Act 3

After the disappointment of the Pakistan – West Indies debacle, we were treated to some decent cricket today in the second quarter-final between India and Australia. As expected, India managed to overcome the world champions, with no small thanks due to that man again. Yuvraj Singh continued his excellent form with bat and ball, taking two wickets before playing an important role at the crease after a couple of wickets had fallen. We saw Sachin Tendulkar pass 18,000 ODI runs, but perhaps the story of the match was Ricky Ponting. Coming into the match on no form, the Australian captain showed the world why he has achieved what he has – no one fights like Ponting – when his team needed him he delivered. His 104 might have been in a losing cause, but it should be remembered as one of his best.

India’s win sets up a mouth-watering semi-final against Pakistan, but that’s a story for another day. For now,let’s focus on the next quarter-final.

The third quarter-final was seen by many as the easiest to call. New Zealand, after doing their usual party trick of performing on the big stage, face many’s pre-tournament favourites. South Africa had little trouble in their Group games, barring their frightening collapse against Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad, and even managed to pull off a famous victory against India. Both teams have World Cup history, some of which can’t be spoken of until after the watershed, and you can be sure that both teams will be up for this match. The question is, will that be enough for one of them?

New Zealand are a decent ODI team. No more, no less. They have a couple of very good players, but there are a few who make up the numbers. Add to that the injury list of this tournament and they face a tough proposition tomorrow. Daniel Vettori, who missed their last couple of games with a dodgy knee, has promised to play, and his coolness, as much as his bowling, will be key to his team’s hopes. Whether he’s got the bat or ball in his hands, or is standing in the slips, he adds true class to this current New Zealand set-up. On a track where runs will be difficult to come by, a patient head will be needed, and the presence of Vettori will be a huge relief to the whole camp.

It’s tough to mention Brendon McCullum and patience in the same breath, but it would be a very valuable marriage if he can pull it off. How many times do we see the start of a NZ innings: Dot, SIX, OUT. McCullum has talent and power, but it only translates itself into a meaningful innings all too rarely. If he can keep his head, he has the ability to give his team a stunning start, with Martin Guptill well able to hold down the other end and score at close to a run a ball. With the suddenly in-form Ross Taylor still to come, a good start can lead to a commanding total.

They lack something in the bowling department however. I've always been a big fan of Tim Southee, and it's easy to forget how young he is - I think he's got a hell of a lot more to give, and could be a great bowler in the years to come. At the moment though, he's solid without being devastating, and without a Shane Bond in their line-up NZ look a little one-paced. Daniel Vettori is a great player, and Nathan McCullum has played his part, but I don't think players like Amla, Kallis and de Villiers will find him troubling.

New Zealand certainly deserve to be in the quarters, but they need every single player on top form if they're to take out a real heavyweight.

South Africa appear to have finally found a good balance. I still think that their tail begins a little early, but when you've got Amla, Kallis, AB and Duminy all batting well that's not a massive concern. In Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel they have a wonderful opening attack. Their three spinners have performed well so far, although I'm yet to be convinced about the true worth of Imran Tahir - yes he has taken wickets, but not always at crucial times and with great deliveries. He could be the real deal, but he needs a few more matches where he'll be up against the wall.

Graeme Smith is a worry - he's not scoring runs, and he's eating up deliveries. That said, he seems to be captaining the team extremely well, and in the pressure cooker that is a subcontinental World Cup, that's nearly worth a 50 per game. The team's only demise came against England, where some excellent bowling from England complemented a certain amount of laziness and then panic from the South African lower order. That match was largely cancelled out by their superb chase of India's total in the following game, and they won't let the English game affect their confidence.

I had South Africa backed for a long, long time before this World Cup, and it was only in the couple of weeks before that I switched my pick to Sri Lanka. Despite everything I've seen from them, I'm still not totally convinced by Graeme Smith's side, and we could be heading for a very interesting Sri Lanka - South Africa semi next week.

Tomorrow's game should come down to class, and South Africa eclipse New Zealand in that regard. Enough of their players are in good touch to cause New Zealand serious trouble, and unless half of the New Zealanders play a different game to the one they've played so far, they'll be left behind. Having Vettori back will be a huge boost for the Black Caps, but I can't see them beating what looks like a pretty solid side.

