyand Maxwell saw them home with more than four overs to spare.

So what doe this tell us about the two sides? For Australia, the national confidence is overflowing. Shane Watson may have failed yesterday but the T20 specialists Finch and Warner coped with anything Rankin, Jordan, Stokes, Bresnan et al could bowl at them. On the other hand, Clint McKay was the best bowler on show, and Clarke didn't really need his Test stars like Johnson, Siddle and Harris, although the latter was never going to be considered for this series; probably wrapped up in cotton wool in readiness for the South Africa tour.

It has been mentioned that these one-dayers are serving as a chance for some England players to showcase their Test credentials. Well, I can't see that myself. Eoin Morgan's skill as a late-innings strokeplayer and field manipulator is well-known. But so is his reluctance to play first-class cricket and learn how to bat more patiently when the need arises, essential for Test cricket. Ravi Bopara was one of the world's leading run-scorers in List A last year and, with his medium-pacers and T20 expertise, is a familiar name on the global T20 scene. Ben Stokes will undoubtedly figure in England's summer Tests, as will, I hope, Ballance and Root. Jonny Bairstow's failure to seize the day in Sydney has left the door ajar for Jos Buttler. However, the ex-Somerset 'keeper needs to do a lot more than slog some boundaries to be on the Test selectors' radar.

As for the bowlers, neither Rankin, Jordan nor Bresnan helped their cause in this latest trial by Oz. Is it still the case of a shell-shocked England, Kevin Pietersen screwing up the dressing room, strategic shambles from Flower or do we need to recognise Australia's resurgence as a major power in the international game? On the KP issue, Cook's resolute dead bat in the press conference betrayed obvious signs that the rumours of a major rift over the once-talismanic batsman were correct. As I've said before, if KP cannot commit to the team ethic, he should not be picked for England. End of. Not that he should be the scapegoat for the Ashes debacle, either. If anything , KP is more valuable to England in the shorter format, as a year's World Cup rehearsals begin to take shape.

I've always asserted that a top-class cricketer, be they Cook, Bell or Anderson, Clarke, Haddin or Johnson, should play in any format. Nevertheless, the cluttered calendar is making that harder and harder to achieve. International T20 line-ups are almost unrecognisable from the Test Elevens. Some twenty-over specialists are crossing over into fifty-over cricket with some success. However, even Aaron Finch has a first-class batting average below 30 which probably wouldnt get him into a English county XI. George Bailey has at least served his Sheffield Shield dues.

If T20 was a valid breeding ground for Test performers, India and Sri Lanka would be miles ahead in the Test rankings, but they aren't. For players to succeed in Test cricket on an consistent basis, they need plenty of exposure to the demands of first-class cricket. For a batsman, that means excellent shot selection and knowing when to leave the ball alone or take evasive action instead of risking a hoik to mid-wicket. For a bowler, it means knowing when to contain (permanenetly in T20!) and when to attack, bowling 20-odd overs a day.

If England are to assess the next crop of Test batsmen, then forget the 50-over stuff; focus on the County Championship and stop abandoning Compton and Taylor at the first sign of weakness. Where England have been unforgiveable is the way that promising fast bowlers are converted by the coaches into mediocre fast-mediums who can't even run to the crease without hitting the wicket and conceding no-balls. The Lions need to play proper cricket not one-day tours, and bowlers should return with vital experience of different conditions, not career-threatening injuries. Let the ODIs provide the shop window for World Cup hopefuls and domestic cricket, particularly in Division One, allow players to score runs, take wickets and develop proper match fitness. That means the ECB working better with the counties and, furthermore, giving up any idea of selecting IPL players for summer Tests.

Mitch sends Aussie confidence sky high

After yesterday's blog about the curse of Brisbane, Mitch Johnson's 5-42 was instrumental in maintaining the Gabba hoodoo for visiting countries. After ten winless Tests, Australia badly needed this victory and as a launchpad for Ashes revenge, a 381-run drubbing was almost as good as it gets. I say almost because back in 2002, the margin was 384 in favour of Steve Waugh's men.

