Early on in England’s opening innings, the sound died on my television. This turned out to be a blessing as I could concentrate fully on the play without any distraction from the commentators. Earlier still, England had erred by selecting young Jacob Bethell – only five previous ODI innings under his belt, aside from five against the sadly weakened West Indies, and only one score above 25. Being preferred instead of the 27 year old Ollie Pope whose (matured) approach to batting suits this format of the game – though, mysteriously, has yet to make his debut.
Although the match itself – after the initial phase – was very one sided, it will linger in the minds of many for a good while to come. The spectators witnessed Aiden Markram’s fierce and pure onslaught when facing Sonny Baker – as good an ODI innings as he’s ever played (86 runs, at a strike rate of 156 per hundred deliveries). Eventually falling to a remarkable one-handed catch, made at full stretch by Jamie Smith at extra cover – this being Markram’s only noticeable mistake.
Spectators were also treated to Jofra Archer’s five over spell of very high calibre fast bowling, usually landing his deliveries on an excellent length and moving the ball a touch off the pitch – although going, unjustly, wickless from his 5 overs, he conceded just 8 runs in all off the bat; and treated to Smith’s brave lone hand for 54, largely adventurous, runs made at a strike rate of 112 (though still not looking fully convincing as an opener). And they witnessed the dominance of spin, on both sides, when eventually they were brought into the attack.
However, they would, no doubt, have also been perplexed by the captaincy decisions made by Harry Brook when in the field, more of which shortly.
To the play itself
After a statistically decent start, England managed to engineer yet another batting collapse, initiated by a Smith-Brook mix up in their running between wickets. The team moved from 2 for 82 (largely thanks to Smith) to lose their next 6 wickets for just 37 runs, and be all out for the meagre total of 131.
Apart from Jamie Smith, England’s batting shied away from being patient and playing themselves in as a foundation for self-expression, except for Root who has the ability to play safe attacking cricket from the outset. None except Smith rose above a score of 15! To pace, the upper order mostly fell either to indecision – often nibbling when a safe leave was on offer (including Root with that oft attempted glide past first or second slip which he should put to rest) – or to premature attacking very early in their innings; while the lower middle order and tail were at sea against the artful left arm orthodox spin of 35 year old Keshav Maharaj.
The undignified dismissals of Jos Buttler (falling to the medium pace of Wiaan Mulder), and Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks (to spin) made me wonder if they had been informed before play began that this was actually a fifty over match and not another wretched Hundred or T20 affair; though, surely, in this age of ubiquitous mobile phones…!
When South Africa replied, opener Ryan Rickelton took most of Archer’s spell, living precariously but outwardly unperturbed. He applied himself as best he could, though was unable to find his rhythm until late on in his undefeated innings of 31, made at a very subdued rate for this format of the game.
The 22 year old England pace bowler. Sonny Baker, on his ODI debut – and with no more than 13 previous innings of bowling at first-class level (22 wickets at 30.5 runs apiece) – has a somewhat bizarre start to his approach to the stumps, akin to that of some high jumpers and pole vaulters to get them going. Then Baker’s run-up proper: a full-on charge without a noticeable build-up of pace nor a final gather, with delivery stride neither classically side-on nor openly chest-on, the ball being released at genuinely fast pace.
Nowadays, though, high calibre high-in-the-order batsmen are rarely unsettled by sheer speed alone. Markram was able to give himself a split second to allow Baker’s deliveries to come on to him after getting into position. Frequently, he drove powerfully on the back and front foot with a commendably straight bat, punching through the ball in making his 13 fours – usually along the ground – accompanied by 2 safe sixes.
Baker went for 56 runs from his initial spell of four overs – each of them highly expensive – and yet Brook brought him back after being briefly rested. This to be interpreted, I feel, as an intended act of mercy, giving Baker a chance to rescue himself. By this stage, it seems, Brook had given up any realistic hope of winning the match. A cynic might be excused for thinking that, by throwing Baker into the fray once more, Brook was carrying out coach McCullum’s underlying goal of entertaining the public! Baker was, on come-back, defenestrated: another 20 runs coming from his final three overs – finishing with 0/76 from seven overs. If he wants to pursue a career at international level, Baker would be well advised to call on the coaching services of someone of a similar stature to Dennis Lillee.
Mike Brearley, who would have been in search of a win, would doubtless have taken Baker off after one, or two, of his two initial overs, and given him an encouraging hint of re-introduction to the attack, depending on events.
Brook was at fault in bringing on Adil Rashid’s leg spin leg spin far too late in South Africa’s innings. Often effective in ODI matches, he was introduced only at 90 without loss. This delay turned Rashid’s demeanour to grumpiness and then to anger. Ultimately, being able to get in just 3.5 overs in taking his three wickets for 26 runs – yes, at just 8.6 runs apiece! Root’s occasional, innocuous, off-spinners were spared – saved for another day. (So far, having taken 28 wickets in 77 ODIs at 61.8 runs apiece.)
When Markram went out with the score on 121, the heady atmosphere seemed to get to the next two batsmen – captain Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs – both falling needlessly to cavalier shots. Of course, it hardly mattered: in strode Dewald Brevis to complete the formalities with a well struck six down town on the second delivery he faced. The opener Rickleton had shown the value of being tenacious during his fairly lengthy settling-in phase.
The spectators at the ground and via television had been served a memorable match, but witnessed a total of only 45.2 overs delivered and 268 runs scored – at 5.9 runs an over. Which prompts the question: should a partial refund be given on their tickets in such an eventuality?
England’s problem continues to lie squarely with the batting department, and the attitude to playing 50 over matches by the batsmen in positions 1-9 in the order. Symbolically, perhaps, commentator Mark Butcher was dressed in an all-black outfit during the earnest and lengthy after match discussion with Shaun Pollock and Mike Atherton.If there is some more of this battering to come for England in the next two ODIs of this series, there will likely be a number of players who will be praying to be omitted when the selectors sit down to decide on the squad to play the Tests in Australia starting in November. And with some exclamations of Merde Alors by those who are selected! There must be a limit to the battering many players can put up with and still carry on.
