England could surprise South Africa

Four years ago, England’s Ashes triumph was not the springboard to an era of dominance, but proved the prologue to a period of prolonged mediocrity. As they embark on their long tour of South Africa – they don’t fly back until January 19^th – Andrew Strauss will be determined to build on the Ashes win. It would be a depressing indictment of English cricket if beating a side now ranked fourth in the world 2-1 at home represented a glass ceiling.

By any measure, the series in South Africa appears an even sterner challenge. For all their perennial choking in ICC limited-overs tournaments, the Proteas are ranked the best Test side in the world. Though their only series of the year so far saw them lose at home to Australia, in 2008 they recorded a formidable set of results: drawing in India; winning in England, and seeing off Michael Vaughan in the process; and finally a famous series triumph down under.

However, the Tests do not commence until December 16^th, by which time the sides will have contested five one-day internationals and the drawn Twenty20s. England have almost invariably been something of a joke in the shorter formats of the game since reaching the 1992 World Cup final. New depths were plummeted in the 6-1 home thrashing by Australia. But then. Something happened.

England went to South Africa for the Champions Trophy perceived as no-hopers, and ended up reaching only their second semi-final in 12 global tournaments dating back to 1992. But more importantly the rhetoric from the camp was for once matched by deeds. England pledged to play a new brand of fearless cricket, after embarrassing themselves in consistently scraping to 220 against Australia. And, in two upset victories before reality kicked in, they managed it.

The triumph over South Africa was brought about by what Andrew Strauss called the best England ODI batting performance of his career. England shelled their inhibitions and trusted their hitting ability, hitting 12 sixes – the most they have ever managed in an ODI innings. Yet the two men together responsible for 11 of those face vastly contrasting circumstances. The diminutive Irishman Eoin Morgan will be given the opportunity to cement his position as England’s finisher. Possessing all the shots in the MCC coaching manual – and a load more developed courtesy of his ingenuity and the dexterity of his wrists – Morgan is a special talent indeed, as anyone who witnessed his 34-ball 67 in the Champions Trophy, or superlative 85* in the first Twenty20, would attest to. But so is another man who will be nowhere to be seen in South Africa.

While England talk bravely of the need to hit sixes in limited-overs games, it seems astonishing that the man who plundered six en route to a brilliant 98 in that game has since been dispensed with. Owais Shah may not be the world’s greatest fielder or runner, but he is England’s highest run-scorer in ODIs since the 2007 World Cup. No one else in England, save for Kevin Pietersen (and Marcus Trescothick), can play such destructive innings.

But his absence does provide an opportunity for Jonathan Trott. Back in the country of his birth, just like Pietersen, Trott has been accused by Michael Vaughan of celebrating with the South African side after they sealed the Test series in England last year. Trott will face scrutiny, for sure, but what really matters is his qualities as an international batsman. He displayed a fine technique and temperament in amassing 119 on debut in the decisive Ashes Test, and will occupy a position in the top three for the ODIs. It is also a big series for Joe Denly, whose international start has been full of style but not substance. The same is true for Luke Wright, fortuitously called-up to the Test squad as a Flintoff-lite.

South Africa have historically been a far better limited-overs side than England, yet in games between the two countries in the 2000s, they both have ten victories each. If England are to continue this impressive run, they will need to contain a batting line-up leaden with power, from the formidable Graeme Smith downwards. The battle between Jimmy Anderson and Smith is of huge significance for the ODIs and Tests alike. If the ball swings, Andersons represents England’s best chance of success; if he is profligate, then expect South Africa to amass huge totals.

With Steve Harmison omitted – something the home players profess to be delighted about – England run the risk of being exposed on flat tracks. The vivacious Graeme Swann will face wickets that are notoriously unconducive to spin. Stuart Broad and Graeme Onions will make up the first-choice pace attack, but opportunities abound for two men discarded after the Duncan Fletcher era. Sajid Mahmood and Liam Plunkett have had three seasons in county cricket to learn the game after having proved that international cricket is no place for on-the-job training. Mahmood is in the ODI squad as England search for middle-over penetration; Plunkett features in the Tests, after a crucial role in Durham’s Championship triumph.

South Africa emphatically start all three series as favourites. In Smith, Jacques Kallis, Jp Duminy and Dale Steyn, they have a quartet of exceptional players. England’s best hope lies in blunting Steyn’s 90mph yorkers, which could then expose a bowling attack that is over-dependant upon him – Makhaya Ntini is ageing and Morne Morkel too erratic. Then there is Ab de Villiers to contend with: good enough to have represented South Africa in several sports, he settled on cricket and averaged 75 over the six Tests with Australia last winter.