That remains the tenth greatest winning margin in runs terms in Test cricket. Interestingly, four of the fifteen highest have come in Brisbane and eight in Ashes clashes. In 1928, an England side boasting Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Tate, Hendren and Larwood smashed the Aussies by an incredible 675 runs in the Queensland capital. A young Aussie batting at seven made his debut in that game but he was to be a thorn in the side of England, and everbody else over the next two decades. He was, of course, Don Bradman. At The Oval in 1934, he struck 244 and 77 to set up the second highest win of all time, by 562 runs.

Forward almost eighty years, and cricket is a very different game. Sledging, social media and hysterical hype have given the Ashes the feel of warfare, and the frontline trops have been happy to fire their share of verbal bullets. It's all a bit tame compared with the days of Merv Hughes, Rod Marsh and even Nasser Hussain's infamous welcome to Muttiah Muralitharan; "Here comes the f*!*ing cheat". Indeed, Michael Clarke was being perfectly hones by admitting there was "mutual respect" off the field, but he refrained from saying the same was true on it, too.

Of course, these are two experienced cricketing sides now very familiar to each other. Clarke v Cook, Pietersen v Watson, Broad v Johnson, Swann v Lyon, etc, etc. They may not share beers with each other any more, perhaps the odd punch. However, once the cricket started it was England who made the strongest start. Stuart Broad may be the world's most reluctant walker (apart from a few students I could mention!) but his 6-81 put the hosts in trouble before Brad Haddin and Mitch Johnson batted the side to respectability.

Broad himself said the pitch was actually great for batting, only for his team-mates to prove his words were just propagandist blather, sinking to 136 all out in the face of Johnson, Harris, Siddle and Lyon. Second time out, the restored David Warner continued his recent first-class form with an excellent 124 and Clarke put his back problems behind him with a brisk 113. Haddin made another half-century to set England 561 to win in two days. They didn't make it, and bogeyman Mitch was the pick of the bowlers combining consistent 90mph pace, aggression and not a little hostility towards Jonathan Trott.

No fairytale 100th Test for KP, nor a great personal debut for George Bailey but at least the latter could share in the post-match celebrations. Johnson was the rightful match award winner but all the bowlers could hold their heads up high. A stonking victory, and yet Rogers, Watson, Bailey and Smith could afford to misfire. England must hope that their own attack ups their game at Adelaide. However, recent games at the new-look stadium suggest the drop-in pitch tends to favour batsmen. Trott, Root, Carberry, Prior and co can therefore play themselves back into form. Cook is right to remind journos that there is time to fight back and retain the Ashes. However, the Aussies have the upper hand physically and mentally, so Adelaide will be a big test for England in the mind as much as on the field. It's one they can win and if so, they will take a lot of beating thereafter.

First Class Cricketers of 2012

Kevin Pietersen made a lot of headlines in 2012, not always for the right reasons. It surprised me to see that he ended the year having scored more first-class runs than anyone else in the world! The tally of 1,932 probably owed much to his international layoff in the summer which enabled him to score heavily for Surrey, followed by a productive Test series in India.

England played 15 Tests in the year so their other top batsmen appear high on the list, too. Alastair Cook was in great form with or without the captaincy, accumulating 1,880, of which 1,249 came in England colours. Nick Compton started 2012 as an England Lions player, enjoyed a prolific start to Somerset's Championship season, spent months out injured then came back to play all four Tests on England's tour of England as a stand-in opener. His 1,855 runs put him third in the first-class list, averaging a very impressive 77.29.

Australians occupy the next three places. Ed Cowan has yet to cement a place in the national side but he played a lot of cricket, domestic and international, to score 1,784 runs in total. Michael Clarke appeared in barely half the number of first-class matches as Cowan, yet gathered only 16 fewer runs across the year. His Test tally of 1,595 was comfortably ahead of nearest challengers Cook, Hashim Amla, Pietersen and Trott, the only others to reach four figures in 2012. Chris Rogers is the only non-Test playing man to top 1,700 runs in the calendar year. His 2012 included a mighty 49 innings for Middlesex and Victoria, yielding 1,737 runs.

Like Cowan, Phil Hughes put in a good shift in all formats last year but in Tests, special mention should go to Shiv Chanderpaul, whose nine appearances for the West Indies brought him 987 runs at an average of just under 100. Mike Hussey can hold his head high as he faces retirement as his last full year for Australia brought him 898 runs at a shade under 60.

