Cook content with summer’s work after South Africa draw
ENGLAND captain Alastair Cook believes his side can be proud of their progress despite last night losing to end their one-day international series with South Africa in a 2-2 draw.
England remain the world’s No1 ranked one-day side despite the South Africans yesterday securing a convincing seven-wicket victory and Cook, even with the loss of their status as the world’s top Test team and accepting that yesterday’s result was a disappointment, is regardless adamant that England are moving in the right direction.
“It has been a good year,” said Cook, who last week replaced Andrew Strauss as Test captain.
“We’re building a squad, and we’ve competed in sub-continental conditions as well [in Pakistan].
“[But] it was a disappointing day – 180 on that wicket was nowhere near enough.
“We pretty much all gave our wickets away. It’s frustrating, we came into the game trying to wrap up the series, and you’re not going to do that when you bat like that.”
After James Anderson had inspired initial home hope when taking two wickets to reduce the Proteas to 14-3, South Africa’s Hashim Amla – alongside AB de Villiers – secured 97 not out in dominating England’s bowlers and increase his summer’s total to an impressive 817.