It seems only yesterday that Glen Chapple’s Lancashire completed a dramatic run chase to beat Somerset by eight wickets, win the 2011 County Championship and end a 77 year title drought. After a cold, dark but thankfully short winter watching England’s travails in Asia, county cricket returns this Thursday with a tough task on its hands to live up to the excitement of last season. In the first part of this preview I will look at the prospects of the nine teams who will play their Championship cricket in Division Two.
DERBYSHIRE
2011: Championship Division Two - 5th, CB40 Group A - 3rd, FL t20 North Group - 8th
Captain: Wayne Madsen
Overseas Players: Martin Guptill, Usman Khawaja, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (T20)
Players In: David Wainwright (Yorkshire)
Players Out: Greg Smith (Essex), Steffan Jones, Luke Sutton (both retired)
Derbyshire have climbed off the foot of the Division Two table in recent years. However, a small squad lacking the experience of some of their rivals should again prevent a sustained promotion push. As such the club’s overseas recruits - Martin Guptill until June and Usman Khawaja thereafter - will be crucial. In new captain Wayne Madsen, the Anguillan born 21 year-old Chesney Hughes and the aggressive Wes Durston, Derbyshire have an often under-rated top order which are more effective than many in this division. But the bowling looks thin and over-reliant on injury hit players such as Jonathan Clare and Mark Footitt. They have a capable one-day side but it is hard to see them reaching the knockout stages of either the Clydesdale Bank 40 or Friends Life t20.
Key Man: Guptill. New Zealand’s star man against Zimbabwe this winter before his performances tailed off against the South African pace attack. He’s now an established international cricketer and so will be expected to dominate against Division Two bowling attacks until he leaves for the Caribbean in June.
Championship Prediction: 6th
ESSEX
2011: Championship Division Two - 7th, CB40 Group C - 3rd, FL t20 South Group - 6th
Captain: James Foster
Overseas Players: Alviro Petersen, Peter Siddle (T20)
Players In: Greg Smith (Derbyshire), Charl Willoughby (Somerset)
Players Out: Chris Wright (Warwickshire), Max Osborne (released)
After a winter dogged by the controversy surrounding the conviction of seamer Mervyn Westfield and subsequent suggestions that people at the club might have known more than they were letting on, Essex will be glad to get back on the cricket field. Their task will be to avenge a disastrous 2011 in which they drastically under-achieved in the Championship and couldn’t even provide the Chelmsford faithful with their usual place in the knock-out stages of the Twenty20. Though their squad continues to be better suited to the shorter forms of the game, the presence of Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, James Foster, Ryan ten Doeschate and David Masters in their Championship side means that they ought to be more than competitive in Division Two. Alviro Petersen (until June) and Charl Willoughby look like good additions, and should ensure that Essex are in the mix come September. Masters lived up to his name last year and will hope to continue his deadly new-ball form in the coming months.
Key Man: Shah. His first season at Chelmsford was not his finest but he is a class player and is unlikely to have his season interrupted by international call-ups, although he will again arrive late after IPL commitments. Provides stability to a batting line-up dominated by dashers, though he is no slouch himself when quick runs need to be scored.
Championship Prediction: 4th
GLAMORGAN
2011: Championship Division Two - 6th, CB40 Group C - 7th, FL t20 South Group - 7th
Captain: Mark Wallace
Overseas Players: Moises Henriques, Marcus North
Players In: Simon Jones (Hampshire), Michael Hogan (UK Passport)
Players Out: Michael Powell (Kent), Adam Shanty, David Brown (both retired)
Against the backdrop of a glorious winter for the Welsh rugby team, it has been another winter of discontent for Glamorgan County Cricket Club. The departure of captain Alviro Petersen, who had reportedly agreed to return as a kolpak player before being recalled by South Africa and signing for Essex, proved controversial whilst the club announced £1.7 million losses for 2011. Robert Croft remains a pivotal part of team at almost 42, though Michael Hogan and Marcus North could prove useful signings. The return of Simon Jones will be welcomed but it is unlikely that he will feature much in the longer form of the game due to his continuing fitness issues. The batting looks weak and un-dynamic but in young James Harris, Glamorgan potentially have a future international in the bowling ranks. Any success will probably come in the Championship; they have been woeful in one-day cricket for a number of years and a glance at the squad offers little hope that that will change this year.
Key Man: Harris. Talented youngster who missed out on a trip with England Lions this winter due to injury. Will probably need to lead the Glamorgan attack at just 21. Pitches in Division Two should again favour the seamers and so, given Glamorgan’s weak batting line-up, he will have a massive role to play.
