England top batsmen threat (21 May 1999)

21 May 1999

England top batsmen threat

Trevor Chesterfield

LONDON - It has been building up for a week as the showdown of Group A and as World Cup final hopefuls South Africa and England have much to play for at The Oval today both captains were naturally a little edgy about commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of the two sides.

But, as if on cue we first had Hansie Cronje and then Alec Stewart, highlighting what has been pretty obvious since England's top four batsmen first carved up the Sri Lanka bowling and then the luckless Kenyans in their opening matches.

As if they were reading from well rehearsed scripts at a heavyweight weigh in without the scales on a blustery grey day at The Oval, Cronje and Stewart talked of the threat of England's top-order and South Africa's bowling strengths as the key factors in the battle for supremacy.

And after winning a bet with two English writers about how New Zealand would up end Australia in Group B on Thursday, the same two were none too keen to offer a "double or quits" package on this game. Like Stewart, they have a sneaking respect for South Africa's all-round depth.

There are just too many batting heavyweights down the bottom order of the tournament favourites. Lance Klusener and Steve Elworthy have contributed well to scoring runs when it counted. The TV umpire, however, shot down Shaun Pollock, on Wednesday, but his record and reputation carries a lot of respect.

And if anything can be read into Cronje's comments the same 12 has been selected for today as that for the Sri Lanka game at Wantage Road, Northampton when they convincingly beat Sri Lanka.

Only Cronje put a different light on how he saw it.

"England have been the only side so far this tournament to show the others how to bat consistently well," he said. "So we have to be aware of that. "In both our games we have been under pressure with our top order failing. But hopefully we can put that behind us and do well here," he added.

Stewart's line was that England, with Graeme Hick and Nasser Hussain, hitting a rich vein in terms of run-making at the right time, they have the in-form players. It has to be admitted, however, England's middle and lower order has not been tested by bowling attacks which at best are barely of provincial standard.

This comment may get up the nose of some supporters, but England have a more varied and dangerous bowling attack than those provided by Sri Lanka or Kenya. With Darren Gough, their No1 strike bowler in form, England's seam and swing attack has its depth.

Whether the pitch is likely to take spin is another matter. Both captains were hedging their comments. Wait until the morning seemed to be their theme. Chances are England may go for Robert Croft as the extra all-rounder. But as they have yet to bat past four in the first two matches the England brains trust are not going to be easily seduced into making too many changes.

When Hick reported that his right shoulder was a little stiff on the morning of the game against Kenya, Adam Hollioake was left out for Croft. Now the Surrey all-rounder could well be preferred to play on his own patch of turf and where he is also captain of the county side.

The two captains also agreed they would like to take the two points from this game through to the Super Sixes and a win here today will wrap up a Super Six spot.

"We had a good look at the conditions a year ago when we played the first match of the Taxaco series and it is interesting to compere the two," the South African captain added.

"It is much quicker than the surfaces we have so far played on and helps the fast bowlers," Cronje said.

"Look, the guys are motivated to do well individually as well as a team. You cannot play without enjoying yourself and we have been doing that as well as playing for fun and each other. It shows the character of the side."

Cronje neatly side-stepped the suggestion that Lance Klusener was now one of the world's top all-rounders by suggesting that the Natal player was just one of 11 players in a World XI if you had to pick one. No doubt the idea was to take pressure off him just before this big game.

"All-rounders are different in that they have a various roles to play. You have Mark Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar. You don't want to put a tag on a player because of what he has done and also realises that he still has a long way to go."

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield