The England selectors have grown used to being able to rubber-stamp Test
squads, but their meeting this week is sure to produce lengthy debate after
a six-match unbeaten run was brought to an abrupt halt at Headingley
Carnegie by a South Africa team who were superior in every facet of the game.
Although a bright and breezy unbeaten 67 by Stuart Broad forced the touring
team to bat again, they required only seven balls of their second innings to
score the nine runs needed to seal a ten-wicket win in the second npower
Test match and go 1-0 up in the four-match series. The third Test, at
Edgbaston, starts a week tomorrow.
Just as it had when England named their side last Friday morning, discussion
in the wake of defeat centred on Darren Pattinson, with Michael Vaughan, the
captain, admitting that the left-field choice of a 29-year-old bowler with
only 11 first-class games behind him – five of them in Australia - looked “a
confused selection”.
But defeat, as Vaughan acknowledged, could not be attributed to anything as
simple as the inexperience of one man, even if it did cause disruption to a
settled dressing-room. England slipped to 150 for six and 152 for six in
their two innings, while the bowlers, albeit wholehearted, needed 176.2
overs to dismiss South Africa.
Two members of the victorious side, Ashwell Prince and A. B. de Villiers,
scored big hundreds, but the best contribution from an England top-order
player was Alastair Cook’s 60 from 178 balls in a defensive cause yesterday.
“As a batting unit, and certainly as a top five, we did not do well enough,”
Vaughan admitted. “I think the changes unsettled the team. We changed two
players, others moved out of position and we left out Paul Collingwood, a
huge player in the side. Of course that has an effect. We could see he was
very, very disappointed and people were disappointed for him. We did not
feel as much of a unit this week as the week before.
“Darren has been given a lot of criticism, but it is not his fault. He got
selected, turned up and tried his guts out for us. He bowled some good
spells. I felt sorry for him. He didn’t know anyone and we didn’t know him,
so it was very difficult. Whether it affected anybody in the dressing-room .
. . I have not heard that.”
Although Pattinson was drafted into the squad by the selection panel – Geoff
Miller, the national selector, James Whitaker, Ashley Giles and Peter Moores
– a decision on the final XI, as always, was taken by Moores, the head
coach, and Vaughan, who had faced the bowler only in a Twenty20 match.
Ryan Sidebottom is expected to have recovered from the back problem that
opened the way for Pattinson’s selection in time to play at Edgbaston, while
James Anderson, who left Headingley with heavy strapping around his right
wrist after being struck by Dale Steyn, needs no more than rest after a
near-heroic effort as nightwatchman.
The problem – bizarre though it sounds – is that Andrew Flintoff’s return has
left the side unbalanced. If he plays as a fifth bowler, then Tim Ambrose is
a place too high at No 6. But perming Flintoff in a four-man attack, while
allowing Collingwood to return, makes taking 20 wickets all the harder.
England will feel slightly easier about using Flintoff in a quartet after he
bowled 40 overs on his comeback and there were glimpses of a return to some
sort of form with the bat in his patient innings of 38, which briefly raised
the unrealistic hopes of another “Headingley miracle” 27 years to the day
after the famous Ashes win.
South Africa won toss
England: First Innings
A J Strauss c Boucher b Morkel 27
(101min, 65 balls, 4 fours)
A N Cook c Boucher b Morkel 18
(48min, 37 balls, 2 fours)
*M P Vaughan c Smith b Steyn 0
(7min, 7 balls)
K P Pietersen c Smith b Steyn 45
(73min, 46 balls, 1 six, 7 fours)
I R Bell b Kallis 31
(81min, 51 balls, 5 fours)
T R Ambrose c Boucher b Ntini 12
(25min, 17 balls, 1 four)
A Flintoff c Boucher b Steyn 17
(52min, 28 balls, 4 fours)
S C J Broad c De Villiers b Morkel 17
(32min, 20 balls, 3 fours)
J M Anderson not out 11
(40min, 24 balls, 2 fours)
M S Panesar c De Villiers b Morkel 0
(12min, 11 balls)
D J Pattinson c Boucher b Steyn 8
(20min, 14 balls, 1 four)
Extras (lb 6, w 6, nb 5) 17
Total (52.3 overs, 251min) 203
Fall of wickets: 1-26 (11.2; Strauss 7); 2-27 (12.5; Strauss 8); 3-62
(21.4; Pietersen 13); 4-106 (28.2; Bell 12); 5-123 (33.5; Bell 17); 6-150
(38.5; Flintoff 12); 7-177 (44.2; Broad 17); 8-181 (45.2; Anderson 4); 9-186
(48.0; Anderson 8).