The tour promises some intriguing cricket – as England-South Africa clashes invariably do - and will provide a real guage for England’s progress under the Strauss-Flower team. Losing the ODIs 3-2 and drawing the Tests would constitute an impressive result. For even this to be possible, the onus will be on two men with South African connections – the current and former skippers, Strauss and Kevin Pietersen. The two players of proven class in England’s batting line-up, both enjoyed extraordinary tours during England’s visit five yers ago. If they can come close to repeating those displays, England should be able to score a lot of runs.

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Is there too much cricket?

As England prepare to embark on another tour, this time to South Africa, questions have again been raised about the number of matches modern day international cricketers have to cope with.

The 2009 English summer began in early May – the earliest start to a home international season ever. There were two test and One Day series, against the West Indies and, of course, the Australians. Then there was the Twenty20 World Cup in June before the Champions Trophy in October. This hectic schedule means some players, such as captain Andrew Strauss, have had a six month summer. Strauss has already revealed he may miss the Bangladesh test series in February and March in order to have a breather.

It’s a good idea because just five weeks after the Bangladesh tour ends, England will travel to the Caribbean to contest the World Twenty20 at the beginning of May. Test series against Bangladesh and Pakistan at home will follow before they attempt to retain the Ashes down under. Added on top of that is the Twenty20 boom and the introduction of the Indian Premier League and the Champions League. Breathless stuff.

Boo hoo those who have limited sympathy for people who are earning good money for their dream job might say. And while I agree with them up to a point it is a concern that the sheer number of matches could lead to players being more selective about games they participate in.

And there is no doubt which form of the game they will choose: the vastly more lucrative Twenty20. We have already seen this with freelance Freddie - England talisman Andrew Flintoff rejecting an incremental contract from the ECB in order to be choosier over the games he is available for. Then think of the supporters. Watching cricket is an expensive business and too many games will prove to be a massive turn-off as well as an insurmountable burden on the wallet.

The players will follow the money, understandably, meaning test matches will ultimately suffer. The longer form of the game may not attract the audiences it used to in many cricketing nations, but it is still the backbone of the game. But it does not offer the rewards of Twenty/20, which is growing in popularity with those interested in cricket betting, and places considerably more demands on the body. 

I’m all for expanding the game and bringing it to new audiences but a balance has to be made. But on this occasion I think you can have too much of a good thing.

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Twenty20 Champions League preview

The inaugural Twenty20 Champions League has finally arrived and it is easy to think that the Indian Premier League outfits will be the superior teams. They have home advantage, have just finished a domestic season and, most importantly, have the strongest squads.

They are packed full of international players from around the world, many of whom have just finished an elite tournament in the Champions Trophy. It seems they have too much strength in depth for the teams from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

However, Deccan Chargers, Bangalore Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils might not have things all their own way. The all-star nature of their squads is their weakness as well as their strength: they have had little time to practice as a unit and are sure to be under-prepared.

This might be costly in a format of four groups of three – four teams will be eliminated after playing only two matches. A good start is crucial and not necessarily easy against well-drilled teams used to playing together.

IPL champions Deccan Chargers will again be tough to beat, as they have two box office players in Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds and are not restricted by injuries as much as the Royal Challengers and Daredevils.

In looking for value from the other entrants, it is hard to give Somerset, Sussex, Otago, Eagles or Trinidad and Tobago much of a chance. They are short on international class and will struggle in the conditions.

New South Wales Blues and Victorian Bushrangers have plenty of in-form Australian stars in their ranks, with the Blues most likely to reach the latter stages and prove why they were domestic T20 champions. Cape Cobras will miss Graeme Smith but are a good bet to reach the semi finals.

The best value might lay with Wayamba, the Sri Lankan entrants. They are outsiders but have players active domestically and a nucleus of international performers, including Ajantha Mendis and Mahela Jayawardene. If they knock out one of Delhi or Victoria in the first round, they could go far.

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England's Champions Trophy ratings

Andrew Strauss 5/10

Showed mettle and nous in the Smith and Mathews incidents, confirming a flourishing captaincy style. 48 runs from four knocks an unfamiliar failure.

Joe Denly 5

The opening partnership did not flourish at all in the ICC Champions Trophy. Wasted a couple of good starts, especially in the semi final against Australia with a poor shot in the middle of a collapse.

Owais Shah 7

Hit himself back into form against South Africa in stunning style. More of this please, as the jury remains out on his innings-building ability at number three.

Paul Collingwood 8

Fluent and aggressive, he represented a team effort to play with more freedom. He took only one wicket but bowled tidily.

