Tomorrow, there begins 7 matches – five ODIs and two T20s – against South Africa to finish off the tour. As is usually the case when these take place after the Test series, there’s a sense of it being a winding down of the trip, as though they were tacked on the end. Indeed, the Guardian’s preview of the series is entirely with reference to the Test team and what it might mean for that. Yet, in a month, the World T20 begins, and this series carries far more relevance to that than anything else, particularly for an England team that ought to be in with a shout of doing well in it.
The 50 over game may not be directly translatable, but there are enough similarities for it to be a decent pointer to how the team approaches the one format where England have ever won a global title. Jason Roy has picked up a back spasm on the eve of play, but assuming he is fit, then the batting line up offers quite some potency all the way down the order. Whether they come off against a South African team that will pose a stiff challenge is another matter, for while England performed well in the UAE, there’s no sense that it is a settled side.
The core of the team is clearly Stokes and Root in terms of the batting, with the captain Eoin Morgan providing the solidity to the middle order that is now so critical. Certainly there’s no doubt that shot making is this side’s strength, for of the probable side they bat right the way down to 9 or 10, every one of whom can put bat to ball to explosive effect.
Yet it’s equally true that there’s a brittleness about the line up, with limited experience and form which is essentially unknown. It makes calling the likely outcome of the series rather difficult, for while England’s approach has been excellent, it’s an open debate as to how much quality is there.
The T20 squad is announced soon, and the 50 over format will be deemed an audition for that. The notable absentee from the initial squad who could play is Stuart Broad, and while there is logic in managing his workload, it raises the question as to whether he is in their plans at all. He has been called up as a replacement for Liam Plunkett, but he’s not expected to play the first game at least.
Of course, as far as that tournament is concerned, the spectre of Kevin Pietersen looms large. The ECB will certainly be hoping that these matches go well, for a hammering will put pressure on them once again. And so there should be, Pietersen has been a star in the T20 format this winter, and there is simply no getting away from the reality that England would be a stronger side with him than without. If the ECB were clever, they would select him – and since the exclusion wasn’t on cricketing grounds, the reason it would be clever would also not be on cricketing grounds. For the Pietersen issue has festered for two years precisely because of the duplicity and ineptitude of the ECB. Bringing him back for the World T20, in a squad where there are no past issues to be managed, would strengthen the side in a cricketing sense yes, but would also allow a closing of the circle.
Pietersen is highly unlikely to play any more red ball cricket, but making use of his undoubtedly exceptional abilities in T20 would end much of the rancour at a stroke, and allow him to depart the stage with his head held high, and with the bitterness at least partly diffused. The problem is that the ECB are simply not that clever. And they almost certainly won’t do it.
And so it is this group of players in the 50 over matches, plus Sam Billings who will probably go into that competition. Young, unquestionably exciting, and with bags of potential. Yet with a major challenge ahead of them to win this series, against a very strong side.
Being Outside Cricket 
KP is not going to come back because of the ECBs stupidity?
On the contrary, they want to avoid their own nightmare scenario. KP returns, does well, England win the World Cup, and the young players get on, and mix with KP. At a stroke showing up Strauss, and Cook as killjoys.
You think they are going to take that risk? No way. It would mean everything they have said for 2 years would be proved to be bullshit. In addition Strauss would have the entire media numptys on his back.
The one good thing about the ODI scene is at least it’s a Cook free zone. So the awfull, crushing dead weight of his presence is removed. The media can judge on merrit and not on agenda. Which will make a refreshing change!
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Surprised we missed this…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-3418345/Kevin-Pietersen-stirs-T20-row-calling-David-Willey-s-girlfriend-muppet.html
So not sure he gets on with David WIlley!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-3419858/Jose-Mourinho-sponsored-adding-personal-backers.html
There’s more at the bottom. Plus an interesting story about the current press officer.
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The Daily Mail does love reproducing sponsors names. Not sure if anything they write is an article or an advert. The whole paper seems to be just one long tacky advertisement.
As for the press officer……is it just me or is there something rather odd that the whole English media are in lock step with A petition that has been signed by Cook?
God, Cook must have such little clout behind the scenes if he is left to be writing petitions. Can’t he just have a quiet word with someone? What a farce.
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Was this the last time we played South Africa at Bloemfontein?
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Hands up anyone who’s ever heard of Carolynne Poole? Anyone? Googling News for the lady, reveals she is not over blessed with publicity, so I’m tempted to be cynical about her behaviour.
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People being rude to each other on Twitter shock.