Championship Prediction: 9th
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
2011: Championship Division Two - 4th, CB40 Group C - 6th, FLt20 South Group - 6th
Captain: Alex Gidman
Overseas Player: Muttiah Muralitharan (T20)
Players In: Dan Housego (Middlesex)
Players Out: Jon Lewis (Surrey), Vikram Banerjee, Chris Taylor (both released)
After being refused planning permission to redevelop their ground at Bristol, Gloucestershire were forced to release Vikram Banerjee and the experienced Chris Taylor. They will also have to do without an overseas player in the Championship. Last season they maintained a promotion push thanks to the quiet achievements of Will Gidman, who was their best player in his first season for the club. This season they will need his brother Alex - the captain - and the former New Zealand international Hamish Marshall to step up to the plate if they are not to slide down the table with Taylor and Jon Lewis unreplaced. Kevin O’Brien and the great Murali will add an ‘x-factor’ to the one-day side which definitely looks missing in the longer form of the game, but John Bracewell will have his work cut out to repeat the limited-overs success he achieved with Gloucestershire at the turn of the century.
Key Man: Will Gidman. 2011’s surprise package will now be expected to repeat his heroics in 2012. No part of his game is spectacular but he topped Gloucestershire’s batting and bowling averages last season, and in doing so became the first player from any county to complete the double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets in a Championship season for 15 years.
Championship Prediction: 7th
HAMPSHIRE
2011: Championship Division One - 9th, CB40 Group B - 4th, FL t20 - Semi-finalists
Captain: Jimmy Adams
Overseas Players: Simon Katich, Shahid Afridi (T20)
Players In: None
Players Out: Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire), Simon Jones (Glamorgan), Friedel de Wet, Johann Myburgh, Jamie Miller, Benny Howell, Tim Ravenscroft (all released), Nic Pothas, Dominic Cork (both retired)
A disappointing campaign last year was followed by a clear out of unwanted players but Hampshire have surprisingly made only one new addition - the ‘gritty’ Australian Simon Katich - to their squad during the off season. Nevertheless, they should be strong enough to believe they will return to the top flight at the first attempt. New captain Jimmy Adams, Michael Carberry, Neil McKenzie, Katich and young James Vince form perhaps the strongest batting line-up in Division Two, whilst Kabir Ali is back to full fitness to lead the bowling attack. Hampshire have enjoyed most success in Twenty20 in recent years and they again look set to be title challengers in that format, though they might miss the experience of the now retired Dominic Cork.
Key Man: Kabir Ali. Did well in his one and only Test for England in 2003, but injury problems have prevented him from having any impact since joining Hampshire in 2010. A strong showing at the Bangladesh Premier League suggests he is now ready to remind cricket fans that he is one of the top seamers in the county game.
Championship Prediction: 3rd
KENT
2011: Championship Division Two - 8th, CB40 Group A - 4th, FLt20 - Quarter-Finalists
Captain: Robert Key
Overseas Player: Brendan Nash
Players In: Charlie Shreck (Nottinghamshire), Michael Powell (Glamorgan), Ben Harmison (Durham), Scott Newman (loan, Middlesex), Mark Davies (Durham)
Players Out: Joe Denly (Middlesex), Robbie Joseph (Leicestershire), James Goodman (retired), Martin van Jaarsveld (retired from county cricket)
Despite financial issues and a poor 2011 campaign, Kent find themselves with a decent looking squad going in to season where little is expected of them. Under the stewardship of captain Robert Key and new coach, the former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams, the signings of Scott Newman, Charlie Shreck, Ben Harmison, Mark Davies and Brendan Nash have gone some way to filling the gaps left by Joe Denly and Martin van Jaarsveld. Meanwhile, a strong core of experienced players including Key, Darren Stevens, Azhar Mahmood, Geraint Jones and James Tredwell remains intact. Questions might still be asked about the seam attack, but the squad would appear to have the capability to challenge for a return to Division One. They are also well-suited one-day cricket and will hope to at least repeat last year’s appearance in the quarter-finals of the Twenty20.
Key Man: Key. 14 years of first-class cricket and an average above 40 make county cricket’s longest serving captain key to Kent’s chances in more than just name. He is a highly regarded tactician and signs are already promising that he is forming a fine leadership team with Jimmy Adams. His cautious batting style makes him an important part of a line-up packed with attacking players.
