Christmas Special

No cricket fan worth his salt wants to miss the St. Stephen's Day (yes) test at the MCG. Over the past couple of years, it might not have had the same fizz about it, given the circumstances of the series involved. This year, it cannot but entertain.

The series stands at 1-1, but even the most optimistic Aussies will know that they've only won four or five sessions in the first three tests. The English team still looks a more settled balanced unit. On the other hand, we've seen England self-destruct before, albeit more rarely these days.

So what do we have in store from 11pm tonight?

Ricky Ponting is good to play - whether a few Aussies will be wondering if this is a yea or nay is another matter. When you come down to it, no one really wants to see Michael Clarke captaining the team at this stage of an Ashes - except maybe Strauss and Flower. It's impossible to believe that Ponting won't have a good knock at some point in the series - the MCG faithful just have to hope that they can inspire that innings.

Mike Hussey has kept Australia in the series so far - with 517 runs, he looks in the form of his life. We always knew he loved a pressure situation (T20 semi-final 2010, the Oval - Ashes 2009), but without him we'd be staring an English whitewash in the face. Brad Haddin has given him decent support at number 7, and Watson has chipped in with a few useful runs, but Ponting and Clarke need a hundred between them in the 1st innings. Haddin really has to move ahead of Smith - he showed at Brisbane that he's not a pounder who comes in late - his century there was one of the most mature and calculated innings I've ever witnessed.

No one knows whether Mitchell Johnson will show up again, but for the sake of a spectacle, I hope he does. It was incredible to see him back, firing on all cylinders, and he's given the Aussies some chirpiness again. Before we forget though, he tore England apart at Headingley in 2009, before relapsing into torpor at the Oval.

The big question is over the spinner. My two cents - you CANNOT play Michael Beer. This guy, aside from having taken 7 first class wickets in his career, had never met half the team before last week. There'll be clamourings about the Oval in 2009, but that is a different matter. They left out a capped and, to a certain extent, proven spinner in Hauritz - Michael Beer? He's Xavier Doherty Mark II. Smith and Clarke may not be Warnes, but they'll give them something, and with Hilfenhaus keeping it tight at one end they should be able to build some pressure.

The English media have been trying to create a story over the pitch preparation, calling it a conspiracy. What? Since when has it not been OK for the hosts to prepare the tracks that suit them best. The dust bowl that was the Oval last time round suited Swann down to the ground - it's only natural that Cameron Hodgkins should prepare a pitch to follow the Perth success. It's not going to be as bouncy, but hopefully he can make it spicy enough to give the seamers something to think about.

As for England, they shouldn't be too worried. They know that they're still on top - aside from anything else, they still only need one more win to retain the urn. It looks like Finn might drop out - I think you have to bring in Shahzad - he's a bit of a liability as regards control, but so was Finn. He'll give you the potential of some reverse swing, and bowl some wicket deliveries. Bresnan is a solid bowler, and will give you control at one end, but England have to be aggressive, and Bresnan simply isn't the aggressive play.

It looks as though Paul Collingwood will retain his spot at number 5 - Eoin Morgan might feel aggrieved, but Colly will hang on because of his fielding and his usefulness as a 5th bowler. Despite not being given the ball all that much so far, they have him in reserve, and his lack of runs won't cost him his place before the end of the series.

Well, I just can't wait. There is no better Christmas Day than that which culminates in an Ashes test at the MCG, particularly in a series as nicely poised as this.

Happy Christmas

Do The English Never Learn?

A typical English reaction to an untypical English victory.

Paul Collingwood led his T20 team to a magnificent World Cup triumph, and instantly the position of Andrew Strauss as Test captain is under fire. Because he wasn't there for that unifying moment, the media have jumped to the obvious conclusion that he can't lead his team anymore.

Aside from the fact that Collingwood would run a mile from the Test captaincy, this view shows a remarkable short-term memory loss. The whole point of splitting the captaincies was to take pressure off Strauss and to build a specialist T20 squad. It worked. And now, because it worked, the English media want to undo it all again.

Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss have changed the way English cricket is played. They worked hard on getting the squad fit and enthusiastic, and they have succeeded. The quality of fielding always gives us a sneak peek into the mindset of a team, and England have come on leaps and bounds. Admittedly leaving Monty Panesar out saves a few runs, but still...

Have the English fans forgotten the turmoil of last January? Moores and Pietersen gone, Strauss seemingly the fallback option because no one else wanted the job?

