Under Kevin Pietersen England have a bright future although to read other summaries of this Test you might come to believe that they had as much chance of winning back the Ashes next summer as of dredging gold from the Grand Union Canal. Ted Corbettreports.
Whoever wrote that we should beware forecasting the results of a match in a rubber that was already decided was almost certainly thinking of those nasty match-fixing types who might find it easy to persuade players to give their innings away once they had the trophy in the bag.
Whether he was also thinking of the effects of a long tour, tough cricket and the sighs of relief after a winning streak is not clear.
But that certainly played a part in the game at the Oval when England won by four wickets against a South African side below par.
South Africa were bowled out for 194 in the first innings essentially because, after experimenting for three Tests, England finally got their line-up right and, given the energy pumped into the team by Kevin Pietersen as the new captain, the result was almost a foregone conclusion from day one.
Being South Africans the opposition could not avoid putting up a bonny fight in the second innings and if they had been able to rally another 50 runs the result might have gone their way.
So both sides came out of the match, not just looking and talking cheerfully, but with a fair amount of credit.
South Africa head off home — after five one-day games — for a winter’s double header against Australia with a chance of victory.
Can they win both those series with Jacques Kallis, hardly at his trimmest weight and unable to get the ball beyond the crease never mind off the square, is another matter.
When Michael Vaughan had to retire as England captain after making a series of low scores there were suggestions that his eyesight had gone. We must ask the same question of Kallis.
Both have been imperious, graceful batsmen in the classic mould, able to either hold an innings together or shape its content. Curiously both have been out in similar ways and the wiseacres are all asking whether, in the early to mid 30s, they have lost a cricketer’s most precious asset — 20-20 vision.
South Africa have other qualities and I see no reason why they should fear a battle for the top spot in the world with the Aussies who, without McGrath and Warne, cannot control the run rate as they used to.
Not that the South Africans are galloping cavalry mounts when they bat. I have said more than once that there are a great many other things I would rather do than watch them bat and if they have a need it is a high-class attacking batsman.
A Kevin Pietersen perhaps.Well, they had their chance eight years ago and now all they have are a few oaths when he gets out and the frustrating sight of him leading England to success.
You may not find this written elsewhere but Pietersen was an outstanding success as captain and I wish that the rest of cricket’s upper class would get off his back.
What more can you do after the departure of a much-admired, astute and distinctive captain than pick up the morale of the side, persuade the bowlers to put on a display which means the opposition make an inadequate total, hit a century and lead them to victory?
Yet every sentence that is written about him in this country has to include phrases about how difficult he will find it in India in December when it is hotter than in England and the opposition is more than adequate and his own men may keel over from all sorts of tropical ills.
These pundits are sure that his own ego will get in the way — even though there was ample evidence in this Test that he is too busy advising, cajoling and encouraging to pay much attention to his hubris.
Let us note a couple of facts which may be more significant. Immediately he was appointed captain Pietersen removed his diamond earring. He then insisted that all his players wore their England caps and did so himself even though Vaughan had — and this is not a criticism of Vaughan who has copped more than enough flak in the last few days — worn a distinctive white hat at mid off.
(I guess it was to make himself more visible to his fielders. Generals did that on the battlefields until rifles and snipers made it a dangerous practice.)
Pietersen, a more intelligent man than the elitist writer who said he had always thought he was “not the sharpest tool in the box” believes, has taken command in the most impressive way. He showed everything that he has right on the fourth day of the Test when for the second time in two balls A. B. De Villiers drove into the mid-wicket area and it became clear that Cook and Panesar were not going to cut off the runs.
Rather than concede five Pietersen ran all the way from mid off — maybe 60 yards — and threw the ball in himself. Better than standing still and shouting abuse at his fielders I think.
Ten marks out of ten to the selectors who saw him as the right choice.
Under him England have a bright future although to read other summaries of this Test you might come to believe that they had as much chance of winning back the Ashes next summer as of dredging gold from the Grand Union Canal.
England have weaknesses but my guess is that Pietersen will give them the confidence to try again.
He has, by pushing him, by giving him advice and by bringing him on when the going threatened to be tough, shown how much he values the young colt Stuart Broad.