Championship Prediction: 2nd
LEICESTERSHIRE
2011: Championship Division Two - 9th, CB40 Group B - 8th, FL t20 - Winners
Captain: Matthew Hoggard
Overseas Players: Ramnaresh Sarwan, Abdul Razzaq (T20)
Players In: Robbie Joseph (Kent)
Players Out: James Taylor, Harry Gurney (both Nottinghamshire), Tom New (released), Paul Nixon (retired)
2011 was a bizarre year for Leicestershire; winners of the Twenty20 but woeful in the other two competitions. The departure of James Taylor and Harry Gurney to Trent Bridge will not help to turn things around, though Ramnaresh Sarwan - now discarded by the West Indies selectors - will hope to get at least the number of runs that Taylor was scoring. Otherwise the squad will be relying on a mix of old heads such as captain Matthew Hoggard and young guns including Nathan Buck and Josh Cobb. The members will grumble that promising cricketers are constantly snatched away from the club by Nottinghamshire, but in reality an improvement in on-field results is the only way that that will change. However, expectations will again have to be extremely low in the Championship. Last season’s Twenty20 success was something of a surprise but if that spirit can be re-kindled they stand a decent chance of making it two in a row.
Key Man: Buck. The tall 20 year-old paceman opened the bowling for England Lions this winter with some success. That experience may give him the know-how to improve his first-class record and surprise some established batting line-ups. If he can do that he will place himself firmly on the radar of the England selectors.
Championship Prediction: 8th
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
2011: Championship Division Two - 3rd, CB40 Group B - 3rd, FL t20 North Group - 9th
Captain: Andrew Hall
Overseas Players: Chaminda Vaas, Cameron White (T20)
Players In: Kyle Coetzer (Durham), Con de Lange (UK Passport)
Players Out: David Lucas (Worcestershire), Mal Loye, Tom Brett, Gavin Baker (all released)
So near but yet so far was the story of Northamptonshire’s 2011 campaign. And it may be that they missed a massive chance of promotion which will not come along again in a hurry. If they are to challenge this year Chaminda Vaas is likely to be critical, with Niall O’Brien, Andrew Hall and Jack Brooks also required to play important roles. However, it was a lack of depth which cost them last year, and this again looks an issue this time round. One-day efforts have been dismal of late and are likely to be so again.
Key Man: Vaas. Even at 38, the Sri Lankan Test side would love to still have Vaas around. Bowling left-arm seamers at a relatively slow pace, he has mastered the art of swing and is thus ideally suited to the county game. He has also become a genuine all-rounder and, unlike most overseas players, will be available all season.
Championship Prediction: 5th
YORKSHIRE
2011: Championship Division One - 8th, CB40 Group A - 6th, FL t20 North Group - 6th
Captain: Andrew Gale
Overseas Players: None
Players In: Phil Jaques (UK Passport)
Players Out: David Wainwright (Derbyshire), Jacques Rudolph (Surrey), Ben Sanderson, Lee Hodgson (both released)
A long stay in Division Two is surely impossible for a squad packed with so much talent. Captain Andrew Gale, and youngsters Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance and Joe Root form an exciting batting line-up which will now be completed by the former Australia opener Phil Jaques. Meanwhile, Ryan Sidebottom, Ajmal Shahzad and Adil Rashid form part of an equally impressive looking bowling unit. But cricket is not played on paper, and the players know that, after being branded a “disgrace” by chairman Colin Graves following last year’s relegation, they now need to put in big performances. The ability in the club’s ranks suggests that they should be in the mix for one-day trophies, but that too failed to materialise last season. Expect the unexpected, but the White Rose county are likely to be motivated by the success of their great rivals Lancashire, and seal a hasty return to the top flight.
Key Man: Sidebottom. Despite his perhaps premature international retirement he remains a class act at domestic level, and was a shining light amongst the gloom last year, during his first season back at his home county. Will expect to blow away many of his opponents in Division Two.
Championship Prediction: 1st
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Rahul Dravid - India's great fortress and cricket's modern statesman
Rahul Dravid’s mold of cricketer – somebody with unrelenting patience, a fine defensive technique and a gentlemanly manner portending respect for his opponents, the laws and the history of the game – was supposed to have become obsolete in the 1980s. When the cavalier approach taken by Ian Botham, Viv Richards and his namesake Barry delighted crowds around the world, purists feared that a Gavaskar-like defensive technique would not be seen again; nor somebody with the patience of Boycott or the outlook of Brian Statham. But Dravid encompassed all three of these, whilst at the same time surpassing many of the records that were in place when his international career began in 1996. Perhaps fittingly, statistically as well as in the minds of many cricket-lovers, he remains in the shadow of his long-time friend and fellow middle-order run machine Sachin Tendulkar. But he is, at least until Ricky Ponting scores another 89 runs, the second most prolific run scorer in the 2,035-match history of the ultimate form of the game.
