Monty needs a mentor

Monty Panesar's figures in this series bear comparison with any English bowler. His 13 wickets at 31.69 are commonplace but they are enough to maintain his career average, yet the Guardian's David Hopps feels Panesar is in need of a mentor.

England have lost a Test series against South Africa and Panesar is among those attracting most opprobrium, largely because of his failure to bowl England to victory in helpful conditions at Edgbaston, the Test that turned the series ... Panesar's development has slowed, with his lack of an arm ball particularly mystifying, while his batting and fielding have degenerated again, inviting the suspicion that his focus has wavered.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins writes in the Times that this improving South African side could beat Australia, when the two top Test teams play each other in three-Test series in Australia in December and January and then in South Africa early next year.

Their unyielding professionalism on this tour have opened up the possibility that they could be top dogs before long, whatever the computer might say. Like Australia they lack a top-class spinner - Harris is no more than a tidy one - but their batting goes deep and their fast bowling is strong.

Shaun Oakes, a blogger with the Johannesburg-based Mail & Guardian finds himself agreeing with CMJ.

Our top order, traditionally about as strong and dependable as a Baker’s Tennis Biscuit, is suddenly piling on the runs, our fielding is up to the standard last seen during the Jonty Rhodes era and we have arguably one of the strongest seam-bowling attacks in the world today.Watch out Australia, here we come? South African fans certainly have grounds to believe so.

Simon Hughes in the Telegraph applauds Abraham Benjamin (AB) de Villiers for his resilient 97 and the overall impact he has had on the Test series.

... the nickname AB has a powerful legacy. For most of the past two decades it was synonymous with the most prolific Test batsman of all time. Allan Border retired with 11,174 Test runs and a reputation as one of the grittiest sportsmen who ever lived. A batsman who forever valued substance over style, he never countenanced defeat from any position ...