David Lloyd - England's Nucleus Fixed Despite One-Day Faults (10 Mar 1997)

10 March 1997

Team`s nucleus fixed despite one-day faults

Winter tour comment by England coach David Lloyd

OUR expedition to Zimbabwe and New Zealand ended disappointingly with a loss at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, enabling New Zealand to level the five-match series. I would have loved to return home winners of the one-day series as well as the Test series but, on balance, a draw was about right.

After going two up and then tying the third game at Napier, we were set up to win one of the last two. The fact is that we got what we deserved. Call it fatigue, complacency or release of pressure, the fact of the matter is that we played below our own ability or expectations. This is a fault which needs to be eradicated quickly.

Our 16-strong squad was more suited to Test match cricket, but we were in such a strong position I do feel disappointed that we could not deliver the final coup de grace.

I go back to our last season against India and Pakistan when we selected specific squads suited to one-day cricket, and won both series. I am sure we will be mindful of this in our battles with Australia this summer.

That said, our players have risen to the challenge after our frustrations in Zimbabwe. We played unimaginative cricket in the one-dayers there and were roundly criticised, but our Test form was good and but for rain intervening on a regular basis we could quite easily have won both Test matches.

New Zealand presented a fresh challenge for the team and for captain Michael Atherton. The response was terrific and we started to play with far more assurance and, more importantly, started to win matches.

You could sense the relief in the side after a couple of early wins and you could also sense the immense disappointment when we did not pull it off in Auckland with all afternoon to dismiss Nathan Astle or Danny Morrison. They played very well and we could not produce that spark of magic.

The character of the captain and the team shone through in Wellington, when we won by an innings. The clincher at Christchurch was another test of character on a difficult pitch. Difficult in as much as the rough created would demand oceans of patience. John Crawley and Dominic Cork were like rocks, as they withstood everything that the Kiwis threw at them and saw us home.

Back-to-back wins away from home are moments to savour and there was a real sense of achievement in our camp. It means that we returned home with a nucleus of a team to take on Australia.

I must stress, though, that there must be competition within the team and I am so pleased that our `A` team have won in Australia and our under 19s have won in Pakistan. It was important to formally end the tour and to tell all the players that they had played their part.

Some will be disappointed that form deserted them at times and perhaps did not play as often as they would have liked in order to get form back. That, unfortunately, is a fact of life of touring and I hope everyone will return home better people for the experience.

As for me, I have enjoyed my first tour immensely. Yes, there have been some heartaches and I seem to have had a few running battles with the press boys. I think, secretly, that we do get on really, and are looking to forge a working relationship.

We now look forward to the summer and the Ashes series. We are under no illusions; they are a top side and we will have to play to our maximum and match them in ruthlessness and aggression. We will respect them, but there is no way we will be in awe of them.

Source :: Electronic.Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)