And look at what Straussy did. He came in, admittedly lost an inauspicious series in the West Indies, but then put things straight.

He led the team to victories over the West Indies, Australia, had a run at the Champions Trophy, and tied a series with South Africa. I remember reading countless articles when Pietersen resigned about the Aussie chuckles that could be heard across the seas, as English cricket crumbled just six months shy of the Ashes. Well those chuckles (including my own), died away pretty fast as things went from bad to worse between Cardiff and Lords. You can say (and I will) that Australia should have won that series, but the reason they didn't is simple. Andrew Strauss. No one else got runs regularly, and he led from the front. He'll be looking to do the same in Brisbane come December, and England have no better man for the job.

Maybe he shouldn't have taken the Bangladesh tour off, but all his absence did was show us that Cook isn't quite ready for the top job yet. Strauss recognized that the volume of cricket played has increased dramatically, and so have the injuries. He put two and two together and got Freddie Flintoff. England don't want Strauss crocked heading Down Under.

The fact that Struass and Flower decided that he wouldn't play T20 shows their understanding of the game. T20 is not cricket. That's not a joke, it just isn't. You need a different type of batsman. Strauss is a classy cutter who'll hang in and make his hundred - he won't crack 60 off 30 balls. He handed the reins to Collingwood, who did a fantastic job with a relatively inexperienced team. No player in that T20 team, however, thinks that T20 is the be all and end all. They want to play Test. And they want to play under Andrew Strauss.

As usual, the English media have forgotten the absent face. And they think they've found a new hero on whose shoulders they can heap the burdens of the cricketing world. The split captaincy was a smart, tactical decision, taken for a reason. To doubt Strauss's ability as captain on the strength of the Caribbean success would be to undermine everything that Andy Flower has worked for.

On Top Of The World

So let's try and say it without the raised eyebrows, without that incredulous tone of voice, and perhaps most importantly of all, without the disbelieving nausea.

England are world champions.

Admittedly it's the T20 world cup and half their team is Japanese or something, but you can't take it away from them. I've already tried, and I got into trouble.

England were arguably the most consistent team throughout the whole tournament. They bowled well consistently, and they were never without a few batsmen who fired to get them the runs they needed. Oddly enough, the toughest their batsmen had it was against Ireland, where but for the Guyanan rain.....who knows?

They fielded fantastically over the fortnight, and having a captain like Paul Collingwood really gets a team going in the field - all it takes is one good catch and the whole team's buzzing.

England's top order may have failed at times, needing Eoin Morgan and Tim Bresnan to bail them out, but they never got skittled at the top. Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter always came out hitting, and even if they went early they'd got England off to a flyer.

England were the one team who looked happy chasing scores throughout the tournament, and you can put that down to Lumb, Kieswetter, and Pietersen getting them ahead of the rate quickly. Add in Morgan and Luke Wright as finishers and you've got a good line-up.

KP played some of the best cricket we've seen from him in quite some time, and you get the feeling he's ready to take that form into all forms of the game.

Australia were great throughout the whole tournament, but with the exception of Pakistan in the semis, they failed to be tested until they met England. Their batting strength is obvious - they bat to at least number 9, but perhaps this took a little pressure off the top order. Certainly Watson and Warner didn't do themselves justice, and captain Michael Clarke should get the boot - I think he's a wonderful cricketer, but it's not his game.

The Australian bowlers were fantastic - Nannes, Tait and Johnson is a frightening combination - but they didn't have enough to defend on that final day, and once Kieswetter and KP got into their stride they were tough to stop.

Going into the World T20 England's line-up looked strong. Coming out it looks even better. They've found an opening combo that suits, and don't expect them to tinker with it for a while. Their bowlers made good use of their variation, and bowled as the pitches required. Inspired in the field, they had the heart to win every game.

The most dangerous thing about England is that they now know how to take success - they file it away and build on it. Andy Flower has got a good mentality in that camp, and he'll be focussing minds on the Ashes this winter. Who knows how many players who contested that final will face off down under for the 1st test? It's a different game, but nothing beats confidence, and right now, England are flying high.

And Then There Were Four

The World T20 has never been a tournament to shirk its share of surprises, and the 2010 edition is no different. Pakistan, despite playing some simply awful cricket, have once again managed to sneak through to the semi-finals and, given their history, they might just move into top gear now.

Sri Lanka also managed to twice overcome a nervy group stage to make it to consecutive semi-finals.

