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The scoreline says the series is all-square, but after such a convincing 112-run victory at Cape Town South Africa are now the side with the momentum

The Preview by Andrew Miller03-Dec-2009

Match facts

Friday, December 4, 2009
Start time 14.30 (12.30GMT)Preparing for the puddles: Stuart Broad warms up on Durban beach•Getty Images

Big picture

Somewhat astonishingly, England stand on the verge of their first ODI series victory in South Africa, and their second in consecutive rubbers against Graeme Smith’s men following their 4-0 victory at home in 2008. After three fluctuating performances and a washout at the Wanderers, they have emerged with a 2-1 series lead – a scoreline that they have reached on merit thanks to two dominant performances at Centurion and Port Elizabeth. The fact that those games were punctuated by a record-breaking thumping at Newlands merely underlines the ongoing battle for consistency that is forever England’s weakness.Nevertheless, for the first time in a long time, England have displayed the makings of an impressive one-day outfit. Andrew Strauss’s personal form and tactical acumen make it hard to imagine a world in which he was exiled from the ODI set-up for two years, as was the case from the 2007 World Cup onwards. Eoin Morgan and Jonathan Trott have performed like instant veterans, while the veteran, Paul Collingwood, has rediscovered some of his finest form, with both bat and ball. The young guns, Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan, have started to move on from being merely promising, and all that remains is for Kevin Pietersen to rediscover his touch, and the renaissance will be complete. Or at least until their next Cape Town-esque relapse.South Africa, on the other hand, have got a few issues to resolve. Whereas England have had plenty practice at moulding a side in which Andrew Flintoff makes cameo appearances, the loss of Jacques Kallis has proven stupendously hard to overcome. At Newlands, the decision to trust five specialist batsmen paid handsome dividends when Smith won the toss and AB de Villiers blazed a 75-ball century; but at Port Elizabeth, the middle-order looked threadbare to say the least once James Anderson started to turn the screw.On the plus side, the addition of Morne Morkel has provided an extra layer of menace to South Africa’s attack, particularly when coming round the wicket to England’s left-handers, but the likely loss of Dale Steyn to a hamstring strain will undermine their bid for a share of the series. Nothing, however, could undermine it as much as the Durban weather, which has been abysmal all week. A washout would suffice for England – and provide a neat symmetry to the results column – but Strauss wants more than that. “We’re fully expecting to play tomorrow,” he said, “and if we do we will make sure we’re at the races and put South Africa under pressure again.”

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa – LWLWW
England – WLWLL

Team news

South Africa’s dilemma is whether to stick or twist … do they recall Herschelle Gibbs to the middle order in an admission that their batting is vulnerable, or do they trust Ryan McLaren to knuckle down at No. 7 and put his consecutive ducks to the back of his mind? Given that Steyn’s injury leaves them lacking in firepower, the likelihood is a reprieve for McLaren, whose medium-pacers have had their moments in the series, and a silent prayer that de Villiers comes as good as he did at Newlands.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Alviro Petersen, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Charl LangeveldtNo such concerns for England, who have a settled first XI for arguably the first time since the 1992 World Cup final (when even then they had to decide between Allan Lamb and Robin Smith). James Anderson reported a knee injury in the build-up to the Port Elizabeth match, but figures of 5 for 23 in ten overs suggest he shook it off pretty effectively, meaning Graham Onions will once again be left carrying the drinks.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Jonathan Trott, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson.

Watch out for

Kevin Pietersen needs a score to settle him down, because it’s not so much nerves as nervous energy that has been his problem so far in the tour. After a four-month lay-off, KP has been visibly rushing to pick up where he left off, never more so than at Port Elizabeth, when he could have been dismissed twice in a six-ball innings. More haste, less speed is the motto that springs to mind. If he allows himself a little longer to regain his timing, the entire squad could find themselves reaping the benefits as the Test series approaches.It ought not to be a coincidence, but such is the hold that Graeme Smith has over his team these days, that his rare failure at Port Elizabeth – lbw for 2 – was the cue for South Africa to crumble to an ignominious defeat. Conversely, when his agenda-setting strokeplay has come off – never more so than during his 44-ball 88 in the second Twenty20 at Centurion – there’s been no stopping the momentum he generates. If, as could happen amid the showers, the Durban game becomes a rain-reduced sprint, his 20-over prowess could well come to the fore again.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa’s overall record in ODIs against England since 2008 now reads seven defeats and a solitary win in eight completed games, which is their worst clutch of results since the two teams first met in 1992
• Ominously, the last ODI match that England played in Durban, in 2005, was a washout. The match was abandoned with England uncomfortably placed on 7 for 2, chasing 213.