In years to come it is likely that commentators will see Dravid’s run-tally as flattering him – his name will not roll off the tongue, as those of some of his contemporaries will. Yet his services to the Indian team over a 164 match career are arguably unrivalled even by the two Little Masters (Gavaskar and Tendulkar) and the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev. This commitment to the greater cause was evident at opposing ends of his career. On debut, batting in an unfamiliar position at number seven and within the imposing surrounds of Lord’s – cricket’s greatest pilgrimage site – mere mortals would have folded under pressure and looked on as their side slipped to defeat. However, Dravid produced a typically fighting innings of 95 from 363 deliveries, to steer his team into a position which eventually resulted in a drawn game and, were it not for the weather, could have contributed to a series-defining win. Friday’s press conference confirming his retirement again re-affirmed that in Dravid’s mind the team comes before personal glory. He told the media how now, rather than a year or two down the line when he could still conceivably be scoring Test hundreds, was the right time to retire because “it is time for a new generation of young players to make their own history and take the Indian cricket team even further”. This attitude could be a key factor in ensuring that the slump endured by India on their last two tours does not become an extended one.
Dravid the batsman has long been nicknamed ‘The Wall’. But a fortress is perhaps more appropriate to fully illustrate the task opposition bowlers had to break through. Yes, in a bizarre statistical quirk he was bowled more times than any other Test cricketer but there were many occasions when he blunted even the sharpest bowling attacks. VVS Laxman will forever be associated with India’s miraculous comeback following-on against McGrath, Warne, Gillespie and Kasprowicz at Calcutta in 2001, but Dravid’s chanceless 180 was every bit as important in shaping the game in the home team’s favour. And he again united with Laxman at Adelaide three years later as he scored 305 runs in the match and his team secured a rare win in Australia’s backyard. Dravid also stood tall on a number of occasions when his teammates did not – a true sign of greatness. He was head and shoulders above everybody else in making twin fifties on a pitch described as a minefield at Sabina Park in 2006, and was simply magnificent in England last summer. His three hundreds were the only centuries scored by the tourists in the Test series and came against a bowling attack regarded as one of the best, if not the very best, around. He also had to cope with being shuffled up to open the batting at various times but didn’t let this have any effect on his game as he accumulated runs in the same manner he had for the previous fifteen years and added a further 965 deliveries to a world record number of balls faced in Tests.
Dravid’s other entry into Wisden’s record pages is as the player with the most Test outfield catches, many of them at slip. Although he began to shell a few chances in England and Australia recently, for most of his career there was inevitability about the dismissal being completed when the ball was edged into Dravid’s vicinity. A further indication of his fielding ability is that, for a period in the early 2000s, he kept wicket for India in One-day Internationals and, although he could never claim to master the role, he always gave 100% effort and was rarely a liability.
Dravid’s brilliance as a cricketer has, by all reports, been more than matched by his brilliance as a person. Christopher Martin-Jenkins commented that “He has never done a graceless thing on a cricket field” and, from the accounts of those that know him, that assessment extends beyond the boundary edge. Dravid is one of a select group of cricketers, Kumar Sangakkara also among them, who play an active role in debating the future of the sport which has made them household names. He sits, along with great names from yesteryear, on the MCC’s Cricket Committee that has been instrumental in suggesting improvements to the international game in recent years. He also delivered the Bradman Oration in Canberra at the end of 2011. That opportunity was taken to discuss empty stadiums in India, the need for one-day and Twenty20 matches to be scheduled more carefully and how the possibility of day-night Test cricket should not be ruled out in attempting to to maintain the primacy of the longest format. The speech was described as “meticulous, wide-ranging and fascinating” and, although these issues were already being discussed by some sections of the media, the gravity with which Dravid spoke gave his opinions a much greater weight.
If such a great cricketer can have one regret it may be that his period as national captain was so short – less than two years between November 2005 and September 2007. His Test record was good but, in the eyes of the Indian public, his captaincy was marred by the disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign and Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni will thus be remembered far more fondly as leaders of the great Indian side that Dravid was such a fundamental part of. However, this is the only minor blot on an otherwise superb career. Dravid scored runs in all corners of the world and in a number of different, and often difficult, situations. Over the years he became India’s great fortress at number three and established himself as a true statesman of the modern game. And with the rise of Twenty20 – something he is himself concerned about – it may be that international cricket is never again graced by a player or person of his kind.