Bowling: Steyn 18.3-2-76-4 (1 six, 10 fours; 8-2-24-1, 5-0-30-1,
5.3-0-22-2); Ntini 11-0-45-1 (7 fours; 4-0-14-0, 1-0-4-0/lunch/6-0-27-1);
Morkel 15-4-52-4 (nb 5, w 2; 7 fours; 7-2-22-2, 8-2-30-2); Kallis 8-2-24-1
(5 fours; 4-2-5-0, 4-0-19-1).
Scoring notes: First day: Start delayed 9min by drizzle. Lunch 70-3 (24
overs, 112min; Pietersen 17, Bell 4). All out at 4pm - tea taken with 37
overs left.
South Africa: First Innings
N D McKenzie c Flintoff b Anderson 15
(69min, 43 balls, 3 fours)
*G C Smith c Strauss b Flintoff 44
(96min, 67 balls, 8 fours)
H M Amla lbw b Pattinson 38
(135min, 79 balls, 5 fours)
J H Kallis b Anderson 4
(12min, 14 balls, 1 four)
A G Prince c Ambrose b Pattinson 149
(401min, 284 balls, 2 sixes, 17 fours)
A B de Villiers c Flintoff b Broad 174
(517min, 381 balls, 19 fours)
M V Boucher b Anderson 34
(107min, 88 balls, 2 fours)
M Morkel b Panesar 0
(10min, 6 balls)
P L Harris c Anderson b Panesar 24
(94min, 76 balls, 1 six, 1 four)
D W Steyn not out 10
(18min, 13 balls, 2 fours)
M Ntini c Pietersen b Panesar 1
(14min, 13 balls)
Extras (b 2, lb 19, w 1, nb 7) 29
Total (176.2 overs, 743min) 522
Fall of wickets: 1-51 (15.4; Smith 36); 2-69 (20.5; Amla 6); 3-76
(23.5; Amla 9); 4-143 (43.5; Prince 27); 5-355 (119.0; De Villiers 87);
6-422 (146.0; De Villiers 114); 7-427 (148.5; De Villiers 119); 8-511
(171.5; Harris 24); 9-511 (172.1; Steyn 0).
Bowling: Anderson 44-9-136-3 (19 fours; 4-0-11-0,
8-2-28-2/close/4-2-6-0, 2-1-4-0/lunch/3-0-11-0, 2-0-9-0/tea/5-1-14-0,
9-3-21-0, 4-0-14-1, 2-0-8-0/tea/1-0-10-0); Pattinson 30-2-95-2 (nb 1; 12
fours; 3-0-16-0, 6-0-17-1, 1-0-7-0, 3-0-9-0, 3-0-13-0, 7-2-17-1, 4-0-6-0,
1-0-5-0/tea/2-0-5-0); Flintoff 40-12-77-1 (nb 4; 8 fours; 3-1-6-0,
7-0-18-1/close/3-1-2-0, 4-2-3-0/lunch/2-1-1-0, 2-1-6-0/tea/2-0-9-0,
3.3-2-8-0/rain/1.3-0-4-0, 3-1-2-0, 5-2-6-0, 4-1-12-0); Broad 29-2-114-1 (nb
2, w 1; 17 fours; 4-1-14-0, 4-0-23-0, 6-0-20-0, 2-0-5-0, 2-1-4-0, 2-0-9-0,
5-0-21-0, 4-0-18-1); Panesar 29.2-6-65-3 (3 sixes, 1 four; 12-2-33-0,
1-0-3-0, 2-1-1-0, 11-1-21-1, 3.2-2-7-2); Pietersen 4-0-14-0 (1 four;
2-0-8-0, 1-0-1-0, 1-0-5-0).
Scoring notes: First day: Five-ball over (Flintoff's eighth - Bowden).
Close 101-3 (29 overs, 139min; Amla 18, Prince 9). Second day: Rain delayed
start by 15min. Lunch 158-4 (52 overs, 244min; Prince 34, De Villiers 7).
Second new ball taken at 3.25pm - 247-4 (81 overs). Tea 262-4 (85 overs,
364min; Prince 100, De Villiers 44). Rain break 5.15 to 6.23pm (314-4; 101.3
overs). Rain ended play at 6.37pm. Close 322-4 (105 overs, 454min; Prince
134, De Villiers 70). Third day: Lunch 384-5 (134 overs, 574min; De Villiers
103, Boucher 8). Third new ball taken at 3.31pm - 467-7 (163 overs). Tea
480-7 (166 overs, 697min; De Villiers 158, Harris 11). All out at 4.49pm -
24 overs left.
