A great result for England at Edgbaston but I don’t know which was worse: Australia’s capitulation or the longer-term impact on five-day Test cricket.
In terms of the competition between the Ashes adversaries, I’m not sure what this match means. So far this year, England have been on a recent rollercoaster ride in Tests: four wins but none back-to-back. All three in the current series have been one-sided affairs and none have lasted until the fifth day. Australia may have been seriously damaged by the Birmingham defeat but if the sequence continues, they could perk up at Trent Bridge. Unfortunately for them, that would mean England winning at The Oval and taking the urn 3-2!
Jimmy Anderson was supreme on the first day, nabbing 6-47, then the returning Steve Finn ripped the heart out of Australia’s batting on the second. A great achievement for England’s seamers, but the contribution of Ian Bell cannot be forgotten. His selection was derided by many but, like me, the selectors hoped the home pitch would bring out the old Belly. It did. And he did it not by careful consideration but by counter-attacking.
First time out he struck ten boundaries to make 53 from 56 balls, then on day three he scored an unbeaten 65 from 90. In such a low-scoring contest, two half-centuries must be admired. Ian Bell must also have rescued his Test career, at least for this summer.
Adam Lyth failed twice but, without any obvious replacement, could be given another chance. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes (second ball) were despatched by snorters from Mitchell Johnson so Jonny at least can’t be written off just yet, especially after his prolific season for Yorkshire. The Durham all-rounder might be more vulnerable but, with Trent Bridge likely to be prepared for another three-day seam-fest, he may be safe.
But what about Australia? Michael Clarke was honest when admitting his batting woes had left his team playing ten against eleven. However, he is unlikely to be jettisoned mid-series. Adam Voges looked poor once more while Chris Rogers (first innings) and David Warner (second) provided more backbone. Steve Smith had an off-week, but Clarke should be thanking his wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc for at least taking the fight to the third day.
It wasn’t just England’s bowlers outplaying the opposing batsmen; it was the way the Aussies got out. It looked as if they were playing one-day cricket, not five-day stuff. Mind you, that was what England did at Lord’s! In summary, I would be seriously worried had I bought a ticket for a fourth or fifth day in either of the next Tests. It’s a shame because in the past year the world has witnessed some excellent Test matches, including those played between England and New Zealand a few months ago.
I gather that Ricky Ponting has advocated doing away with the toss and allowing the away side to choose whether to bat or field. I think that could be a good way forward without compromising the integrity of Test matches. I don’t want to see a game of two 600-4 declareds but neither do I want two-and-a-half-day affairs. Batsmen also need to remember how to bat, not merely throw the bat. They could do worse than watch and learn from Joe Root! Taking a T20 approach to the fifty-over format is one thing; applying the same attacking ethos to Tests is frankly ridiculous. David Warner, like the Sehwags and Gayles, can get away with it, but he needs Smith, Clarke and co to provide solid support. That didn’t happen at Edgbaston but it needs to happen at Trent Bridge, or the Ashes are lost.
Showing posts with label Steve Finn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Finn. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Pakistan join England in the Doldrums
England's humiliation at the hands of New Zealand was almost matched by Pakistan's abject batting performance last night against the West Indies. At Christchurch, Andre Russell's final overs blitz with the bat ultimately proved irrelevant as most of the Pakistani XI capitulated to the Windies attack. Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder left the opposition reeling at 1-4 before Sohaib Maqsood and Umar Akmal steadied the ship. However, by that time, they had no chance of overhauling the 300+ target.
Skipper Misbah gave an honest appraisal that his side were well beaten, and it was an encouraging response from Holder's team following their embarrassing defeat against Ireland. It boosts their chances after all of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Progressing from the group stage is still possible for England, despite being hammered by both hosts in their opening fixtures. Scotland, Afghanistan and Bangladesh should be easier opposition and even if they lose to Sri Lanka six points should be sufficient to go through. However, the sheer scale of their walloping at Wellington must have hit their confidence.
Tim Southee's masterclass in swing bowling put even Jimmy Anderson into the shade. His 7-33 was a Black Cap best and the third most impressive bowling performance in World Cup history. Joe Root, not for the first time, was the only England batman to demonstrate the right temperament to set any kind of challenge, but the wickets fell quickly at the other end. 122 all out in 33 overs was simply pathetic.
Their misery was compounded by Brendon McCullum's dazzling onslaught when he and Guptill came out to bat. The England pacemen had nowhere to hide and Steven Finn's generous helpings of off-stump deliveries were thankfully thumped for four consecutive sixes. Finn's two overs went for 49 and the NZ captain struck the third fastest ODI hundred. Had Chris Woakes not been introduced to dismiss both openers, nobody would have betted against McCullum beating AB De Villiers' recently set record as fastest ODI century.
