The craft of Paul Collingwood

After yet another over-my-dead-body final day batting effort from Paul Collingwood, Michael Atherton - a man who has played some great match-saving innings himself - analyses in the Times just what makes Collingwood so special.

Mindset is vital. A batsman knows he is setting out on a defensive course, but he must remain positive and be prepared to hit the bad ball. A positive attitude will, in turn, help his feet to move quickly and help him to be committed in defence. But he needs also to eliminate risk; to work out which shots against which bowlers are dangerous in the conditions. Be disciplined, then, as Collingwood was yesterday in his refusal to play any cross-bat shots on a pitch he knew to be slow and low.

And in the Independent James Lawton writes that while Collingwood may not one of the great stylists, his innings on Thursday was an example of "batting cut down to the very bare bones of functional defiance."

Also read Simon Hughes' account of the enthralling battle between Collingwood and Dale Steyn once the new ball was taken in the Daily Telegraph.

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