Cricket Live

They say cricket is a game for gentlemen but that doesn’t stop the odd fiery encounter. And when South Africa defeated England by five wickets at Edgbaston on August 2, 2008 to claim the series, the result was not without incident.

A window in the grandstand was reflecting light and the South Africans complained that the ball from Andrew Flintoff’s high bowling action was difficult to pick up. Officials were consulted and the tourists even took matters into their own hands and had one of their players hold a white towel in front of the offending glass. It wasn’t a white flag of surrender and it didn’t stop the South African captain playing arguably the best innings of his career. It was certainly his most valuable. South Africa has won a series in England for the first time since their entry back into cricket following the apartheid regime.

There were other important events in this Test match. The English captain Michael Vaughan failed again in both innings and there is public pressure on him both as a player and a captain. Paul Collingwood, who recently was banned from limited-over cricket for his so-called unsporting behaviour, was re-called to this Test team. He was a miserable flop in England’s first innings but made a gritty 135 and top-scored for his country in the second dig. That innings may well have saved his Test career.

Fiery Freddy was back and belligerent for England. Flintoff is one of those cricketers one feels tempted to mention in the same breath as Keith Miller and Ian Botham. He can change a game with either bat or ball. This Test saw glimpses of Flintoff of old. In the first innings he ran out of partners and had he not done so, could have made any score. His bowling intimidated the South Africans. He could play in any side just as a batsman or as a bowler. His fitness has been a worry and it was clear he tired in the second South African innings.

With only one Test remaining in this four-Test series and trailing 2-0, England has lost another series at home. Did England take its eye off the ball? There has been much talk of the Ashes re-match in 2009. Surely the aim is to win the next game. Forget about tomorrow and tackle today.

So where to now for the home side? They tried a novice quick in Aussie-raised Darren Pattinson. He lasted one match. They recalled big Steve Harmison to the squad and then didn’t pick him for the starting X1. Their batsmen, with the exception of the skipper, all made reasonable if not terrific contributions. Should they go with six specialist batsmen? Is the keeper Ambrose selected because of his batting?

One long-held theory is that you should pick your best wicketkeeper regardless of his batting. A dropped catch or a missed stumping can lose the match. The choice of Pattinson for what will probably his one and only Test, indicates that not all is well with the English. Their off-field behaviour in refusing to recall a Kiwi batsman or to do anything about the window at Edgbaston matches their lack of success on-field. At The Oval they play only for pride.