World Cup: Team By Team

India - Where better to start than with the hosts and favourites? They've got an endless batting line-up. Actually, it might end with Yusuf Pathan, because there are often no survivors. In Zaheer Khan, they have a man who's led lower bowlers to triumph before, and Munaf Patel and Sreesanth could well be those bowlers. Harbhajan Singh is world class. They have part-time spinners all over the park. A good captain in MS Dhoni. Virat Kohli is fast becoming my favourite player to watch. They've got it all. And yet....it's too much of a fairytale.

Prediction - Who would not love to see a Sri Lanka - India final? I think they will make the final, but I'll only give them a runners-up spot.

South Africa - The bottlers supreme. Their batting line-up looked shy and their tail pretty long against India, but Jacques Kallis back should make a difference in balance. With Hashim Amla at the top, you can nearly give them a 50-run lead. Will Johan Botha do the business with JP Duminy alongside him? They have a team of fantastic players - De Villiers can kill off a game when required, and Dale Steyn is the best bowler in the world. For a long time I've said they'll win this, but they really need every man in the team to perform, and I'm not sure that'll happen 3 games running.

Prediction - Semi-finals, maybe runners up.

Australia - They've won the last 3 - that's a good start. On the other hand, Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Hussey....etc aren't here. Ponting's hit a couple of 50s in the warm-up, and they beat a poor England 6-1, but I don't know. They've drawn the easier group - Canada instead of Ireland, New Zealand and Pakistan instead of South Africa and England, but I still think they'll have it tough. They should still make it through without too many problems, and from there on in it's a shootout. I don't think they have the bowlers - Lee did it for them Down Under - India's a different kettle of fish. Jason Krejza, well, good luck.

Prediction - Quarter-final exit.

New Zealand – They have a history of performing well in the big tournaments, and while they should make it to the quarters, they don’t have a the class to compete. Brendon McCullum’s IPL pedigree will serve them well, and in Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill they have two very fine batsmen, but I can’t see them troubling the big teams. They’re too close to a batting collapse, even with the experience of Scott Styris and Jacob Oram in as props. Daniel Vettori is a world-class spinner, but he can’t do it all on his own, and there are a couple of untested young men in the attack who could be taken to the cleaners.

Prediction: Quarter-final exit, but watch Martin Guptill make some runs first – he’s one for the future.

Sri Lanka - Here we go. Tilikaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga to open. Sangakkara at 3. Mahela at 4. Samarweera at 5 before maybe Matthews at 6. That all adds up to a million runs - who's going to defend them? Only a man with 590-odd ODI wickets and the most terrifying paceman you can see coming at you. How can Lasith Malinga work? No one really knows - he shouldn't be hitting line and length but he does. 4 wickets in 4 balls 4 years ago - I smell a hat-trick again. This is a truly class team. They showed great composure chasing the West Indies' total of 280 in the warm-up, after bowling well to keep them to that number. Sangakkara is a canny captain with a great team behind him.

Prediction - Blasted away from victory last year by Adam Gilchrist, I see them going one better here. 15 years on from their last triumph, the last team to win it before Australia are set to do it again. Champions.

Pakistan – It’s foolish to write them off – they can win anything from a standing start. They actually have some ok form coming into this, and plenty of players have put their hands up. Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammed Hafeez are an exciting opening pair, and Hafeez has shown himself to be a very useful second spinner behind Saeed Ajmal. Shoaib Akhtar is bowling well, as is Wahab Riaz, and Umar Gul could get into any ODI side he wanted. Misbah-ul-Haq has faced down his critics by producing some lovely ODI innings recently, including a run-a-ball century against Bangladesh in the warm-ups. If he can hold down one end and allow Afridi and Razzaq to tee off from the other side there could be some big scores. The big question marks are over the Akmal brothers – Umar Akmal’s stunning start to his career has ground to a halt – he needs to build a couple of innings to get his confidence back – and Kamran needs some runs now he’s taken the gloves back from the third brother, Adnan.

Prediction: Realistically need a top-two finish in the group to avoid India and South Africa in the quarters, but I think they’ll manage that ahead of Australia. Semi-finalists, and from there, who knows?

