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West Indies can call on some great memories at Edgbaston but they will start as underdogs against an England side on the up

George Dobell16-Aug-20172:14

‘Pink-ball cricket is not new to us’ – Holder

It was here at Edgbaston, in 1984, that England were exposed to West Indies at their best.Here where Andy Lloyd, a local favourite and England’s top-scorer in two of the three ODIs that preceded the series, saw his Test career ended less than an hour after it started as he was struck a horrible blow just above the right eye by a Malcolm Marshall delivery.Here where England, stunned by the ferocity of an attack that also included Michael Holding and Joel Garner, succumbed to defeat by an innings and 180 runs. The decisive first blow in the “blackwash” series that ended 5-0.Maybe Test cricket has featured better sides, more fearsome bowlers and a stronger top order – Gordon Greenidge, Des Haynes and Viv Richards in the top four pretty much amounted to bullying – but it is not immediately obvious when. The word “awesome” is overused, but it seems apt to describe West Indies. England felt their full force that summer.Times have changed. This West Indies side is placed at No. 8 in the Test rankings and has not won an away series against opposition apart from Bangladesh or Zimbabwe this century. They have won three away Tests (with the same caveat) in that period. They didn’t quality for the Champions Trophy and they almost certainly won’t qualify automatically for the World Cup. So much have expectations fallen that their captain, Jason Holder, described a year which has featured two defeats and one victory as “pretty decent.”Holder wasn’t dealt a handful of aces when he inherited the captaincy of this side. Gone are the days when West Indies had so many options they could leave out players of the class of Sylvester Clarke (who played 11 Tests), Ezra Moseley (who played two), Collis King (nine) or many, many more. All would be viewed as exceptional if they played today. All would be millionaires.Holder also inherited a poisonous relationship between board and players and a jaded relationship between players and supporters. All too often he has been left to answer questions about board policy or selection about which he had no input. All too often he has been asked to explain a decline which he, as much as anyone, wants to reverse. All too often he has been the one left to lead a team against impossible odds. And every time he has responded with patience, diplomacy and gentle courtesy and good humour.

“We’re fortunate to have an experienced seam attack in Jimmy and Broady. It might be that plans change if the ball goes soft, or the wicket is flat. But they have a huge amount of experience to call on”Joe Root