The most eye-catching stats for a wicketkeeper were AB De Villiers' 815 Test runs at 58, although he only donned the gloves after Mark Boucher's sad career-ending eye injury at Taunton in the summer. Matt Prior showed again how useful a batsman he can be, even at six or seven, accmuulating 777 runs at 39 for England. In all first-class games, only Sarfraz Ahmed dismissed more batsmen than Prior: 65 from 16 games in Pakistan. Hampshire's young 'keeper Michael Bates enjoyed a great summer, but needs to work on his batting to threaten Prior's position as England's number one.

Rangana Herath pipped fellow spinner Graeme Swann to top the Test wicket-taking table of 2012, with 60 in only 10 games. A shame none of his Sri Lanka team-mates could follow his lead. Anderson and Broad also took at least 40 Test wickets each but when it comes to all first-class victims, one Englishman stands head and shoulders above the rest in world cricket: Monty Panesar. His 102 included 33 in England colours, where he often outshone the established Swann, whose annual tally was 81.

Ahead of Swann was another off-spinner, Jeetan Patel. He didn't have a great year for Wellington or New Zealand but played a big part in Warwickshire's County Championship triumph, as did Chris Wright and Keith Barker. It wasn't a year only for the slow bowlers. Vernon Philander may not have matched his sensational start to Test cricket in 2011, but his 85 wickets in all first-class cricket placed him second in the world. A fair proportion of them came for Somerset, even on the traditional batting track at Taunton.

Jackson Bird's 70+ wickets for Tasmania and Australia A at under 20 apiece finally earned him an international call-up and he looked a useful fast bowler in the defeat of Sri Lanka in the dying days of 2012. Graeme Onions was also in fine form in an otherwise mediocre Durham side last summer, averaging a mere 16.24 from his 16 matches.

I haven't actually mentioned any genuine all-rounders. That's because 2012 didn't appear to be a vintage year for those who excel at both batting and bowling in the first-class game. Is this because T20 has channelled those with dual talents into playing in a way that simply doesn't suit longer-form cricket? Maybe it's just a blip!

If I had to pick first-class teams of the year, here goes....

ALL 1st class cricket:-

Cook, Cowan, Compton, Pietersen, Clarke(*), Pujara, Prior(+), Philander, Bird, Onions, Panesar.

TESTS: Cook, G Smith, Amla, Kallis, Chanderpaul, Clarke (*), De Villers(+), Swann, Philander, Anderson, Herath

One-day cricket to follow....

KP, Monty and Faf rule the roost

After the euphoria of Ahmedebad, it was misery in Mumbai for the Indian team. Fortunes were completely reversed as Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar cleaned up, taking 19 wickets between them, with Jimmy Anderson's second-ball lbw decision against Gambhir on the first morning the only seam success of the whole match!

Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh struggled most of the time and, while Ojha was again the most productive of India's 4-pronged spin attack, he failed to get the better of that famous left-arm 'bunny', Kevin Pietersen. The latter played the perfect innings in that respect, treating Ojha with immense respect before finally opening up more after reaching three figures. His 206-run stand with Alastair Cook was a superb partnership in every sense of the word. When one was defending, the other attacked, but overall, of course, it was the opener who anchored the whole affair, leaving KP to enjoy a free rein after he edged Ashwin to the 'keeper for 122.

KP's innings of 186 won the man of the match award, which was tough on Monty Panesar. The oft-discarded left-armer marked his return to the England side by taking eleven wickets, even if Swann's eight wickets came cheaper. Monty nabbed Sehwag, Tendulkar and Dhoni twice, although new star Pujara was Swann's double victim.

Across the Indian Ocean, South Africa managed to salvage an exciting draw against all the odds. Set 430 to win in almost five sessions, the bowlers were always going to be on top. In these days of T20-inspired strokeplay, it must have been extra difficult for players such as AB De Villiers to drop anchor and play for the team. At 45-4 on the fourth day, the Aussies must have been pretty darned optimistic! Then AB toiled for more than four hours to reach 33. His 89-run fifth wicket stand with debutant Faf Du Plessis lasted an extraordinary 68 overs! For the second time in the game, Jacques Kallis defied injury to deliver a vital innings but when he went, the tail-enders gve commendable support to Du Plessis.