Test career: 164 Tests, 13288 runs @ 52.31, 36 100s & 63 50s, 210 catches
ODI career: 344 ODIs, 10889 runs @ 39.16, 12 100s & 83 50s, 196 catches and 14 stumpings
In years to come it is likely that commentators will see Dravid’s run-tally as flattering him – his name will not roll off the tongue, as those of some of his contemporaries will. Yet his services to the Indian team over a 164 match career are arguably unrivalled even by the two Little Masters (Gavaskar and Tendulkar) and the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev. This commitment to the greater cause was evident at opposing ends of his career. On debut, batting in an unfamiliar position at number seven and within the imposing surrounds of Lord’s – cricket’s greatest pilgrimage site – mere mortals would have folded under pressure and looked on as their side slipped to defeat. However, Dravid produced a typically fighting innings of 95 from 363 deliveries, to steer his team into a position which eventually resulted in a drawn game and, were it not for the weather, could have contributed to a series-defining win. Friday’s press conference confirming his retirement again re-affirmed that in Dravid’s mind the team comes before personal glory. He told the media how now, rather than a year or two down the line when he could still conceivably be scoring Test hundreds, was the right time to retire because “it is time for a new generation of young players to make their own history and take the Indian cricket team even further”. This attitude could be a key factor in ensuring that the slump endured by India on their last two tours does not become an extended one.
Dravid the batsman has long been nicknamed ‘The Wall’. But a fortress is perhaps more appropriate to fully illustrate the task opposition bowlers had to break through. Yes, in a bizarre statistical quirk he was bowled more times than any other Test cricketer but there were many occasions when he blunted even the sharpest bowling attacks. VVS Laxman will forever be associated with India’s miraculous comeback following-on against McGrath, Warne, Gillespie and Kasprowicz at Calcutta in 2001, but Dravid’s chanceless 180 was every bit as important in shaping the game in the home team’s favour. And he again united with Laxman at Adelaide three years later as he scored 305 runs in the match and his team secured a rare win in Australia’s backyard. Dravid also stood tall on a number of occasions when his teammates did not – a true sign of greatness. He was head and shoulders above everybody else in making twin fifties on a pitch described as a minefield at Sabina Park in 2006, and was simply magnificent in England last summer. His three hundreds were the only centuries scored by the tourists in the Test series and came against a bowling attack regarded as one of the best, if not the very best, around. He also had to cope with being shuffled up to open the batting at various times but didn’t let this have any effect on his game as he accumulated runs in the same manner he had for the previous fifteen years and added a further 965 deliveries to a world record number of balls faced in Tests.
Dravid’s other entry into Wisden’s record pages is as the player with the most Test outfield catches, many of them at slip. Although he began to shell a few chances in England and Australia recently, for most of his career there was inevitability about the dismissal being completed when the ball was edged into Dravid’s vicinity. A further indication of his fielding ability is that, for a period in the early 2000s, he kept wicket for India in One-day Internationals and, although he could never claim to master the role, he always gave 100% effort and was rarely a liability.
Dravid’s brilliance as a cricketer has, by all reports, been more than matched by his brilliance as a person. Christopher Martin-Jenkins commented that “He has never done a graceless thing on a cricket field” and, from the accounts of those that know him, that assessment extends beyond the boundary edge. Dravid is one of a select group of cricketers, Kumar Sangakkara also among them, who play an active role in debating the future of the sport which has made them household names. He sits, along with great names from yesteryear, on the MCC’s Cricket Committee that has been instrumental in suggesting improvements to the international game in recent years. He also delivered the Bradman Oration in Canberra at the end of 2011. That opportunity was taken to discuss empty stadiums in India, the need for one-day and Twenty20 matches to be scheduled more carefully and how the possibility of day-night Test cricket should not be ruled out in attempting to to maintain the primacy of the longest format. The speech was described as “meticulous, wide-ranging and fascinating” and, although these issues were already being discussed by some sections of the media, the gravity with which Dravid spoke gave his opinions a much greater weight.
If such a great cricketer can have one regret it may be that his period as national captain was so short – less than two years between November 2005 and September 2007. His Test record was good but, in the eyes of the Indian public, his captaincy was marred by the disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign and Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni will thus be remembered far more fondly as leaders of the great Indian side that Dravid was such a fundamental part of. However, this is the only minor blot on an otherwise superb career. Dravid scored runs in all corners of the world and in a number of different, and often difficult, situations. Over the years he became India’s great fortress at number three and established himself as a true statesman of the modern game. And with the rise of Twenty20 – something he is himself concerned about – it may be that international cricket is never again graced by a player or person of his kind.
Test career: 164 Tests, 13288 runs @ 52.31, 36 100s & 63 50s, 210 catches
ODI career: 344 ODIs, 10889 runs @ 39.16, 12 100s & 83 50s, 196 catches and 14 stumpings
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Sweet and salty desert initiation for England's cricketers
The most eagerly anticipated prize handed out at the post-match presentation after each match during England’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates was the inventive ‘Sweet and Salty Performance Cash Award’. The tour was England’s first full visit to Pakistan’s adopted home in the Arabian Desert and, when looking back on the events which unfolded over the past six weeks, they will feel that their performance fitted the criteria for this bitter-sweet prize – a pick ‘n’ mix of the good, the bad and the ugly.