It’s good that they’re supporting the press officer woman, looks like the Director of Communications was a bad appointment – at the ECB, who’d a thunk?
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I remember that they kicked off a bit when Willey decided to go with some verbals in a game between Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Heat a few weeks ago. Willey then look a little silly as Pietersen then took him apart. It may be because of those verbals that this lady decided to get stuck in.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/engine/match/897761.html
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“an ECB leadership away day at Pennyhill Park”.
Sounds like a definition of hell….
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So they hire a robotic communications director who can’t communicate? How very ECB !!
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Does anyone know what a director of communications does that a press officer doesn’t?
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I know the difference between Toby Ziegler and Claudia Jean Cregg.
But this is a cricket blog.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Communications_Director
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Press_Secretary
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Meanwhile Australia seem set to lose an ODI by 200 runs or so. 41/6 after 9 overs chasing 309. Oh, and they won the toss and chose to field – so the toss can’t be used as an explanation or excuse. Maybe the lower order (Wade, Faulkner, Hastings, Richardson, Hazlewood) can give a bit of respectability to the score, but as a contest it seems pretty dead now.
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There’s a mention on the Guardian match thread that the game wasn’t shown on Australian TV. More info anyone?
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It was on Foxtel. I don’t think it was on free to air.
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Thanks. Is this usual for Australia’s away matches? Any idea roughly how much Foxtel costs? Any FTA highlights?
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I think a basic Foxtel sports package is about $50 a month. As for highlights, there are brief ones on the cricket.com.au website.
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Most, if not all, Australian tours are shown on Foxtel but only tours of England are shown on free to air TV. (at least, I can’t remember when any other tour was shown on free to air)
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I’ve got the gut feeling that this ODI series could be a classic. I’m really looking forward to it!….I haven’t said that for a long while !!!
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I won’t bother asking in which universe Chris Morris is an opening bowler in ODIs. It is clear that I do not live in the same universe as the South African selectors.
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Maybe they will find out after today’s game that having two frontline bowlers (Morkel, Tahir), and 3 fifth bowlers (Duminy, Morris, Behardien), coupled with someone who had not played an ODI for a year (de Lange) might not be the best idea.
Duminy to Buttler. 9 balls, 3 sixes, 2 fours, a single, and 3 dots. Yeah, that is real containment, South Africa selectors (figures up to the 40th over of the innings). They might accidentally get the idea that, you know, picking actual frontline bowlers might help the cause a bit. Then again, I am not counting on that. If there is an idiotic decision to be made, the selectors will find their way to ensure that they’ll make it.
Great play by England, but if this is the best South Africa can field, they might as well voluntarily suspend their ODI and Test status.
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Could someone pass Simon Hughes a note, telling him to leave the analysing to the man alongside him, and actually do his own job of telling the listeners what the fuck’s happening?
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What, the Hughes who prattled on to listeners about Cook’s exemplary politeness and how he allows people to cross the boundary rope first, while in the actual ODI against Sri Lanka Cook faced eight consecutive balls for two runs? That Hughes?
He’d just ignore the note anyway.
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Eight consecutive balls for two runs???? Great batting by a great man obviously 😉
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Oh dear it’s Ebony RB on TMS now, she of the forced laughter before or after nearly every comment, and inane player-speak non information… worst ever TMS summariser
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At least its not FICJAM
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Just proving we are equal opportunity curmudgeons.
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217-2 pff 28 overs so far. Yet it almost feels that they’ve lost momentum since Hales got out.
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And after Root went, Morgan has gone after a brief cameo. I think circa 370 is on but I wouldn’t put it past England to collapse.
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In what universe can a combination of Behardien, Duminy and Morris contain?
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Probably at my level of Last Man Stands….
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Great 100! 🙂
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Highest away ODI score for England now
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Anyone else miss the old England way of doing things?
This time last year, when England were batting I could wander off, do some work, have a spot of lunch, call some friends, work on translating some Tolstoy into ancient Sumerian and then when I got back they would be much where I left them. Now, unless I’m actively paying attention then I can miss 20 or 30 runs in the time it takes to work out which of our abundant printers and copiers is making the incessant beeping noise.
Yes, England are liable to win a few more matches but if I wanted to be a fan of a team that was liable to win then I’d watch classic Australian innings on YouTube.
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Bring back Cook and Moores!!! 😉
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Infuriating that this approach wasn’t taken a lot sooner when we could have been playing like this for longer than just the last 9 months
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Well most people on here have telling them since 2014
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The questions are:
1. Why didn’t we have this approach before?
2. Why did we suddenly change and start batting like this, i.e. what was the catalyst?
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1) Because Captain Darling and Moores were in charge
2) Because Captain Darling and Moores were sacked!
