cricinfo.com About cricinfoblogs
Beyond The Blues Beyond The Test World Different Strokes From the Editor Girls Aloud Iain O'Brien Inbox
It Figures Pak Spin Shot Selection The Buzz The Confectionery Stall The Surfer Tour Diaries

Cricinfo Blogs Home

« Review system here to stay | | A first-class great »

Sublime Smith saves best for England

Posted on 08/03/2008 in South Africa in England 2008

In the Observer, Vic Marks salutes Graeme Smith after his majestic, series-clinching century at Edgbaston.

Smith had neutered the England attack with his massive resolve and composure. By the end he was toying with an undermanned and exhausted England attack to take South Africa another step towards their long-term goal. They had not won a series in England since their return to the international scene. Next stop Australia. And Smith will not be intimidated there either.

In the Sunday Telegraph, Steve James says the defeat merely exposed England's failings, something a weak New Zealand side had been unable to do earlier in the summer.

In the Observer, Mike Brearley salutes Paul Collingwood for putting England in a position of strength, despite the loss.

Collingwood had clearly decided that he wasn't going to die like a rat in a hole, he would fight his way out.

Stephen Brenkley writes in the Independent on Sunday that following the series loss, "There will have to be some blood on the selectors' carpet this morning (when the England team for the final Test is selected) otherwise the knives will be out for them."

Jacques Kallis was apoplectic after being dismissed when he failed right to to sight a full ball coming out of a dark area of seating above the sightscreen at the Pavilion End of the ground. Angus Fraser, writing in the Independent on Sunday, says Kallis was well within his rights to complain to the umpire and that the sightscreen problem should have been fixed.

Also read John Stern's take on the issue in the Sunday Times.

Whatever the merits of Arthur’s complaints about the sightscreen it was apparent that Kallis had allowed his concerns about it to play fatally on his mind. For a man of his vast experience who is usually so unflappable, it was an uncharacteristic lack of professionalism.

The South Africans had in fact, sent 12th man Robin Peterson, up to the Warwickshire committee room balcony with a white towel to counter the ‘blind spot’, writes Neil Manthorp in SuperSport


"He was verbally abused immediately and told to go away," confirmed team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee. "They called him an effing cheat."

 
Feedback Feedback

Categories
2009 English domestic season (4) American Premier League (1) Ashes (325) Australia in India 2008-09 (101) Australia in South Africa 2008-09 (14) Australian cricket (796) Bangladesh cricket (27) Betting/Corruption (1) Bob Woolmer (8) Books (7) Bowling actions (3) Champions Trophy (55) Champions Twenty20 League (16) Charity (4) Commentary (65) Compaq Cup (1) Corruption (2) Cricinfo (3) Cricket (18) Cricket and war (1) Cricket books (8) DLF Cup (2) Drugs (2) England in India 2008-09 (66) England in South Africa 2009-10 (12) England in West Indies 2008-09 (72) English cricket (819) Falkland Islands (1) France (1) ICC (79) ICC World Twenty20 (58) ICC anti-doping policy (10) India in Australia, 2007-08 (65) India in New Zealand, 2008-09 (34) India in Pakistan 2008-09 (1) India in Sri Lanka 2008 (18) India in Sri Lanka 2008-09 (2) Indian Cricket League (27) Indian Premier League (204) Indian cricket (597) Interviews (6) Irish cricket (3) Kenyan cricket (2) Miscellaneous (205) Neutral venues (1) New Zealand cricket (251) New Zealand in Australia 2009 (4) New Zealand in Sri Lanka 2009 (4) Obituaries (15) Offbeat (131) Olympics (1) One-day cricket (10) Pakistan cricket (127) Pakistan in England (56) Pakistan in Sri Lanka 2009 (1) Racism (1) Security concerns (19) Shootout in Lahore (10) Sourav Ganguly (1) South Africa in Australia 2008-09 (36) South Africa in England 2008 (49) South African cricket (128) Sri Lankan cricket (85) Stanford 20/20 for 20 (24) Stats (3) T20 Canada (1) Technology (12) Television (24) Test Championship (2) Test rankings (2) The Delhi crisis (1) The Stanford saga (6) Twenty20 (60) UAE cricket (1) Umpires (48) West Indies cricket (125) West Indies in England 2009 (14) West Indies in New Zealand, 2008-09 (8) Women's cricket (27) World Cup 2007 (133) Zimbabwe cricket (47)
Recent Posts
Don't chuck away chuckers Warne worried for Test cricket Young players beware IPL's lure Tendulkar's band of brothers Appalling lack of consistency in Indian bowling Wizened four-pronged attack has sharp look Anura Tennekoon - the spirit of cricket International Cricket Council or Indian Cricket Council? Time for England to come good The God of fine things
Archives
November 2009October 2009September 2009August 2009July 2009June 2009May 2009April 2009March 2009February 2009January 2009December 2008November 2008October 2008September 2008August 2008July 2008June 2008May 2008April 2008March 2008February 2008January 2008December 2007November 2007October 2007September 2007August 2007July 2007June 2007May 2007April 2007March 2007February 2007January 2007December 2006November 2006October 2006September 2006August 2006July 2006June 2006May 2006April 2006March 2006February 2006January 2006December 2005November 2005October 2005September 2005
RSS Feeds RSS Feed
© Cricinfo 2009
website stats