But there can be no doubt about the two most consistent teams this year. Australia have finally managed to figure out T20, and look the finished article these last two weeks. Who's the other? Consistent? That's right, it's England. After tinkering with their T20 line-up incessantly, they have found an opening pair they like, a middle order that carries them through, and an attack which has delivered the goods. And much as it pains me to say it, a lot of it seems to come down to Dublin boy Eoin Morgan.

At 23, Morgan is still a young cricketer, but he's fast becoming England's best T20 player. Top batsman for them so far this tournament, he's dug them out of a couple of holes this year, not least against his former teammates. It's not enough to say he plays shots all round the ground - he plays shots all round his bat - it's like a mixture of cricket, hurling, baseball, and high-speed golf. He's got a cool head when wickets fall early, and is happy to build a platform until the last 4 or 5 overs where he can unleash the power.

Paul Collingwood is the one batsman who hasn't fired yet for England, and while he'll need to change that for the semi-final, you can be sure that the England skipper is relieved he's got Morgan backing him up at No. 5.

I only have one problem with England. Their bowlers have done well. No doubt about it. Tim Bresnan has bowled economically, and Graeme Swann has taken his usual plethora of wickets. Sticking with Ryan Sidebottom hasn't cost them yet. But where do they go when things go wrong? So far, they haven't. But they've stuck to their 5 main bowlers each time. Collingwood hasn't given himself a bowl, nor Luke Wright. What happens if, against Sri Lanka, Sidebottom gets pasted for 30 off two overs, and someone needs to take care of Dilshan? It's not the easiest time to throw the ball to Wright and tell him to open his account. The other teams in the semis have used 6, 7, 8 bowlers in some games. T20 is about mixing up your attack, bowling some one-over spells. Collingwood is an invaluable bowler in the short format, but he needs to be in the zone for it. So far England have managed to curtail the batting of every team they've faced, but Sri Lanka, and even more so Australia, could be a different kettle of fish. As Sri Lanka will tell you, it's not enough to have Australia 5 down; Hussey and Haddin are only too glad to put on 80 or 90.

Sri Lanka have disappointed me. My pick from the start of the tournament, they've been over-reliant on Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga. Their final match was particularly important in that respect - Jayawardene didn't fire, and Dilshan, Sangakkara, Mathews, and Kapugedera did the business. Previously, their bowlers had dried up a formidable Indian run rate. That match could be the turning point for them, particularly if Dilshan continues his form. England have been good so far, but it's been relatively by the book. Sri Lanka can throw some odd things at you, and Colly will need to keep his nerve and composure if they get off to a fast start.

As for Australia-Pakistan, surely it can only go one way. Australia's fast bowling has been frightening - Nannes, Tait and Johnson have picked up 29 wickets between them in 5 matches. Their batting is so deep - after the power-hitting of Warner and Watson you've got White, Clarke, Haddin, and a couple of Husseys. Even after that you've got Johnson and Smith. Pakistan on the other hand, have inconsistent bowling, failing batsmen, and sloppy fielding. On that basis, I'm going for Pakistan. That seems to be the way it works - Afridi'll decided to get serious, take 3-12, and score a brisk 60 of 30 balls. They've got the talent, they just have to use it.

It could be an Ashes final - that's what the form-book says. But the form-book goes out the window where Pakistan are involved - you can be sure Shahid Afridi's written his own script.

With Great Power Comes Great Inconsistency

What is it with Pakistani cricket?

When Pakistan are on their game, no cricket fan can help but enjoy watching them. They're capable of producing simply breath-taking performances when they're up against the wall (admittedly more in the shorter format). Just look at Shahid Afridi in the World T20 last year.

And yet, with great power comes great inconsistency. Maybe it's an artistic temperament. Whatever the explanation, the same team that overcame Sri Lanka last June might turn around and be skittled for 70 runs the next day. Umar Gul, after taking 4 for 15, might turn around and go wicketless for 50 runs.

Now I'm an Irish sports fan. I'm as used to a talented team blowing games, or an untalented team winning games as anyone. I've watched Holland knock us out of every football tournament in the 90s, and seen Padraig Harrington finish second 4 million times. I know frustration. But I've got to admit, the Pakistan Cricket Board has me on this one.

For a start, after the team lost 5-0 in Australia in the ODIs, after a disastrous Test series, the Board started to investigate whether there had been match-fixing involved. No, lads, youse were just rubbish. Nice as it would be to blame the dismal performance on greedy players and cunning gamblers, it was just some bad cricket against a superior team.

