Eng. v. SA - Third Test

[Donny]

The England v. Sth. Africa thread was getting a bit lengthy so here's a fresh one for the third Test, starting next Thursday.

In their game against Kent, Neil McKenzie scored 105, Kallis, 77 and Rudolph, 92 as SA declared on 4/325. Kent was 2/47 at stumps.

[Donny]

Kent made 235. Wickets were shared with Peterson (3/5 doing best. .

In SA's second innings, Rudolph opened and added a good 65 to his first innings 92. Dippenaar is 53 n.o.

[Donny]

Thorpe comeback may be on hold
Andrew Miller - August 8, 2003


Graham Thorpe may be forced to wait a while longer to make his return to Test cricket, as England's selectors are expected to resist the temptation for wholesale changes ahead of the third npower Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge next week.

Thorpe has been beset by marital problems for the past year and has not played a Test since July 2002, against India at Lord's. On that occasion, he cut a distracted figure in an otherwise victorious side and failed twice with the bat before taking a temporary break from all forms of cricket. He was subsequently selected for England's tour of Australia, but withdrew at the last minute after admitting he was not mentally prepared for such an arduous trip.

He has since returned to the form and frame of mind that made him England's best batsman for much of the past decade, but Thorpe's return to Test cricket is far from guaranteed. A back spasm ruled him out at Lord's, but Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain's successor as captain, is said to be wary of leaning too heavily on England's old guard. The presence of Thorpe, Hussain and Alec Stewart in the same side might be considered a retrogressive step.

Hussain, whose appetite for the game had been in question since his resignation, answered his critics with a battling 61 at Lord's and a fabulous unbeaten 161 for Essex in the National League last week. And though Stewart's place remains in jeopardy after his less-than-mobile performance behind the stumps at Lord's, the retirement of Darren Gough may have saved his place for the time being. England cannot afford to dispense with all of their experienced players in such an unseemly rush, and Chris Read should therefore be told to wait his turn.

"All selection meetings are important but this is one of the most important we have held in quite some time," admitted David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors. "We have some big decisions to make and we also have to find a line-up capable of improving on our performance during the last Test at Lord's."

One of the biggest decisions will be the identity of Gough's replacement. Two of the likeliest lads, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Johnson, are suffering from injuries, so James Kirtley will probably make his first Test appearance after being 12th man for four matches in succession. James Ormond, who has 41 wickets at 26.80 this season (including a hat-trick against Sussex last week) is also on the brink of a recall, while Gareth Batty's offspin and handy lower-order batting is sure to earn a mention in dispatches.

England's batting, the Thorpe saga notwithstanding, is equally problematic. A tough decision needs to be taken on Anthony McGrath, who grabbed his opportunity with successive half-centuries against Zimbabwe, but has been palpably out of his depth against South Africa. Among the possibles are Ed Smith, Kent's man of the moment, who managed just 7 against the South African tourists at Canterbury yesterday, and his team-mate Robert Key, who has his opportunity to impress today.

Possible squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain, Anthony McGrath, Rob Key, Alec Stewart (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, James Ormond, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, James Kirtley.

[Donny]

In their game against Kent, SA declared on 7/243 with Dippenaar top scoring with 69.

Kent needed 333 for victory and the top order started well with partnerships of 72, 52 and 60 before 8 wickets fell for 47 runs.

This was due to a wonderful spell of 22.5 overs from Paul Adams. He took 9/79 to see Kent all out for 232.

If Peterson (1/48 from 19) and Adams were playing off for the Test spinning spot, you might say Adams has edged ahead of his rival.

[Donny]

England call up Chapple, Batty and Smith
Wisden CricInfo staff - August 9, 2003

In the most eagerly-awaited squad announcement for years, the England selectors duly sprung a few surprises with the call-up of three uncapped players, Glen Chapple, Gareth Batty and Ed Smith, in the 13-man squad for next week's third npower Test match against South Africa at Trent Bridge.

Less of a shock was that Anthony McGrath joined Darren Gough on the list of absentees from the last squad, and while the old campaigners Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain kept their place, Graham Thorpe was not considered due to a back injury.

Chapple's selection was the biggest surprise of the three, even though he has had a prosperous season so far with Lancashire. He has averaged 45.18 with the bat with two hundreds, and taken 27 wickets. Primarily a bowler, his presence would bolster the lower order and he may replace Gough, meaning James Kirtley would miss out again.

Smith has been rewarded for a golden summer with Kent. He has already pummeled 1149 first-class runs at an average of 72.99, including six hundreds and will almost certainly play in place of McGrath. Batty, who played two one-day internationals in Australia last winter, has taken 38 wickets for Worcestershire this season with his looping offspin, and will provide more cover in the spin department alongside Ashley Giles.

Geoff Miller, one of the selectors, today said: "We were looking for continuity as much as possible, and even though we didn't perform well in the first two npower Tests the players we picked we naturally feel are the best to play for England.

"Ed Smith is in prime form and fully deserves his chance having hit six centuries for Kent this year. He will play in place of Anthony McGrath who did very well against Zimbabwe but struggled a bit with his form against South Africa. He has been an excellent team man and hopefully he will resurrect his form in county cricket - he is certainly not out of our thoughts for future England team selections.

"And finally we have picked Gareth Batty and Glen Chapple as extra spin and quick bowling options, both of whom have performed well this season for their respective counties."

England squad Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Mark Butcher, Glen Chapple, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Stephen Harmison, Nasser Hussain, James Kirtley, Ed Smith, Alec Stewart, Marcus Trescothick

[Donny]

Paul Adams, whose action has been likened to 'a frog in a blender', took a career best 9/79 in the just completed game against Kent.

He took 11/140 in the match and must have moved ahead of Robin Peterson, who took 4/106, for a spot in the third Test.

You'd reckon the only way he'd miss out would be if SA went in with an all pace attack. As England have selected two spinners in their squad, this seems unlikely.

[Donny]

England have resisted wholesale changes to their team for the 3rd. Test.

Gareth Batty, the second spinner has been released to play for his county and only one of James Kirtly and Glen Chapple will play, in Darren Gough's spot.

Ed Smith will come in for McGrath and bat at 5.

Their attack of Anderson, Harmison, probably Kirtley, Flintoff and Giles looks very thin against the likes of Smith, Gibbs, Kirsten and Kallis.

[Donny]

'I ain't soft', says Vaughan
Wisden CricInfo staff - August 13, 2003

Michael Vaughan has insisted that he has enough steel to be a successful England captain after Ray Illingworth accused him of "captaincy by committee" during the team's crushing innings defeat against South Africa at Lord's.

Vaughan told reporters, "I ain't soft. I can't be soft, I play international cricket and I've scored quite a few runs against good teams." The Lord's match was Vaughan's first Test as captain, and he found his relaxed style of leadership, much praised during England's victorious one-day series, under scrutiny. The heavy defeat prompted Illingworth, who led England to an Ashes victory in Australia in 1970-71, to question Vaughan's leadership skills. But Vaughan replied: "I'll do the job my way. I'm a relaxed player and I believe people play better when they are relaxed."

He also insisted he had no problem captaining Nasser Hussain. "Lord's was difficult for everyone. He [Hussain] didn't get many runs, he dropped an easy catch. Anyone would be down in the dumps. But he gave a couple of rollickings to some of the lads in the field during practice and that's the Nasser Hussain I want in the England team. He's a hell of a role model when he's playing well."

Vaughan was positive that England could turn the series around: "We're only 1-0 down with three to play. Here and Headingley [the venue for the fourth Test] are result wickets." And to prove that the deficit was not insurmountable, he cited England's series win against South Africa in 1998 when they came back to win 2-1 after being 1-0 down.

On the final XI to start today, he confirmed that Ed Smith would make his debut in place of Anthony McGrath and that Gareth Batty had been released from the squad. But he was more cagey about his seam-bowling line-up, revealing that only Andrew Flintoff was guaranteed a place. That leaves James Kirtley and Glen Chapple competing alongside James Anderson and Stephen Harmison for the final spots in a four-man pace attack.

[HAL]

[London Dave]

a one sided test it would appear Hal

[Donny]

England won the toss and are batting.

Kirtley and Smith come in for England and an injured Kirsten is replaced by Kallis in the Sth. African lineup.

[Donny]

Vaughan gone !! In the 5th. over, he got a thickish edge from Pollock and Gibbs took a good catch, low down. 1/7.

[Donny]

After Trescothick went (2/29), Butcher (7 and Hussain (51) have put England on the right track with a 131 partnership. 2/160 after 45 overs.

[London Dave]

Poms ended up OK, 3 for 300 odd....Ed Smith the debutant looks like a pretty good looking bat, technically pretty good, though the deck was slow. Having said that, i've probably put the curse on him for tomorrow!

[Donny]

At stumps, england were in a strong position at 3/296 with Hussain on 108, his 13th. Test ton, and Smith, 40.

Butcher was dismissed for 106, his 8th. test century. He and hussain added 189 for the 3rd. wicket.

There was a huge sigh of relief when Vaughan won the toss as this wicket is usually good for the first day or two before becoming a 'bowler friendly'.

Smith was left to ponder what he, Gibbs and Kallis might have done on day 1.