The England team and their supporters rightly place Test cricket on a pedestal above the younger forms of the game, and so the 3-0 whitewash inflicted on them during that leg of the tour will hurt badly. Ahead of the series expectations were that this would be a tough challenge – perhaps more demanding than the defeats of Australia and India in more familiar surroundings over the previous twelve months. However, the scale of the task England faced was severely under-estimated. Most observers, myself included, felt that a one of two-nil series victory for the number one ranked side in the Test Match game was likely. The eventual score line was completely unconsidered.
The way in which the batsmen adapted, or failed to adapt to be more precise, to conditions during the Test series will be a particular disappointment. Some commentators, endorsed by England’s Team Director Andy Flower, have pointed the finger of blame at the schedule which gave England only two warm-up matches before the 1st Test. But any more than two practice games is now highly unusual on any tour, and one of the disadvantages of playing in the UAE is that opposition is not readily available as it would be in Pakistan, so in some respects England were lucky to have even those matches that they did. Perhaps preparations were not focused strongly enough on the task of facing Saeed Ajmal, and starting an innings against spin. But, in Flower and Graham Gooch, England had two brilliant players of the turning ball amongst the backroom team and so, given the generally meticulous nature of the pair’s regime, it would be a major surprise if this was where England fell short. Therefore, the players can only really blame themselves for a series of abject batting displays, the ugliest of the lot being shot out for 72 in pursuit of double that in the 2nd Test at Abu Dhabi. Eoin Morgan, who has since lost his Test place for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, was all-at-sea from the moment he got off the plane for his first overseas appearances in the longer format. Despite featuring in all of the matches, including the one-dayers and Twenty20s, he never managed more than 31. Meanwhile, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen – evidently the two most naturally talented batsmen in the England team – also battled fruitlessly against Ajmal and Rehman during the three Tests. Whilst Pietersen certainly suffered from technical difficulties at this stage of the tour, I would argue that confidence was just as important a factor in the struggles endured by both players. Ajmal removed the pair for a combined total of two runs on the first morning of the series and the off-spinner was dominating the contest from that moment forth.
It would be easy to view the Test series as a complete mess for England. However, in reality they often found themselves in good positions and surpassed themselves in the bowling department. Fears that Stuart Broad would, presented with less-helpful pitches, regress to the ‘Enforcer’ he tried and failed to be in previous parts of his Test career were proved completely unfounded as he regularly found something in the surfaces which the Pakistan seamers failed to. He also mucked in well with the bat, and, were England not such an admirably tight-knit unit, would be well within his rights to be annoyed that the woeful batting displays meant that he was never on the winning side. James Anderson was as good as ever, if a little unlucky at times, whilst England surprised everybody, perhaps themselves included, by appearing comfortable playing two seamers and two spinners. That this was possible was in no small part down to Monty Panesar’s strong return – the result of hard work with Sussex, and the treatment he received from the England management during his time out of the team which ensured that, whilst knowing he had to improve, he never felt alienated from the squad.
If the Test series was the salty part of England’s trip then the one-day and Twenty20 series were emphatically the sweet segment. Off the back of the 5-0 drubbing inflicted in the One-day International series played in India before Christmas, nothing much was expected in the 50-over game. But, as in the Test series, expectations were confounded and England reversed that embarrassment to win 4-0. A critical aspect in this was that the openers produced four hundreds in four matches. One-day International hundreds are a rarity, particularly for English players, and so this was a huge achievement which, against a less talented batting line-up than India’s, went a long way to securing the wins. Gooch’s Test emphasis on the batsmen going on to score so-called ‘daddy-hundreds’ when they make a start would appear to be bearing fruit in the one-day format as well. A great deal of personal pride can be taken from their achievements by Pietersen and Alastair Cook. At the start of the series neither were a unanimous selection amongst pundits – by the end they were, along with Broad and Steven Finn, amongst the first names on everybody’s team sheet. Pietersen’s revival in form can be seen as, in part, the result of more defensive field settings from Pakistan opening up his scoring options, but batting at the top of the order is important too. He is very comfortable against the hard ball and he was often already on 25 by the time Ajmal and Shahid Afridi came into the attack.
The English bowlers rarely disappoint these days and, as in the Test series, they carried out their plans beautifully in the 50-over game. Steven Finn showed signs of improvement in India but, for me, this was the series which served notice that not only does he swing the ball at speeds often above 90 mph but he also means business about becoming one of the leading pace bowlers in the world in all forms of the game within the next couple of years. Pakistan didn’t take a liking to his bowling in any way and found themselves knicking off and being trapped lbw with regularity. The rest all bowled solidly enough for this Pakistani batting line-up and ensured that the margins of victory for England were always sizable.