There were some highlights to the tour - Shahid Afridi giving the ball a couple of chomps while the 27 TV cameras watched him with interest.

But the PCB has gone further than anyone could have predicted, and for the players involved, it's not a laughing matter.

Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, the in-fighting captaincy-swappers have both been handed indefinite bans from playing in any format, while Shoaib Malik (another stand-in captain and Naved-ul-Hasan have been banned for a year. Kamran and Umar Akmal have been fined and put on six-month probation, along with Boom-Boom Afridi himself.

This is by far the most drastic action taken by a national board in anyone's memory, and yet people are still scratching their heads a bit. Yousuf and Younis had some rough times as captains, no doubt, but this measure has effectively ended their careers - no one saw that coming. Kamran and Umar were both embroiled in controversy when the former lost his place in Sydney, and they can count themselves lucky with the bans. Or maybe, as a cynic like myself would suggest, the fact that they're two of the best batsmen in the team has helped them a little bit.

Pakistani cricket has never been a calm affair, nor has the captaincy ever been an easy job - when the Irish dumped them out of the 2007 World Cup Imzamam-ul-Haq was having effigies of himself burned back at home, and no one's still quite sure what happened to Bob Woolmer.

I haven't figured out if the PCB are to be applauded for this radical move or not - Pakistani cricket needs a fresh start alright, but with jester Afridi still around will that ever happen?

He can hit the ball a mile though.

A Tale of Two Teams

Let's face it - India, South Africa, England and the West Indies weren't too worried about who came through the qualifying tournament for the T20 World Cup. For the two teams to succeed however, it was a massively important week.

On the one hand, Ireland - a country which, since its fairytale success in 2007, has asserted itself as the dominant Associate nation, and is looking to push onwards and upwards with an application for Full Member status.

On the other, Afghanistan - last year, a Division 5 team with little or no media coverage. A brave journey in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers was brought to a premature end, but they showed the cricketing world that they're ready to play with the big boys again this week. Having beaten Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup 4-day match last month, Afghanistan went on to defeat William Porterfield's team twice more on the way to T20 success, and indeed were the only team to trouble the Irish. They played with a mixture of skill and sheer nerves in the tournament, and a single defeat to the Netherlands was the one game that got away.

Both teams head to the tournament proper as massive underdogs, but their performances in qualification will give them heart. Ireland never play to lose, but the losing draw hands them matches against England and the West Indies, arguably the easier sides, and they'll fancy a crack at both. West Indies are an up-and-down side, and if Chris Gayle fires we can probably pack the bags, but on their day they're takeable. England still haven't totally figured out the shorter format, and Porterfield's men will fancy their chances against a team including old teammate and newly-instated IPL batsman Eoin Morgan.

Niall O'Brien was fantastic as ever behind the stumps, and his aggressive batting was near its best, making some important scores. Alex Cusack was the real hero of the batsmen this tournament, with a 65 in the semi-final paving the way to victory over Holland. Porterfield himself never got a big score after a few starts, but he's a good enough player to bounce back.

As for the bowlers - Trent Johnston was as crucial as ever, taking wickets and drying up runs, but the find of the tournament was 17-year old George Dockrell. The Gonzaga College and Leinster left-arm spinner has big shoes to fill with Kyle McCallan's retirement and Regan West's injury problems, but he delivered. Having taken wickets throughout the tournament, he bowled quite beautifully against the Netherlands to claim career-best figures of 4-20. Spinhas proved to be a crucial part of the T20 game, and Dockrell will be eyeing some big scalps in May.

Afghanistan have more than pure guts - they've some very talented players. Noor Ali, Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Nabi all showed batting prowess, while bowlers Hamid Hassan and Nabi again had fantastic figures: 12 at 11.41 and 13 at 10.53 respectively.

The jury is still out on whether Afghanistan can keep up this form into the future - they don't have the facilities they would like at home, nor is it the least turbulent country at the moment. We've seen Ireland's difficulties to break into the game - it won't be any easier for the Afghanis. In saying that, they've gained ODI status for the time being, and there's nothing to stop this particular team of players capitalising on their success. When they go to the Caribbean, they'll enjoy themselves. They'll get to bowl at Sehwag, de Villiers, Dhoni, and Smith, while trying to fend off the wily Harbhajan Singh and the terrifying Dale Steyn. Whether the win or lose, i's a massive learning experience to play the best in the world - we saw that with Ireland in 2007 - and who knows? It's T20, and upsets happen. Just remember Netherlands & England last year.

