England cricketers looking to make history by going top of the world
Last updated 7/31/2011 3:58:53 PM
England cricketers looking to make history by going top of the world
Even hard task master Andy Flower admitted it was a "near perfect" performance as England move on from their outstanding victory over India at Lords to Friday's second test at Trent Bridge Nottingham.
Flower, who has been outstanding as England's coach, is now set to achieve the ultimate by taking them to the top spot in the world by leapfrogging the current incumbents India.
Although one up it is no simple task as England must win one more of the remaining three matches and not lose to achieve the two game gap to ease their way into first place.
Judging by the outstanding victory at Lord's , when England won supremacy on every one of the five days and only conceded a couple of sessions, it is a task that is not beyond them, but they are aware that India, with their brilliant top order, are inclined to start slowly and build to a climax in series.
It is up to the buoyant English players not to let them by maintaining the disciplined and outstanding bowling, batting to their potential and, critically, holding onto their catches – the one area in which they were deficient in London.
The biggest bonus for Flower and the England team is the return to form and confidence by Stuart Broad who bounced back from an ordinary start to the season and a king duck in the first innings to hit back with a critical partnership with Matt Prior when the second innings threatened to fall apart and bowl superbly in BOTH innings to ease England to that so important first win.
Kevin Pietersen was awarded man of the match for his game winning double century in the first innings but it was a real team performance with Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior all contenders in their own right.
Jimmy Anderson was the hammer in India's second innings with a well earned five-for , including the crucial wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, and he has now moved himself up to second place in the world's top ten, behind South Africa's Steyn and ahead of team mate Graeme Swann.
By the way, he loves bowling at Trent Bridge, as does Broad, his home ground and somewhere he always does well. The omens are good.
Jonathan Trott also moves up to second pace in the current world batting lists and his gritty 70 in the first innings was one of the foundations on which the victory was built after losing both skipper Strauss and Cook. Trott is, without doubt, a world class performer as his average of 61 in 22 tests shows. Next landmark is a super rapid 2,000 test runs with just 41 needed.
Why are there any doubts about wicketkeeper/batsman Matt Prior? With three centuries in his last five tests he is a crucial batsman and he has worked on his wicket keeping to such an extent that he is now one of the best in the world and certainly the best keeper/batsman since Australia's Adam Gilchrist.
This time around he scored 71 and an unbeaten 103 and on both occasions they were innings played for the team and not for Prior. I doubt he has ever walked to the crease concerned about his average or even fiddling his way to a hundred, only what the teams requires. He would walk into any test side in the world he is so good and so unselfish.
That, perhaps, is the secret of why England are so outstanding and so deserving of that number one spot because, it seems, when one fails another comes to the post. Of late it has been Strauss, Cook, Bell and Swann (an of course Trott) and when they stumbled others stepped into place.
They will need to keep doing that if they are to win this series and displace India at the top of the table. I, for one, wouldn't bet against them.