As it was, the speed of the successful run chase (74 balls) was one of the swiftest ever, and probably the worst experienced by England in this form of cricket. It began and ended with wides and there was no hiding place for Eoin Morgan. At least as a batsman he had got off the mark for a change but 17 runs in 41 balls did little to restore his barely deserved reputation as a world-class 50-over exponent. He now has to steer a demoralised outfit against the lowly Scots to get off the mark as a World Cup captain. Mommsen, Coetzer et al must be licking their lips!
Skipper Misbah gave an honest appraisal that his side were well beaten, and it was an encouraging response from Holder's team following their embarrassing defeat against Ireland. It boosts their chances after all of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Progressing from the group stage is still possible for England, despite being hammered by both hosts in their opening fixtures. Scotland, Afghanistan and Bangladesh should be easier opposition and even if they lose to Sri Lanka six points should be sufficient to go through. However, the sheer scale of their walloping at Wellington must have hit their confidence.
Tim Southee's masterclass in swing bowling put even Jimmy Anderson into the shade. His 7-33 was a Black Cap best and the third most impressive bowling performance in World Cup history. Joe Root, not for the first time, was the only England batman to demonstrate the right temperament to set any kind of challenge, but the wickets fell quickly at the other end. 122 all out in 33 overs was simply pathetic.
Their misery was compounded by Brendon McCullum's dazzling onslaught when he and Guptill came out to bat. The England pacemen had nowhere to hide and Steven Finn's generous helpings of off-stump deliveries were thankfully thumped for four consecutive sixes. Finn's two overs went for 49 and the NZ captain struck the third fastest ODI hundred. Had Chris Woakes not been introduced to dismiss both openers, nobody would have betted against McCullum beating AB De Villiers' recently set record as fastest ODI century.
As it was, the speed of the successful run chase (74 balls) was one of the swiftest ever, and probably the worst experienced by England in this form of cricket. It began and ended with wides and there was no hiding place for Eoin Morgan. At least as a batsman he had got off the mark for a change but 17 runs in 41 balls did little to restore his barely deserved reputation as a world-class 50-over exponent. He now has to steer a demoralised outfit against the lowly Scots to get off the mark as a World Cup captain. Mommsen, Coetzer et al must be licking their lips!
Monday, 24 November 2014
England Lost in Transition?
Everyone seems to have been putting the boot into England in recent months, be they ex-players or representatives of other nations. Clearly they have ulterior motives, such as selling books, settling old scores and unsettling their World Cup rivals. Nevertheless, the ECB and the coaching chiefs must have realised that tactics and strategies can never remain static. You do need to look at the influence of Twenty20 on scoring rates, the use of spinners and ploys concerning Powerplays, etc.
Australia and South Africa have just indulged in a right ding-dong series which left the former fractionally ahead of India at the top of the ICC rankings. England should leapfrog Sri Lanka into fourth place with a series win in the coming weeks and we should remember that SL come into these matches on the back of a 5-0 drubbing by Kohli and co in a hastily-arranged competition. True, not all their superstars played, but England do have some world-class performers of their own. All England have to worry about is where they sit in the batting order, which of the lesser mortals join them, and how to pace an innings. Not much to ask, is it?!
Since the start of 2013, England have played 39 ODIs, losing 21 of them. They won only three out of nine home fixtures during the summer, half to their opponents this week. It's not all about bad starts. Watching their painful mid-innings agonies against India at Cardiff in August, the so-called future of England's batting looked anything but. Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan struggled to score boundaries as much as Cook, Bell and Root, while the only sixes came from Woakes and Tredwell when the game was already lost.
Cook is clearly hanging on for the World Cup and it is not beyond the bounds of credibility that he can score some runs in Sri Lanka and indeed Down Under next year. Moeen Ali's elevation to his opening partner is, to me, a no-brainer. His blistering 50 in the warm-up proved he can be effective not only as a useful spinner but also an exciting strokeplayer.
Ian Bell will come in at number three but what is the preferred middle-order? Presumably Joe Root will start the first game, as will Eoin Morgan, probably my least favourite England batsman now KP has departed. Ravi Bopara has his critics but he is a decent all-rounder capable of rattling the advertising boards and frustrating batsmen with his nagging medium-pacers. Jos Buttler may have jumped ship from Somerset to join a relegated Lancashire (ha-ha!) but he is the undisputed 'keeper-batsman for his country and is capable of ferocious hitting towards the end of an innings and taking the attack to bowlers slow and quick.
I wouldn't play Chris Jordan or Harry Gurney, and James Tredwell deserves a place only where the wicket looks conducive to slow off-breaks. James Anderson is a shoo-in, and I reckon it's worth giving Steven Finn another opportunity to bowl to his potential. He has been going backwards since his initial breakthrough, and he needs a decent series to book his seat for the flight to Australia where the pitches will probably suit him better. The fact also remains that his is number eight in the world rankings, ahead of all Sri Lankans. I'd prefer Chris Woakes to Ben Stokes because of the latter's expensive bowling. The Warwickshire man is no mug with the bat in any form of cricket, either, despite the more aggressive demeanour of the Durham star.