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Exactly what I was going to put, you just beat me to it Ironballs
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To be honest, I would much prefer Tim McInnerny’s snivelling Captain Darling, and indeed his feeble & pathetic Lord Percy, to Cook as Captain.
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Giles Clarke would be a good General Melchett
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Downton as Baldrick. Oh God this is frightening!
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But who could be Speckled Jim? Allen Stanford? David Collier?
Alistair Cook perhaps?
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It beggars belief doesn’t it?
The idea we had a laptop score of 230 to aim for,and a ‘hope for the best’ mentality is like moving from the Bronze Age to the Jet Age.
It’s all vey well the ECB patting themselves on the back, but they were employing a set of people on very big contracts to serve up the dogs vomit we were getting before. Of course you can’t expect scores of 400 every time, and the SA bowling attack is not top notch. However, England should be looking to score par totals of 280- 325 most of the time now.
It’s a team you want to like and follow. I wonder if Mr Cook would like to offer an apology for his petulant remarks about Morgan being the wrong choice as captain with the benefit of hindsight.
Well Mr Cook, I Didnt need the benefit of hindsight to know you should never have been ODI captain in the first place. A shocking appointment.
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Perhaps somebody like Simon Huhges could write something on the subject for his cricket publication?
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Amla gone, played on, WIlley the bowler. Great start.
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Faf and de Kock giving it some tap at the moment (97-1 in the 13th) . A few more overs of this and it’s game on
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Simon Hughes in a nutshell on that LBW review –
On FAF being given out –
“I reckon he’s out.”
After it was overturned –
“In a way, it’s slightly surprising he took so long to review out, given how much it turned.”
The bloke is a complete muppet!!
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Had a little snigger to myself I must admit. He’s also been on his high horse about Mankadding as well (he hates that sort of thing)
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But it’s in the rules Mr Anyalist. It is astonishing how may of these so called cricket experts don’t know the rules. Why don’t they campaign to have the rule changed if they don’t like it?
I think you could see more of it in ODI cricket with batsman trying to steal quick runs. I hate this woolly concept of the spirit of cricket. It’s like when a fielder throws at the stumps, and it misses, but hits the batsmans pads and flys off to third man. There is nothing to say you can’t run. It has become a sort of spirit of cricket by default.
One day in a World Cup semi final someone is going to run the extra runs to win a big game.,and all the cake munchers will come out to say how terrible it is. Yet these people have no problem with players strutting around calling everyone a c***. Strange people!
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The sprit of cricket doesn’t exist at the level I play. So I cannot see why it would excused at top level international cricket. Just something for people to moan about and get morally outraged for like the Chris gayle incident. I’ve said and a few others have said there is so much other shit stuff in cricket to get pissed of about than something that has taken place within the rules. Problem is because tits like Hughes and selvey spout their brand of filth to the masses on their platforms people just concentrate on trivial issues such as mankad rather than things that could see the end of counties playing cricket, you know important stuff.
I made that point to someone who was complaining about yesterday’s mankad. I said just enjoy it it will be on of the last times you see Zimbabwe vs West Indies in an under 19s match. This person didn’t care and kicked off some more about the mankad. Just feel this is the general nature of most cricket followers which is truly a sad thing
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There’s a storm brewing, need to get them overs in to get up to 20, we’re ahead on D/L
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Don’t tell me. South Africa need 22 runs off 1 ball again?
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The 22 runs off 1 ball was just reward for cynical gamesmanship in England’s batting innings wasn’t it?
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Spirit of the game etc.
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Well, England are set to win on Duckworth / Lewis, unless the rains abate. That seems unlikely.
Though the difference in scores at this juncture (246/3, vs. 250/5) is not that big – especially with some teams batting all the way to #10. So, what was the point in picking two allrounders, if they can’t get a bat – teams fielding allrounders instead of specialists are penalised on D/L, since D/L makes a boatload of assumptions on batting qualities of batsmen who have not had a bat … So, whether it was a bowler with the batting qualities of Chris Martin or Kallis (or say a Faulkner / Morris / Moeen / – it is all the same.
Well deserved win it would be for England. I won’t repeat myself on the shambolic selections that South Africa have made. And will probably continue to make.
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If SAs selection follow a similar pattern to the tests, they’ll probably get the balance right near the end of the series and it will all be too late.
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