Twenty20 International cricket started as a hit and a giggle but with the defence of the World Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka this autumn fast approaching the matches in the United Arab Emirates were played with high intensity by Stuart Broad’s men. The gremlins from the Test series re-emerged in the first match but some big positives emerged from the later games as England won the series 2-1. Jonny Bairstow looked every bit the international cricketer as he played a crucial aggressive hand in the second match whilst Jade Dernbach demonstrated that he had come close to mastering his death-bowling talent in third match. Bairstow’s name perhaps comes after those of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales and James Taylor when listing the young batting talent in county cricket but, thus far, he is the only one of the five to play a match-winning innings for England – and has now done it twice. The others will surely produce in the very near future but Bairstow could well have pushed his name to the front of the pack in the selectors minds. Dernbach’s internationals up to this tour had been schizophrenic – occasional flashes of brilliance mixed in with being hit round the park at more than six an over on a regular occurrence. But his spell at the death on Monday displayed wonderful control of variation and foxed all of the Pakistan batsman he bowled at. England will hope that they have found their own answer to Lasith Malinga and Umar Gul in him. The sustained success enjoyed in this format means that England should, along with the sub-continent teams, start as favourites to win back-to-back World Twenty20s in six months time.
Before that trip to Sri Lanka, England will head over there shortly for a two-match Test series. Although the hosts have struggled of late, following the retirement of Murali and political upheaval, the visitors are sure to be tested against the slower bowlers once again. It is perhaps no coincidence that the venues to be used during the series – Galle and Colombo’s P Sara Oval – both have a reputation for favouring the spinners. Although Sri Lanka no longer have a master like Murali in their ranks the pitches will turn more than they did in the UAE and England will thus have to ensure that a return to whites does not mean a return to batting collapses against a bowling line-up which posed them only a very minimal threat at home last season.
The overriding memory of England’s visit to the Gulf in years to come will not be a sweet one. Test series tend to live longer on the mind than one-day competitions, and this was England’s worst Test series defeat since the 2006/07 Ashes. But despite these salty headlines, there were numerous occasions where England bossed the opposition in alien conditions. Results should pick up on upcoming trips to the sub-continent and, if that is the case, England might look back on this tour in a more positive light and see it as one which set in motion the conquering of the final frontier.
The England team and their supporters rightly place Test cricket on a pedestal above the younger forms of the game, and so the 3-0 whitewash inflicted on them during that leg of the tour will hurt badly. Ahead of the series expectations were that this would be a tough challenge – perhaps more demanding than the defeats of Australia and India in more familiar surroundings over the previous twelve months. However, the scale of the task England faced was severely under-estimated. Most observers, myself included, felt that a one of two-nil series victory for the number one ranked side in the Test Match game was likely. The eventual score line was completely unconsidered.
The way in which the batsmen adapted, or failed to adapt to be more precise, to conditions during the Test series will be a particular disappointment. Some commentators, endorsed by England’s Team Director Andy Flower, have pointed the finger of blame at the schedule which gave England only two warm-up matches before the 1st Test. But any more than two practice games is now highly unusual on any tour, and one of the disadvantages of playing in the UAE is that opposition is not readily available as it would be in Pakistan, so in some respects England were lucky to have even those matches that they did. Perhaps preparations were not focused strongly enough on the task of facing Saeed Ajmal, and starting an innings against spin. But, in Flower and Graham Gooch, England had two brilliant players of the turning ball amongst the backroom team and so, given the generally meticulous nature of the pair’s regime, it would be a major surprise if this was where England fell short. Therefore, the players can only really blame themselves for a series of abject batting displays, the ugliest of the lot being shot out for 72 in pursuit of double that in the 2nd Test at Abu Dhabi. Eoin Morgan, who has since lost his Test place for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, was all-at-sea from the moment he got off the plane for his first overseas appearances in the longer format. Despite featuring in all of the matches, including the one-dayers and Twenty20s, he never managed more than 31. Meanwhile, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen – evidently the two most naturally talented batsmen in the England team – also battled fruitlessly against Ajmal and Rehman during the three Tests. Whilst Pietersen certainly suffered from technical difficulties at this stage of the tour, I would argue that confidence was just as important a factor in the struggles endured by both players. Ajmal removed the pair for a combined total of two runs on the first morning of the series and the off-spinner was dominating the contest from that moment forth.