Finally, I must mention James Taylor. Previously best known as a fine County Championship batsman for Leicesteshire then Nottinghamshire, he hugely enhanced his reputation in the one-day game in 2014 and I'd love to seem him get some ODIs uner his belt. England are right not to fill their batting berths with T20 specialists like Roy, Hales and Wright. Players like Taylor and Vince must get their chance soon, capable of keeping the score ticking over while the more explosive hitters like Hales and Buttler do their stuff.
Ideally I'd have Hales opening but with Cook esconced, this would be my favoured Eleven: Cook (*), Ali, Bell, Taylor, Root, Bopara, Buttler (+), Woakes, Tredwell (or Stokes, in which case he'd advance to eight), Anderson, Finn. Sri Lanka must start favourites although theirs is a worryingly ageing squad. At least Angelo Mathews is 'on fire' right now and, as ever, the veterans like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Herath will shoulder most of the responsibility. Let the contest begin!
Australia and South Africa have just indulged in a right ding-dong series which left the former fractionally ahead of India at the top of the ICC rankings. England should leapfrog Sri Lanka into fourth place with a series win in the coming weeks and we should remember that SL come into these matches on the back of a 5-0 drubbing by Kohli and co in a hastily-arranged competition. True, not all their superstars played, but England do have some world-class performers of their own. All England have to worry about is where they sit in the batting order, which of the lesser mortals join them, and how to pace an innings. Not much to ask, is it?!
Since the start of 2013, England have played 39 ODIs, losing 21 of them. They won only three out of nine home fixtures during the summer, half to their opponents this week. It's not all about bad starts. Watching their painful mid-innings agonies against India at Cardiff in August, the so-called future of England's batting looked anything but. Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan struggled to score boundaries as much as Cook, Bell and Root, while the only sixes came from Woakes and Tredwell when the game was already lost.
Cook is clearly hanging on for the World Cup and it is not beyond the bounds of credibility that he can score some runs in Sri Lanka and indeed Down Under next year. Moeen Ali's elevation to his opening partner is, to me, a no-brainer. His blistering 50 in the warm-up proved he can be effective not only as a useful spinner but also an exciting strokeplayer.
Ian Bell will come in at number three but what is the preferred middle-order? Presumably Joe Root will start the first game, as will Eoin Morgan, probably my least favourite England batsman now KP has departed. Ravi Bopara has his critics but he is a decent all-rounder capable of rattling the advertising boards and frustrating batsmen with his nagging medium-pacers. Jos Buttler may have jumped ship from Somerset to join a relegated Lancashire (ha-ha!) but he is the undisputed 'keeper-batsman for his country and is capable of ferocious hitting towards the end of an innings and taking the attack to bowlers slow and quick.
I wouldn't play Chris Jordan or Harry Gurney, and James Tredwell deserves a place only where the wicket looks conducive to slow off-breaks. James Anderson is a shoo-in, and I reckon it's worth giving Steven Finn another opportunity to bowl to his potential. He has been going backwards since his initial breakthrough, and he needs a decent series to book his seat for the flight to Australia where the pitches will probably suit him better. The fact also remains that his is number eight in the world rankings, ahead of all Sri Lankans. I'd prefer Chris Woakes to Ben Stokes because of the latter's expensive bowling. The Warwickshire man is no mug with the bat in any form of cricket, either, despite the more aggressive demeanour of the Durham star.
Finally, I must mention James Taylor. Previously best known as a fine County Championship batsman for Leicesteshire then Nottinghamshire, he hugely enhanced his reputation in the one-day game in 2014 and I'd love to seem him get some ODIs uner his belt. England are right not to fill their batting berths with T20 specialists like Roy, Hales and Wright. Players like Taylor and Vince must get their chance soon, capable of keeping the score ticking over while the more explosive hitters like Hales and Buttler do their stuff.
Ideally I'd have Hales opening but with Cook esconced, this would be my favoured Eleven: Cook (*), Ali, Bell, Taylor, Root, Bopara, Buttler (+), Woakes, Tredwell (or Stokes, in which case he'd advance to eight), Anderson, Finn. Sri Lanka must start favourites although theirs is a worryingly ageing squad. At least Angelo Mathews is 'on fire' right now and, as ever, the veterans like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Herath will shoulder most of the responsibility. Let the contest begin!
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
England get their Mojo back
After the disastrous Test series, England must be relieved to regain the bragging rights over Pakistan, even if it is only in the 50-over game. Just as in recent contests against Australia and India, the ODI results have been a complete reversal of those in the five-day affairs, which is odd.