They are, arguably, a team in his image. With his height – his top of his head practically brushes the floodlights at Edgbaston – he does evoke memories of the tall fast bowlers of the past. But his pace is frustratingly below that of his forebears and his team, while talented, lack both the genius and experience of those that went before.For that and other reasons, his era of captaincy won’t be remembered like Clive Lloyd’s. But, one day, lovers of Caribbean cricket might come to look back with gratitude at the role he played in guiding the team through some of the choppiest waters in their history. It used to be argued that anyone could lead that side of 1984 to success; it might equally be argued that nobody can do the same with this one.Things are improving. The new CEO, Johnny Grave, has taken a bit of toxicity out of the environment. With a combination of the “amnesty” offered to players and the introduction of white-ball contracts in a few weeks’ time, some of the better known players will once again be made available for West Indies. How much difference that will make to the Test side remains unclear, but it should improve both their limited-overs performances and their reputation in the eyes of the team’s supporters.Does all this offer hope of a return to the great days of the past? Not really. That’s not realistic. But it offers hope of improvement. Because as the success of West Indies sides in the men and women’s World T20 and the U-19 World Cup remind us, there is still talent in the Caribbean. With better management, with better incentives, with better structures there is realistic hope of better times ahead.They are, as Holder admits, “huge underdogs” in this series. But they have a chance. If their seamers can harness the new, pink ball and if their batsmen – which is more of a worry – can withstand England’s attack, they can exploit an opposition that is talented but has holes in the XI. It should not be forgotten that England lost the last Test between these sides, albeit on a turning wicket in Barbados.”We have to make life as uncomfortable as possible for their senior players and put some pressure on the junior guys who are coming in,” Holder said. It sounds a decent plan.Both Holder and the team’s coach, Stuart Law, have mentioned their confidence in the bowlers’ ability to generate lateral movement with the old pink ball. If so, this could offer some advantage. England will be seeking reverse swing but, once the shine has worn off – by around 20 overs – and outside the twilight period, this could prove an attritional format of the game.Joe Root and Jason Holder pose with the Investec series trophy and the Wisden Trophy•Getty ImagesJoe Root feels that playing in such conditions is one of England’s strengths. And it is true that, in Stuart Broad and James Anderson, he has a pair of bowlers as well-equipped to bowl dry as any. An inexperienced West Indies batting line-up will be tested mentally as much as technically if the runs evaporate.”We’re very fortunate to have quite an experienced seam attack, especially in Jimmy and Broady,” Root said. “They have had a lot of success playing attritional cricket, whether it be in the sub-continent or out in the West Indies on those wickets that don’t necessarily offer a lot.”It might be that certain plans change if the ball does go soft, or the wicket is flat. But they have a huge amount of experience to call on.”The England line-up is also green. With three men in the top five boasting four caps and one half-century between them, there is a fragility that the likes of Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach can target. If they are going to have any hope of winning the Ashes, England really need at least two of Mark Stoneman, Dawid Malan and Tom Westley to use this series to find their feet in Test cricket.There might have been a temptation to omit Malan here. Had they done so, England could have included a second spinner in Mason Crane and perhaps substituted Toby Roland-Jones for Chris Woakes to rebalance the batting. But they were concerned that Woakes had not had enough cricket since returning from a significant injury and felt that Roland-Jones deserved another opportunity. They also believe there will be little assistance for spin bowlers.Root feels the secret of success in such conditions will be an ability to adapt. While the England team has, at times of late, seemed to only have a fifth gear, he will continue to instil a more controlled approach to ensure that, if the ball starts moving during the twilight period, they do not continue to bat as if the sun is blazing.”We’ve got to make sure that when the difficult periods crop up, we respond well and we respond quickly,” Root said. “Of course we want our team to be settled. You never want to go into a series with guys out of form or under pressure. But this is a great opportunity for players to cement their places.”It may also prove to be West Indies’ disadvantage that they come across England at a full-house Edgbaston. The novelty of the day-night scheduling has caught the public imagination and will mean that, for the first three days at least, England receive unstinting support. It will allow no room for complacency and might even make life a little intimidating for the opposition.A West Indies’ team intimidated at Edgbaston? It would have been unthinkable not so long ago. But times have changed and with England now led by a young, hungry man with points to prove and a reputation to establish, there is no doubt the hosts are the strong favourites for this series.

The 2015-16 domestic season produced a few promising players, but the lack of stars was a downer

Firdose Moonda14-Apr-2016South Africa’s international season took the shape of a downward spiral in which they were dethroned from the top of the Test pile and suffered another early exit at a major tournament. As they seek to rebuild, the spotlight will turn to the domestic system, which probably has the lowest profile amongst those of the top teams.To outsiders, South Africa’s set-up is something of a mystery. It is double-tiered, with six franchises competing in what is effectively an A section and 13 semi-professional provincial teams competing in a B section. Both tiers have first-class status and both play in List A and T20 competitions.Even in the top tier, most fixtures take place completely under the radar. The first-class matches are not televised and, despite free entry, play out to empty stadiums. The one-day cup often coincides with the international season and so holds no glamour. The T20 tournament cannot count itself among the world’s top leagues of its kind either: national players are seldom available, and the weak rand has made signing big names a difficulty.Still, South Africa’s domestic structure was always thought to be sound, but now that the national team needs reinforcements, concerns have sprouted. Several former players have suggested standards have dropped but is that really the case or merely a reaction to the changing climate?For the first time in South African cricket history, the transformation targets required that more than half of each franchise and provincial team needed to be non-white, with six players of colour, of whom at least three needed to be black African.We take a look at the state of the game, with inputs from the two coaches whose teams claimed cups this season. Rob Walter’s Titans won the first-class and T20 competitions while Geoffrey Toyana’s Lions were the one-day champions.Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada were absent from the first-class scene this season•AFPTransformation

