Although the one-day series is in its infancy, England coach Andy Flower will be well aware of the enormous task he faces in engineering an away Test series win in South Africa. How England cope with the retirement of the talismanic Freddie Flintoff will be a major factor in their fortunes this summer, with England now needing a new ‘go to bowler’ and a batsman who can cause havoc down the order.
However with Kevin Pietersen returning from injury and England having regained the Ashes, the ECB and the Barmy Army will have high hopes that Flower’s men, marshalled by the understated Andrew Strauss, can emerge victorious against the top ranked Test nation in the world.
The first thing Flower needs to address is the batting. England’s top six will need to score and score heavily in order to lay the platform for the likes of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad to take 20 wickets consistently. Against the Australians, England’s batsman struggled to convert starts into big scores and it was only Andrew Strauss who managed to come out of the series with his form in tact. The Essex pair of Ravi Bopara and Alistair Cook had a torrid time while Owais Shah’s form put pay to his participation on this tour.
Paul Colllingwood and Ian Bell both had nominal successes as did Matt Prior but it was the lower order that often bailed England out of trouble. Broad, Anderson, and Graeme Swann all made vital contributions but against the express pace of Dale Steyn, Mornie Morkel and promising left arm seamer, Wayne Parnell, it may be tougher to repeat those heroics.
Returning Home
England’s top order will be bolstered by the return of the enigmatic Kevin Pietersen while fellow South African born Jonathan Trott will be hoping to continue his fine form for the Three Lions in both forms of the game. Both players can expect a hostile reception from the notoriously partisan South African crowd, while the atmosphere in the middle will be frosty to say the least. Pietersen’s last visit to these shores showed he was no shrinking violet, and a similar approach against a robust Proteas attack will be needed; although he may struggle to better his three centuries during the one-day series this time out.
Elsewhere, Collingwood has begun the tour in brilliant fettle with a memorable century on his record breaking one day appearance, while Alistair Cook ended the county season defying his Ashes inconsistency. Wicketkeeper Matt Prior has a fantastic average but will be hoping he can turn some of his excellent starts into big scores. Luke Wright has seemingly been earmarked for the Flintoff role while Ian Bell will need to impress quickly should he wish to remain in contention. Fast outfields and a relatively youthful pace attack, which at times has looked one-dimensional, should give the England batsmen plenty of encouragement if they can start the series well.
Bowling Attack
England's new look bowling attack is young and aggressive. Gone are the reliable talents of Hoggard, Harmison and Flintoff, giving the likes Anderson, Broad, and potentially Liam Plunkett a chance to form England’s pace attack for many years to come. Anderson, now England’s most senior frontline bowler, has turned into a world class performer combining swing and pace, while Broad offers aggression and bounce with a nagging off-stump line. Swann is tailor-made for a series like this, and his recent exploits with bat and ball should make him a key player for England over the next few months.
England have a number of alternatives waiting in the wings, all of whom will be vying for a coveted place in the starting XI. Ryan Sidebottom, Adil Rashid or the Durham pair of Graham Onions or Plunkett all have their merits, although Onions Ashes exploits will undoubtedly give him the nod initially. Rashid is a real talent but it is unlikely that the England management will decide on two spinners. Sidebottom struggled last season but when on song, his left arm swing bowling is both accurate and economical. The Durham duo offer real pace and the knack of taking important wickets, which will be needed against a strong South African batting line up.
Can England win?
South Africa can proudly lay claim to being the number one Test side but did lose to Australia in their last home series. They have plenty of talented batsman and bowlers but England should head into the series full of confidence. Flower has not let the players rest on their laurels after winning the Ashes, and it is now that they must push on. The bowling unit is one of the best in world cricket so if the top order batsman can spark into life, then England have every chance of winning this series.