In a week where Sachin Tendulkar notched up his 47th Test century and Dale Steyn his 4th 10-wicket-haul, it is a tribute to cricket that we can look at the minnows of the game with such excitement. They'll be on our screens in just a couple of months time, and I, for one, cannot wait.

Honours Even

It's no use playing the more stylish cricket, making the tons, and topping the stats lists if you can't do the basics. Australia discovered this to their detriment in the Ashes, and until the Johannesburg test it looked like South Africa might go the same way.

But after two frustrating draws delivered by the unlikely champion Graham Onions, South Africa totally outplayed Andrew Strauss's England and handed them a crushing innings defeat.

Yes, Graeme Smith took advantage of a shocking review decision to play another fine innings of 105, but Strauss isn't going to hold that up as an excuse. The English batsmen didn't do their job, and against the class of the South African bowling they were lambs to the slaughter. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel showed themselves to be a fantastic pace duo, picking up 14 of the 20 wickets in the test between them.

Yet again, Paul Collingwood played two gritty, determined innings. For me, Colly deserves the man of the series award on the English side - Onions may have been the headline hero, but England would have lost the two drawn matches by a country mile but for Collingwood's determination. He's not always pretty, but he's not going to let you down temperament-wise.

For South Africa's part, they were clinical. The pitch was a good one to bowl on, but they still managed 423 declared, and they didn't waste time in the field. Paul Harris was left out after a disappointing series, and unless he develops something interesting in his bowling Mickey Arthur will be on the look out for a new spinner.Mark Boucher batted superbly all series and was unlucky to miss out on a century to cap it off. Smith got his game going in the final two tests, and once he sets up the Protea innings, it's very difficult to beat them.

1-1. England will be satisfied enough given the fact that they were outplayed bar the one match, and South Africa will be glad they didn't lose a series that they shouldn't have.

Where next? South Africa head to India for a series that has all cricket fans licking their chops - the one thing we need is for some decent pitches - no one wants to see another couple of 700-run innings. They are the two best teams in the world at the moment, and we can hope for a compelling tour.

As for England, well, they have some issues to think about. Ok, they won one game, but they never threatened in the other three. Once a batsman came in and played patiently - Amla, Kallis, Smith, Boucher, they found it impossible to dislodge them cheaply. Swann bowld very well all tour, but I still maintain that the four-man attack was the wrong option - you just don't have enough diversity to take 20 wickets.

Kevin Pietersen will be a slight worry, averaging just 25 in the series, but let's be realistic - he's only just returned to the test arena; any player needs time to get back into form. He won't be gone for too long. On the flipside, Ian Bell made some useful runs, including the best century of his life, and has made quite the case for holding his spot. Bell's batting troubles aren't over yet, but at least he can't be ignored any more, and if he can get into a good run, he's a wonderful player to watch.

England's next series is in Bangladesh who, if you ask India right now, are no pushover, and I don't think the mutterings about leaving out Strauss are all that wise - the last thing England need is a defeat to a resurgent minnow team.

We were treated to an enthralling series in South Africa this year, and while South Africa played some great cricket, Collingwood and Swann in particular deserved England's 1-1 result.

Both teams have a lot to think about going forward, and it looks like 2010 is going to be a fantastic year of cricket.

Last Throw of the Dice

There was more talk before this series than before a world heavyweight bout. The not so prodigal sons, KP, and Jonathan Trott returning home, Dale Steyn licking his chops at the prospect of Alistair Cook and Ian Bell, and Graeme Smith reviving his battle against Andrew Strauss.

Who would have predicted that the man to hit the headlines most would have been Graham Onions? For his batting.

Twice South Africa got England down to the last man, and twice Onions stood firm. In both matches, Paul Collingwood could be seen as the real hero, proving his mettle in tense situations. If you need a man to bat out a draw they don't come much better than Colly. When the final test gets under way however, a draw isn't in anyone's minds.

South Africa may as well go down 2-0 as 1-0, and so they've prepared a juicy pitch to give them a chance of sharing the series. The quicks haven't had the best of times in this series so far, but look out for Dale Steyn at the Wanderers. He produced some of the bowling of his life at Newlands last week but had no good fortune whatsoever, and he'll be fired up to get revenge in the last match. It looks like Wayne Parnell, hero at the Twenty20 World Cup last summer, will be joining Steyn and Morne Morkel in the pace attack, as Friedel de Wet hasn't recovered from a back strain. Parnell showed exciting promise in the short format, but he'll be desperate to prove himself in the 5-day game, if he's to battle for a spot with new boy de Wet in future series.

