The Proteas’ bid to beat England in England to become the number 1 test side in world cricket kicked off in the worst manner possible when wicket-keeper Mark Boucher was struck in the eye by a bail and had to withdraw from the tour.
The freak accident did what no competitor could ever do: put an end to Boucher’s international career. In terms of leadership qualities and composure on the field, especially when matters get overly tough, Boucher will be missed.
A foot injury to opening bat, Alviro Petersen looms as another potential crisis. Should Petersen miss the first test it will cause another sizable disruption even before a ball in the series had been bowled.
To add insult to injury fast bowler Marchant de Lange is also not firing on all cylinders.
The opening match against Somerset had the same quality as a traditional Nicky Oppenheimer eleven match when foreign teams tour South Africa. Nothing can be read in the first game.
Three play days remain before the first test starts and if the English weather this summer is anything to go by play on those three days are not guaranteed at all.
It is understandable that the English news papers are adamant that the Proteas will not be match-ready when they walk out onto the Kennington Oval in London next Thursday. They are probably right and it will indeed need something special from Graeme Smith and his lads to pull off a win in the opening test.
Being the first test in a three game series the team getting the upper hand on the Oval will be difficult to over hall.
One thing South Africans need not fear is a depleted Protea-team. The atmosphere in the tourist’s camp might be sombre and subdued at this time but when they take the field they will mean business. They will be more ready than ever; and they will play for Boucher.
After the Oval the Proteas play Worcestershire in a two day outing and when the second test starts 10 days after the first at Headingly the Proteas will be acquainted with the England overhead and atmospheric conditions. After another 10 days and a two day filler against Derbyshire the third test at Lords could be the decider.
The Oval, established in 1845 and with a crowd capacity of 23 500, is not a happy hunting ground for the Proteas and they went down quite heavily against England in all three outings since readmission. In 1994 England won the third test with 8 wickets, in 2003 the fifth with 9 wickets and in 2008 the fourth test with 6 wickets.
The Oval is certainly not as feared as the WACA in Perth but with superb carry and bounce it could be a snake with all the rain around. England’s firm belief that their quicks are better than their Protea-counterparts will motivate groundsman Lee Fortis to prepare a lively pitch, and that is putting it mildly, for day 1. Not that Fortis needs to do much because the atmosphere will be moist and thick; in other words conducive for swing.
The toss could very well determine the outcome of the Oval-test and I suspect both captains will bowl first if they win the toss.
Andrew Strauss would want to expose the Protea-batters to the unfamiliar conditions as soon as possible and will hope to nick out three or four in the morning session of day 1. England’s king of swing, James Anderson can determine the outcome of the game in one good session on the morning of day 1.
Smith will opt to field to unleash the South African kings of swing, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander on Strauss and Alistair Cook. None of these batters are at ease against excessive pace or swing and the Protea opening duo offers both.
There is another reason for Smith to field first should he win the toss. He will provide his batters an added opportunity to get acquainted with the England conditions.
Weather-wise, and based on what happened thus far in the England Summer, it is highly unlikely that the first test will allow uninterrupted play. If rain and bad light have the last say it might not be a bad outcome for the Proteas at all. When they hit Headingley 10 days later they will be as at ease as the England team.
For the Protea bowlers it will be a case of doing the routine stuff; getting the basics right. That would be a line just outside off and fairly full. Drag England’s batters on their front feet, find their edges and put the wicket-keeper and slips in business. The occasional express bouncer will do Strauss if he doesn’t find the edge first.
The South Africans should be mindful that catches win matches and that it is not a cliché but a scientific fact. They should hold onto every opportunity.
Oh, and put Jacques Rudolph in ear range of the English batters and especially Jonathan Trott. Rudolph is just the man to enquire from Trott why he had to emphasize his loyalty to the ECB this week and whether he really misses London when he is in Cape Town. He could also do the kind thing to enquire from Mister Kevin Peterson how his marriage with Misses ECB is progressing.
When Alviro and Graeme go out to bat in the Protea first innings their approach should be survival at all costs. Alviro should face the majority of James Anderson’s bowling and Smith will be more at ease against Stuart Broad. It is not a matter of Smith hiding from Anderson but rather playing the guy posing the least threats in terms of swing. Over the five days there will be sufficient opportunities for Smith to show his metal against Anderson.
It is equally important that Kallis only arrives at the crease after 35 overs and after Anderson and Broad completed their second spells. For that to happen, the openers and Hashim Amla must play with patience and to survive.
Kallis has a mission to show he can bat in England and for that to happen he must avoid hooking, remain on the front foot and do what he so brilliantly does: play and leave balls on length. With Anderson and Broad gone Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann offers lesser demons and should not bother Kallis.
Jacques Rudolph played most of his cricket in the Kingdom and is a trump card. Hopefully Rudolph will use this outing to establish himself in the South African setup.
JP Duminy could also play a critical role at seven and as a spinner. With him there the selectors could consider an all out pace attack with Imran Tahir warming the bench. I doubt that the selectors will go that route but they will probably give it a thought or two.
Pingback: full article here
Pingback: click resources
Pingback: Washington Low Rate Loans for Good Credit
Pingback: affordable car insurance for young drivers
Pingback: emergency locksmith services
Pingback: włazy żeliwne
Pingback: article
Pingback: same day payday loan
Pingback: learnguitarsongsnow.org
Pingback: My Homepage
I think SA is going to beat England. We r a better team than them. We don’t rely on any individual. If Anderson doesn’t bowl well, who is going to get wickets. If Strauss n Cook don’t bat well, who is going to get the runs????We have Smith, the ever reliable Amla n King Kallis. Duminy n AB. Steyn can hold the bat as much as Philander. We have three opening bowlers: Morkel, Steyn n Philander. Kallis is always ready to step in when needed..Tahir is there as well..considering England batsmen struggled against spin during matches with Pakistan..Sbu
WTF??? You were calling for Bouchers head, now it’s all sympathy and tears.