It's not often that a duck is a positive contribution to a batting cause but Dale Steyn's 28-ball nought enabled Du Plessis to pick off some runs as well as defy the likes of Siddle, Hilfenhaus and the tireless Nathan Lyon who bowled no fewer than 31 maidens, conceding less than a run an over. Indeed, almost half the 148 overs bowled by Australia in the second innings were maidens, but Faf duly followed his initial 78 with an unbeaten 110. Despite Michael Clarke's historic double-hundred in that amazing Aussie first innings, it was the Saffer who nabbed the Player of the Match award, and rightly so. Two contrasting performances but Du PLessis showed he's more than just a useful T20 all-rounder in this Test match.

Now it's all-square going into the Perth decider, and Australia must wonder what they have to do to beat their opponents. The South Africans have been excellent with ther backs to the wall. Chokers? The India-England series also moves in to a third leg with honours even, but the momentum has swung back to the tourists. I reckon England now have the confidence and inspiration to crush Indian spirits further and win 3-1. I also reckon Mr Panesar might just be selected for Kolkata...

England in India Part 2

I blogged previously about England's mixed fortunes in India between 1972 and 1985, the last time they won an away Test series between the two nations. Because of a row over Graham Gooch's participation in a shameful rebel tour of South Africa, the 1989 tour was cancelled so when Gooch (now forgiven) led England to Asia in 1993, there had been an eight-year gap.

In 1990, the skipper had helped himself to 456 runs in the Lord's Test alone, and in the three reverse fixtures the England batting line-up boasted the likes of Stewart, Robin Smith, Hick and one of the 1985 stars, Mike Gatting. However, it was hardly a vintage bowling attack, led by Devon Malcolm, Chris Lewis and Paul Jarvis. Their opponents fielded captain Mohammad Azharuddin, ageing legend Kapil Dev, the supremely talented youngsters Tendulkar and Kambli and one of the new breed of leg-spinners, Anil Kumble. As things turned out, it was no contest; England were totally outplayed in every department, on and off the pitch. There were two, and almost three, innings defeats with Kumble taking almost as many wickets as the entire English seam attack between them. Hick and Lewis were the only centurions during the series while the Indians helped themselves to hundreds apiece, topped by Kambli's 224 at Mumbai. Gooch's series aggregate fell well short of that Lord's

England had another eight years to regroup, although England nicked the 1996 home series by 1-0. By December 2001, Nasser Hussain and Saurav Ganguly were the rival leaders and at Mohali there were shades of 1993 as India triumphed by ten wickets. Kumble and Harbhajan Singh took fifteen and Dasgupta outscored the now legendary quartet of Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman with 100. By the time they moved on to Ahmedabad, Graeme Thorpe had gone home for personal reasons but Craig White (121) and Marcus Trescothick (99) gave England a first innings lead, but a draw ensued. Rain washed out half the Bangalore game, handing India the series.

In March 2006, England were ultra-confident after that Ashes summer. However, Michael Vaughan, Simon Jones, Marcus Trescothick and Ashley Giles were missing but, despite these key absences, Andrew Flintoff's team had the better of the First Test before India batted out a draw. A certain Alistair Cook made an impressive debut, scoring 60 and 104 not out. The following week at Mohali, Munaf Patel and Kumble spun India to a nine-wicket triumph but at Mumbai there was a famous England success. An Andrew Strauss century set the scene but an inspired Flintoff and Shaun Udal dismissed India on the final day to square the series.

At the end of 2008, the ODI series was curtailed by the horrific terror attacks on Mumbai, and England went home. However, they returned with honour to play two Tests.
Pietersen had controversially been named captain of the tourists but it was his successor Strauss who struck two centuries at Chennai. However, strokeplay from Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh pulled it out of the bag on day five to win by six wickets. Mohali enjoyed a triple-century stand between Sehwag and Dravid but a KP 144 kept his side in the contest, but not enough to win the game. India were on their way to the number one spot, only to throw it away in England in 2011.