The increased requirements were only revealed late last March, when most teams had finalised their contract lists. In the 2014-15 season, teams each needed five players of colour, of whom three needed to be black Africans. But in March 2015, after the contracts for 2015-16 were done, that requirement was upped to six players of colour, including three black Africans – and most teams didn’t have that number of black Africans on their books. A loan system allowed franchises with a surplus of talent to spread it around, but even Lions, who have led the way in transformation terms, struggled.Kagiso Rabada’s national commitments rendered him completely unavailable; Aaron Phangiso and Temba Bavuma also spent time away with South African squads; Thami Tsolekile and Lonwabo Tsotsobe were unavailable for personal reasons; and Eddie Leie was injured, once during warm-ups. Lions ran out of reserves and Toyana contemplated a comeback to playing before they were given permission not to meet the target on that occasion.That was a comical example of what can happen when things backfire, but overall the new targets affected team balance. “It’s just about your resources and how you can work with them. We need more players of colour in different positions,” says Toyana. “That is part of the process. To grow players of colour in all aspects of the game.””Growing black African cricketers should be a priority and should take precedence over most things,” says Walter. “It’s a challenge but we need to fall in love with the challenge. If we resist it, we will not be in a position to coach properly.”Most franchises found themselves with enough black African bowlers but not batsmen, although there were a few. Two names worth remembering are Cobras’ Omphile Ramela and Dolphins’ Khaya Zondo, who also made history by becoming the first black African captains of franchise teams. Ramela finished in the top ten on the first-class run-scorers’ list as well.”It’s been great to see guys coming through and taking opportunities. That’s something that wasn’t there before,” says Toyana.Rob Walter believes Heino Kuhn (batting), 32, deserves a Test chance•Getty ImagesAmong those who took their chances this season were Malusi Siboto, a medium-pacer who was the top wicket-taker in the one-day cup, Junior Dala, who was fourth, Tshepo Moreki (fifth) and Sisanda Magala (sixth).Magala was also second on the wicket-takers’ list in the T20 competition. “He is the most improved player in the system,” Toyana says of him.Competitive edge
The first-class championship was only decided on the final day with Titans, Lions and Knights all in the running. In this summer’s Sunfoil Series, five of the 30 matches were decided by an innings and more, and two by ten wickets. A further seven matches were won by margins of more than 50 runs and five by more than six wickets.While that may not sound appealing, it does not compare badly with Australia’s Sheffield Shield, where four of the 29 matches were won by an innings and more. There were no matches decided by ten wickets but two by nine wickets. A further eight had margins of more than 50 runs.”I found there was some inconsistency in performances,” says Walter. “There were not a lot of hard-fought victories, teams were either winning well or losing badly.”In the shorter formats too, South Africa is comparable to Australia. The Momentum One-Day Cup saw ten matches won with more than two overs to spare and five by margins of less than 20 runs. Australia’s Matador Cup had five of 24 matches won with more than two overs to spare and three by a margin of less than 20 runs.Of the 32 matches in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, seven were decided by fewer than ten runs and one was tied. Australia’s Big Bash League had three out of 35 games decided by less than ten runs.While this cannot stand as an indicator of quality, it does suggest that South Africa’s franchises are at least as competitive against each other as Australia’s state teams are against each other.Exit of experience
South African cricket has lost some of their stalwarts, with the retirements of Neil McKenzie and Justin Kemp this summer, and the absence of Jacques Rudolph. However, neither Walter nor Toyana was overly concerned. Both made the point that the unavailability of national players affects them more, and in some ways, it amounts to the same thing.”I don’t think it’s a concern because we still have players like Stephen Cook and Dean Elgar, so we’ve actually got a balance between experience and youth,” says Toyana.Players with international experience – whatever their age – can transfer the knowledge of making the step up to those who aim to emulate them, even if that happens purely by observation. However, South Africa’s domestic cricketers are deprived of the chance to rub shoulders with the best.AB de Villiers has not played a first-class game for his South African franchise, Titans, since March 2009. He last played a List A game for them in December 2012, and a T20 in September 2013. In contrast, Steven Smith played a first-class game for his state team in October last year. Dale Steyn has also not played a first-class game for Titans for nearly seven years. He last turned out for them in List A cricket in December 2012 and in T20s in 2010. James Anderson was playing for his county in September last year.Those are the extremes. However, this season, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada also did not play franchise first-class matches. Among South Africa’s other big names, Hashim Amla played one first-class match, JP Duminy two and one List A game, Faf du Plessis played one List A game, and Imran Tahir played two first-class, one one-day cup match and one T20 game.It was a good season for Hardus Viljoen, who took 47 first-class wickets and won a Test cap•Getty ImagesThe younger internationals are seen a little more: Dean Elgar turned out in six first-class matches for Titans and six one-day cup games, Bavuma played five first-class matches and nine one-day cup games, and Quinton de Kock played in 11 T20 matches as well as one first-class and List A game each.”It’s a fine line because although you can never replace experience, the senior guys should all be performing,” says Walter. “Rather, I’d say we need to be wary of younger guys being put in ahead of their time.”Next season, CSA intends to ensure national players are available for the T20 tournament in the hope of increasing its profile, but they may want to ensure they play in other competitions too.The highlights
Titans opening batsman Heino Kuhn became only the sixth player to score 1000 first-class runs in a season of franchise cricket. His temperament makes him an ideal candidate for Test cricket, though there isn’t a vacancy in the top two at the moment.Walter believes his age is no barrier to a possible call-up. “If Heino’s name isn’t mentioned every time they pick a Test team, something is wrong. We get caught up in saying guys are too old, but at 32 he still has at least three years of top-quality cricket. How many years do you need to not be too old? It’s also good to know that if something should happen to Dean Elgar or Stephen Cook, Heino is ready to play.”Lions quick Hardus Viljoen topped the first-class wicket charts with 47 wickets in a season where he also made his Test debut. Although he will struggle to force his way into a packed South African pace pack, Toyana has not discounted using him in other formats either. “I would like to see him being given more opportunities.”Other names worth watching out for are Titans’ chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, who was third on the wicket-takers’ list, and Theunis de Bruyn, who will move from Titans to captain Knights next season.

Daniel Vettori’s one-handed blinder at the boundary among the plays of the day from the fourth quarter-final

Andrew McGlashan and George Binoy21-Mar-2015The chant
“Maaaartin Guptill,” clap, clap, clap. “Maaaartin Guptill,” clap, clap, clap. The chant reverberated around a jam-packed Cake Tin as an unlikely New Zealand batsman stood on the verge of a double-hundred. It was so loud the West Indian players couldn’t communicate on the field. Sulieman Benn, at cover, was being signaled by his captain but he looked lost in the din. Andre Russell seemed to have had enough of the confusion and ran in to deliver, Guptill smashed the ball back over the bowler’s head to move on to 203, and the Cake Tin shook once more.The classical stroke
“And to clarify, the shot is called the back away, look away, deliberate cut through point …” is how Glenn Maxwell described his bizarre boundary of Wahab Riaz in their quarter-final in Adelaide on Friday. Kane Williamson also hit a boundary through point in New Zealand’s quarter-final against West Indies in Wellington, and it could not have been more different to Maxwell’s smear. Williamson got on tiptoe, riding the bounce of a delivery that rose towards his chest and wasn’t too wide, and punched in measured fashion. The ball split two fielders at point and sped away, the timing on it a thing of beauty.The illegal run
In the 18th over of New Zealand’s innings, Guptill dug out a yorker and then whirled around and hit the ball away because it was a bit close to the stumps. The ball trickled towards the wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who threw at the striker’s end and conceded an overthrow. The amended Law 34, however, indicates no runs should be allowed if the batsman hits the ball a second time, even via overthrows, which were allowed before the amendment. The finer print eluded everyone involved in the play.The catching lesson
It occurred in New Zealand’s innings but it wasn’t a West Indian fielder who took it. Brendon McCullum hooked a short ball from Jason Holder for six but the trajectory was flat and the ball didn’t look like it was going to carry into the stands at long leg. A fan standing in the lowest tier in one of those orange t-shirts leant over the railing, stooped low and plucked it one-handed. He was far more alert than Marlon Samuels had been when he dropped Guptill on 4 in the first over.Daniel Vettori rolled back the years with a stunning one-hander•Getty ImagesThe real thing
If New Zealand win the World Cup there will be a few million dollars to share among the players, but perhaps Daniel Vettori fancied bagging himself a little extra along the way by having a share of the prize pool the above gentleman is now a part of. Marlon Samuels’ upper cut soared towards third man – initially it looked straight down Vettori’s throat, then it looked like a sure six. In a split second, Vettori leapt off his feet, stuck his left hand in the air and plucked out the most incredible catch. For a second, time froze, almost in disbelief. Vettori stood there, hurling the ball nonchalantly into the air as team-mates sprinted from all corners to mob him. This tournament is very likely Vettori’s last hurrah as a player. He’s banking a few memories to take with him.The skimmer
Chris Gayle could barely move, but he could still swing the bat. He had made a sedate start, reaching 1 off eight deliveries, before unleashing a pull stroke that went quicker than anyone could keep up with. Flashing off the blade, it skimmed a few metres off the ground before thudding into the concrete wall which runs around the bottom of the stands. A member of the stadium personnel had the fright of his life, just pulling his head out of the way at the last moment.