Quotes

“”We really want to come and win this series 3-1. When you start thinking about rain and things like that, it is going to affect your preparation.”
.”For us the priority is the Test series and we would never compromise Dale’s chances of being 100% fit for the first Test [at Centurion] by playing him on Friday.”
Mickey Arthur hasn’t abandoned the ODIs entirely, but it’s clear he’s already shifting his focus.

Australia’s aura may have vanished but the players’ self-confidence remains untainted, with Shane Watson insisting the team still has a chance of victory

Peter English at the SCG05-Jan-2010Australia’s aura may have vanished over the past year but the players’ self-confidence remains untainted, with Shane Watson insisting the team still has a chance of victory. Pakistan have controlled the second Test for three days and should level the series on Wednesday after the hosts scrambled to an 80-run lead by finishing at 8 for 286.Michael Hussey, who reached an unbeaten 73, is the last major hope and will have Peter Siddle (10) and Doug Bollinger as his only allies. “I definitely think we’re still in it,” Watson said. “It’s obviously not a day that we really were hoping for. It would have been nice to get 200 in front, but while Hussey and Siddle are there we are still a chance to get, hopefully, best-case scenario, 150 ahead. It would be a target that if everyone goes well and bowls well, it gives us an opportunity to win the game.”Watson was the standout batsman with his smooth 97 and after the strong performance showed he was a student of the history of his adopted home ground. He remembered the time in 1993-94 when a team was bowled out in the fourth innings for 111 at the SCG in a chase of 117. The only problem was that it was Australia doing the tumbling that day.”We’ve got to still give ourselves a chance to try and have a decent enough target to bowl at,” he said. “The wicket is still doing a bit, the new ball is still seaming and bouncing and some are keeping a bit low, there’s still enough there for the bowlers.”The legspinner Danish Kaneria provided the main trouble for Australia with 4 for 117 before hobbling off shortly before the end with cramp, but Australia have the bigger impediment. Starting their second innings 206 runs behind, their journey was always uphill, but after Watson and Phillip Hughes (37) put on 105 there was hope of the 400-plus total needed to scare the Pakistanis.While only three wickets had fallen when the deficit was wiped out, the problems began with Michael Clarke’s exit, lbw to Mohammad Asif on 21, and in 18 overs Australia lost 5 for 40. “The way Phil and I started I thought we were going to be able to bat the way we wanted to,” Watson said, “but we weren’t able to string the bigger partnerships together.”Unless rain or a Hussey-inspired miracle intervenes, the hosts will end their ten-match winning streak against Pakistan, the world’s No.6 side, and continue their recent trend of losing momentum as soon as they start looking good. The ruthless Melbourne win was last week, but it was also a year ago.

The plays of the day from the fourth and final day at the Wanderers

Andrew McGlashan in Johannesburg17-Jan-2010Servers down
The queues were snaking around the Wanderers in the morning but there were few people inside. It soon became clear why. The servers which dealt with the ticket machines, and over which the ground had no control, crashed which meant that the punters couldn’t be processed. Thankfully, in a superb piece of pro-active thinking, the ground authorities threw open the gates and allowed the fans in for free. It was a fine gesture and allowed the home supporters to witness their team’s crushing victory.Catching practice
Each day before play, the slip fielders go through a routine when someone, normally the coach, feeds them catches off the face of the bat to simulate match conditions. Jacques Kallis may have felt he was still in that mode when Ian Bell virtually guided the ball to him at second slip and Kallis was never going to grass such a simple chance. It was something of an old-style Bell dismissal but, on this occasion, he shouldn’t be lambasted for a limp shot. He has done more than most England batsman to make this series into a contest.Hello, goodbye
With England five-down and tottering, Matt Prior was only going to play one way – and it wasn’t going to be a Paul Collingwood-style rearguard. He could have gone first-ball when he clipped Morne Morkel off his pads, but Hashim Amla couldn’t pull off his second stunning catch of the match. Next ball, though, there was no reprieve as he went for an expansive pull and the top-edge flew backwards over the keeper and slips. Both Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher began to back-pedal and it was the South Africa captain who gleefully accepted the chance.Daryl gets it right
It was hold-your-breath time when Smith called for a review after Stuart Broad was given not out for a catch down the leg side. Guess who was back under the spotlight? Thankfully, for Daryl Harper, the volume didn’t become the deciding factor as replays showed a clear deflection off Broad’s glove, but he took his time to rock-and-roll the pictures just to make doubly sure. This one was definitely out and as Harper relayed the news to Tony Hill, Broad couldn’t help but have a wry smile on his face, as he gestured to his armguard. He probably knew he’d gloved it, but given the match this match has gone, he might have thought he’d get away with it.Late spin
South Africa didn’t pick a frontline spinner for this match and, with England subsiding in the second innings, it didn’t look like they were in need of any slow stuff. Then, however, JP Duminy was thrown the ball and he enhanced his reputation as a bit of a golden arm when, with his first delivery, Paul Collingwood picked out deep square-leg. Duminy looked a little embarrassed, Mickey Arthur wore a broad grin on the dressing room balcony and all Collingwood could do was look forlornly at the crease. After a quick change of ends Duminy wrapped up victory by bowling Ryan Sidebottom. Perhaps he should have bowled sooner.

England cricketer Claire Taylor received her MBE at Windsor Castle today.

Cricinfo staff26-Feb-2010England cricketer Claire Taylor received her MBE at Windsor Castle today. Taylor was part of the England side that won both the Women’s World Cup and the Women’s World Twenty20 last year, cracking an unbeaten half-century to guide England to victory over Australia in the semi-final of the Twenty20 tournament. She was Player of the Tournament at both events and was named Women’s Player of the Year at the ICC Awards in Johannesburg.A veteran of England’s Women’s side, she has played 114 one-day internationals and 15 Tests since making her debut in an ODI against Australia at Southampton in 1998. She has also been a valued member of Berkshire and club Reading Ridgeway for over 14 years, and is currently ranked second in the world in the ICC ODI batting rankings.”It was such a huge honour today,” Taylor said after receiving her MBE. To be presented with this by the Queen at Windsor Castle, it’s brilliant. I’m so honoured.””It’s best not to think about these things actually,” she added. “You concentrate on the things you’re good at, that you enjoy. In my case, that’s playing cricket and it’s putting on an England shirt and playing for your country. If you’re lucky – and I have been to do all that – it’s fantastic.”I wouldn’t be here if the team hadn’t played some really great cricket. Hopefully, what they’ve done inspires a few others to take up the path of cricket. It’s a great sport and you can get great rewards from it.”When asked to identify her personal highlights from a long international career, Taylor explained: “Chases as a batsman test me mentally and technically so they mean more to me. We’ve had some great performances over the last twelve months and I’d probably pick chasing 160-odd to beat Australia to get into the World Twenty20 Final.”Clare Connor, ECB’s Head of England Women’s Cricket, paid tribute to Taylor after she received her prestigious award. “Claire Taylor’s contribution to women’s cricket is immense,” she said. “Claire has amassed over 5,000 runs in all formats of international cricket.”In February 2008, she notched up her seventh century to become the joint highest century-maker in women’s ODIs. In 2009 she made history when she was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year – the first female to receive the accolade.”In 2009 she was instrumental in England lifting two ICC trophies, the World Cup and the World Twenty20; in both tournaments Claire was named Player of the Tournament for her consistent contributions with the bat,” she added.”Claire’s influence stretches far beyond the England team. She helps raise standards of girls’ cricket in her area through working on a Gifted and Talented Programme and she is heavily involved in Sport Relief this year. In short, she is a tremendous ambassador for our sport and she thoroughly deserves to be recognised with the honour of an MBE.”

Jhulan Goswami, the India captain, has taken the top spot in the ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings after a successful series against England at home

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010Jhulan Goswami, the India captain, has taken the top spot in the ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings after a successful series against England at home. In India’s 3-2 series win, Goswami bagged 11 wickets at 11.72 and overtook Australia’s Shelly Nitschke and Lisa Sthakelar, who are now placed second and third respectively.England’s pace bowler Katherine Brunt, who finished with 10 wickets at 16, including a five-for, has moved up to fourth place while Rumeli Dhar, India’s medium pacer, climbed to the fifth spot after a series-haul of nine wickets.India batsman and former captain Mithali Raj widened the gap between herself and the rest in the ODI batting rankings after an impressive series where she made 287 runs including four half-centuries. Raj, at No.1, is now 150 points ahead of England batsman Claire Taylor, who didn’t participate in the Indian tour.

