Contrasting captaincy of Smith and Vaughan
Graeme Smith and Michael Vaughan are contrasts as captains in this Lord's Test, writes Vic Marks in the Observer
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
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Graeme Smith and Michael Vaughan are contrasts as captains in this Lord's Test, writes Vic Marks in the Observer. While Smith seems to have an air of resignation around him, Vaughan's grey cells seem to be in overdrive.
Smith had nowhere to turn, no variety to offer. Jacques Kallis? He often looks a reluctant bowler and it is counter-productive to bowl him into the ground when his runs are so vital. Paul Harris? So far, he gives the impression of a journeyman left-armer who makes Ashley Giles look like Hedley Verity. Even so, it was odd that Smith was not more proactive. Kevin Pietersen dominated all too easily and the South Africans took their punishment all too passively.
Contrast all of this with Vaughan. Any criticism of him in recent times has been triggered by the notion that his captaincy has become too quirky, too restless - but, with so many runs on the board, he was allowed his quirkiness yesterday. So we saw Paul Collingwood bowling to Ashwell Prince with seven on the off side and three fielders at point who could almost hold hands with one another. James Anderson bowled to AB de Villiers with three fieldsmen loitering randomly on the leg side in no man's land.
Marks also highlights the similarities between Pietersen and Basil D'Oliveira.
For all the grandeur of his stroke play Pietersen, like D'Oliveira, spends plenty of time in reconnaissance. Both players have been reviled in the country of their birth when successful for England albeit, in D'Oliveira's case, by the potent minority. And there is the small matter of the 158s against Australia at The Oval.
In the Sunday Times John Stern writes that ever since Troy Cooley, England’s Ashes-winning bowling coach, returned to Australia two years ago, England have been trying to rediscover the art of taking wickets with the “old” ball.
In the same paper, David Gower tries to work out who will make way for Andrew Flintoff, if he is picked for the next Test. While Gower feels Tim Ambrose should be dropped for Flintoff, Angus Fraser, in the Independent believes it's Paul Collingwood who should be left out.
In the Telegraph, Andrew Strauss writes that this series against South Africa - even after only three days - feels like 'proper' Test cricket for their bowling attack, despite having to bowl on a particularly placid pitch in our first innings, have that vital ingredient, pace.
Neil Manthorp believes the first two days of the match have been the two worst consecutive days of Tests for South Africa since its readmission in to international cricket. He writes in supersport.co.za:
Only Ashwell Prince's century on Saturday prevented it from being their worst three days ever. It is now a very, very long way back for Smith and his men. If they needed a kick up the backside, they have got it. As well as a several slaps in the face and a fist or two in the teeth. It is time to show England, and the rest of the world, that the recently 'earned' number two ranking is not a computer joke.
Nishi Narayanan is a staff writer at ESPNcricinfo