The two nations are now also-rans in the ICC league table but India fancy revenge after that debacle just over a year ago. Much has been said about England's vulnerability to spin and their relative paucity of quality spinners themselves. However, Derek Underwood apart, much of their success in India has been down to seamers from Old and Willis to Hoggard and Anderson. The latter, plus Finn, Broad and Bresnan could well emulate their mid-70s predecessors. We shall see....

KP Out, JR In

Congratulations to Geoff Miller and Andy Flower for holding their nerve and dropping the walking ego Kevin Pietersen from not only the World T20 squad but also the winter tour of India. Until he sorts out his problem - and it is his problem - there is no place for him in an otherwise tight England family unit. Maybe Alastair Cook, Anderson, Swann and Broad can patch up all the differences in time for next summer but I'd be less surprised to hear KP's retirement from intyernational cricket prior to the round of T20 franchise tournaments next Spring.

Without KP and the retired skipper Andrew Strauss, there were two batting places going begging. Ravi Bopara's problems this season have counted against him and James Taylor didn't quite do enough to keep his position. Jonny Bairstow has made himself indispensible with his batting against South Arica and potential wicket-keeping back-up for Matt Prior.

Young Cricketer of the Year Joe Root must be favourite to partner Cook at the top of the order although he is untested at senior level. He didn't do too badly for the Lions and struck an excellent double-century for Yorkshire a few months ago, on his way to almost 1000 first-class runs for the season. He and Michael Carberry must have been rivals for Strauss' position although both made their runs in Division Two in 2012. Maybe Warwickshire's Virun Chopra can count himself unlucky as he scored more Championship runs and in the top tier against superior bowlers.

Nick Compton might have been in the running for opener, a position he used to fill at Middlesex. However, the prolific start to the season he enjoyed at Somerset came at number three. He was by some margin the highest scoring batsman in first-class cricket, averaging just a shade below 100! His role at Taunton was to anchor an innings while the like of Hildreth, Trtescothick, Kieswetter and Trego played their shots, which explains his six not-outs and meagre scoring rate of 46.61.

If he plays for England, especially if Ian Bell is absent on paternity leave for a match or two, it will give the line-up a particularly stodgy look, and then KP will leave a bigger hole in the team. However, this is not T20 and five-day cricket requires stability and calm heads, and Compton does offer such qualities. I'm not really sure why Eoin Morgan has been handed another chance at Test level, unless it is to address the aforementioned scoring rate issue. I just don't see him as a top player in this format but perhaps he is considered to have the game for spin-friendly pitches.

As for the rest of the squad, there are no major shocks. Graham Onions joins the pace battalion after a superb season with an otherwise listless Durham, and Monty Panesar finished the summer strongly with Sussex to lay claim to the second spinner spot on the Asian pitches. Samit Patel could also come into the equation, with his superior batting offering an extra dimension.

Overall, I reckon England could do better than many people have predicted, even if a 4-0 whitewash looks a remote prospect. The two former number one nations have points to prove, which could make it an interesting series.

South Africa worthy winners

For most of the twenty years since they returned to the international cricketing fold, South Africa have been there or thereabouts but finally they have managed to get their hands on a trophy. From Donald and Pollock to Steyn and Philander, Kirsten to Smith, Cullinan to Amla, Rhodes to De Villiers and Kallis to, er, Kallis, the Proteas have been runners-up for so long they ought to base themselves at Taunton. At last they have reached the top of the pile which their consistency has merited.

Of course, it's not about history; it's about the current squad of players being better than anybody else's in the Test arena. I think they are superior to any other nation in the other formats, too, and maybe this decisive defeat of England will spur them on to success in the knockout competitions. Just like the Aussies of the nineties/early 2000s and Windies in the mid-eighties, they ooze talent in every position.

Graeme Smith's captaincy has never been in doubt since he took over at a tender age, and he thrives as an opener, especially in England. Hashim Amla blew everyone away with his triple hundred in the First Test, Jacques Kallis buried the England hoodoo and even Alviro Petersen, the possible weakest link, clumped 182 in the rain-affected draw at Headingley. AB De Villiers wasn't fazed at donning Mark Boucher's gloves (so to speak) at such short notice and, even if he didn't register a half-century, he didn't really need to. Indeed, he didn't get a chance to bat at all at The Oval. Neither did Rudolph and Duminy.

