The cricketing rivalry between South Africa and England goes back more than 120 years, to the time when Major Warton brought out a touring team in the summer of 1888/9. So the arrival of Andrew Strauss's tourists on Sunday is another welcome link in the rich cricketing chain that stretches between the two countries.
The forthcoming tour, comprising two Pro20 internationals, five ODIs and four Tests, has been designated an "icon" series which indicates the esteem in which the rivalry is held by Cricket South Africa, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council.
Whatever their problems in limited-overs cricket, South Africa are currently the top Test-playing nation in the world, and it is this aspect of the tour that ought to be concentrating our minds.
Continues Below ↓
After their away triumph in England in 2008, when Graeme Smith played his greatest innings to clinch the series win at Edgbaston, South Africa will start as strong favourites to duplicate that achievement on home soil.
There are, however, two major question marks surrounding the Proteas' team. First, who will open with Graeme Smith? At the end of 2008 it was Ashwell Prince and Imraan Khan who performed the job for the Proteas in the final Test against Australia at Newlands in the absence of Smith (injured) and Neil McKenzie (dropped).
Prince, as we know, struck a dogged century to help lead his team to victory in a series that had already been lost. Despite the fact that he has been batting down the order for the Warriors in the SuperSport Series this season, one assumes that he will occupy that position again, though it is hardly an ideal solution.
The second question is who will support Steyn in the pace attack? Makhaya Ntini, 32, has been dropped from both limited-overs squads and is nearing the end of a distinguished international career. He has played 99 Test matches and will surely clinch his ton of Tests at Centurion on December 16.
The man from Mdingi, who has taken 388 Test wickets, may still become the second South African after Shaun Pollock to reach the magical 400 mark but it may depend on how well he does at SuperSport Park.
An increasingly slow starter, he will have to hit the ground running because there is no room for sentimentality in a series of this nature.
There are also doubts about Steyn's regular pace partner, Morne Morkel. Morkel at his best is a huge asset but he lacks consistency, a failing that resulted in him being dropped for the final Test against Australia in 2008. The big man bowls some devastating deliveries but he doesn't hit the "right areas" nearly as often as he should.
If Morkel is deemed too much of a risk, Lonwabo Tsotsobe - who is bowling particularly well at present - and Wayne Parnell will come into the reckoning.
- This article was originally published on page 13 of The Mercury on November 04, 2009
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