Anyway, it looks particularly good on Alastair Cook's CV as it was Andrew Strauss who lost the Tests while the new ODI skipper was at the helm for the winning whitewash. Not only that but he also came extremely close to becoming the first England player to strike three consecutive one-day centuries. Poor Pakistan. They finally find a way of getting Cook out only for his opening partner Kevin Pietersen to repeat the feat of blazing two hundreds in a row. That, after scraping together a mere 67 in six Test innings! Cook's aggregate of 323 in the ODI series was greater than the combined total mustered by the top three Pakistan batsmen, Misbah, Afridi and Umar Akmal.
As well as a great series for the top two batsmen, Ravi Bopara chipped in with two half-centuries, Samit Patel produced some useful all-round performances and it didn't matter that Messrs Trott and Morgan were relative failures. It was a shame that Jos Buttler finally celebrated his first ODI selection with a two-ball duck, but his time will come again. Fellow Somerset 'keeper Craig Kieswetter kept KP company for a while today, and his demotion down the order to make way for Pietersen paid dividends in the UAE.
Alastair Cook won the Man of the Series award but I reckon Steve Finn can count himself unlucky. Only in the side because of Tim Bresnan's injury, he reeled off two consecutive 4-34s, followed by a further five in the final games. He took more wickets, more cheaply and at a superior average than anyone else during the series. Since first announcing himself as a gangly beanpole a few years ago, he has been kept out of the attack by a combination of injury, England management and then the success of Broad, Anderson and Tremlett. In the past week, Finn has looked like a lean, mean young Glenn McGrath, bowling a consistent length, a deceptively brisk pace with some seam and swing, and who wouldn't want another McGrath in their team?!
Finn's resurgence gives the England selectors a welcome dilemma. Who to leave out in Sri Lanka or next summer? The way Asian wickets are playing, it will probably be a two-spinner strategy, featuring Swann and Monty. It would be hard to drop Anderson and Broad, but Tremlett is probably better on hard, bouncy pitches as in Australia. So it could be between Finn and Bresnan for the third seamer option, and the Yorkshireman is the superior batsman. All to play for, and at least there's cover should a bowler fall to injury, illness or a suspension for bad behaviour (Broad?!).
Now England have recovered their cricketing mojo they should go on to beat Sri Lanka in the Tests. With Cook and Finn fired up, they could be back to their fearsome best.
Anyway, it looks particularly good on Alastair Cook's CV as it was Andrew Strauss who lost the Tests while the new ODI skipper was at the helm for the winning whitewash. Not only that but he also came extremely close to becoming the first England player to strike three consecutive one-day centuries. Poor Pakistan. They finally find a way of getting Cook out only for his opening partner Kevin Pietersen to repeat the feat of blazing two hundreds in a row. That, after scraping together a mere 67 in six Test innings! Cook's aggregate of 323 in the ODI series was greater than the combined total mustered by the top three Pakistan batsmen, Misbah, Afridi and Umar Akmal.
As well as a great series for the top two batsmen, Ravi Bopara chipped in with two half-centuries, Samit Patel produced some useful all-round performances and it didn't matter that Messrs Trott and Morgan were relative failures. It was a shame that Jos Buttler finally celebrated his first ODI selection with a two-ball duck, but his time will come again. Fellow Somerset 'keeper Craig Kieswetter kept KP company for a while today, and his demotion down the order to make way for Pietersen paid dividends in the UAE.
Alastair Cook won the Man of the Series award but I reckon Steve Finn can count himself unlucky. Only in the side because of Tim Bresnan's injury, he reeled off two consecutive 4-34s, followed by a further five in the final games. He took more wickets, more cheaply and at a superior average than anyone else during the series. Since first announcing himself as a gangly beanpole a few years ago, he has been kept out of the attack by a combination of injury, England management and then the success of Broad, Anderson and Tremlett. In the past week, Finn has looked like a lean, mean young Glenn McGrath, bowling a consistent length, a deceptively brisk pace with some seam and swing, and who wouldn't want another McGrath in their team?!
Finn's resurgence gives the England selectors a welcome dilemma. Who to leave out in Sri Lanka or next summer? The way Asian wickets are playing, it will probably be a two-spinner strategy, featuring Swann and Monty. It would be hard to drop Anderson and Broad, but Tremlett is probably better on hard, bouncy pitches as in Australia. So it could be between Finn and Bresnan for the third seamer option, and the Yorkshireman is the superior batsman. All to play for, and at least there's cover should a bowler fall to injury, illness or a suspension for bad behaviour (Broad?!).
Now England have recovered their cricketing mojo they should go on to beat Sri Lanka in the Tests. With Cook and Finn fired up, they could be back to their fearsome best.
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