While England huffed and puffed to snare even two wickets in the First Test, the front line Saffer seamers Steyn, Morkel and Philander were consistently successful, supported by Kallis and Imran Tahir. Anderson, Finn and Broad had their moments but whenever Dale, Morne or Vernon took the shiny new ball, you know a wicket was always about to fall. Probably that of Andrew Strauss!

I do hope that South Africa get the opportunity to play more Test series. India seem to turn up everywhere to play, England also have an extended season and Australia's itinerary is constantly packed, but the top team for some reason have fewer chances to demonstrate their craft. I'm not saying that is WHY they are now number one, but the world would love to have more chances to watch them, including their home fans.

So what about England? They aren't suddenly a poor side; it's just that Smith and co played to their full potential and handled the Lord's pressure situation better. Chokers? No way! Once Philander dismissed the openers on Sunday evening, the home side's task looked extremely difficult. At 45-4, the match looked over but, with Trott dropping anchor, Bairstow again supplied the brisk half-century, followed by some rumbustuous strokeplay from Swann, Broad and the redoubtable Matt Prior. At least they went down fighting. I'm so glad Pietersen's replacement Bairstow had such a good game. It no doubt gave KP a chance to reflect in the Surrey dressing room after his first-ball duck.

Strauss clearly has no intention to resign just yet, so I hope Miller and Flower keep faith with the current squad, including Taylor, and only consider KP if he shows any remorse and genuine hunger to give his all for the national cause and not just his own. He came to England because he couldn't get into the South African international set-up, then became a superstar over here. Now he is exiled from England, too, he probably still wouldn't get into the Proteas' line-up on merit anyway...

KP should learn from the Olympic spirit

I've been away for the last week or so, taking in some of the fabulous Olympic atmosphere in London, not to mention some memorable sport in weightlifting, handball and water polo. No cricket but there are sort of parallels between some of our top players and stars of the Games.

Jacques Kallis has been a superstar for years but until recently has never performed to his potential at the home of his sport. Same goes for Bradley Wiggins. Ravi Bopara has been an intermittent shining beam of talent but with some personal issues which intervene. Ditto, Phillips Idowu. Graeme Smith turns up every four years and produces the goods, as does the wonderful Ben Ainslie on the water. There is also the supremely gifted sportsman, arguably the best in Britain, who has worked wonders without quite winning over home supporters. His demeanour and comments have led to suggestions that his heart isn't quite dedicated fully to the cause. Andy Murray and Kevin Pietersen both! For the Scot, along came Wimbledon and that tear-drenched after-match speech. KP pledges his future to England's Test cause. and and last week's surprise annihilation of Federer to claim tennis gold.

So what does Pietersen go and do? First he declares that he'll play for England but only if the schedule suits him and moan that the ECB rules be changed just so that he can opt out of the 50-over format whilst playing in the world T20 tourney. Quite rightly, Andy Flower et al responded by omitting him from the T20 squad. KP produced a brilliant century at Headingley and, arrogantly believing that should make him impregnable, announces that the next Test will be his last, allegedly slags off colleagues on Twitter to England's opponents.

Finally, the selectors have lost their patience and acted as perhaps they should have done last week. They've dropped Pietersen from his international swansong, leaving him to celebrate his career alone, with only his ego for company. What a shame he didn't take a leaf out of Andy Murray's book (and that of Tendulkar et al) and demonstrate the humility, honour and character which have distinguished the spirit of the 2012 Olympics. The statistics show what a towering figure KP has been in England cricket for the past seven years, from the 2005 Ashes to the Second Test against South Africa. Now his epitaph will read: great cricketer, even bigger ego, but not above his sport.

Clarke takes Warwickshire top

After the month's break for T20 and, here in the West, possibly the coolest, wettest summer period in living memory, the County Championship returned. And - guess what? - every match was ruined by the rain. No teams were able to complete two innings, so it was a matter of securing as many bonus points as possible in the inevitable draws.

