Off with the orthodox at Test level (10 August 1999)

10 August 1999

Off with the orthodox at Test level

Simon Hughes

England were luckier than you might imagine to escape from Old Trafford with a draw. Because, with the greatest of respect to Peter Such, a most admirable and dedicated cricketer, they went into the match with 10.5 men.

Such is a reliable, containing bowler with commendable accuracy, but on covered pitches in England, the chances of him making significant inroads into a Test match batting order are negligible. So it is for any other English off-spinner. On the ground where the greatest of all, Jim Laker, took his 19 for 90 in 1956, it should have finally sunk in that at Test level, orthodox off-spin is a redundant art.

It is true Muttiah Muralitharan and Saqlain Mushtaq are frequent match winners for their country, but they are freaks rather than orthodox off-spinners. Both not only give the ball a huge tweak, but also have tricky deliveries that spin the other way. They have the element of surprise, which to ordinary off-spinners is restricted to the ball going on with the arm.

Most countries have acknowledged the decline in the value of turning the ball in to the bat - a largely innocuous practice unless the footmarks of a left-arm paceman have created decent rough at the business end. Batsmen, led by the likes of Mark Waugh and Carl Hooper, have destroyed the off-spinners' confidence either with merciless assaults or remorseless milking. The reverse sweep has further marginalised their effectiveness. Consequently no Test teams, apart from England, have regularly selected orthodox off-spinners unless they could make a decent contribution with the bat.

Tim May was the last to have a major impact on Test cricket with the ball while remaining largely a no-hoper with the bat. His huge hands could make the ball rip at right angles, and his fingers were covered in calluses because of the spin he imparted. Even he could not command a regular place in the Australian side.

Elsewhere, off-spin is largely purveyed by batsmen. Mark Waugh for Australia, Viv Richards and Carl Hooper for West Indies, Daryll Cullinan or Gary Kirsten for South Africa. Sachin Tendulkar sometimes lobs a few down on India's behalf.

This is the route England must follow. If they are determined to pick two spinners, the second must be someone who bats in the first half of the order. Surely more involvement in the bowling attack for Mark Ramprakash would alleviate some of the pressure on his batting.

Such defended valiantly at Old Trafford for over an hour to allow England to add useful runs. But he still made nought, to leave his Test batting average hovering around six.

A shaky England tail just increases the burden on the beleaguered specialists in the top six. The evidence of the last few Tests suggests they have enough weight on their shoulders without three No 11s.

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