For two days at Chittagong it was a walk in the park for England, but over the next three it turned into a hard slog

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan19-Mar-2010

Match facts

Saturday March 20, 2010
Start time 9.30am (03.30GMT)Shafiul Islam has been recalled by Bangladesh for the second Test•Getty Images

Big Picture

For two days in Chittagong it was a walk in the park for England, but over the next three it turned into a hard slog. Eventually they overpowered Bangladesh, as everyone imagined they would, but the team returned to Dhaka with some weary bodies and tired minds. With only three days to recover between matches (they may have had more with a bit more adventure) it will be a test of Andy Flower’s claims that this is the fittest England side ever.Bangladesh can take great heart from the way their performance improved during the match. It is clear they are forming the backbone of a decent batting unit with the flamboyant skills of Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah alongside the adhesiveness of Mushfiqur Rahim and Junaid Siddique. Shakib Al Hasan, their captain and leading player, had a poor game with the bat in the first Test and is due a score.Their challenge again has to be to take the match five days – victory, surely, remains beyond them with a weak bowling attack – and ensure England climb aboard their flight home knowing they have been through two hard-fought Tests.There is a feeling within the England team – although they are reluctant to say it – that they are pretty much on a hiding to nothing on this tour. A full hand of victories is all that was expected; any defeats would have been major embarrassments. Alastair Cook gave a forthright defence of his tactics after the first Test, but there was a sense of reactiveness rather than proactivity in his captaincy.These, though, are early days for his leadership and he will be immensely satisfied to leave with his record intact. That may need another five days of hard work.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

Bangladesh LLLLW
England WLDWD

Watch out for…

Steven Finn has come a long way in a short time. A couple of weeks ago he was back in London preparing for a pre-season boot camp with Middlesex and now he has leapfrogged Liam Plunkett and Ajmal Shahzad into the Test team. His first appearance confirmed his promise as he troubled the Bangladesh batsmen on a slow, flat pitch. A return of two wickets didn’t do him justice, but he’ll have learnt valuable lessons about bowling on docile surfaces. The indications are he will get another chance in Dhaka to further advance his claims ahead of the home season.Ever since he made his debut at Lord’s aged 16, Mushfiqur Rahim looked to have the skills to withstand Test cricket. His double effort at Chittagong – 79 followed by 95 – suggests he has come of age at the highest level as he twice left the England attack with little idea of how to remove him. It took a great catch in the first and an ill-judged charge in the second to bring his downfall. Given some of the frailties elsewhere in the order Rahim is suited to a position higher up, but for now at least he seems set to stay at No. 7. For the good of Bangladesh it might benefit them in the long term if he gives up the wicketkeeping gloves and slots in at No. 4.

Team news

Bangladesh have confirmed two changes, with pace bowler Shafiul Islam replacing the disappointing Shahadat Hossain, while Jahurul Islam will make his debut in the middle order in place of Aftab Ahmed. The onus will be on Bangladesh’s spinners to have more of an impact than they managed in the first Test.Bangladesh 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 8 Naeem Islam, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel HossainEngland are likely to stick with an unchanged team, which means no spin support for Graeme Swann after his 10-wicket haul in Chittagong. Cook has virtually guaranteed that the seven batsmen will remain, so if a change is made then it will be Finn who would make way now that Stuart Broad has recovered from illness.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Michael Carberry, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Steven Finn

Pitch and conditions

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, said he expected a little more life in this surface but it is likely to remain heavily in favour of the batsmen. A touch more bounce would please everyone – except, perhaps, the home side’s batsmen – and the spinners will be hoping for more help from the footmarks. Temperature wise it will be hot again, with the mercury hitting the high 30s on most days.

Stats and Trivia

• Bangladesh’s second innings at Chittagong was their fourth-longest at 124 overs.
• Junaid Siddique became the fourth Bangladesh batsman to score their maiden Test hundred this year following on from Mushfiqur Rahim against India and Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan against New Zealand.
• Siddique’s 106 was also Bangladesh’s fifth-longest Test innings in terms of balls faced.

Quotes

“We bowled, I think, nine maidens in 145 overs [138.3]. It’s ridiculous, and it’s not good enough. Test cricket should be a game where you have to work a lot harder for your runs, but we couldn’t bowl one side of the wicket, and when we wanted to bowl at the wickets we couldn’t do that either.”
“They were probably very close to the mark and Swanny has apologised, but we want to play hard, aggressive cricket and our disciplinary record over the last couple of years has been exceptional.”
Alastair Cook wants his team to maintain an aggressive approach.