England: Second Innings
A J Strauss c Boucher b Ntini 0
(15min, 13 balls)
A N Cook c Amla b Kallis 60
(283min, 178 balls, 6 fours)
*M P Vaughan c Boucher b Ntini 21
(90min, 53 balls, 3 fours)
J M Anderson lbw b Steyn 34
(112min, 80 balls, 4 fours)
K P Pietersen c Boucher b Kallis 13
(6min, 5 balls, 3 fours)
I R Bell c De Villiers b Morkel 4
(32min, 28 balls)
T R Ambrose c Boucher b Steyn 36
(135min, 94 balls, 5 fours)
A Flintoff c Kallis b Morkel 38
(127min, 95 balls, 5 fours)
S C J Broad not out 67
(89min, 60 balls, 11 fours)
M S Panesar b Steyn 10
(24min, 14 balls, 1 four)
D J Pattinson b Morkel 13
(49min, 36 balls, 2 fours)
Extras (b 4, lb 11, w 2, nb 14) 31
Total (107 overs, 486min) 327
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (3.5; Cook 3); 2-50 (22.4; Cook 23); 3-109 (46.4;
Cook 44); 4-123 (47.2; Cook 44); 5-140 (55.0; Cook 51); 6-152 (59.3; Ambrose
0); 7-220 (86.5; Flintoff 26); 8-238 (89.5; Broad 5); 9-266 (94.3; Broad
22).
Bowling: Steyn 28-7-97-3 (nb 1; 12 fours; 8-2-20-0, 7-3-21-1, 2-2-0-0,
2-0-10-0, 9-0-46-2); Ntini 25-7-69-2 (nb 5, w 1; 9 fours; 5-1-13-1,
4-2-3-1/stumps/ 6-1-16-0, 5-3-2-0, 3-0-20-0, 2-0-15-0); Morkel 22-4-61-3 (nb
8, w 1; 7 fours; 7-2-12-0/stumps/ 3-0-6-0, 5-1-11-1, 2-0-10-0, 4-1-21-1,
1-0-1-1); Kallis 17-3-50-2 (8 fours; 3-0-9-0, 1-0-4-1/lunch/8-2-14-1,
1-0-2-0, 4-1-21-0); Harris 15-5-35-0 (4 fours; 5-0-19-0,
4-3-1-0/tea/2-1-2-0, 2-0-5-0, 2-1-8-0).
Scoring notes: Third day: Stumps (at 6.53pm) 50-2 (24 overs, 114min;
Cook 23, Anderson 0). Fourth day: Lunch 130-4 (49 overs, 235min; Cook 46,
Bell 1). Tea 182-6 (77 overs, 356min; Ambrose 16, Flintoff 9). Second new
ball taken at 4.10pm - 186-6 (80 overs). All out at 6.11pm.
South Africa: Second Innings
*G C Smith not out 3
(5min, 3 balls)
N D McKenzie not out 6
(5min, 4 balls, 1 four)
Extras 0
Total (no wkt, 1.1 overs, 5min) 9
Bowling: Broad 1-0-8-0 (1 four), Pattinson 0.1-0-1-0.
Scoring notes: Fourth day: South Africa won by ten wickets.
Match award: A G Prince.
Umpires: B F Bowden (New Zealand, 48th Test) and DJ Harper (Australia,
73rd). Replay umpire: R A Kettleborough. Fourth umpire: N A
Mallender.
Match referee: J J Crowe (New Zealand).
Series details: First Test (Lord's): Drawn.
Tests to come: Third Test (Edgbaston) July 30-Aug 3. Fourth Test (Brit
Oval) Aug 7-11.
Compiled by Bill Frindall
Patinson didn't know anyone ....... Just what is he doing as captain? Show some leadership! Often a new player is a bit of a stranger and you just get on with it. What is needed is a few batsmen scoring runs to take the heat off the bowlers.
Yabba, SCG, Australia
Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff must come in because i cant see us bowling out sides twice, Pietersen must bat at number 3 with Vaughan at 5
Dale Butler, Tipton, England
Padraig, who is within a bull's roar of Gilcrist? We do try but we don't have the players. Many reasons, but only 164 characters left.
Jamie Arbuthnot, Greenwich, London,
Michael Vaughan is the most harmful type of England captain imaginable. It is evident he operates on the basis of being quick to praise the inadequacies of team mates, a ploy that simultaneously covers his own dismal performances and surrounds him with a bulwark of defenders of his captaincy.
