Having a look at South African conditions
Sunday, November 29th, 2009I wrote this article on the CMS forum long time back but I would like to post it on the blog site as well.
So after successful regaining the Ashes England next play Saffers in SA. So, how would the pitches behave? can the bowlers succeed? would the pitches test the technique of the batsmen? are some of the questions that one can think of.
To start with SA wickets need not be as bouncy as they used to be, and the likes of Steyn, Franklin, Hoggy, Sree etc have been very successful by pitching it up, and swinging it as the wickets like at Durban can offer some movement with a bit of moisture in the pitch. It has more of a tennis ball bounce than the hard tracks one saw in the past. The best wicket probably is the one at Capetown as it has something in it for everyone. A bit of bounce, just a bit of movement, and as the match would progress one can see it helping the spinners. Actually Harris did get lots of wickets at Capetown against Aus in 09. The batsmen of course can trust the bounce unlike the double paced wicket one would likely get at Durban, or occasionally at Johannesburg.
Onions can be a bit of surprise package as the pitches have tended to suit bowlers like Siddle, Chris Martin etc, who are in some ways similar to Onions, and bowlers like Siddle just consistently did hit the seam, and the pitch, which usually has a bit of movement did the rest. If he bowls line and length, and doesn’t try to bowl short pitch stuff Broad should be ok on SA wickets, and if Anderson doesn’t get carried away, but looks to pitch it up and swing it then he too can get wickets.
One thing that can go against England would be South African management seeing the fact that England have some swing bowlers may look to have again tracks that are hard and bouncy, but looking at how the pitches have behaved in the last 3 to 4 years I am not sure one would see tracks that are really hard and bouncy.
As far as not selecting Harmison is concerned, I would say the last time around in SA Harmison got wickets at an average of about 73. Harmison was at his peak in 04/05, and everyone thought the wickets would suit him.
Add to it Harmison’s performance in India 09, NZ 09, and few other places in recent times has been poor as he has bowled more like a trundler.
As far as the batsmen are concerned it would be a stern test of their technique, and temperament. A batsman has to be in top form to counter the uneven bounce one may get in SA. It is all about playing late in SA, and any batsman, who would average even 40 in SA would be happy!
England also should look out for Steyn, as he has been deadly on SA pitches. He has constantly pitched it up and destroyed opponents, but the Aussies did take a gamble of going after him, and the plan did work, as Steyn started pitching it short, and the Aussie batsmen made merry. Among the support bowlers Morkel is inconsistent, Ntini is still good but he is not getting younger, Parnell is raw and Harris can be ok, but he is not a strike bowler. So, Steyn is the key to their success.
I won’t say the pitches won’t have bounce, as one would likely get to see a bit more bounce than the pitches in England, but the tracks aren’t that hard and bouncy, but can get uneven. It would test a batsman’s technique for sure!
Finally the former great South African bowler Shaun Pollock on Anderson.
“Anderson will get a lot of movement in the Highveld so the Jo’burg and Pretoria Tests will be where he could have the most impact.
“He’s got a great ability to swing the ball and up front he could be a handful with the new ball in South Africa”