Is Wayne Parnell The Next Shaun Pollock?
It's good to be Wayne Parnell right now
The Proteas may have lost the first one-dayer against India – and in some style – on Sunday, but one of the positives to be taken out of the game in the emergence of Wayne Parnell as a genuine allrounder.
With the game dead and buried, the former SA Under-19 captain played a brilliant knock coming in at number 9, eventually coming within 30 centimetres of salvaging what would have been a sensational draw.
It follows on some excellent displays with the bat in the Test series, where he again came close to rescuing a lost cause.
Parnell’s form with the bat should come as no surprise – he batted at number 5 for the SA Under-19 side, which he also captained.
And his talent with the willow – coupled with abilities of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel – will finally give the Proteas’ lower order what has been missing for so long – a bit of depth that has not been seen since the days of Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Pat Symcox.
Jacques Kallis certainly believes Parnell has the talent to become one of the game’s great allrounders.
“He’s a talented cricketer and he’s going to take a lot away from today. Every time he plays he’s going to learn. He’s still very new to the subcontinent,” Kallis said. “He’s got all the attributes of becoming a good allrounder and that’s something that he’s working on. He’s a man for the moment, so he’s certainly got a bright future ahead of him.”
HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you reckon? Does Parnell have it in him to follow in Polly’s footsteps?
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What’s With The Swing?
Dale Steyn in action.
Dale Steyn’s performance in applying the wrecking ball to India’s first innings in Nagpur has proved once again that swing and genuine pace are the most potent weapons in a fast bowler’s armoury.
Deceptive late swing, especially when delivered accurately at good pace, is a skill that regularly troubles even the best batsmen. Steyn’s effort in taking seven wickets to propel South Africa to a magnificent victory will now reside with some of the other historically famous performances that emphasise the point.
Bob Massie at Lord’s in 1972, John Lever in Delhi in 1976-77, Sarfraz Nawaz at the MCG in 1978-79, Richard Hadlee at the Gabba in 1985-86, and the England pace quartet in 2005, to name but a few.
These performances were produced in a variety of circumstances. Massie took eight in each innings on debut; Sarfraz produced a devastating old-ball spell of 7 for 1, and Hadlee claimed all but one of the 10 wickets on offer in clammy conditions at the Gabba. However, nearly all those performances had a common theme; they immediately provoked claims of cheating from various quarters.
Wherever Sarfraz went, controversy followed like a faithful puppy, and in the 1979 game, the culprit was rumoured to be ball-tampering. The England fast bowlers in 2005 were accused of using sweets, not to entice the batsmen but to help the old ball swing.
Why, when it’s crucial to cricket’s competitiveness, do successful swing-bowling exploits inevitably create a fuss?
Because raising the possibility of a conspiracy is preferable to an admission by batsmen that they find it difficult to cope with the late-swinging delivery. Any such confession would only spur bowlers on to try and master the art. I’m not sure why that hasn’t happened anyway.
Recently there has been an inordinate amount of time spent on finding ways to swing the old ball, when it would make more sense to apply the same effort to mastering the craft with the new cherry.
After all, if top-order batsmen are removed cheaply on a regular basis, it reduces the need for using dramatic swing to ambush middle- and late-order batsmen.
In theory, good new-ball swing bowlers should strengthen the case for the inclusion of a spinner in the team. After all, a capable spinner is well-equipped to deal with middle- and lower-order batsmen and he would be more effective if he didn’t have to concentrate on separating top-order batsmen.
Late swings
During the 2005 Ashes series there were complaints about the Australian batsmen flashing at deliveries wide of off stump and edging behind the wicket. There is a simple reason for batsmen making what appears to be an ill-judged shot when the ball is swinging late.
It is impossible to pull out of an attempted drive. The batsman is committed and has to hope he misses the delivery, or if he does edge it, that the ball finds either a gap in the cordon or a butter-fingered fielder.
Therein lies the importance of swing bowling; the bowler provides the batsman with what appears to be a glorious opportunity to hit a boundary, but in reality it’s an invitation to the batsman to participate in his own downfall.
Theories abound on how to play the late-swinging delivery. Nevertheless, the batsman’s best options in the circumstance are a selectively bold approach and a bit of luck.
If he can accumulate a few boundaries via daring drives, the batsman can force the bowler to pitch a little shorter so he doesn’t get driven. However, if the bowler is skilful and stout of heart, there’s a good chance he will come out on top, unless he’s surrounded by poor fielders or if luck refuses to favour him.
If you can’t unearth genuine fast bowlers, the next best option is to seek good swing bowlers.
Courtesy of ESPN’s Cricinfo
Arthur resigns – who now for Proteas?
Arthur and Smith - BFFs no more ...
As if India isn’t a tough enough place to tour in the first place, they will now have to do so with major disruption in the ranks after Mickey Arthur resigned on Monday evening – four days before the squad heads off to the sub-continent.
Arthur’s shock move comes after his relationship with captain Graeme Smith had “deteriorated irreparably” over the last year, with the recent 1-1 series draw against England being the final nail in the coffin.
Corrie van Zyl has been appointed caretaker coach for the tour to India, having previously been assistant coach of the team. He these days acts as coach of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) High-Performance Centre in Pretoria.
But who will take the role on a permanent basis? One thing for sure – it won’t be someone with a strong personality like Smith.
That would rule out former Proteas coach Ray Jennings, as well as for SA captain Kepler Wessels, who has achieved success as coach for Northampshire in England and in the IPL.