Hi Dar.
Sorry Dar, I was busy with a client at the time I read your comment.
Anyway I cannot see the contradiction and for more clarity read narphy’s view – I agree with him fully.
Bouch was the best wicket keeper and a good batter up to three years ago.
Therefore I give him all the recognition I can muster and I will silently nod my head in agreement with all the accolades he is about to receive.
But the latter part of his career, naphy says 5 years and I will be a bit more generous and say 3 years, he was a passenger; part of the Protea posse of Kallis, Smith and AB.
Mark should have had the vision (Uhum…) to leave at his best.
I am sorry about the injury but I am also sad that he stayed on and kept a young gun like Hein Kuhn out of the team.
I trust you understand.
Nice write up,
I thought we were past the failed all-seam dark ages, might scream if we go that route ever again.
The way Boucher went out? Horrible. Boucher the player deserves a better send off and Boucher the man hopefully will get past this and find success in whatever he does. However, what exactly will we be missing? He was dropping catches and nowhere near the level of modern day keepers with the bat. Are we gonna miss advice? Boucher the player should have been dropped from Test cricket 5 years ago. I get the sympathy but this is addition by subtraction. The lineup is better without him.
Strauss always has it in for us so I’m most worried about him and don’t worry about Smith, he’ll show up Anderson or not.
Yes.
Can’t blame Boucher though. It’s not on him to leave, none of us would leave a lucrative post desired by many. It was the selectors that lacked the vision and guts to drop him — all for the sake of pleasing a few. Kallis will miss a drinking buddy. The team will miss nothing.
U dont have to be this naive..he served SA cricket for a long time. I cannot believe thats all U have to say abt him. Everyone has their own opinion but please don’t let personal issues affect your judgement. U act like Mark Boucher is the only keeper to drop a catch. I respect all he achieved playing cricket n winning matches with his bat. U r just like 99% of the world..Always buying face when someone does well n quickly turning your back when things don’t go well. Go head n insult all U want. U cant dispute the Stats..Long Live Bouch..Greates Wicket-keeper ever. Thtas not an opinion, its a fact. Sbu
Who is a better keeper than Bouch?? We will be missing a lot. its all gud to critisize but hard to give praise where its due. Mark Boucher won a lot of matches for SA and achieved more dismissals than any other wicket-keeper. it doesn’t matter whether U like him or not..Do U think he cares..He just loves playing cricket n he achieved all his success without all the support of critics. I wonder if critics wud do better if they ever played cricket, since they got big mouths n all.,Sbu
Bouch is not the best keeper anymore and have not been that for quite some time.
The best keepers now are Matt Prior and AB de Villiers.
Bouch was the best keeper in the world; probably ever but he stayed on for too long.
So yes, he deserves the praise but he should have retired before we played India in SA the last time.
See narphy’s comment and mine to Darwinia and you will understand we do not disrespect him but reckons he should have moved on earlier.
However having to say his farewells in this manner is an unqualified tragedy.
I am looking forward to the contest. It looks like nail biting entertainment and I am taking a ferw days leave to watch the game. Hope not to be given work whilst I am at home. Great article and comments makes sense.
Thanks Abraham.
England will definitely go into test 1 as the favourites.
If South Africa can survive the first test, Headingley and Lords will be easier simply because the Proteas will have adapted to conditions.
And yes, I am also taking a few days of to watch the Oval Test.
Just hopes the weather permits play; it seems to be wet out there.
You say “we”, are you a Pommie then?
England will have the edge though, purely based on the fact that we have been in action whereas SA not. The batchmen might will feel the pressure more than the bowlers. SA’s bowling is much better than the poms and I think Steyn & co will surprise them. Hope the long rest does not do them too bad
As you said Jacques Rudolphs knowledge of the english conditions will be vaulable to us in the coming weeks.
Hopefully he can find some form and repay the faith shown in him.
Steyn, Philander and Morkel vs Anderson, Broad, Bresnan will be very interesting match ups. But I think we have the edge or we should have.
Swann may yet be the difference between the sides, but maybe Tahir throws a spanner in the works. I hope he does well on this tour
I don’t think the Poms are going to prepare wickets for spinners and Swann, Tahir and Duminy will rely heavily on foot marks.
The Oval might provide some spin on day four if the test goes along without too much weather interference.
Tahir is somewhat of an unknown entity for the English and he might surprise them.
However this entire series will essentially be a battle of the quicks.
Tahir played a lot of county cricket so I don’t think that is the case.
If you look at Swann, he takes wickets everywhere and Geoff Boycott, Atherton etc all said that Swann may be the difference in the bowling attacks and I tend to agree with them. Swann is the best orthodox finger spinner currently and he gets wickets on all pitches if it is induced for spin or not.
Traditionally English wickets are not prepared for spin, and I never aimed or hinted at that. (anyway that would be ridiculous consedering the climatic conditions). Swann will be dangerous and it will be Tahir’s job to emulate him or do better.
Considering not consedering sorry about that
Thanks guntz27; you are quite right in your analyses. Swann is dangerous when he hits foot marks and the ball “jumps”. But after the Pakistan fiasco he just did not look as good as before. Let’s hope that tendency continues and that Tahir finally find his feet. As you said, Tahir will know the conditions.
I hope Tahir would also have a good tour.
But the biggest battle will between the fast bowlers.
But their is actually very little to choose between the sides.
Actually only the keepers and the spinners. But I think our fast men should outshine theirs
Great article…
Thanks Zuko.