PAKISTAN v ENGLAND: What would a woman do? An England re-jiggle!

I would like to start by excusing my recent silence, as a student the occasional essay comes your way.  However, following England over the last week or so, it could be interpreted as stunned silence.  I'm sure I was there that day England were handed the world number one title at the Oval, but I'm worried it may all have been a dream.  Are these players really the same bunch of guys who crumpled both Australia and India this summer?

Rather than mull over statistics, I want to discuss the individuals who didn't step up to the mark in the last test match.  You can stare at England's dismal scores all you like, but all it will do is depress any self respecting cricket fan.  How can the world number one team be bowled out for so little?  I wasn't panicking about the situation, after all everyone has a bad few days at the office, until I read in the Telegraph that if England loose the next test match and South Africa beat New Zealand 3-0, England loose world number 1.

PANIC!!!!

Flower talks of dropping batsmen, and by god does he needs to.  Morgan, Pietersen and Bell need to go.  They've proven to us all that they are not able to play in these conditions and against the Pakistan spin machines; they need to be left out.  Also, the omission of such huge names will send shock waves through the England camp, and perhaps provide the very much needed 'kick up the backside'.  I know the question is who replaces them, those waiting in the wings are all bowlers, so put them in and move the order around.  The problem with England in their 3rd innings is that nobody felt free enough to play some shots.  So, I think England need a re-jiggle, a drastic one, and if it were up to me this is how it would look:

1. Strauss                                  7. Swann
2. Cook                                    8. Anderson
3. Trott                                     9. Panesar
4. Broad                                  10. Onions
5. Proir                                    11. Finn
6. Bopara

Broad needs to come in earlier and be the batsman who plays some shots, building up the runs whilst the traditional top order hold a wicket at the other end.  England needs someone to be free and adventurous and Broad is usually their man, so coming in when only 3 wickets are down, should give him the confidence to think big.  We know Bopara can bat, and he's a useful bowler - he deserves to fill a space.  Onions and Finn are the other new editions, both can bowl well and would provide something new for Pakistan to face, especially as Pakistan seem to have Swann's game all sussed out.  Yes, this format makes England vulnerable to a quick tail collapse, but if the top 6 can put on enough runs, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.  Also, seeing as the likes of Swann and Anderson like hitting big - if the top 6 can do well, it will give these two the confidence to go out and think strong.

This is a risky and controversial solution to our problem - but a drastic rethink is what's needed.

Rather than dwelling on what has gone, I wish to dwell on what can be.  We cannot win the series, but what we can do is be brave enough to shake things up a little.  If a risk like this is taken, and pays off, at least a slither of our dignity would be spared.  

PAKISTAN v ENGLAND: 1st Test, Day 3 - Where it all went wrong for 'the Andrew's' England

“We won’t be panicking” explained Andrew Strauss; “we’ll come back strong in the second Test match” was the message from the captain after England suffered their first test defeat since Perth back in December 2010.  For the first time in over a year we were watching an under-prepared England side, which had under estimated Pakistan’s ability in the sub-continent.  The third day did give England reason to “panic”, at least a little.  The batting order collapsed again, unable to master the line and length of Umar Gul and of course Ajmal struck to take a total of 10 wickets in the entire game. 

The morning began with England needing 3 wickets for as few runs as possible, an easy task for the world number one test side.  England did their best to keep Pakistan from making a large score, but their lower order, namely Akmal, found boundaries with effective use of reverse sweep.  Graham Swann finished off the lower order, with a little help from Broad, but it was clear to see that Pakistan had done enough to secure victory.  Bowled out for 338 runs, they led by 146 – far too many runs for an out-of-form batting line up to make up.  To make England’s life even tougher, Gul removed Andrew Strauss just before lunch.  England trailed by 130.

Cook and Pieterson, two of England’s strongest and most experienced batsmen gave away their wickets cheaply, by misguided shots – Cook feeling for the ball and gloving it, whilst Pieterson carelessly sent the ball high straight to deep backward square.  The middle to lower order batsmen followed quickly behind, with Bell and Prior victims of Ajmal’s doosra and teesra.  Trott was the only batsmen who looked close to his usual playing standards, but worrying signs of England’s lack of preparation and focus were demonstrated by a lazy swipe, causing Trott to edge the ball into the slips.  England’s second innings displayed a team lacking focus and concentration.  Players like Cook and Trott, famous for never giving their wicket away cheaply, displayed a remarkable lack of concentration.  England played less than 10 fours and no sixes in their innings, and chose to play defensively. 

Pakistan were brilliant with their bowling and at times unplayable.  However, the skill, experience and quality of the England batsmen are so great that you would not expect them to crumble so easily.  So why did they?  I believe it was a mixture of a lack of concentration and inadequate preparation.  None of the batsmen appeared comfortable at the crease and playing the Dubai conditions.  When you compare the performance to  that of the Ashes, England looked settled and happy to play in the Australian climate, whereas over the past three days England have looked like they have not adapted to playing in the UAE.  More warm up games, certainly were needed, to acclimatise to conditions and to bring the batsmen up to scratch.  My view is that the way to solve the batting is to put in more time in the nets between now and the next test match and to snap the boys back into focus.  Talent does not disappear and cannot be turned on or off, it just relies on 100% concentration, and no batsman brought that level of focus to the crease.  In theory, this is an easy problem to solve, and will be solved, the only question is, will it be in time for the next test?   

Also, I believe there was a problem with the team selected.  It is not often that you criticize Flower, but I do think he made a mistake in this match.  If you’re playing in drastically different conditions to home, why put out a team that is so used to playing on English pitches.  If the conditions change, as management, they needed to ensure that the team changed with the conditions.  It does not mean that particular players do not deserve their place; it just means that the combination of players must complement the environment of play.   Why was Tremlett there?  Why was Monty not playing?  Granted, it is unusual for England to play two spinners, but in the warm up matches Monty was so promising that he should have been playing and supporting Graham Swann.  Surely the warm up games indicated to the England management, that Monty was better suited to playing on UAE wickets that Tremlett, or even Swann for that matter.  On paper and in practice, at home and in Australia, Tremlett has been the better bowler, but in the experience of the UAE, Monty provided the damage. 

England must regroup, refocus and attack.  They are a side that does not deserve the label of losing by 10 wickets.  But, perhaps this defeat occurred at a critical time.  By England’s recent performance rumours of ‘complacency’ could be whispered.  With hindsight, you might be able to look back on this Test match saying “thank goodness Pakistan thumped them; it gave them the kick up the back-side needed to avoid long-term complacency”.  

Only time will tell if this theory is true – but let’s hope so! 

Statistics of Note: 

Pakistan 338-all out 

England 160-all out 

Gul 4-63

Ajmal 3-42 (10 wickets in match)  

Akmal 61 

Trott 49 

PAKISTAN v ENGLAND, 1st Test, Day 2 - The England fight back begins

The England dressing room were all too aware that they have not made this easy for themselves.  On the second day in Dubai, Pakistan were confident, taking to the crease with an intact batting line up.  It was a day like today where England had to show how and why they are world number one.

Play began with two wickets being taken in the morning session.  Hafeez fell to LBW by Swann, having contributed a very useful 88 runs & Stuart Broad led the fight back, by taking the wicket of the second top order batsman, Umar.  Broad delivered with venom to bowl Umar out for 58 - one of the key wickets of the day.  Broady may look baby-faced but when England needs someone to push that little bit harder & dig that little bit deeper, Broad is usually the man for the job.  His second wicket came in the form of, Azhar Ali and Pakistan's number 3 was another important batsman to remove from the crease. 

Strauss' captaincy is also worth a mention.  He showed good vision by bringing on Johnathon Trott to bowl from the Emirates Road end, and Trotty took Pakistan's number 4 by LBW, a brilliant confidence booster for the part-timer.  Trott also has reason to be disappointed; Strauss had removed the slip cordon which, if in place, would have provided his second wicket of the day.  Anderson opened his account in the session before tea, gaining his first wicket from a wonderful Prior catch, after Shafiq came feeling for the ball, guiding it low to the right-hand side of the keeper. 

The real England fight back came in the evening session.  Throughout the day the English bowlers were able to keep Pakistan's lead low.  Strauss' use of Tremlett & Trott to bowl the remaining overs before the new ball was an inspired move, it reduced Pakistan's run-rate to just over two, but the most significant breakthrough came from Anderson & Swann striking late.  Together, the off field partners in crime, took the fight to Pakistan - all guns blazing.  In the penultimate over of the day Swann sent a ball down the off-side to Misbah-ul-Haq, which turned and hit the pad.  Umpire Billy Bowden gave 'not out' & from initial viewing the ball appeared to be just missing leg-stump.  England reviewed, and low and behold the ball was hitting the top of the stumps - Swann had his second wicket & highlighted the importance of the DRS review system in the modern game.  Anderson was handed the ball for the final over of the day, and struck with the very last ball - hitting Rehman's off-stump.       

England played with determination, keeping Pakistan grounded.  Still Tremlett did not look aggressive enough & with 0-48 he is looking like a wasteful bowler, which in England's position, they cannot afford.  At the end of play Pakistan lead by 96 with 3 wickets remaining, suggesting that today the tide turned more in England's favour.  Tomorrow, Stauss must look to his bowlers for fast wickets & be prepared to once again face Ajmal.  

Statistics of Note, Day 2: 

Pakistan 288-7 (104.3 overs) lead by 96  

Trott 1-16

Anderson 2-57

Broad 2-72

Swann 2-89 

Hafeez 88 

Umar 58

Misbah-ul-Haq 52

PAKISTAN v ENGLAND: 1st Test, Day 1 - It's all about one man & Pakistan

It seems to be English tradition to have a batting collapse on the first day - but even by England's standards this was a bad one.  Torn apart by Pakistan's right-arm offbreak bowler, Saeed Ajmal, England were suffocating under the tight fielding on this first day.  The Dubai Sports City stadium offered up so much before play with talk of huge scores and balls turning - not today.  Instead, England's run-rate was less than 2.

The top order batsmen collapsed in real style, beginning with Alastair Cook, and it is fair to say the majority of the dismissals were down to batsman error.  The England batsmen appeared to have no answer to Ajmal and from a team that prides themselves on preparing for test series through detailed analysis of opposition bowling styles, this was particularly worrying. Pietersen, Morgan and Broad reminded me of  playing a video game for the first time, when you're unsure of the controls, making you swing and miss too early or late.  These three, and the others who fell to the mercy of  Ajmal, miscalculated the timing of the ball and played the reverse-sweep far to early, resulting in their dismissal to LBW.  

Nonetheless, only Matt Proir stood up and gave Ajmal and Pakistan a fight.  It was Prior's 70 not out that saved England and got them the score of 192, which in retrospect is a higher score than expected at tea.  Prior built a good partnership with Swann and Anderson, which allowed both of these lower order batsmen to come and play some shots.  The most exciting batting of the day came from Anderson & Swann, who used the pace of the ball nicely to push shots over the top for 4.  

Pakistan's performance must be commended.  They took to the field eager to play and stood firm in their positions.  The field was strong - not allowing England to break through to the boundary.  Pakistan were confident and along with the outstanding Ajmal, challenged England.  I believe their battle had the element of surprise; England did not expect Pakistan to be so strong, that was obvious, and the fact that Pakistan have started their first innings with confidence and determination, suggests that it will be an uphill struggle tomorrow.  England's bowlers must push the Pakistani batsmen back deep into their crease, to push the balance of power in England's favour.  I felt Tremeltt, despite bowling well, wasn't showing enough aggression with his bouncers, as Hafeez and Umar left them to sail over the top of the stumps.  England need wickets and fast!  

Statistics of Note, DAY 1:
England won toss & chose to bat first

England 192 - all out (72.3 overs)

Pakistan 42 - 0 (15.0 overs)

Ajmal 7-55

Prior 70

Swann 34

The Perfect Recipe: Cook with a handful of Onions

13th January 2012 

When you look back at the past week it is hard not to pass judgement over our great sport.  A week where the national team flexed its muscles in preparation for the first test against Pakistan on Monday and the domestic game was clouded in a dark haze of corruption.  

But let me begin with the positives of the past week - our national team.  Yet again they have shown measured skill and ability whilst playing in Dubai, and there are obvious improvements in individual performances.  As I write this, England dominates the score card.  Having scored 269 before a declaration in their first innings against the Pakistan Cricket Board XI (not forgetting Alastair Cook's contribution of 133 runs), England's ball-boys set about their task.  In a side adapting to playing on unfamiliar and unfavourable wickets, it was promising to hear of Monty Panesar's five-for, particularly as the inclusion of Panesar as a second spinner is an untried bowling attack formation for the world number 1 side.  

Panesar had to prove his worth to the team and coaches in this tour match, to both secure his place and settle any nerves at the sight of a changed bowling attack.  It's wonderful to see a player, who has not featured much recently in the international field, return to the England squad.  Already, Panesar has written a case for why he deserves his place alongside Anderson, Broad and Swann - bowlers who have achieved the heights of legends.  Yes, Panesar has played the part of the hero, most noticeably against the Aussies in Cardiff 2009, but never have places in an England side been so sacred and hard to come by.  

