Friday 8 January 2010

Bell and Colly and the infinite sadness [of Graeme Smith]

In common with other outlets this column might have given the impression that Ian Bell was undeserving of his place in the England side, never scored runs unless other people did and responded to pressure a bit like Lance Kluesener used to. 

In fact, we're happy to acknowledge that Mr Bell is the new Steve Waugh, flint-hearted with gunslinger's eyes, the wicket the oppo want back in the hutch most...

Well sort of. Credit where it's due, Bell was tough, resilient and played the situation. I'll buy the rest when he does it regularly. There were many words on 'breakthrough innings' from Ramprakash and Hick, too.

Steyn's spell to Collingwood after lunch was supreme Test match cricket. Steyn was magnificent, Colly unyielding. It's how things should be. 

Smith made one mistake: not realising England were playing at a venue beginning with the letter 'C'. Cardiff, Centurian, Capetown...

NB: Credit too to England's captain, coach and selectors. They have fit the system to the available players, rather than vice versa. They will need five bowlers at some point, if only to stop Jimmy Anderson taking years off his life... 

5 comments:

Tim Newman said...

Lance Klusener! I'd forgotten all about him, damn he was one of the most exciting cricketers I've ever seen in his brief moment of glory at the 1999 ODI world cup. Oh, what would he have done had twenty20 come a decade earlier?

Brit said...

It was a terrific effort by Belly, we can say that. As you say, we'll believe in him when he does it regularly. He's one of those players who does pull out a success just as a run of failures uses up his credit from the previous success, which overall is costly for the team. I'd have picked Morgan or even Wright, and we'd probably have lost the Test, which just shows what I know.

In these rearguard situations you look down the batting line-up there are some players you 'trust' (Colly and Strauss obviously, Cook and Trott suprisingly. Don't have to be great players - Ashley Giles was always a banker), and some you don't (Bell, Prior, and surprisingly, KP). Belly done good to prove us wrong, this time.

narkins said...

I was glad they picked bell if only for the fact that they didn't pick Wright. I like wrighty but his bowling is barely stomached in ODI's, he'd be murdered in tests.

Tom Redfern said...

Dear OB,
Happy new year and good to see your love of Ian Bell hasn't dwindled. Thing is you've won the argument that he's had too many chances and doesn't do it when it matters, so it must be galling when he does succeed hey!

Even worse he's batting at 6. What a luxury. Ravi Bopara must be happy.

Rob said...

Bell has been poor for a long time. A couple of good innings does not change that. His test average is now just above a laughable 40. Like you say, let's see if he can repeat it. In the past he has played a good series followed by a big slump (which you can see on my graph)