England’s extra zip has South Africa seething
While captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores are able to deliver their easiest ever pre-match team talk at The Oval on Friday, the same can not be said for their South African counterparts in the opposite dressing room.
“Same again lads” will undoubtedly be the rally cry after yesterday’s ten wicket drubbing at Trent Bridge, but Proteas coach Mickey Arthur and captain Graeme Smith will be seething after what was a pathetic display by the tourists.
Pietersen’s captaincy seems to have instilled a renewed confidence about England, culminating in their first ever ten-wicket victory in a 50-over game.
Playing on his home ground, Stuart Broad found conditions to be perfect and used the bounce, movement and bit of swing available to record his
first ever five-wicket haul in England colours. At the other end, Matt Prior was enjoying his recall behind the stumps and he staked his place for a regular place with a record-equalling six catches. This obviously gave the Sussex man plenty of confidence as he then finished the job off with an eye-catching 45no with the bat.
Masterstroke
While Prior and Broad will take the plaudits for yesterday’s victory, it’s the return of two older heads that has helped add that little extra zip and panache to England’s approach.
Andrew Flintoff’s match-winning stand with Pietersen in the first one-dayer at Headingley last Friday was the innings England fans had waiting so long to see, while bringing Steve Harmison out of one-day retirement was a masterstroke. I’ve never always been Harmison’s biggest fan, but when he is bowling well, as he is right now, he gets into any side in any format of the game.
While South Africa came here primarily to win the Test series, which they did, the manner of this defeat will hurt their top brass. In short, they looked lethargic and completely disinterested.
The question is, where do South Africa go from here. Mickey Arthur will not accept that kind of performance or attitude and I wouldn’t mind betting we’ll see a different South Africa come Friday