Duncan Fletcher was brought on board as a batting consultant during the series against the English and has long been thought of as a potential Proteas coach. He achieved amazing results while holding the reins for England, leading them to a famous Ashes series victory in 2005.
He also has the advantage of knowing the players fairly well, and is the one credited with transforming Jacques Kallis into the player he is these days.
On the local scene, former Titans coach Richard Pybus is probably the favourite. He knows the majority of the players like AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn very well, and has international experience following a stint as Pakistan coach.
And what about a completely left-field suggestion and getting someone like Allan Donald on board? He has served as a bowling coach for the England team and knows the players better than anyone.
Too early? Maybe, but then at least get him in as a bowling coach and off the TV as a commentator!
HAVE YOUR SAY: Who would you like to see replace Mickey Arthur?
Big Money for our Cricketers
Makhaya Ntini has been in top form
It’s high stakes at this weekend’s two MTN40 semifinals, with the biggest-ever prize pot up for grabs in local domestic cricket.
Most of the Proteas will be back for this weekend’s MTN40 semis, as our top four teams battle it out to be crowned domestic champions.
The Cape Cobras take on the Warriors from the Eastern Cape at Paarl tonight in a clash that will see Graeme Smith and JP Duminy (for the Cobras) go up against their SA teammates in the shape of seasoned pros Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, as well as impressive youngster Wayne Parnell. With 18 full internationals on the park, it’s bound to be a humdinger.
Up north on Sunday, the table-topping Titans should boast a host of Proteas, with AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Paul Harris and Morné Morkel all available. Add to that the fact that their current squad also includes Albie Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe and Jacques Rudolf, and it’s no surprise that they are favourites to win their semi (and the tournament). The inexperienced Dolphins team – the Titans’ opposition at Centurion on Sunday – only have Hashim Aala to bolster their squad.
There’s a lot at stake, as tournament sponsors MTN have put up a whopping R750 000 for the winning team, easily the richest purse in domestic cricket. It’s a winner-takes-all approach, as both the losing semifinalists, as well as the losing finalist will only walk away with R50 000 for the team. Event organisers are hoping this strategy will result in the best players being available, and producing exciting, intense cricket.
Teams for tonight’s clash at Paarl:
WARRIORS: Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Colin Ingram, Justin Kreusch, Mark Boucher, Davy Jacobs (capt), Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Jon-Jon Smuts, Makhaya Ntini, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Andrew Birch
COBRAS: Graeme Smith, Andrew Puttick, Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Justin Kemp (capt), Justin Ontong, Stiaan van Zyl, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, François Plaatjies, Sybrand Engelbrech
English Cricketer Ratings
Paul Collingwood
South Africa put in a tremendous display to thrash England by an innings and 74 runs in the final Test, and as a result retain the Basil D’Oliveira trophy.
But no assessment of any England performance is complete without some player ratings. These are my marks out of 10 for the England XI at the Wanderers.
Andrew Strauss – 3
Elected to drop Graham Onions, chose to bat first when bowling looked the more obvious choice, and could not really blame brilliant bowling for either of his two cheap dismissals. A match to forget for England’s captain.
Alastair Cook – 4
Got over the new ball well on the difficult first morning before falling lbw to what later appeared a possible no-ball. Nicked off early to a good delivery from Morne Morkel in the second innings when the tall paceman posed serious problems.
Jonathan Trott – 3
Did not seem to relish the challenge one iota, looking distinctly ill-at-ease throughout his two brief stays at the crease. Could the Jonathan Trott who made a century on debut in an Ashes decider please come back? The current model’s not the same.
Kevin Pietersen – 3
Like Strauss and Trott, he ended a bad series with two poor scores. The pull shot that brought his downfall in the first innings was the right shot to play, but the execution woeful. The less said about his wild drive on the final morning the better.
Paul Collingwood – 8
Just how difficult was this pitch for batting? Mark Boucher almost got a century on it, and Collingwood’s scores of 47 and 71 ensured he was the only England batsman – apart from the twice unbeaten James Anderson – to improve his average on it.
Ian Bell – 4
Bell had a decent series generally, but was looking for the Dale Steyn outswinger when cleaned up by the straight one in the first innings, and fenced weakly at a quick one from Morne Morkel during the collapse on the final day.
Matt Prior – 3
If he could have been forgiven for the pull shot that brought his downfall on day one, with the top six all gone, there was less excuse for the shocking shot he attempted to his second ball on Sunday, with Collingwood still there. Good keeping though.
Stuart Broad – 6
Got more wickets than either Sidebottom or Anderson combined, although they were the ones who got to use the new ball and caused a bit of discomfort with the shorter balls. South Africa were not really able to get after his bowling.
Graeme Swann – 6
With some more luck on reviews he would have been able to add a couple of wickets to his two, and was England’s second best contributor of runs in the match too. Will he ever bat above Broad for England? My feeling is that he maybe should.
Ryan Sidebottom – 5
Like Swann, he deserved more in the wickets column – and this was by no means a poor performance from someone entering such a vital match with no meaningful recent cricket behind him. Very close to a six for the sheer effort he threw into it.
James Anderson – 4
Took a great catch to get rid of Kallis, but on a wicket that should have been ideal for him proved a great disappointment. Sure, he bowled one or two magical deliveries but they were frequently interspersed with some disappointing stuff.
Courtesy of Oliver Brett
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