Eoin Morgan 7

The team’s Jekyll and Hyde with the bat. At his inventive and explosive best early on, but was becalmed by the tight bowling of New Zealand and Australia. A decent wicket-keeping understudy.

Luke Wright 6

An under-pressure 48 in the semi final has earned him more chances. More consistency needed with the bat, and for that matter, with the ball.

Tim Bresnan 7

His swashbuckling batting effort against Australia suggested an all-round future; his unthreatening bowling did not. Needs to do more with the ball to become a realistic first change option and help improve Englands odds of winning.

Stuart Broad 7

It is hard to argue with 10 wickets from three matches, but the suspicion remains that he is too keen to take wickets. Test batting form yet to be transferred to coloured clothing.

Graeme Swann 4

With the seamers more threatening, he took a backseat role, although he struggled to provide any real control when called upon.

James Anderson 8

Superb against Sri Lanka in bowler-friendly conditions, he was hard to get away when batting was easier – his economy rate was 4.25 from 38.2 overs.

Graham Onions 5

Too expensive with the new ball, he too often strayed from a good line and length.

Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior, Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Davis and Adil Rashid did not feature enough to make a real impression.

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Glamorgan 2009 Season Review

Final placings:
Championship Division Two – 5th;
FP Trophy – 4th Group D;
Twenty20 Cup – 5th Midlands Wales West group
Pro 40 Division Two – 6th

Glamorgan ended the 2009 season still in contention for a Championship promotion with 2 days of the campaign left, but also as a team whose progress in 4 day cricket was somewhat offset by poor displays in limited overs cricket. Nonetheless, for the long suffering faithful, there was enough quality in the batting, in particular, to suggest that better times are not too far away for the Welsh county.

2009 of course will forever be synonymous in Glamorgan’s history with the very successful hosting of its first Test Match, and not any old Test Match for Cardiff, the 1st Ashes Test, the final day of which set the tone for much of the excitement to follow.

That said there was much to comment on in the county game.

Bat

It was Glamorgan’s batsmen who set the foundations for improved displays in the County Championship. 56 batting points was the best in Division 2 and matched the haul of Notts in Division 1. Impressively, 16 centuries were scored.

Captain Jamie Dalrymple led magnificently by example in his first year in the job with over 1,000 runs at an average of 50. Left handed opener Gareth Rees also past the 1,000 run milestone, and in both ways follows a fine tradition set by Alan Jones and Hugh Morris. He looks set to be a fixture on the Glamorgan scorecard for some years to come.

South Australian Mark Cosgrove was initially signed only as something of a stop gap, whilst we waited for Herschelle Gibbs to finish International duties. In the event, Cosgrove played 4 months of the season and clattered his way to an average of over 63 in just 9 matches. Glamorgan did not hesitate in re-signing him for the whole of 2010.

Gibbs himself was something of a disappointment by contrast. Staying for only 8 (expensive) weeks, a top score of 96 versus Gloucestershire only paid lip service to his undoubted ability. Maybe, a short stay for Twenty 20 as the 2nd ‘Overseas’ in 2010 is a better bet (sorry!) for the South African and the club.

Otherwise, the batting operated in fits and starts. Mike Powell nearly reached 1,000 (average; a solid 40), but could score so many more runs. Keeper Mark Wallace started and ended the season with centuries, but did little in between. The ever reliable Robert Croft contributed manfully and his 197 run 9th wicket partnership with Adam Shantry versus Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay, in which they both scored tons, set up a resounding innings victory.

Ball

In the bowling department, Glamorgan relied heavily on spin. Dean Cosker’s left arm twirlers brought about 26 victims at under 30, whilst of course, the ‘Prince of Wales’, Mr Croft, was again top wicket taker (56 @ 30), which gave him another modern day double of 500 runs and 50 wickets. Croft passes 40 years of age next May, and fans are delighted that he should be around for at least 2 more years.

The seam bowling department was a cause of more concern, and was the main reason why only two 4 day games were won compared to six each by Gloucestershire, Derbyshire and promoted Essex.

James Harris is the best of the group, and his consistency was rewarded by a place in the England Lions team in August. Left arm seam and swing from Shantry gave him the best bowling average bar the spin twins, whilst the signing of South African Garnett Kruger from Leicestershire, for whom Glamorgan broke their anti-Kolpak taboo, was little short of a disaster. The paceman’s 9 wickets in the last game versus Surrey did not make up for a dreadful campaign. Prior to that game at the Oval, his 24 dismissals had come at nearly 50 a piece.