Additionally, the inclusion of another 'blast-from-the-past' appears to suggest that Flower and Strauss aim to gain an even stronger and deeper England squad.  This England side is not like that of the golden years of 2005 and 2009 - instead this is a well established team with strength filtering through to lower order batsmen and super-human bowlers.  One thing that England made clear against India this summer was their strength and lack of a weak link.  Even batsmen out of form contributed in other areas of the game.  So, the inclusion of Graham Onions instead of Steve Finn, to me, suggests that Flower wants the squad to be even deeper.

Steve Finn has been hanging out with this England side for months now, watching from the side-lines.  It is my firm belief that we're looking at the Jimmy Anderson of the future.  I believe Finny is being kept in and around the squad to learn by observing Jimmy, Broad, Bresnan and Tremlett, so that one day he himself can lead the England attack.  So why no inclusion here?  Well, Finn still has a way to go and has the issue of a poor economy rate.  He is a man knocking on the door, but it just won’t open for him yet.  Granted, I believe Finny is denied wickets in ODI matches, due to the field being set wrongly by Alastair Cook (Finn requires a large number of slips to catch edged balls, but Cook never supplied him with the attacking field required for his bowling style) and I think this unfairly boosts his image as a wasteful bowler.  Still, Onions is the obvious ingredient in the winter cooking pot.  On wickets so favourable to the opposition it is impossible to include a fast bowler who gives away runs and I just hope that Onions' second coming ends in results.  Like Monty, Onions needs to prove himself to this side and quickly.  

But as the Arab sun sets on a promising week for the national team, back at home there is a sharp frost in the air.  Corruption.  A word proudly dismissed by the ICC until the Pakistan scandal of 2010, which ended the careers of three internationally acclaimed cricketers, including the captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and the 19 year old Mohammad Amir.  However, yesterday the wave of corruption landed on British soil and most worryingly in the domestic game.  Already English domestic cricket is not a ground filler, an issue that needs to be addressed by the ECB, but county cricket being branded with the news of a match fixing scandal by Mervyn Westfield (Essex), is press the game does not need.  There is a saying that no press is bad press and true, the scandal has flung the county game to the front page of national and international newspapers, but the word "corruption" is so feared in sport it cannot help the game one bit.  If "corruption" ended the careers of international players - even banning them from playing any form of the game - imagine what it does to a domestic cricketer.  A 10 year jail sentence.  That length of time behind bars classifies a person forever.  This is undoubtedly the end of Mervyn Westfield's career.  

Are there any positives in this media coverage for our domestic game?  Yes.  A warning.  If you're going to involve yourself in match fixing, do not do it on British soil, they will catch you and they will finish you.  Strong words from the country holding world domination.  

Until next time, the Seam-Mistress. 

The Seam-Mistress: The Mystery of the Desert Sands

The Seam-Mistress: The Mystery of the Desert Sands: 8th January 2012 I'm writing this as I should be watching the BBC's new series of 'Sherlock', a program that has pulled Arthur Conan Doyle...

The Mystery of the Desert Sands

8th January 2012

I'm writing this as I should be watching the BBC's new series of 'Sherlock', a program that has pulled Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian mastermind into the modern day - a process that, until now, the England Cricket team appeared to have also undergone.  However, today in the UAE there were signs that the England team could be stuck somewhere in the middle.  A batting collapse occurring after Alastair Cook did well to set the boys up, a declaration made by Straussy as England fall short of the required total and a number of batting superstars failing to do what was needed, and to make matters worse, the opposition are the ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate.  With a lack of coverage of the game (no TMS or Sky yet) I can only report on what the score card tells me, but the first half does not make happy reading.  These past few days have uncovered major cracks in England's batting ability on the flat, dry wickets of the Middle East and these must be addressed before facing Pakistan.

If one was looking for an explanation, maybe we should go back to the summer, particularly the ODIs against India.  England were playing on home wickets that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show would be happy to exhibit as an example of pristine lawn cultivation, rather than making any attempt to mimic a wicket of the sub continent.  Like the 'hounds of the baskervilles', this summer's wicket choices are coming back to haunt the team.  In the batting department, England are showing worrying signs of the team of old, a lonely Alastair Cook at the crease as each great name comes-and-goes without making an impact.