Shane Watson’s innings was encouraging for Australia but its timing means the questions will remain for now

Brydon Coverdale at The Oval21-Aug-2013That Shane Watson was talented enough to play an innings like this was never in doubt. That he ever in a Test match was questionable. That he now has in an Ashes battle is encouraging. That he has done so in a dead rubber is frustrating. Talented, questionable, encouraging, frustrating. That is how Watson is, was and, perhaps, ever shall be.Watson’s 176 at The Oval was at once meaningless and consequential. It held no value for Australia’s hopes of regaining the urn, which disappeared in the Manchester rain, nor of levelling the series, which fizzled out on a crazy fourth day in Chester-le-Street. But if his innings sets up an Australia victory, it will instil belief in a team lacking it.Ultimately, Watson will be judged not by this innings but by whether he follows it with important runs in the home Ashes later this year. Barring injury, he will surely begin that series at No. 3, for he is the man responsible for ending Australia’s longest ever drought of Test innings without a hundred from first drop.That he was No.3 at The Oval was an accident, not a masterstroke. First drop through most of last year, No. 4 in India, an opener at the start of this trip, briefly No. 6 in the last Test, at times a batsman only, at others a first-change bowler, Michael Clarke’s deputy for two years, Australia’s 44th Test captain. He looked like ending this series as the team’s minister without portfolio.Certainly he remains a senior player in the side. On Monday, while the rest of the squad trained at The Oval, coach Darren Lehmann and selector on duty Rod Marsh gathered their leadership group together for a half-hour meeting. Clarke was there with his new deputy Brad Haddin, so were Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle, the leaders of the attack. So was Watson.”It was more or less about us standing up as senior players and leading from the front,” Clarke said of the meeting. “It was a reminder that we continue on and off the field to lead the way. It is more important when things aren’t going to plan.”Standing up has not been Watson’s strength in the past couple of years. The man who made back-to-back hundreds in the semi-final and final of the 2009 Champions Trophy, the man who was Player of the Tournament at last year’s World Twenty20 couldn’t score big at Test level. In the past two years he had averaged 24.79, always batting in the top six.Watson’s previous Test century was so long ago – Mohali in 2010 – that Clarke was the only team-mate from that match also playing at The Oval. Simon Katich was excommunicated. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey have retired. Marcus North fell off the radar. Mitchell Johnson has slid from view. Tim Paine, filling in there for Haddin, seems forgotten. Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger have been dropped.Watson remained. Of course, Watson offered an important bowling option that made him a curious case; a top six batsman not pulling his weight with the bat but easing the team’s burden with the ball. There were useful fifties, innings that teased, but little substance. Clarke made 187 at Old Trafford, Haddin is on the verge of a series wicketkeeping record, Harris and Siddle have both bowled well.More than any of the other senior men, Watson knew this was a time he had to stand up. Dead rubber or not. It helped that England picked Chris Woakes and Simon Kerrigan. Both debutants were nervous, both suffered at the hands of Watson. Watson had clubbed Kerrigan in the tour match in Northampton on Saturday and did here again.”I was expecting Tremlett to play,” Watson said after play. “I’m a bit happier not having to face a guy about six-eight bowling balls that are bouncing up into your splice all the time.”England helped Watson, but Watson helped himself. Over the past fortnight he worked on his lbw problem in the nets, with Clarke yelling instructions as the batting coach Michael di Venuto gave throwdowns. Here, he played well against James Anderson and Stuart Broad. It was his day; he even successfully reviewed an lbw decision. It was also the 19th day in a now dead series.”I’d give anything to have been able to score runs at the start of the series,” he said. “It’s only consolation more than anything, because the most important time is in the first three Test matches and I wasn’t able to do that … I’ve certainly been asking myself a lot of different questions over the last five Test matches about where I’m at with my cricket. It’s nice that I’ve been able to put it together but it’s not so nice that it’s taken so long.”For Watson as much as anyone, it was an encouraging, yet frustrating innings.