White Ball

Unfortunately, Glamorgan’s progress in the County Championship was not mirrored in the shorter game. Two wins in each competition is a poor return for, in theory, an attacking and well balanced side.

The last 50 over campaign never really fired, although chasing down nearly 300 at Essex in early season with Rees scoring an unbeaten 123 should have led to better days.

A double over Gloucestershire in the Twenty 20 lit up a poor May and June, the victory at Bristol largely due to young batsmen Tom Maynard and Ben Wright, both of whom are excellent one day prospects, but presently look out of their depth in the longer game.

The pointless Division Two of the doomed Pro 40 tournament had to wait until September 14th to see a first Glamorgan win, and until September 27th for the second.

Extras

Probably the least predictable event of the season was the capture in August of all rounder Jim Allenby from Leicestershire. He balances the side well in the Adrian Dale mould, batting at 6 and bowling first or second change seamers. He is the kind of multi-dimensional cricketer so championed by Director of Cricket Matthew Maynard.

Elsewhere, another left handed batsman Will Bragg made some promising scores in all cricket, but seamer David Harrison may be on borrowed time, and seems to have lost his pace and bounce.

On the subject of which, all rounder Alex Wharf announced his expected retirement at season’s end after being dogged by knee injuries in recent years. In the middle of the decade, he thoroughly deserved his England ODI caps on the back of outstanding county displays with bat and ball.

The county also said goodbye to batting all rounder Mike O’Shea, whose career prospects never recovered from a drink driving altercation with a gate post, and ‘all rounder’ Ryan Watkins who was never good enough with either bat or ball, despite the occasional cameo in the shortest game.

Finally, not all appeared to be well behind the scenes at the end of September. Maoist Chairman Paul Russell publicly berated the team for “a very poor season”, clearly at odds with Dalrymple and Maynard, who felt good progress was being made. Worryingly, Russell refused to give a vote of confidence to Maynard.

2010

With international cricket guaranteed at the Swalec Stadium until 2016 (one ODI and two Twenty 20s in 2010), there now really is no excuse for lack of investment in the team by the club hierarchy.

With Cosgrove signed up, and hopefully Gibbs to supplement him in Twenty 20, the search is on for a quick bowler who can deliver 50 wickets in the longer form of the game. Kruger isn’t the answer, and initial hopes that Simon Jones may return were dashed when news was announced of his move to Hampshire.

Promotion from Division Two of the County Championship is a realistic prospect for the first time in five years, and with the one day side looking better balanced, end of season displays with the white ball point to future improvements there as well.

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Player of the season:

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Jamie Dalrymple.
The Captain carried the batting for substantial parts of the season in all cricket, and also took 20 useful Championship wickets as the under bowled third spinner.

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High

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Ashes Test aside, Cosgrove and Rees’s opening stand of 315 at the Oval in September, leading on to a total of 702, Glamorgan’s highest on English soil, takes some beating.

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That said, Croft and Shantry adding 197 for the 9th wicket against Leicestershire in August was match turning, and failed by only 6 runs to match an 80 year old club record.

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Low

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Any match live on Sky Sports, for whom we seem to reserve our worst displays (Worcestershire away in the Twenty 20 was particularly embarrassing).

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Essex season review

Essex have returned to the top flight of County Championship Cricket for the first time since 2003. Promotion to Division One, secured on the final afternoon of the season in unlikely circumstances, has made the 2009 season a successful one, when it would otherwise have been viewed as a failure at Chelmsford.

This success has been built on the performances of a handful of individuals. Danish Kaneria’s 75 wickets from only 11 matches were the most taken in either division, whilst the batting relied on the middle order of Matt Walker, Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster, who was again voted player of the season.

David Masters did a steady job as leading seamer, but the rest of the bowling, like the opening batting, was a disappointment. Varun Chopra was a revelation in limited overs cricket but short of four-day runs. Jason Gallian slipped into retirement and Billy Godleman did not feature after arriving from Middlesex.

John Maunders did just about enough to earn another deal, but most hope lies with Tom Westley, who stroked his first ton for the county in the final match at Derbyshire. He will get a good run in the side next season, although Ravi Bopara and perhaps even Alastair Cook will return from the national set-up.

Essex were ‘nearly men’ in coloured clothing, reaching the Friends Provident quarter finals and finishing two points drift of Pro40 Division One winners Sussex. The Eagles just missed out on qualification from the Twenty20 Cup South division, the perennial ‘group of death’.

This represented a welcome change for a team used to near misses in the battle for division one promotion, but it remains to be seen whether Essex have the strength to be competitive in the top tier. The prospective loss of Kaneria does not bear thinking about and the acquisition of a fast bowler is vital.

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