England - I'm sure I'll get flak for this, but they're not a great ODI side. People brushed aside the 6-1 to Australia, and fair enough, but the focus was on the absentee bowlers. The problem was the misfiring batsmen. KP must perform, as must Strauss. Trott must speed up. Prior must get runs. The opening partnership has changed again, with KP promoted. Will it work better than the last 20? Who knows? Without Eoin Morgan, the team lacks the innovation required to win this tournament. Collingwood, Bopara and Yardy aren't going to finish a game like the Irishman. England need more planning for this, starting with bringing Alistair Cook into the ODI game. Do they not watch him for Essex?

Prediction - Quarter-final Exit.

Bangladesh – A lot has been made of this team, and not without cause. Shakib al-Hasan has prove himself to be able to manage the captaincy alongside being a key with both bat and ball. Tamim Iqbal is one of the best openers in ODI cricket. Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim Juanid SIddique and more runs to a solid batting line-up, and with several solid spinners in the team they can cause trouble to any batting line-up. They’re most often criticized for a lack of a good pace attack – this should be less important in the subcontinent, although Rubel Hossain showed some good form against Pakistan in the warm-up.

Prediction – Expect some upsets from this still very young team. I have a sneaky feeling that they’ll qualify from the group stages, but that could leave them facing Sri Lanka in the quarters, which is where, for me, they bow out.

West Indies – Where to start? What a frustrating team. Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy. That’s a team that should produce fireworks every time it goes out. Unfortunately, 50% of the time it’s a damp squib. They are undoubtedly going to have some big performances, led by the big man himself, but that’s the problem. Get Chris Gayle out early, and you should win. Against Sri Lanka in the warm-up, Gayle fell after a quick 50 and the run rate plummeted. Pollard’s job is to provide a flurry at the end, but that’s not such an easy task if the score’s 100 for 5. The bowlers are interesting – Sammy and Kemar Roach are a pair I’d like to see open, but I just don’t think that Nikita Millar and Sulieman Benn are penetrative enough in India. To be fair to him, Benn took 3 and only gave 4 an over to Sri Lanka, but he doesn’t have the consistency.

Prediction – I think they’ll beat England in the group stage, but still fail to qualify. If Gayle can be knocked over early, Bangladesh and Ireland have a great chance of taking the Caribbean scalp.

Ireland – Expect this preview to be heaped full of bias. Ireland are a very good team. They played a couple of very solid warm-up games, including a victory over Zimbabwe without using captain William Porterfield and Sussex opener Ed Joyce, arguably their two best batsmen. Kevin O’Brien showed great maturity alongside old hand Andre Botha in rebuilding after early wickets. Historically, the batting has been our problem – suddenly there are quite a few men with form. With Joyce at 3, we then have to choose from Botha, the O’Brien boys, Gary Wilson, Andrew White, Alex Cusack and John Mooney for our next four. Boyd Rankin and the ever-reliable Trent Johnston are a solid opening pair, and young George Dockrell has bowled tidily if not brilliantly so far. The main problem against Zimbabwe was conceding a huge number of runs off the last 10 overs – our death bowling has never been strong, and that’s where Trent needs a good partner once the Batting Powerplay is taken.

Prediction – Getting out of the group is a huge task – I expect a thumping from South Africa and India, but every other team is beatable. I would expect them to win maybe two games, but to get all the results to get through in such a short space might just prove too much. But I’m not going to type a nailed-on prediction…..

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.

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.

Pressure Mounting

How many times do we hear that a match has saved Test cricket? After the thrilling climax to the 1st Test at Centurion Park last weekend, writers were singing the praises of the longer format and saying that they never doubted its value. Clearly they weren't bashing their heads off the wall for most of the rest of the match as play crawled along at 2 runs an over for what seemed like an eternity. I'm never going to be the man to call for an end to 5-day matches, but let's face it - a decent spell against an English tail isn't going to send T20 packing.

But that's a story for another day...

Let's stick to the series we've got here. It was a dull match until Friedel de Wet came along on Sunday afternoon and gave Graeme Smith hope of pulling off a famous victory. Despite the debutant's heroics, he looks unlikely to feature in tomorrow's starting line-up. If Dale Steyn is returned to full fitness, it's going to be the young man to miss out. Makhaya Ntini, veteran of 100 tests, looks set to hold on to his place. Experience is valuable, but with Jacques Kallis appearing fit to bowl again I'm surprised the selectors have felt the need to hold on to Ntini. I hope there's more than sentimentality behind it, because he was of little use in England's second innings in Cape Town.