It would be easy to view the Test series as a complete mess for England. However, in reality they often found themselves in good positions and surpassed themselves in the bowling department. Fears that Stuart Broad would, presented with less-helpful pitches, regress to the ‘Enforcer’ he tried and failed to be in previous parts of his Test career were proved completely unfounded as he regularly found something in the surfaces which the Pakistan seamers failed to. He also mucked in well with the bat, and, were England not such an admirably tight-knit unit, would be well within his rights to be annoyed that the woeful batting displays meant that he was never on the winning side. James Anderson was as good as ever, if a little unlucky at times, whilst England surprised everybody, perhaps themselves included, by appearing comfortable playing two seamers and two spinners. That this was possible was in no small part down to Monty Panesar’s strong return – the result of hard work with Sussex, and the treatment he received from the England management during his time out of the team which ensured that, whilst knowing he had to improve, he never felt alienated from the squad.
If the Test series was the salty part of England’s trip then the one-day and Twenty20 series were emphatically the sweet segment. Off the back of the 5-0 drubbing inflicted in the One-day International series played in India before Christmas, nothing much was expected in the 50-over game. But, as in the Test series, expectations were confounded and England reversed that embarrassment to win 4-0. A critical aspect in this was that the openers produced four hundreds in four matches. One-day International hundreds are a rarity, particularly for English players, and so this was a huge achievement which, against a less talented batting line-up than India’s, went a long way to securing the wins. Gooch’s Test emphasis on the batsmen going on to score so-called ‘daddy-hundreds’ when they make a start would appear to be bearing fruit in the one-day format as well. A great deal of personal pride can be taken from their achievements by Pietersen and Alastair Cook. At the start of the series neither were a unanimous selection amongst pundits – by the end they were, along with Broad and Steven Finn, amongst the first names on everybody’s team sheet. Pietersen’s revival in form can be seen as, in part, the result of more defensive field settings from Pakistan opening up his scoring options, but batting at the top of the order is important too. He is very comfortable against the hard ball and he was often already on 25 by the time Ajmal and Shahid Afridi came into the attack.
The English bowlers rarely disappoint these days and, as in the Test series, they carried out their plans beautifully in the 50-over game. Steven Finn showed signs of improvement in India but, for me, this was the series which served notice that not only does he swing the ball at speeds often above 90 mph but he also means business about becoming one of the leading pace bowlers in the world in all forms of the game within the next couple of years. Pakistan didn’t take a liking to his bowling in any way and found themselves knicking off and being trapped lbw with regularity. The rest all bowled solidly enough for this Pakistani batting line-up and ensured that the margins of victory for England were always sizable.
Twenty20 International cricket started as a hit and a giggle but with the defence of the World Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka this autumn fast approaching the matches in the United Arab Emirates were played with high intensity by Stuart Broad’s men. The gremlins from the Test series re-emerged in the first match but some big positives emerged from the later games as England won the series 2-1. Jonny Bairstow looked every bit the international cricketer as he played a crucial aggressive hand in the second match whilst Jade Dernbach demonstrated that he had come close to mastering his death-bowling talent in third match. Bairstow’s name perhaps comes after those of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales and James Taylor when listing the young batting talent in county cricket but, thus far, he is the only one of the five to play a match-winning innings for England – and has now done it twice. The others will surely produce in the very near future but Bairstow could well have pushed his name to the front of the pack in the selectors minds. Dernbach’s internationals up to this tour had been schizophrenic – occasional flashes of brilliance mixed in with being hit round the park at more than six an over on a regular occurrence. But his spell at the death on Monday displayed wonderful control of variation and foxed all of the Pakistan batsman he bowled at. England will hope that they have found their own answer to Lasith Malinga and Umar Gul in him. The sustained success enjoyed in this format means that England should, along with the sub-continent teams, start as favourites to win back-to-back World Twenty20s in six months time.
Before that trip to Sri Lanka, England will head over there shortly for a two-match Test series. Although the hosts have struggled of late, following the retirement of Murali and political upheaval, the visitors are sure to be tested against the slower bowlers once again. It is perhaps no coincidence that the venues to be used during the series – Galle and Colombo’s P Sara Oval – both have a reputation for favouring the spinners. Although Sri Lanka no longer have a master like Murali in their ranks the pitches will turn more than they did in the UAE and England will thus have to ensure that a return to whites does not mean a return to batting collapses against a bowling line-up which posed them only a very minimal threat at home last season.
The overriding memory of England’s visit to the Gulf in years to come will not be a sweet one. Test series tend to live longer on the mind than one-day competitions, and this was England’s worst Test series defeat since the 2006/07 Ashes. But despite these salty headlines, there were numerous occasions where England bossed the opposition in alien conditions. Results should pick up on upcoming trips to the sub-continent and, if that is the case, England might look back on this tour in a more positive light and see it as one which set in motion the conquering of the final frontier.
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