South Africa v England: Positive signs for the tourists
More than anything else, warm up games on tours provide players with a chance to get themselves into form. This might be some form to keep their place in the side, or form to remind the selectors of their potential.
Well, ahead of the test series between England and South Africa – which gets under way next week in Centurion – England are currently playing a two day game against a South Africa Airways XI and so far, it is going OK.
By this, I mean that players who needed a few runs have got a few runs. Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood have failed to go beyond 35, but we know what they are capable of. We know that KP will come good and we know the type of displays the other three have been putting in of late.
Alistair Cook on the other hand hasn’t played much cricket recently, so to top score with 81 would have done him the world of good. He didn’t have the best Ashes series and hasn’t been involved too much in the one day stuff, so he needs a good tour. So far so good.
Slightly further down the order, Ian Bell managed to get himself 48 before retiring out to give some of the lower order a quick hit before the declaration. As we know, Bell has been in and out of the side of late and needs to take every chance he gets to impress.
On this occasion, he seems to have done just that. Throughout his patient knock, Bell played some beautiful strokes and showed once again why, on his day, he is one of the best England batsman to watch. The No.6 position is somewhat up for grabs as well, so perhaps Bell can make it his own?
Then, coming in at No.7, Matt Prior was positive and joined Bell in retiring once he had reached 44. The wicket-keeper’s form with the bat is going to be crucial this winter, so it is encouraging to see him playing his shots. He seems to know his game better than ever right now.
As England made their way up to 329-8 declared, there were also valuable contributions with the bat from Stuart Broad (15), Graeme Swann (39*) and Graham Onions (13*).
All in all, England’s batting looks good. Strauss, Collingwood, Trott and Pietersen WILL raise their games for the test matches. Cook, Bell and Prior are looking confident as they look to make an impact this winter and the lower order certainly know how to hold a bat.
South Africa are going to have a job on their hands bowling this England line-up out twice in enough time to win test matches. That’s my hunch anyway. That has to be a good sign for Strauss’ men as the beginning of the series draws closer and this could well be reflecting in England’s South African Test odds.
By Thomas Rooney.
In other sports news, pundits are already casting their eyes over the likely riders set for the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup, certainly something to keep them peeled for.