Paul Harris will retain his place despite disappointing figures to date, and JP Duminy's part-time spin is a factor helping him stay in the team; he's failed to fire with the bat so far, and he's got to be getting nervous.

Graeme Smith produced a magnificent captain's innings at Newlands to set South Africa up beautifully, and now that he's found his touch he'll be even more dangerous. Even with Ashwell Prince looking ropey at the top, the Proteas' batting still looks solid.

As for England. Ian Bell has defied the critics again - the four-man attack has got England this far and they've needed as many batsmen as they can get; nothing's going to change in the line-up this time. Luke Wright can consider himself unlucky not to get a run-out all series, but it looks like he could be warming the bench for a while yet. Oddly enough, Kevin Pietersen is the only man in the team who hasn't really contributed yet - and that's the sort of thing that the big man will be well aware of. He'll be desperate to deliver the goods as a final blow against his fellow countrymen, and don't be surprised if he does so.

I've said it every week - I'm still not convinced with the four-man attack, but they're ahead in the series and that's all they'll care about. Anderson and Onions will certainly be looking to get their pace up on the green Wanderers pitch, and Swann will be anxious to re=-prove himself as it deteriorates towards the later days.

This is the pitch where England went 2-4 after 17 balls, before Mike Atherton came along and batted for 7 years to make 184, so don't be surprised if Strauss wins the toss and heads for the field.

It's the last gamble for South, so it looks like it could be a game for the spectators. To cap off the series at 2-0 would be almost as big as the Ashes win in the summer, while the hosts will be desperate not to continue in their role as perpetual underachievers.

Let's sit back, relax, and give the new ball to Dale Steyn.

Durban Legend

And England lived happily ever after. Or, untill the next test, anyway.

There was something of the fairytale about England's innings win over
South Africa in the 2nd test at Durban. Alistair Cook and Ian Bell,
fighting for their lives, produced as fine centuries in the
circumstances as you'll see, before the golden boy Broad joined up
with jester Graeme Swann to send the hosts packing.
Cook's century may not have had the fluency and flair of those of his
early days, but for a man who has endured such a torrid time of late
as he, it was his most valuable. He proved his worth, showing a
patience and calm he will need if he's to hold on to his opening slot
and the vice-captaincy. With 7 centuries before turning 23, Cook had
only made two in the past two years, and the Durban ton will live long
in his memory. Not only did he get his international career back on
track; he set England up for a truly momentous victory.

Ian Bell, meanwhile, has always shown his class at the crease.
Unfortunately, this tends to manifest itself as a classy 25 before
being bowled. He has all the shots, and when he's got a bit of
confidence he's a beautiful batsman to watch. His 140 drove South
Africa into the ground, getting England comfortably over the 500 mark.
Before the match, I would never in a million years have played him,
but Andy Flower gave him his support and was rewarded.

What did South Africa do wrong? They did little right. Their first
innings of 343 flattered them somewhat; Dale Steyn swashbuckled around
at the end to lift them over 300, but before that, only Smith and
Kallis really showed their mettle. As for their bowling: I wrote last
week that I hoped Ntini was in the team on more than sentimentality -
it doesn't look like it. Whether Arthur decides to go back to Friedel
de Wet, so nearly the hero in the first test, or recall Wayne Parnell
or Ryan McLaren I don't know, but I can't see Makhaya picking up a
102nd cap.

England's only worry ahead of the match is Paul Collingwood's fitness.
He scored 91 at Durban, continuing his fine form of the tour. If he
does fail to pass the medical, Flower is set to hand Michael Carberry
his first cap, sticking to the batsmen/bowling balance of the team. I
know it's worked for them so far, but I just don't trust an attack
with such limited options - if Collingwood's medium pace is gone as
well, Strauss doesn't have much to turn to when Swann and Broad aren't
on the money.

Andy Flower has proved me wrong at every turn so far, so let's see if
he continues this form into the test at Newlands. South Africa have
won 14 of 18 tests at the ground, and they badly need a win, but you
get the feeling they're nervous. It's going to take a century from
Smith or Kallis to steady the innings, and Steyn's going to have to
find his fearsome bowling to rattle England's cage.

One thing is sure - Strauss won't let his team get complacent. He
knows he has a golden opportunity to follow up the Ashes with just as
big a feather in his cap; let's see if he can.

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