Even as a fairly one-eyed England fan I have to begrudgingly admit that South Africa probably deserved to square the series. England will look back on the Johannesburg test as a missed opportunity and some will doubtless refer to the shocking performance of 3rd umpire Daryl Harper as the pivotal reason.
Certainly, Harper reached new levels of ineptitude with his shocking performance in the TV umpires chair and his biggest mistakes (the failure to reverse the Smith caught behind and his mistake in reversing the De Villiers caught behind) cost England a lot of runs. However, England have only themselves to blame for such a damp squib of a performance with only Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann emerging with only credit. Finally, England were made to pay for having too many batsmen out of form and not contributing.
This leads nicely to my marks out of ten for each England player for the series:
Andrew Strauss - 5: Surprisingly poor return with the bat as it was not as if he didn't look in good nick. What a contrast with his phenomenal run scoring in the 2004/05 series. Steady captaincy with an extra pat on the back for the spirit he has engendered within the side, which ultimately led to the backs against the walls escapes at Centurion and Newlands.
Alastair Cook - 7: Battling century at Durban helped set up victory but failed to go on after good starts in both innings at Newlands. Certainly looked in better form than he did in the Ashes and his place is safe for the foreseeable future now.
Jonathan Trott - 5: Simply doesn't look like a test match number three, although his stoical resistance in the second innings at Centurion helped save the game. Looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights in Johannesburg and should be dropped down the order.
Kevin Pietersen - 4: Massively disappointing especially as he made a promising start at Centurion with 40 and 81. Looks shorn of confidence and must now be picked for the Bangladesh tour in hope that he will rediscover both form and zest. Still seems to be suffering from a hangover from the captaincy debacle.
Paul Collingwood - 9: Started and ended the series in good form and his epitaph should read that he was the architect of the three great escapes at Cardiff, Centurion and Cape Town. The only batsman that turned up at Johannesburg and the numerous 'experts' calling for his head after the Ashes look foolish now.
Ian Bell - 8: Wonderful career saving century at Durban was followed up by a contrasting 78 at Newlands that helped save the game. May find that he will be given another chance at number three and will hopefully take his new found confidence from this tour to finally deliver in what should be his best position.
Matt Prior - 6: Much improved with the gloves but still flatters to deceive with the bat when it really matters as shown by his quick exits in the second innings at Centurion and Cape Town plus both innings at Johannesburg. May find Craig Kieswetter breathing down his neck come the Ashes next November.
Stuart Broad - 6: An average of just over ten with the bat suggests that a test match number seven he is not. Did well enough with the ball especially at Durban where he and Swann sparked a dramatic collapse. Should be picked for the Bangladesh tour as there is still significant room for improvement.
Graeme Swann - 9: England's leading bowler with 21 wickets and an extremely useful return with the bat also, where he should now be elevated above Broad in the batting order. Has a talismanic like effect and his ability to take a wicket in the first over of a spell is amazing.
James Anderson - 6: Still too inconsistent to be the true leader of the attack. For a bowler of his quality to take no wickets on a friendly Johannesburg pitch is not good enough. Should be rested from the Bangladesh tour in order that he can get his knee sorted out.
Graham Onions - 6: Bowled well without much luck and his ill fortune continued when he was inexplicably left out in Johannesburg. His ball to remove Kallis at Cape Town was arguably the ball of the series and his fortitude with the bat at Centurion and Newlands helped save England from a series reverse.
Ryan Sidebottom - 5: Did reasonably well at Johannesburg considering he hadn't played for weeks and who knows what could have happened if Mr Harper had turned the sound up when Sidbottom induced that edge from Smith.
Comments