A special era for England and their supporters
Tom Fordyce, writing for bbc.co.uk , says that with seven consecutive home series wins, the current England side is, perhaps, the best the country has ever had
Carlyle Laurie
25-Feb-2013
Tom Fordyce, writing for bbc.co.uk, says that with seven consecutive home series wins, the current England side is, perhaps, the best the country has ever had. He says that this is a special era for England and their supporters.
England have never before won seven home series on the bounce. Only twice have they won six, between 1882 and 1896 and from 1955 to 1960. If it is a ghastly time for the West Indies, it does not take the gloss from England's accomplishments. In the bad times there was no escaping the misery. Perhaps the good times should be relished in similarly unfettered fashion.
Mike Selvey, in the Guardian, writes that the key to England’s top billing in the Test arena is their bowling attack which is arguably the best in their history.
The England bowlers are good in all conditions, as shown by performances in Australia and UAE for example, but in their own they are supreme. This is currently reflected in the official Test bowling rankings, which shows that, despite Stuart Broad dropping down slightly after the Nottingham Test, there are three bowlers – Jimmy Anderson at three, Graeme Swann four and Broad six – in the top six, with Tim Bresnan at 15, which means that England have more bowlers in the world top 20 than any other nation.
Meanwhile, looking at West Indies' performance, Vic Marks, writing in the Age, says that Marlon Samuels’ form has been the highlight for the West Indies on their England tour.
At 31, Samuels has recognised that his career was slipping into obscurity and he has decided to do something about it. He has put great effort into batting like a seasoned old pro. This is a mighty impressive change of tack, even though he may be a touch crestfallen to be seen to be trying so hard.