Steven Finn showcases his skills
England had a couple of selectorial dilemmas before this Test
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
England had a couple of selectorial dilemmas before this Test. One was whether Finn or Tim Bresnan should play, and there is not much doubt that the selectors got that one right, says Vic Marks in the Guardian.
Over the last 18 months Finn has graduated to being a fast bowler. That is now his natural style. Despite a smile that is almost cherubic and more frequently sighted than with many in his trade, Finn is now the team's most aggressive bowler. Currently the comparison with Broad, once regarded as England's "enforcer", is instructive. It seems as if Broad has to strain to bowl fast at the moment, to push his body to the edge for that extra yard of pace. Finn does not.
England have done all they can to keep South Africa within reach, apart from take their catches, says Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail.
Reprieving Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers was as expensive as most of the chances they [England] have shelled this summer. It can only be a combination of being under pressure, waiting a long time for chances and being in the field for longer periods.
Simon Hughes, in the Daily Telegraph, echoes the sentiment.
Every team drops catches. South Africa have missed their fair share. You do not notice them so much if a set of marauding fast bowlers continue to harry the batsmen into error. England have missed eight in this series – some harder than others. The most obvious was Cook dropping Peterson on 26 at Headingley. He went on to make 182. There was a half chance to Strauss – off Ravi Bopara at the Oval – during Amla’s epic triple century. (He was in the eighties at the time...)
Nikita Bastian is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo