I Told You So...

In between the looks of excitement following England's astonishing victory this afternoon, and those of guilt that I am currently writing this instead of revising for my exam tomorrow, I feel I can afford myself a slightly self-satisfied smirk. My venture into writing about cricket is still in its infancy, yet most of my thoughts and predictions about the nature of the First Test have been vindicated. I am not preparing for a phone call from TMS, Sky or one of the broadsheets quite yet, but I am nevertheless rather pleased with myself at this decent start.
Any slim journalistic ambitions of mine however, pale into insignificance next to the cricket itself. What an extraordinary end to an absorbing match! I think the only people who can feel aggrieved are those who planned to come to Lord's tomorrow, and perhaps the whole of New Zealand. Although inevitably shorted, low-scoring games are, in my opinion, much better for the spectator. The course of the match can change within the blink of an eye, momentum swings from one side to another like a demented grandfather clock and for the players themselves, there a plenty of golden opportunities to be a hero. If New Zealand hadn't imploded quite so

rapidly, and the margin of victory had been correspondingly slimmer, we would have been saying that Joe Root was the crucial difference between the sides. The Yorkshireman not only compiled the highest individual innings score of the match yesterday, but was the only player on either side to finish with a match aggregate of over 100 (the next best was the unflappable Jonathan Trott, with 95). As he has done for his international career so far, he batted in both innings of this match with a maturity and confidence beyond his years. The only thing I would say is that he and Trott need to seriously work on their running between the wickets together! In all seriousness, when Root makes his debut international hundred, it will be a special moment indeed.
Although he won't have minded in the slightest, Root at the limelight taken from him by a rampant Stuart Broad. I backed Broad before the Test, not so much to score runs, but certainly to take wickets. I felt, although others thought otherwise, that he bowled reasonably well in the first innings.

Indeed, his first spell I believe matched that of James Anderson's. Broad is becoming slightly mercurial, which is not such a bad thing. Any team is made stronger by having a bowler who can runs through teams like Broad did today, even if they don't do it every match. It wouldn't be an attribute quite so desirable if it wasn't perfectly complimented by Anderson's reliability though. I sung his praises vigorously in my last post, and he yet again reaffirmed his credentials today, although perhaps lived up to the 'Unlucky' moniker I gave him by having playing second fiddle to Broad in the deciding innings of the match.
With regards to the batting, I feel I scored a massive hit with Alastair Cook. The England captain was dismissed twice in the match by left-armer Trent Boult and, although you could argue his second innings dismissal was uncharacteristically lazy, he never really looked comfortable against the wiry paceman. On the other hand, I backed his opening partner Nick Compton and Ian Bell, and neither made a real contribution (Compton a match aggregate of 31, Bell 37). We can forgive Bell I think, as he was suffering from flu for most of the match and as for Compton, whatever you say about a gate between bat and pad, the ball he got in the second innings was a gem and would have got better players than himself out. The way he got out in the first innings was odd though. It is perhaps the first time in his career to date he has got himself out in a lackadaisical fashion. Also, whilst I said he would be more relaxed at the crease playing in England, it appears he isn't. If I was the England management, I would give him some reassurance with regards to his place in the team, as he still looks tense. Some aspersions have also been cast on the performance of Jonny Bairstow, somewhat unjustly in my opinion. He top-scored in the first innings after all, and was unfortunate in both his dismissal and in the fact that by the time he was 'in' he was batting with the tail. Both he and Root certainly looked relaxed at the crease anyway.
Moving to the New Zealand camp and, although my assertion that Peter Fulton would struggle in England was perhaps on the verge of stating the obvious, it was nevertheless vindicated. He never looked particularly comfortable for any of the 31 balls he faced in the match and, if he doesn't improve on his match aggregate of three at Headingley, he will be looking apprehensively over his shoulder for Martin Guptill. Test cricket can be a cruel game when you're thirty four. Another who appeared way out of his depth was Dean Brownlie, who may be getting in the team on account of his excellent slip catching at the moment. I confess I was woefully wrong about Hamish Rutherford and Kane Williamson however. Rutherford comes from the Tillakaratne Dilshan/Virender Sehwag/Tamim Iqbal school of opening batters, so is a bit all or nothing. It

could well be that he blazes a magnificent hundred on Friday morning. Williamson, on the other hand, I must alter my opinion of. The technical difficulties I spoke of previously seemed to be absent for most of his innings and he was got out first time around in an unfortunate way, caught down the leg side. Whilst Headingley will, in all likelihood, test his technique more than Lord's, I now would back him to succeed and score more runs. His ball to get rid of Trott yesterday was Graeme Swann-esque too, and he has come out of the match with his stock enhanced. Not so Bruce Martin. New Zealand's specialist spinner only took one wicket in the match, which was essentially gifted to him by Compton, and bowled some really filthy long hops with alarming regularity. With his injury, it may be that this is now an easier decision to make for the New Zealand selectors, but I expect Doug Bracewell to play in his place at Headingley, something I was an advocate of for this Test.
Well, I have calmed down now following a thrilling half day of Test cricket, once again proving that this is without a doubt the best format of the game for spectators and players alike and must return to revision. It has certainly ended up being an explosive start to the international summer, and I'm already looking forward to it continuing on Friday.

The Good, The Bad and The Unlucky

One day of cricket. Three contrasting days for three different England bowlers: Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn and James Anderson.

Pride of place in this article, and in cricketing headlines around the world tomorrow, must go to James Anderson. The Burnley Express took his 300th Test wicket at Lord's today, and quickly took his overall tally to 301. He could have had 302 had Matt Prior uncharacteristically dropped Kane Williamson on 23. Not only for that reason but others too, Anderson has acquired the moniker of 'Unlucky' here. One recurring theme that I have noticed in Anderson's Test renaissance over the last five years or so is a

lack of luck. A common club cricket phrase uttered by wise old veterans and eager young prodigies alike is 'shit gets wickets'. Although Anderson rarely bowls any 'shit' these days, even precious few of his late order/tail end wickets are from poor balls. He hardly ever benefits from the batter's generosity either. In this respect, it may be an unfortunate repercussion of his deserved fearsome reputation around the world that batters are reluctant to take liberties with him. Anderson appears to be perenially bereft of luck. His magnificent, unplayable, but ultimately unrewarded spell of bowling to Michael Hussey on the third day of the first 10/11 Ashes Test is rapidly becoming stuff of legend. Superbly skilful yet agonisingly futile, Anderson became noticeablely increasingly frustrated and disbelieving as he watched Hussey play and miss, and again, and again, and again. Some of his spells today held echoes of Brisbane, and he can feel aggreived not not have taken his wicket tally to withing a few of Fred Trueman's.

Anderson may also feel aggreived at the possible percieved lack of support he was given by his fellow seamers, in particularly Steven Finn. I cast aspersions on Finn's form in my previous post, although not strongly enough that I can feel smugness with any validity, but he did bowl poorly today. Inevitably, Finn chooses the moment I am writing this to take the wicket of Dean Brownlie, but I retain my criticism. At the risk of stating the obvious, the wicket came from a full delivery, which were a rarity to see when Finn was bowling throughout the day. May + England + wet weather should equal full bowling. It's not rocket science. I have to say I can sympathise with Finn a little. Although tiny compared to the 6'7" Finn, I am taller than most of the people I play cricket with or against. I often find myself erring on the short side when bowling, and struggling to pitch it up even if that is what I'm trying to do. Having said that, I am a club trundler, Finn is an international professional, so the sympathy stops there. It was a Bad day for the Middlesex quick, who is clearly better than what he showed today.

Finn's rival for a place in the starting XI was also in action today, and my, what a Good day he had. Tim Bresnan was released by England to join Yorkshire in their match against Warwickshire. Although it may have been that they didn't require the burly all-rounders services, if nothing else he hastened the White Rose's comprehensive innings victory over the champions. On an Edgbaston wicket where scoring fluent runs was reportedly difficult, he made a robust 38 in support of Adil Rashid, who finished Yorkshire's innings on an unbeaten second Championship century of the season, heightening the, admittedly slim, chances of an England recall. He then made the best possible start to his bowling outing, trapping Varun Chopra lbw with the first ball of Warwickshire's second innings. He then picked up Darren Maddy and Tom Milnes later on to complete a trio of seamers with three wickets each as Yorkshire romped home. He appears to be back to his best and the England selectors may have a few rueful smiles on their faces. Bresnan meanwhile, will have one as broad as his shoulders, as he savours Yorkshire's ascension to the top of the table.

Before the Lord Mayor's show?

England Test matches in May tend to go down two routes. Either the weather plays the villainous lead and the match tends to peter out into a dull rain-affected draw, or the weather plays an intriguing yet subtle hand by providing juicy pitches that bowlers relish and that produce absorbing, thrilling and ultimately competitive cricket, where batters are forced to score some proper runs and the course of the match can alter rapidly, as we witnessed in 2011 where a ruthless England attack produced a sparkling performance on the final day to rout a rabbit-in-the-headlights-esque Sri Lanka at Cardiff. Unfortunately given the British weather currently, we may be in for the former route over the next five days, but we can live in hope. If we do get a series where play is possible on most days however, it could prove to be a fascinating one.
Another curse that often affects early season Test matches is that they tend to get overlooked by public and press alike. Usually the series is shorted and against a supposedly lesser team. Add the A-word in and you could be forgiven for realising this series is actually taking place. But it is. And not only should it throw up questions in its own right, but answer some that have already been asked. Let us first consider the tourists.
New Zealand are a team that are perennially said to be greater than the sum of their parts, a moniker that is not without justification. Their strongest part at the moment is undoubtedly their fast bowling attack and it is for this reason that they will be relishing a series that could well be played on cooperative wickets. Trent Boult is clearly the current pack leader. Whilst Tim Southee is more experienced and arguably more skillful, Boult holds the advantages of being a shade quicker, more of an unknown quantity and, most crucially, a left-armer. It is that last parameter that could give him the edge over England's top order, particularly Alastair Cook. Like many left-handers paradoxically have had, he has had not inconsiderable problems with left-armers in the past and, whilst we have got used to him scoring runs for fun, he is only human (I think) and, in good old-fashioned England fan style, I say he is due a lean series. The backup seamers are useful too. In New Zealand, the Barmy Army were charmed first by Neil Wagner's surname, then by his bustling, whole-hearted approach to bowling. The general consensus is that he is ahead of Doug Bracewell for the third paceman's spot but, having watched a bit of Bracewell bowling against South Africa, I would be tempted to go with a four man pace attack and leave out Bruce Martin. It would be slightly harsh on Martin, who outbowled his opposite number Monty Panesar in the recent series, but he was poor on the final day in Auckland and besides, a move like picking a four man pace attack would be more in keeping with Brendon McCullum's progressive style of captaincy. I feel Bracewell would offer as much with the bat as Martin and, to cap it off, New Zealand's number three and part time offspinner Kane Williamson actually has more Test wickets at a lower average than Martin.
Williamson neatly brings me to the batting, which is a trickier puzzle to solve. They are a team that has been rolled for double figure scores by quality pace attacks recently, and it is not too much to imagine that something similar could happen here. Indeed, in a two-match, possibly to be rain-affected series, one innings where the batting implodes could be the difference between an impressive series drawn and a disappointing series lost. Six months ago, the New Zealand selectors will not have had Peter Fulton in their provisional starting XI for this Test match, but his twin hundreds in Auckland have given the thirty four year old opener the chance to have a decent crack of the whip. Nevertheless, we can't ignore the fact he has an ugly stance and technique that leads to an unconvincing uncertainty around off stump. Against an England attack at home, hungry for some personal revenge, with Duke ball in hand and in swinging conditions, you have to expect that he will come a cropper. His opening partner, Hamish

Rutherford, on the other hand, has acquitted himself well with English conditions, and the signs are that he could be the key player for New Zealand. He scores his runs quickly, and in potentially low scoring matches, quick runs take on greater significance, a fact true of the Black Caps captain. His bullish and inventive captaincy will be less important in conditions best exploited by doing the basics right. His bullish and inventive attitude however, will be of paramount importance. In a young team with few 'characters' he will need to be the main galvanising force on the field. That is not to discount the contribution Ross Taylor will no doubt make to that area, but he will know that the best way he can assert himself on the team is by scoring big runs. He does have valuable experience of doing this in England but whether he does this or not I feel largely depends on the England bowlers. If they bowl short on these wickets, he will be savage. If they bowl full well, who knows. The rest of the batting order comprises of three players (Williamson, Dean Brownlie and wicketkeeper BJ Watling) who have each played fighting Test innings showing a mental maturity beyond their experience, but still possess technical flaws that I fear will be realised on this tour. It could be that I am proved wrong, but I honestly can't envisage more than one of them making a sizeable contribution.
My New Zealand starting XI for tomorrow would therefore be:
Peter Fulton
Hamish Rutherford
Kane Williamson
Ross Taylor
Dean Brownlie
Brendon McCullum (c)
BJ Watling (wk)
Tim Southee
Doug Bracewell
Neil Wagner
Trent Boult


Now I turn my attention to England. As a team, as a batting unit, as a bowling group and as other cliches as well, they will be confident. All teams are more confident when at home, but England more than most. The bowlers in particular will be chomping at the bit to get out in the middle. In New Zealand their initial confidence turned to frustration through puzzlement and annoyance , and ended up somewhere near grumpiness. None more so than for James

Anderson. The Lancashire quick is deadly at home, more because he has a Duke ball rather than because of the pitches, and will be keen to return his record against New Zealand to its previous excellence, and pass 300 Test wickets along the way. I am backing him to shine in this series, and at Headingley he has a good chance to go one better than his previous best Test figures.
His new ball partner will be, and should be, Stuart Broad. Broad retains his double-edged knack of taking wickets in clusters. This, allied to his fiery, sometimes childish, temper leads observers to periodically call for his head. England will definitely have him penciled in as a key player over this bumper summer of cricket though. His confidence should be high, and he will see this series as an opportunity to pick up some wickets and reaffirm his status in the eyes of the public as England's second best paceman.
The last two bowling spots (I think we all can accept that England will continue to pick six batters for the foreseeable future) will be filled by a combination of Graeme Swann, Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn. Whilst I have said I would be an advocate of a four man New Zealand attack, I believe we can all perish any thought of Swann not playing. They missed each of his three facets terribly in New Zealand and, whilst his form for Notts hasn't been exactly sparkling, indications are that his elbow isn't proving detrimental to his game as it did last year. Although the pitches may not be particularly conducive to spin, but nevertheless one of the key cogs in this remarkably successful England team will return, and they will be more dangerous for it.
That leaves Bresnan and Finn for the final spot and as to who it will be, well my guess is as good as yours. Finn is 'the man in possession' but has taken only seven wickets in his three first class matches for Middlesex this season, at an average approaching forty. Not exactly great

form. He is also reportedly going back to his longer run up, a sign that he himself is not comfortable with his game. Bresnan, on the other hand, has shown solid if unspectacular form for Yorkshire so far, taking thirteen wickets at twenty seven in his three matches and his return may shake up an England attack that was starting to look flat in New Zealand. The selectors will bear in mind that his is also returning from injury, and they may not want to risk him and Swann coming back in the same match. Like I said, I believe it is too close to call but secretly hope that Finn gets the nod. After all, that would mean Bresnan would return to the Yorkshire team currently playing Warwickshire. Although it appears they may not need him!
The trio of Cook, Trott and Bell are a reassuring presence in the England batting lineup and, whilst I stated that Cook may struggle against Boult, the other two are in good form for their county. In fact, they are being sorely missed at the moment (yes, I couldn't resist mentioning it again)! In all seriousness, I am backing them both to score runs. The same goes for Nick Compton. The Somerset opener has had to wait seven Tests before making his home debut and will be extremely confident going into it. Whilst his first two Test hundreds will still be fresh in his mind, mentally he will be casting his mind back to early last season, where he was scoring runs for fun in tricky conditions. He may well have to do something similar tomorrow morning. He knows now that he can do it and that he 'belongs'. He needs to retain the intensity that served him so well in unfamiliar Indian conditions, but will naturally relax playing on a familiar Lord's pitch. I think his game will be better for it.
There isn't much to say about Matt Prior to be honest, other than I'm glad he exists. Sandwiched between England's recently named player of the year and the top four, however, lies the most fascinating area of the team. The two Yorkshire youngsters, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, will occupy places five and six, with myriad subplots encircling them. The first thing to say is that the pair of them are in superb form. Joe Root, especially, will have never batted better. Three scores of 179 or more, along with a scarcely noticeable second ball duck, in his last four games mean his confidence will be higher going into this Test than any of his previous four. Bairstow meanwhile, looks to be getting back to somewhere approaching his free-flowing best. The second important point is that the pair of them like batting together. A sizeable partnership against the New Zealanders and an enormous one against Derbyshire mean that we can curb our panic should England find themselves at 40-4 at some point with the two rookies at the crease. The bigger picture with regards to this of course concerns the Ashes (oh no I've said it!). Assuming Kevin Pietersen returns, which is likely, from some angles Root and Bairstow could be seen as engaging in a winner takes all shoot-out for that number six spot. Matters would be complicated if both (or neither) score runs though, with other possible scenarios presenting themselves. I won't go into them now as it mainly concerns the Ashes. Let it just be said that even the most Pimms-sodden MCC members will be watching the two Yorkshiremen at the crease intently.

My England starting XI for tomorrow would therefore be:
Alastair Cook (c)
Nick Compton
Jonathan Trott
Ian Bell
Joe Root
Jonny Bairstow
Matt Prior (wk)
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Steven Finn
James Anderson

Blooming White Rose?

The first few blows struck in the opening bouts of the County Championship are traditionally rather soft, ineffective ones. Early season, the rain and the rustiness of the players often combine to produce rather dull draws. The opening few games of the 2013 season, however, have been bereft of damp squibs, certainly in Division One. Middlesex's much-vaunted fast bowling attack showed their pedigree by rolling Derbyshire for 60 after conceding a first-innings deficit, Warwickshire's seamers did something similar by knocking over Durham for 94, and Durham themselves have today pulled off a stunning victory over Nottinghamshire by brutally chasing down 183 in 20 overs and 2 balls on the final evening. If there's one team in Division One that have really caught the eye, however, then its Yorkshire.
After getting thumped by and innings in a dismal first outing against Sussex, Yorkshire's last two matches have seen them complete two of their most remarkable victories in living memory. An extraordinarily successful chase of 336 at the Riverside preceded an innings victory over Derbyshire that not many would have predicted following Derbyshire's first innings total of 475. These two wins see them sitting, not exactly pretty, but certainly confidently, joint second in the table, and will give the Yorkshire faithful belief, not that they needed it, that they can bring the Championship back to its (rightful) place in their sesquicentennial (yes I had to look that up) year.
Although I was born closer to the Riverside than Headingley, and have lived for most of the past five years within half an hours bus journey of Old Trafford, my home town is in North Yorkshire therefore count myself as a Yorkshireman and, most importantly, support the White Rose. Yorkshire is a funny concept within not just English cricket culture, but English culture in general. Of all regional stereotypes, there is none that is so accurate, or indeed so readily accepted by the target, than that of the Yorkshireman. A Scotsman would frown at being described as being a drunkard, and who can forget the Cockney Harry Redknapp's angry retort at being accused of being a 'wheeler-dealer'. Accuse a Yorkshireman of being stubborn, tight and plain-speaking and he will agree, often with a hint of pride. I'm not sure about whippets, but Yorkshiremen who wear flat caps do so without irony. Yorkshire is also irreversibly synonymous with cricket. Perhaps it is the abundant greenery, or the attritional, determined nature of the game, but it is true that the hills, dales and valleys of God's Own County are awash with cricket grounds. From the ones found in the tiniest villages, where daisies grow in abundance, horses occasionally make an appearance at cow corner and it is a constant cause of astonishment that the opposition can actually make up a team from their population, to the affluent, comfortably middle-class club grounds of Guisborough and Harrogate, where eager parents watch their offspring, resplendent in brand new whites and kit. Famous names from Yorkshire grace the lists of both high-achieving England players - Hedley Verity, Geoff Boycott, Herbert Sutcliffe - and particularly under the mantle of captain - Len Hutton, Brian Close, Michael Vaughan. It is perhaps not surprising then, that Yorkshire are the most successful of the eighteen first class counties, with thirty one Championship wins, twelve better than their nearest rivals Surrey. It has been over a decade since their last win though, but this Yorkshire side look galvanised and convinced they can celebrate their return to Division One with a 32nd Championship win.
Okay, everything looks and sounds rosy for them so far, but look at the scorecards for those two wins and you will see they were built for a large part on the performances of their two young, star, but most importantly incrementally contracted, batsmen, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root. Partially-forgotten man Tim Bresnan also played an not inconsiderable part either. It is doubtless that in this quite heady summer of international cricket, these three players will be highly involved. Yorkshire's season could well rest on both how many matches those three can play, and more importantly how the team manages in their absence. In fact, it is conceivable that Yorkshire will be missing their England trio for all their remaining Championship games, so how will they cope?
Bresnan, for all his doubtless quality and the valuable contributions he makes, will be the least missed of the three. Imports Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett seem to be acquitting themselves well, and no-one could argue that they aren't decent Division One quality seamers. Add in the experience of Ryan Sidebottom, the potential of Moin Ashraf and the willingness of Steven Patterson and there is a pace battery that will be potent at best and mediocre at worst. No, it is the loss of Root and Bairstow that will have management and fans alike nervously drumming their fingers.

A smaller, but worrying yet not unexpected spanner has been thrown into the works by the international recognition of Gary Ballance. Anyone who has watched the young Zimbabwe-born batsman play will say that this is not before time. Plenty of young Indian batters have first class averages of over fifty, but that is in the Ranji Trophy where the pitches are flat and the balls uncooperative. To maintain a 50+ average in the County Championship, as Ballance as done, is a truly commendable achievement. He has the ability to quickly and drastically alter the course of an innings or a match, a la Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior and (whisper it) Kevin Pietersen. I am in no doubt that Ballance will make some sort of England debut this summer, though probably not in Test cricket, putting even greater strain on Yorkshire's middle order. The management, and Ballance himself, will know he has to perform when he plays if Yorkshire are to lift the title.
Who then, will be required to really step up in that batting line-up? In my opinion it is three players that once, and perhaps still do, harbour England ambitions: Adam Lyth, Joe Sayers and, in particular, Andrew Gale. Whilst Gale has proved himself an intelligent and effective captain, the sort lion-hearted players want to serve well, he will know he needs to score heavily this season. Lyth has talent, and Sayers the mindset, but they need to convert their key attributes into runs and, possibly more importantly, time at the crease. There are some fine sides in Division One and it may be that Yorkshire's route to the title will encompass some grinding out of draws against the likes of Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. One thing is for sure, the top six cannot continue to rely on Phil Jacques as much as they have in recent years.
The final word on Yorkshire's squad must go to Adil Rashid. With an imperious fifth first class century in the ongoing Somerset fixture, the signs are there that this could be the season that the mercurial leg-spinning all-rounder finds his feet once again. Still only twenty-five, he will have a place back in that England side firmly in his mind. Whilst the route to it may not be currently clear, scoring runs and taking wickets to take Yorkshire to the title would be a fine path to go down.
It may be that this is all wildly ambitious postulates, and Yorkshire will embark on a downwards spiral culminating in an end-of-season relegation scrap. The competitive and unpredictable nature of the Championship attracts this sort of speculation however, so I make no apologies. Yorkshire's last game is against Surrey at the Oval, scene of many a dramatic end to an English international summer. Currently, there is no more satisfying vision for me than that of Andrew Gale holding aloft the champagne-soaked trophy on a hot September's evening in Central London. Currently, that image is not too far-fetched.