Warwickshire were fortunate in that their game against Sussex started a day later than elsewhere and so had the luxury of a dry finale. This enabled them to press on to reach 400 before bowling their opponents out to take the maximum eleven points, taking them one ahead of rivals Nottinghamshire who had claimed two fewer against Middlesex the day before. Rikki Clarke's blistering 110 not out was followed by a 3-16 as Sussex declined to 191 all out. At Uxbridge, rain affected each day, with Saturday a complete washout. Andre Adams had set them on their way with 6-32 as Middlesex were skittled for 98, more than half scored by Andrew Strauss. An Adam Voges century gave the then leaders an impressive lead before Strauss compiled an unbeaten 127 and the weather did the rest to prevent a potential victory. Middlesex did garner six points, enough to overtake Somerset, who didn't play, into third place.

The bottom four played each other. Lancashire and Surrey swapped innings of 400+. Steven Croft's impressive 154 not out was soon forgotten when Kevin Pietersen's rare foray into Championship cricket yielded 234 runs in only 190 balls. Imran Tahir may need to worry most because spinner Simon Kerrigan was really given the KP treatment.
It was a lower-scoring affair at Worcester, with neither the home county nor Durham able to break the 250 barrier. Only Phil Hughes looked comfortable with bat in hand, scoring 87 and Durham's Scott Borthwick took 4-37, including the Aussie's wicket. Both sides therefore remain winless so far in the competition.

In Division Two, even less cricket was possible. Only 100 overs were played at Cheltenham, during which Gloucestershire's very short-term signing Ed Cowan scored 103. He will almost certainly have the best average for the season as it's his only scheduled first-class match! Essex could take only four wickets and remain third from bottom. At the Rose Bowl - or whatever it's now called - the overs tally wasn't much higher: 106. Yorkshire's Joe Root was probably the only man to enjoy the match, striking a career-best 222 not out, and reminding England selectors of his future opening credentials when Strauss calls it a day. The 21 year-old has the fourth highest aggregate in Division Two to date, and his county now stand second in the table behind Derbyshire who they now meet this week.

In Division One, Warwickshire travel to Taunton where rain will almost certainly intervene. Notts meet Surrey, while Worcestershire and Durham hope to break their Championship ducks at Lancashire and Sussex, respectively. KP and Strauss will not be reproducing their form for their counties, hoping instead to inflict it on Messrs Steyn, Morkel and co.

England's South African XI

This week, Jonathan Trott celebrated his Englishness to emphasise no mixed feelings as he prepared to face the team representing the nation of his birth. I wouldn't doubt his devotion to the cause for one moment, nor that of any of the other South African-born cricketers about to line up for England in the forthcoming Test series.

Many people, including myself, have often written about England's reliance on players who have left South Africa for various reasons to qualify for the team. Some migrated as children, others for the explicit opportunity to further their careers which had apparently stalled in the southern hemisphere. The current batch are by no means unique, and I reckon they and their predecessors would make quite a useful one-day - but maybe not a Test - fantasy team. See what you think...

To open, Andrew Strauss (home town: Jo'burg) is an automatic choice. Solid Test opener and, whilst no longer selected for ODIs, he has a reasonable record in the shorter format. That World Cup 158 against India will live long in the memory. A few years ago, Craig Kieswetter was catapulted into the England team after impressing as a teenage 'keeper-batsman for Somerset. His star may have waned since then but the 2010 vintage Craig should join his fellow Transvaal-er at the top of the order.

Next comes Jonathan Trott, from Cape Town. It seems strange to think he's only been an England international for three years yet according to the ICC and his statistics, Trott is one of the finest one-day batsmen in the world. Often derided for his slow scoring, he at least gets runs on a consistent basis, at an average close to 50! Pietermaritzburger Kevin Pietersen is more of a cricketing mercenary but he served his apprenticeship in the county game before exploding onto the Test scene in the 2005 Ashes series. He's been pretty hot in ODIs and T20, too, and is an obvious choice for my team.

The Eleven is a bit batsman-heavy but at least they will frustrate bowlers all the way down the order. Twenty-odd years ago, Robin Smith was ranked two in the world. He and brother Chris fro Durban scored plenty of runs for Hampshire before qualifying for England. Robin proved the more successful, playing 62 Tests and 71 ODIs. A pugnacious cutter of the ball, he passed 50 on 19 ODI occasions, including four centuries,led by a memorable 167 not out against the Aussies at Edgbaston in 1993. Another squat moustachioed Saffer, Allan Lamb, was a middle-order mainstay of England in the 1980s. Brought from Western Province by Northants at the height of the apartheid-fuelled boycott, he played for his adopted country by dint of his English parents. Lamby often shone in a mediocre team up against first the awesome West Indians and then the emerging Aussie greats, even if he wasn't quite as good as he liked to think!