I guess he sees him as the primary strike bowler some time in the future, worth a word or two in the ear now so that a few years down the line Broad is the new McGrath.
That is good news for two reasons. There is also a fear here that if Pietersen fails to get his own way he may head off to India, pick up a few million quid and never play for England again. If he is ready to put work into Broad now it suggests that he will be around for the foreseeable future. There is a problem; the relationship between the coach Peter Moores and the team is not perfect. Pietersen had to sort it out — how successfully we do not know yet — when he took charge.
Moores thinks all men are equal. That is fine in the rest of the world but in sport there are those with outstanding talent who demand to be treated with kid gloves.
They will do the hard work in order to maintain their status but if they want extra attention it is worth giving them what they want because the rewards will often be enormous. Moores does not agree.
So if enough of the star performers turn against Moores he may have to go. That is one forecast I can make with great assurance.
The ScoresFourth Test, Kennington Oval, August 7-11. England won by six wickets.
South Africa — 1st innings: G. Smith c Anderson b Harmison 46; N. McKenzie c Cook b Flintoff 17; H. Amla b Harmison 36; J. Kallis lbw b Anderson 2; A. Prince c Bell b Anderson 4; A. De Villiers lbw b Panesar 39; M. Boucher c Ambrose b Anderson 3; M. Morkel c Bell b Broad 17; P. Harris (not out) 13; A. Nel c Ambrose b Broad 4; M. Ntini b Panesar 9; Extras (b-1, lb-1, nb-2) 4. Total: 194.
Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-103, 3-103, 4-105, 5-118, 6-132, 7-158, 8-168, 9-172.
England bowling: Harmison 18-6-49-2; Anderson 15-1-42-3; Flintoff 15-2-37-1; Broad 14-3-60-2; Panesar 2.5-0-4-2.
England — 1st innings: A. Strauss c Smith b Ntini 6; A. Cook c Boucher b Ntini 39; I. Bell c Smith b Ntini 24; K. Pietersen c Kallis b Ntini 100; P. Collingwood c & b Kallis 61; A. Flintoff c Boucher b Kallis 9; T. Ambrose c Smith b Kallis 4; S. Broad c McKenzie b Ntini 1; S. Harmison (not out) 49; J. Anderson lbw b Harris 13; M. Panesar (run out) 0; Extras (lb-4, w-1, nb-5) 10. Total: 316.
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-51, 3-111, 4-219, 5-233, 6-241, 7-248, 8-263, 9-316.
South Africa bowling: Morkel 22-3-78-0; Ntini 24-3-94-5; Nel 19.2-5-56-0; Kallis 15-2-51-3; Harris 15-4-33-1.
South Africa — 2nd innings: G. Smith lbw b Anderson 0; N. McKenzie b Broad 29; H. Amla c Ambrose b Harmison 76; J. Kallis c Collingwood b Harmison 9; A. Prince c Strauss b Flintoff 24; A. De Villiers b Panesar 97; M. Boucher c Collingwood b Anderson 12; M. Morkel c Bell b Panesar 10; P. Harris c Flintoff b Broad 34; A. Nel (not out) 3; M. Ntini c Collingwood b Broad 2; Extras (b-6, lb-8, w-5, nb-3) 22. Total: 318.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-82, 3-119, 4-138, 5-161, 6-201, 7-218, 8-313, 9-313.
England bowling: Anderson 22-2-85-2; Harmison 25-6-84-2; Flintoff 18-4-53-1; Panesar 17-5-37-2; Broad 16.2-4-44-3; Pietersen 1-0-1-0.
England — 2nd innings: A. Strauss c Smith b Harris 58; A. Cook c Smith b Ntini 67; I. Bell b Ntini 4; K. Pietersen c McKenzie b Harris 13; P. Collingwood (not out) 25; A. Flintoff (not out) 11; Extras (b-6, lb-7, w-1, nb-6) 20. Total (for four wkts.) 198.
Fall of wickets: 1-123, 2-147, 3-147, 4-182.South Africa bowling: Morkel 13-2-43-0; Ntini 14-4-55-2; Harris 19.5-5-56-2; Nel 5-0-21-0; Kallis 1-0-10-0.
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