Stats highlights from a bowler-dominated day in Galle

S Rajesh27-Mar-2012

• Seventeen wickets fell for 305 runs on the second day in Galle, which makes this one of the most bowler-dominated days of Test cricket in Sri Lanka. Only twice have more wickets fallen in a day of Test cricket here. The highest was also in a Test involving England, at the SSC in Colombo in 2001 – on the third day of that Test, 22 wickets fell for 229 as England scraped to a four-wicket win. On the second day of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Test in Kandy in 2006, 20 wickets fell for 255 as Pakistan were bowled out for 170 and then reduced Sri Lanka to 73 for 8 in their second innings. Pakistan ended up winning that Test comfortably, by eight wickets.
• Rangana Herath took 6 for 74, his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests, and his best bowling figures in the first two innings of a Test match. His previous best in the opposition’s first innings had been 5 for 121 against India in Kanpur in 2009. When bowling in the first innings, Herath averages 39.47; in the second innings, his average improves to 26.03. Six of his eight five-fors have been in the second innings.
• This is also Herath’s sixth five-for in home Tests – he has taken 74 wickets in 19 home Tests at 27.98. In Tests played overseas or at neutral venues, he averages 40.82, with 52 wickets in 17 Tests. His 6 for 74 is the fifth-best figures in Galle.
• Herath’s haul is the seventh five-for by a left-arm spinner against England in the last four years. Before that, though, there had been a 20-year period when no left-arm spinner had a five-for against them.
• Six England batsmen fell lbw, which equals the highest for them in an innings. It’s the fourth time this has happened, but the first since 1978, when Abdul Qadir flummoxed them in Karachi. Only twice have there been more than six lbws in a Test innings.
• Ian Bell’s 52 is his first half-century in 14 Test innings in Asia against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India. His last such score was 54 against Sri Lanka at the SSC in December 2007.
• The highest fourth-innings total in Galle is 253, by Sri Lanka against Australia last year, in a Test they lost by 125 runs. The average runs per wicket in the fourth innings here is only 20.41.

The way England played suggested they’d read – and believed – quite a lot of the hype about the pitch