However, the return of Kallis certainly makes any South African attack look more balanced. He'll be there to dry up the runs in the middle overs, put pressure on the batsmen, and either lead to wickets falling or take them himself. Paul Harris bowled decently last match, and JP Duminy deserves to be called more than just a part-timer. If Steyn has his full pace with him, England could be in for a rough ride.

England plan to stick with their line-up, meaning a four-man attack and a place for Ian Bell, with Luke Wright missing out again. Bell looked as faltering as ever last match, with his 1st innings dismissal a particularly embarrassing memory as he left a straight ball to crash into middle and off. He's been given yet another chance, and to be fair, Wright isn't exactly the ideal substitute. If Bell plays well he'll score runs and stay at the crease - if Wright bats well he'll probably make a quick 40 and depart. But you get the feeling that England could use another option in the bowling department. Wright may not be the best bowler in the game, but at least he's another man. Even if he goes for a few runs, the South Africans will be getting more variations and will have to play different balls. Smith didn't fire last game, but all that means is that he probably will now, and with a batting line-up of Smith, Prince, Amla, Kallis, De Villiers, Duminy and Boucher you need plenty of wickets.

A word on Amla - he got a lot of stick from a lot of people, and he answered them in the best way possible. When Jacques Kallis fell on Saturday morning, things looked pretty bad for the hosts - would Graeme Swann's magnificent knock the night before turn the game totally on its head? Amla batted calmly and confidently, mixing beautiful shots to the boundary with intelligent defence. He deserves his place in that line-up and, at No. 3, showed himself capable of steadying a wobbling innings.

Kevin Pietersen returned to the Test arena with an excellent innings of 80-odd before taking on a non-existent single. These things happen, but Andy Flower will be delighted to see the big man back on form. He wants centuries in South Africa as much as his rivals want his wicket, and it should make for some exciting battles.

The first match redeemed itself somewhat with some late de Wet magic, but that didn't disguise it as good entertainment for five days. The pressure's building on South Africa as the home side to take a lead in this series, while England will feel that Onions and Collingwood tipped the momentum their way by hanging on grimly. Let's hope for some fireworks at Durban.

Now Is The Winter Of Our...Content?...Discontent?

England are playing cricket. What on earth is going to happen?

As eagerly anticipated as the Ashes, England's tour of South Africa sees Kevin Pietersen's return to test cricket, and to South Africa, alongside fellow countryman Jonathan Trott. It sees South Africa bidding to retake the No. 1 ranking having lost it to India in November. It sees Andrew Strauss take on the best opposition of his captaincy.

England play a topsy-turvy game. In the ODI series, we saw that this could mean a 7-wicket win followed by a 100-run defeat. In a test match, all the swings can happen in the one game. In 2009, we've seen England bat scores of 600 and be dismissed for 52. They've bowled Australia out for 160 and let the West Indies rack up 700. You never know what you're going to get with England, and while agonizing for the Barmy Army, it always provides entertainment to the neutrals.

England's bowling attack has performed well this year, but is still missing that one danger- man. I don't know who he is, because he might not exist. They don't have a Dale Steyn, a Brett Lee, a Fidel Edwards. They don't have that man who will make even the best batsmen quake in the first 15 overs. James Anderson is a very good bowler, and can bowl excellent economic spells. He can take wickets, and is a decent leader of the attack. But he's a fast-medium bowler. As is Stuart Broad. As is Graham Onions. Broad can bowl great spells - we saw that at the Oval this August - but he's not a man you want running in and bouncing short balls at the batsmen. He'll be taken apart. Sajid Mahmood was included in the ODI squad - maybe he needs to be worked on to become a test bowler - he has genuine pace.

England's bowlers, I have no doubt, will take wickets in this series, and will bowl good spells, but you just get the feeling that if Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers are on a 100-run partnership and facing Broad and Wright that they'll take them to town.

What of the batsmen? On paper, Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior, Wright, Broad, Swann - it's a good, strong, long batting line-up. But I predict - and it's a nasty prediction - that if England bat 8 innings this tour, Cook will be dismissed for less than 15 in at least three of them. In which case, Trott is your opener - maybe he can deal with it, but it's a different role.

KP will deliver some fine innings in the series, but he's still making his first test appearance in some time, and every bowler in the South African team wants his scalp more than anyone else's. It's vital that Strauss does what he did in the Ashes and leads from the front - England more than any other team take such great heart from his good starts, and you get the feeling that he's going to need a few tons if England are to have a chance of victory.

I can't get past the belief that Luke Wright is a major weak link - if the team's on a score of 350 when he comes in he might well make a quick 30 or 40 runs to boost the total, but he's not the man to rescue you when you're in trouble - in England are languishing on 180-4/5 you need a guy who can steady things down and bat through a session. Wright isn't that player. He's shown promise in the shorter format but I just don't think he's ready for Test - I think his batting will be exposed and his bowling preyed upon.

South Africa have had good news in that Jacques Kallis will play in the opening test. However, his role will be limited to batting, and the Proteas arguably would miss his prowess with the ball to a greater extent. In the same way that Collingwood will temper the English attack with economical and often wicket-taking spells, so Kallis steadies the South Africans. Steyn and Morkel will power in and deliver some frightening pace to the English, but if they start to go awry the English batsmen can fill their boots, and you need a miserly bowler to dry up the runs. Without Kallis, the South African bowlers could be either brilliant or distinctly lacking, and hopefully we'll see the big man fully fit in time for the second match.

South Africa's batting is superb - Ashwell Prince makes a return to the team for the Centurion match to open alongside the simply awesome Graeme Smith - those two are well capable of setting up a score of 280-0. Add AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Mark Boucher to the team and you just sigh with pleasure.

Makhaya Ntini returns to make his 100th Test appearance for the home team, and perhaps he can keep the runs away from Cook long enough to pressure him into falling to Steyn at the other end.

England are unpredictable. So, in a way, are South Africa, particularly without Kallis holding the ball. However, I can't see England threatening to take the series, and if they got out of it at 1-1 they'd be over the moon. I'm going to go for a 2-0 win to South Africa over the four games; I think England will bat long enough to draw at least one if not two games, but I think they'll always struggle to take 20 wickets.

Rollercoaster Ride

English cricket is ridiculous.

This South Africa tour has been as nervously anticipated as the Ashes, but as the Test series draws closer, and the ODI matches bump to a close, we are left with yet another English series to squint at in confusion.

No one can deny that the current English team has a lot of talent - led by Andrew Strauss, in the form of his life, their batting includes a steady newcomer in Jonathan Trott, a scintillating Paul Collingwood, a returning Kevin Pietersen, and a host more. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are a good frontline attack, ably backed up by Tim Bresnan, who's proving himself as an international player, while Graeme Swann's off-spin is always a danger to opposing teams.

And yet, the team cannot seem to perform for two games in a row. Look at the Ashes - Cardiff, Lords, Edgbaston, Headingley, The Oval. The momentum swung terrifyingly to and fro like Mike Gatting on the end of a rope. Australia then ripped them to shreds in the ODIs. The English then took on the Champions Trophy and were unlikely semi-finalists. And now this.

South Africa have been shown up in this as much as England. Without Jacques Kallis, one of the finest cricketers in the world with bat and ball, they looked dangerously balanced to start with. Hashim Amla showed good form and deserved his opening spot alongside the wonderful Graeme Smith , but JP Duminy, although a fantastic player, isn't a typical number 4. AB de Villiers, arguably in the top 3 batsmen on the planet, was elevated to number 3, and then came the 5-6-7 combination of Alviro Petersen, Ryan McLaren, and Albie Morkel. Herschelle Gibbs was another absentee for the first match.

They made 250, which is a modest score in Centurion today, with Petersen Duminy and Amla contributing decent knocks. England were able to chase it down without too much problem, Jonathan Trott making 87 (he also bowled 7 overs for 21 runs) before Collingwood finished them off with a superb 5th one-day ton.

Once bitten, twice destructive. The second game displayed the potential of that South African side - Smith and Amla got the Proteas off to a hundred-run partnership before handing the reins to de Villiers, who cracked a rapid-fire century to boost South Africa to 354. England never believed a chase possible, with both openers falling for 24, and Collingwood's 86 would prove far too little in the end, with the away team falling 111 runs short.

But it wouldn't be an England tour without a turnaround. Having brought Gibbs into the squad but not started him, South Africa elected to bat in Port Elizabeth yesterday morning, and stumbled to a record-low home total of 119. James Anderson was simply fantastic, collecting career-best figures of 5-23, and showing a welcome return to his destructive pre-Ashes form. Trott and Strauss set the visitors off nicely and they completed the job efficiently.

So what happened? It's no coincidence that South Africa's triumphs on the tour have coincided with Graeme Smith having good innings, and their disasters have seen him make an early exit. It seems that without Kallis at the top to steady things, the team tends to panic after the captain falls. The lower order are fine when building on a big total and they can let loose, but put more responsibility on them and it's a different story. Ryan McLaren may call himself an all-rounder, but 11 runs in 4 innings is a stat that needs to change quickly.

South Africa have little choice but to bring back Gibbs for the next match; having brought him into the squad and then capitulated as they did it seems ridiculous to overlook him. The problem is that Kallis has not only weakened their batting, but their bowling as well. His 8 or 10 overs are extremely valuable as a steadying influence while Morkel, McLaren, and van der Merwe are bowling the rest. He hopes to be back for the Test series, but South Africa need to start finding options for when the big man can't make it. With him they appear almost impenetrable; without him there's a nerviness and precipicial element that they could do without.

So what's going to happen on Friday? I'm going to go the usual way - England dominated the last match, so South Africa will blow them away.

A Step In The Right Direction

Whether as a player or a supporter, cricket in Ireland can easily frustrate. We go out there, play some great matches, take some great scalps, and then, back home to work.

Some of our strongest players head across the water; while infuriating for Irish fans, you can see their point: they want to play cricket at the highest level; they want it to be their career. It hasn't worked out for Ed Joyce yet, and although Eoin Morgan has had a promising start he's going to find it difficult to hold down a regular place, especially with Kevin Pietersen back.

If the situation stays the same in Ireland, with a glass ceiling stopping us from progressing any further, and limiting the professional contracts available, it’s going to continue.

The move this week from Cricket Ireland to apply for Full Member status from the ICC, allowing them to play Test match cricket, is a hugely positive move. But will it be crowned with success?

Ireland’s performances on the pitch have certainly given them a good platform for application: unbeaten in first-class matches since 2004, Super-8 qualification in both the ODI and Twenty20 World Cups, victory in the 2011 World Cup qualifying tournament, and three Intercontinental Cup wins in a row. No one can say that we don’t have a competitive, passionate, and ultimately successful team. The performance against Bangladesh in the World Cup this year was composed under pressure, and a perfect example of how to pace a run chase.

So what are the problems?

Cricket is about money. The ICC and he national boards are money mad. Whether it’s their association with Allen Stanford or the scheduling of endless ODI series, so much of world cricket seems to be about the next dollar. If Ireland want to break into the top flight, they’ll need to show that they can bring money to the game, and not just be a drain. Ireland need to show that they can get their matches on TV, and Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland CEO, identified this as key. England, South Africa, and India matches were all shown in 2006, but this year Ireland haven’t been on the screen except in the World Cup.

Bangladesh were the last team to be elevated, back in 2000. However, they have a much larger population to draw from, and are helpful to India as a voting partner. The politics of cricket are finely balanced, and don’t be surprised if the subcontinental teams vote against the application.

Commentators have also pointed to Ireland’s facilities – can we host Australia in test matches? The ground in Stormont is a good ground, and is fine for ODIs, but it will need work if top-class cricket is to be played. Given the importance of getting fans to the matches from a commercial point of view, we’re going to need bigger stands that we can fill. I can’t see Brian Lenihan’s budget sending a lot of money Ireland’s way, but at the same time, Irish cricket does receive sponsorship from various source.

Let’s be honest – the odds are that Ireland will be refused. However, even the application process is a big move in the right direction. It shows the world that we have ambition and drive, that we want to play with the big boys. It may not happen straight away, but we’ve shown out intent, and no one can deny that Irish cricket has a bright future ahead.