But, once England have put the bat down and Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Graeme Swann pick up the ball, England reflect the sharp, slick, savvy Sherlock.  It appears that Stuart Broad  is taking on Benedict Cumberbatch's role as the game-maker, a step-ahead of the rest.  With an economy rate of 1.67 and statistics reading 2-15 in 9.0 overs, for a second day running Broady is impressing.  Dr Watson, in this case Jimmy Anderson, is supporting Broad's sharpness by keeping hot on his heels, racking up 2-15 in 12.0 overs.  So together these two are settling the fan's nerves and reassuring us that we can support our world number 1 status.

Our boys are half way between a globally successful formidable fighting force and a domestic goddess, a team of two halves.  However, the mentality of this team makes me think that Sherlock will prevail, like he always does on TV, because we have a trump card - unity.  Cricket is a team sport, every member must pull their weight and make their contribution for the good of the team, and through Swanny's Ashes Video Diary's the fans know that what this team have, above anything, is unity.  The relationship between them and their mentality makes even the most cynical of supporter breathe a little easier when the going gets tough.  I believe that the success of the bowling unit, of Sherlock and Dr. Watson, will be enough to inspire and encourage those currently below par.  Oh and let's not forget, Alastair Cook.  Beneath that chiseled jaw line, piercing dark eyes and  sportsman's physique is a tyrant, who will simply remain at the crease, minding his own business,  for hours.

Until next time, the Seam-Mistress. 

The Seam-Mistress: 2011: Oh Lord, Stuart Broad

The Seam-Mistress: 2011: Oh Lord, Stuart Broad: 7th January 2012 As an England cricket supporter you cannot help but look back over 2011 with a smile. It was the year that England, unde...

2011: Oh Lord, Stuart Broad

7th January 2012

As an England cricket supporter you cannot help but look back over 2011 with a smile.  It was the year that England, under the 'two Andrew's' achieved the impossible - retaining the Ashes in Australia, white-washing India and becoming world number 1.  2011 was also the year that I let my father explain cricket to me and became simply obsessed.

This England side has every ingredient to satisfy any young female cricket fan; talent, determination, good-looks and excellent banter.  It's hard not to have a favourite, but us women, we all do. Stuart Broad's floppy blond hair and cheeky side-smile is enough to give any female cricket fan the shivers as he runs to the crease, and there's even something there for the men - Broady's talent.  I remember watching the England batting line up collapse to India's bowlers at Trent Bridge whilst sitting next to my father who, having been an England fan for over 40 years, took Morgan's duck and Prior's 1 as an indication that it was "all over" for the team.  Then Broad stepped out.  I don't know whether it was the fact that my father had seen England fail so often after achieving glory or whether he is a secretly pessimistic cricket fan, but he certainly didn't believe that a man coming into bat at number 9 was going to save England.  Boy, how wrong he was.

Broad made 64 that day, nothing compared to Alastair Cook's "daddy hundreds" of the series, but I believe that it was Broad's come back that sent the message to England, India and the fans, that this England team fights to the end and does not fizzle away into dust like teams of old.  This was the first of many signs that world domination was achievable and could be ours.  

I believe that the change in the team mentality came at the German pre-ashes boot camp.  When the news broke that Jimmy Anderson had suffered a broken rib, I think it's fair to say that many questioned England's new 'get tough' regime and saw it as being very far away from traditional cricket preparation.  However, 2011  suggests that it was this rugged fighting spirit, discovered in a German forest, that accounted for part of England's success.  The stark difference between England and their opposition, in both Australia and India, was astounding.  Australia were battered so harshly by England that it was humiliating, England towered over them exposing every crack.  Likewise, the Indian team was reduced to nothingness by England and not even the 'little master' could shine through.  Notice my choice of words here, "reduced", I do not share the media's view that India turned up not looking for a fight, I believe that they tried to fight but England were simply too good to let them.  Look at Dhoni, Dravid, Laxman, Sreesanth and Kumar - they all showed determination and drive it's just that, ironically, the wall that they hit was the wall of England.

So where does this leave our boys now?  I think it's simple, they must win against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.  They must use Graeme Swann wisely to keep his economy low and wickets high and most importantly Broad and Anderson must support Swanny, with Monty there to take the weight off.  It's finding the balance that'll be tough and a especially with Bresnan's absence.

But, news from the UAE: Broad 4-46 in the first warm up match against the ICC...a sign?  You decide.

Until next time, The Seam-Mistress