Andrew McGlashan in Johannesburg14-Jan-2010With a slightly longer-than-usual six-day break since the Cape Town Test there has been time for plenty to be written and said about the Wanderers pitch. The way England played on the opening day suggested they’d read – and believed – quite a lot of the hype. It was an open secret that South Africa had asked the groundsman for a helping hand, but they were also offered some kind assistance by the visiting batsmen.In truth this was the batting collapse that England have threatened throughout this tour. Only in the first innings at Durban, when they piled up 574 for 9, has the order given the impression of complete solidity. On every other occasion they have flirted with perilous positions.At Centurion, Graeme Swann hauled the first innings out of a hole before Graham Onions’ popped up second-time around to produce his first piece of last-gasp defiance. At Cape Town, Matt Prior just about kept England on level terms before the match-saving heroics of Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell and that man Onions – who was surprisingly left out here in favour of Ryan Sidebotton. England’s refusal to give up on any of those occasions was admirable, but there is only so much hanging on a team can do – even this one.There was also a different mindset at play on this occasion. It was the first time England had batted first in the series. Twice Andrew Strauss had won the toss and put South Africa in, and at Durban Graeme Smith batted first, and soon regretted it. How Strauss must now wish he hadn’t had the choice at 10am this morning. When a pitch is prepared for a result it suggests conditions won’t get any better, so batting first is the way to go, but there was certainly plenty of help for the quick bowlers. Smith said he would have batted as well, but he didn’t need to say anything else.”I don’t quite know yet what a par score is on that wicket,” Collingwood said. “But it certainly has a lot in it, good carry and the ball seems to be swinging all the time – and it’s certainly seaming a bit.”England had to set their tone for the match with the bat, in conditions that were never going to be easy even if they did make them appear extra difficult. Whatever cricket England play they always appear more comfortable reacting to situations rather than dictating them.On this occasion they didn’t seem to know how to play the situation that was presented to them, and moved away from their stoical gameplan of the series. You can’t factor for a Strauss-type dismissal – expect to say South Africa had clearly done their planning – but the loss of their calming captain sent the England line-up into a state of confusion reminiscent of their headless chickens act at Headingley last summer.”There were some good balls out there that got batsmen out, some good catches – but also some guys who will be disappointed with their shots,” Collingwood said. “But that’s the kind of thing wickets like this bring around. It can be tough to play on them.”Jonathan Trott had probably just sat down to absorb the atmosphere when Strauss fell – and he walked out to produce his most skittish Test innings to date – but a No. 3 really has to have the mindset of an opener. Trott didn’t middle a single ball and his wipe across the line at Morne Morkel was an awful dismissal.So could Kevin Pietersen respond to the challenge? He had done it before with England on 4 for 2 in Napier (which became 4 for 3) after a run of 10 innings without a hundred, but facing Chris Martin, Tim Southee and Grant Elliott was a bit different to Morkel and Dale Steyn. Pietersen is not batting well at the moment. There are technical issues, but how much the mental side is playing is difficult to judge from the outside.As all batsmen know, the only thing that matters is runs. And Pietersen isn’t making many. An elegant flick through midwicket was a false dawn and when his eyes lit up at a short ball all he could do was pick out mid-on. Regardless of whether the ball was hittable, it was surely the wrong shot at the wrong time. Strauss had said at the toss that he expected early help for the bowlers and the batsmen would have to battle, but introspection was a quality that England severely lacked. Collingwood, however, still believed it was better for Pietersen to go down swinging.”In many ways, I’m quite pleased that he was going after it, attacking,” he said. “I’d rather him get out like that than nicking off’ to a length ball. His best way of playing is being an attacking batsman. It didn’t come off this time, but I like his approach.”All of us have got to understand what our strengths are, what our scoring opportunities are on wickets like that – and be committed,” he added. “Today, we weren’t quite good enough.”Taking the game to the opposition is all well and good, but it is also about picking the moment. Sometimes you have to ‘give’ a session to the bowlers and this was certainly one of those occasions. As if to emphasise England’s misplaced tactics, life was easier when Morkel and Steyn ended their spells, but the damage had already been done. It would be wrong to rule England out of this contest just yet – they often prefer to do things the hard way – but after two Tests where the batting has come to the rescue, now it is down to bowlers.

The CSK man is making use of his time away from the game to increase his pace and add more shots to his repertoire

Deivarayan Muthu08-Feb-2024Deepak Chahar hasn’t played competitive cricket since December 2023, but he is preparing to shake off the rust and return to action in the IPL as an improved bowler and batter. He is using the downtime before the tournament to add an extra yard of pace to his bowling and more shots to his batting.”When you’re doing rehab – or just playing – you’re not gaining strength. You’re losing strength of your body,” Chahar said on the sidelines of an event in Chennai where Etihad Airways was announced as the new official sponsors for Chennai Super Kings. “So this is the right time for me or any athlete… when you get one-and-a-half months or two months, you need to gain strength. If you gain strength you increase your pace as well.”So, yeah, when I played in 2018, I was nearly bowling around 140ks. When you’re playing regularly you don’t get the chance to do strength training and your pace comes down. This is the right time for me to increase my pace. Skill-wise, I’ve obviously been doing well with batting and bowling. So I’m trying to develop a few shots with the bat too, because when you bat at No. 8 or No. 9, you only get to play three-four balls. So you have to utilise those balls with different shots.”Related