I'm going back to the 1960s/ early '70s for my first all-rounder: the late Basil D'Oliveira. Leaving his homeland because the racist regime denied him the chance to pursue his profession, he later famously became the unwitting catalyst for the global boycott of South African sport. While 'Dolly' came too soon for a proper one-day international career, he did play in the first ever ODI in January 1971 at the age of 39. Primarily a batsman, his medium-pacers also claimed more than 550 first-class and almost 200 List A wickets.

Tony Greig has always enjoyed a spot of controversy, be it his infamous 'grovel' speech to wind up the 1976 West Indian tourists, his recruitment role for WSC a few years later whilst England captain, or excitable commentaries after retirement. As player, he was a very fine all-rounder who could bowl medium-pace seamers and spin. Just as well, because I can't find any Saffer-born pure spinners in my team!

It's back to the present day for the final three. Despite the presence of Kieswetter, I'll pick Matt Prior for wicketkeeper. He represented England at all junior and senior levels, played for Sussex and eventually established himself as first-choice man behind the stumps and sledger-in-chief. He contributes useful quick runs and in T20 there are few players with a superior strike rate of 146. I'm really struggling for qualifying bowlers but the current Surrey duo of Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker could provide some incisive pace. Their lack of batting skill is more than compensated by their ability with the ball and their fantasy team-mates' batting depth.

I may well have missed out somebody but I reckon this eleven each plucked from their international heydays could be more than a match for any ODI team England have fielded in the past thirty-odd years, born and bred at the other end of the globe!
Strauss (*), Kieswetter, Trott, Pietersen, R Smith, Lamb, D'Oliveira, Greig, Prior (+), Dernbach, Meaker. Give us a few more years and I could probably do the same with the Irish!

England remain at Number One

There should be much relief at Flower Towers after England ended their losing streak of four matches and therefore clung on to their number one position in the ICC Test rankings. The defeat at Galle left the tourists with a number of headaches, particularly the issue of the top batsmen dealing with Herath and Randiv. Strauss and Pietersen were all allegedly playing for their positions but England's first innings performance allayed many fears.

A rare century stand between the captain and Cook got them off to a great start, while Trott and Pietersen extended the lead. Poor Ian Bell. His fourth wicket partnership with KP reached 94, yet the Warwickshire man contributed a mere 18 of them. Pieteren was in one of his determined yet skittish moods, plundering a century in boundaries alone, finally falling for 151. With a 185-run lead, Sri Lanka desperately needed a similar response from their top order but yet again they failed to deliver. Only Mahela Jayawardene showed the way with another century and, while Angelo Mathews provided some typical late order steel in both innings, the team failed to set a three-figure target. I suppose it was inevitable that Pietersen would wrap up the game with another six, with eight wickets to spare.

So an encouraging response from England. Anderson and Swann have again demonstrated they are world class bowlers, and the top four batsmen all look secure for the Windies series. Bell, after a prolific 2011, looks very scratchy and the jury is out on Bopara and Patel. Tim Bresnan should be in the team if only as a lucky mascot. In eleven Tests England have a 100% record, regardless of whether he scores runs or takes wickets!

As for Sri Lanka, they have now failed to win a series since 2009 against New Zealand. Without Mahela's runs, their batting looked unusually frail, even at home, and the spinners also spared their side's blushes. I can't see them repeating their success outside the subcontinent so there is work to be done. For all Jayawardene's appetite for runs against England, his record away from home is mediocre. Thirimanne is the only leading batsman under the age of thirty and he has just one 50 from 14 innings so far.

Maybe some of the players on show here had the IPL on their minds. Whether that is true of Kevin Pietersen I can't say, but the way he dominated the Sri Lankan attack suggests he has an eye on a place in the Delhi Daredevils side. Trouble is, he will be in competition with a certain Mr Jayawardene....