The lessons the English have taught us…

The holiday season has come to an end, and while most people take time off and enjoy this time of family, presents and often boozing at the office Christmas party, there has been one sour note that continues to needle me as I sit in front of my computer, not working (right now anyways…don’t tell my boss).

England have pricked the confidence bubble many South African cricket fans (including this writer) had before the Three Lions arrived on these shores. While many will point to dominant performances by the home side at Centurion and Newlands, but to do so would not give credit where credit is due. The only reason SA came so close in winning both those matches was due to, metaphorically, the English managing to find the only banana peel on the field as both of those respective Day 5s were drawing to close, and taking one hell of a run up.

The sad fact of the matter is that South Africa is yet to take 20 wickets in a match this series, and while the Wanderers is rumoured to be a spicy pitch, whether SA or England benefit the most from it will tell us all we need to know. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have bowled well, Makhaya Ntini disappointed, Friedel de Wet got injured, and Paul Harris was, and this is tough for me to say since I’m a fan of the tall spinner, kak (Afrikaans says some things best) when it mattered most.

While many wouldn’t admit it, those of more sober mind would’ve seen this coming, a SA attack that England are performing a Mike Atherton-redux; except this time the English are winning.

The English have shown that while SA has perhaps the better individual talent (and it’s a close call), their solidarity as a team has been triumphant when it counts the most. What exactly has happened to Graeme Smith’s charges is difficult to say. Only a year ago Smith was the Proteas’ fabled knight of light and brimstone, willing to bat with a broken hand just so he could repress the Aussies.

There were murmurs that Smith’s time with team should be called into question. Personally, that doesn’t seem to be a very good idea at all. In fact, it is absolutely ridiculous (Clive Rice, you should have known better. Johan Botha? I don’t think SA cricket followers have anything against the guy but Clive, seriously…whaaaat!?). The obvious question would be who would succeed him? No one is ready for the job, and Smith is, in this team, the best man for it and he has been so since 2003. Mental exhaustion doesn’t count because the man is still scoring runs in that barn-style, punch in the face sort of way. Smith isn’t the problem.

When it comes to Mickey Arthur, I have my suspicions but he has done an excellent job with the team that, in the batting department at least, boasts its strongest order since re-admission (Durban happened. Mentally we failed at Kingsmead, not through lack of skill). Telford Vice has written about JP Duminy, saying “JP Duminy? A couple of fine innings don’t make a career son.”

While I respect Vice as a writer and a man who calls it as he sees it, he is being far too harsh and a player that is as good (in this writers opinion anyway) as Herschelle Gibbs but with a stronger mental approach. One innings is all he needs to set things right, which does leave Ashwell Prince in a pickle. He got dealt the worst hand, but he clearly isn’t an opener and deserves a chance to bat where he belongs. But would you drop Duminy just yet? I don’t think so, hence Prince might very well be on the receiving end of a very difficult decision. I do not envy the selectors. They need to find a specialist.

Speaking of the selectors, how on earth have they seen fit to promote De Wet, who did bowl well when called upon, in front on Lonwabo Tsetsobe and Wayne Parnell? The succession planning boggles, or in this instance, the lack of it. Consistency in selection is a cornerstone of a fine cricket unit, so let us hope they don’t pull another rabbit out the hat (Imran Tahir? They should’ve done their home work).

The Wanderers Test will be close and the English will not want to lose, at all, in anything. They deserve their lead, so let us back Smith and his men to turn it around.