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The presence of Chahar and Shardul Thakur could potentially give CSK batting depth all the way down to No.9, with the Sri Lanka pair of Maheesh Theekshana, who has also improved his batting, and Matheesha Pathirana to follow. Stephen Fleming had originally scouted Chahar as a batting allrounder at Rising Pune Supergiant/s, and MS Dhoni had even used him as a pinch-hitting No. 3 in 2018 – remember chaos theory? The introduction of the Impact Player rule has somewhat diminished CSK’s need for Chahar, the batter, but his lower-order skills give the top order the license to take more risks.”That was the only game where Mahi [Dhoni] gave me batting before him and I scored some runs in that game,” Chahar said with a laugh. “And we won that game. It has been good for the team because we haven’t needed my batting. Mahi himself bats at No. 8 and I bat at No. 9 and you know that gives a lot of balance to the team and see the batters before us having this [depth].”I can give you an example of one game. It was the first game in Dubai after Covid. The first game was against Mumbai [Indians]. We were 40 for 4 [24 for 4], I think, and from there we ended up scoring 160 runs. Rutu [Ruturaj Gaikwad] and [Ravindra] Jadeja were playing, and they started hitting from the 14th over. Other teams won’t do that because they don’t have that depth in their batting. They have to go till the 18th or 19th over and then they start hitting. You are late and you don’t end up scoring those many runs.”MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming have a happy headache when it comes to getting the playing XI right•BCCI

‘Dhoni, Fleming will have a problem with the combination’

The addition of New Zealand players Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra, who are both particularly strong against spin, and Thakur lends even more flexibility to the CSK line-up and could result in a problem of plenty for the team management, in Chahar’s opinion.”We had a very good auction and I also said recently that we have such a good balance that Mahi and Fleming will have problems to make the combinations,” he said. “We will have plenty of combinations to play with, so they’re the ones who are going to decide. It’s challenging for them to pick the combination for the 22nd [March].”Chahar had missed the South Africa tour and the home T20Is against Afghanistan because his father was unwell. Since India don’t play any more T20Is until the start of the T20 World Cup in June, the IPL is last-chance saloon for him.”I’d say family comes first. If there’s a family emergency, you don’t think about anything else,” Chahar said. “When you face a situation like this, you don’t think about what’s going to happen next. When I came out of that situation, I could think about what next I can do. When anyone sees me play the next time, they should be thinking: ‘he’s an improved cricketer’.”At CSK, Chahar could lean on the experience of bowling coach Dwayne Bravo, who was often hands-on with the fast bowlers during the death overs in IPL 2023. Bravo stationed himself right behind his fast bowlers at the boundary to track their progress with the old ball.”He has so much experience. He has more than 600 [623] wickets in T20 cricket,” Chahar said. “He doesn’t teach me a lot [with the new ball], but when it comes to the old ball, he starts giving his coaching. He’s helped the bowlers a lot, especially those who bowl more at the death, because he knows the mindset of batsmen – what he is thinking.”At that time, you need to understand the game, have a mindset of our own, and understand the mindset of the batsman too. He’s been trying to do that with the youngsters.”

Ace legspinner has two and a half days to recover before Lahore face Multan in the playoffs on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2023Having already qualified for the play-offs, Lahore Qalandars rested their captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and lost their final league game to Karachi Kings but that won’t worry them so much as the fact that Rashid Khan had to retire hurt, having been hit on the helmet. Qalandars are due to face the big-hitting Multan Sultans in the Qualifier on Wednesday and they’d really prefer going into that game with their ace legspinner in fighting form.Far removed from those concerns though, the Kings were able to celebrate just their third win of the tournament, which took them off the bottom of the points table. Muhammad Akhlaq, after a poor first two seasons in 2021 and 2022, struck his first PSL half-century. An innings of 51 off 36 balls that set the Kings up for the final flourish provided by the captain Imad Wasim (43 off 31) and Ben Cutting (33 off 14). They were able to put up a total of 196 for 7 after choosing to bat in Lahore, with Tayyab Tahir also contributing a sprightly 40 off 23 balls at No. 3.The Qalandars’ chase went nowhere as they lost their top order inside the powerplay and continued to collapse. They were 79 for 7 when Rashid had to retire hurt at the end of the 15th over. He’d got hit in the 14th, trying to pull a James Fuller bouncer, but continued batting after receiving medical attention. Things seemed okay, especially when Rashid was able to hit the first ball after taking the blow, for an emphatic boundary over square leg. But he couldn’t go on for much longer.The Kings’ bowlers enjoyed as good a time as their batters with Imad, Akif Javed, Mohammad Umar and Imran Tahir all picking up two wickets a piece.