Andrew Waldron, Bournemouth, UK
Bring back Collingwood & Sidebottom (if he is fit), leave out Pattinson,& Michael Vaughan and make Andrew Strauss captain.
Mike, Bognor Regis, Sussex
When is anyone gong to ask the question Why Vaughan?
Shirley McNeill, London,
Freddie is the most respected player by SA, team leave him out , and there will be a huge sigh of relief from SA camp...."best player on the Island"
Gavin , Jhb, rSA
Sorry folks, but it has to be said. You can't expect to win against good opposition unless every player is functioning at his best. The weakest link in the England team is at no 3 - a guy who is also the Captain. I think the selectors have to make some hard decisions. I would rest him.
mal, leschenault, oz
Yes team changes were to blame. The team England was playing changed from NZ to South Africa
Will, Wellington, NZ
Room needs to be made for Shah in the team. Vaughan's place has to be in doubt as his batting performance has not been good enough. It is also time for someone to tell Pietersen that irresponsible batting is not acceptable. His fielding is not upto scratch either.
Allan, Southampton, Hants
Much of the England bowling in the 2nd innings of the first test and this test was very inaccurate. Many overs required SA to play only a couple of balls - it was just too easy. Surely if there's not much assistance, then line and length is important. Also, we saw some very poor batting technique.
Padraig, Perth, Australia
"We did not feel as much of a unit this week" This remark highlights Vaughan's weakness as a captain of change, after all its his job to knit the team together coupled with his inabillity to bat its surely time for him to go, or do we have to wait another 10 tests for him to hit a half decent score
anthony J, Alton, UK
Ambrose isn't within a bull's roar of someone like Gilchrist. The bowlers' bowl the same ball over and over again - either too wide or from wide of the crease (partic Broad). The team could be very good provided they concentrate on technique and take their time.
Padraig, Perth, Australia
Leave out Vaughan so team is Flintoff, Collingwood, Pietersen, Broad, Ambrose, Anderson, Strauss, Cook, Sidebottom, Panesar and Bell. Then Let the team elect their captain in a secret ballot.
Garth Wiseman, london, england
When is Pietersen going to play like a test player.....or hasn't he got the brain for it?
And when are these test umpires going to stop performing like clowns, with their exaggerated signals and concentrate on the job they are paid to do
Geoff B. Denbigh
Geoff Birch, Bodelwyddan , Wales
It was a very poor performance at Leeds AND at Lords. no way should SA got away with a draw. An SA win at Headingley was my prediction before the match.
The England Batsmen, in different ways, have a poor attitude. SA only fear the bowlers who didn't play at Lords : Freddie, Hogster & Harmie.
James, London, UK
A drastic (but plausible) change would be to drop Vaughan and Ambrose, and bring in Shah and Prior, with Strauss taking over the captaincy and Sidebottom returning for Pattinson. This would strengthen the batting (and the bowling) while maintaining a five-man attack.
Jim, Hove,
Team for Edgbaston - Cook, Strauss, Bell, Pieterson, Broad, Prior, Flintoff, Sidebottom, Anderson, Panesar & Harmison. captain? Anybody other than Pieterson.
Dick, Norwich, UK
Why on earth can't Fred bat at 6 like he always did?
Gavin, London,
When will Kevin Pietersen play for the team?give me a team of Andersen's,less talent,but more guts and backbone
Bob Hawkins, Beckenham, U.K.
England suffered from the curse of limited over cricket. In the second innings batsmen after batsmen threw away their wickets in a vain attempt to score runs unnecessarily. The ingrained habits of short termism resulted on much bat hanging out to dry. Back to test basics please a.s.a.p.
Stephen Green, Correns, France
I have kept an eye on Test Cricket since the middle 1950s so considered myself to have a decent knowledge of potential test players. When the recent England team was announced, I had to scratch my head, for the first time ever, and ask - who on earth is Pattinson?
Wilf, Farnborough,
My team for the 3rd Test:
Current Top 5
Prior
Fred
Si Jones
Anderson
Sidebottom
Panesar
"Where's the golden boy Broad" I hear you say,well he may be a good number 8 batsman but he's in the side to take wickets and he just doesn't look like doing that at the moment,we need wicket takers!
Fergus Sira-Lexon, England,
Looking good for the Ashes next year. Good for us Aussies that is. No Warne. No McGrath. No problem.
Nathan, Sydney, Australia
Bat Broad at 6....
He'll be there eventually - he is good enough
Remember Woolmer started as a bowling all rounder and ended up opening
Andrew, Cambridge,