England vs South Africa - 1st Test - Match Preview
The Proteas and the Poms will begin their tussle to the number one rank when the first Test of the Basil D' Oliveira Trophy begins at the Oval, tomorrow.
The Oval pitch is expected to have significant bounce and carry for the fast men and at the same time would provide ample opportunities to score, as the ball is expected to come on to the bat. The build up to the Test however, is concentrated on the nature of the two bowling attacks. England’s recent success in the longer format of the game has rested with their strong attack which consists of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Steve Finn and Graeme Swann. South Africa on the other hand have an array of top quality bowlers at their disposal, with front liner Dale Steyn supplemented with new ball partner, Morne Morkel along with Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis.
The batting line ups are also under the spotlight, with the English batsmen in supreme form. Alastair Cook is expected to make significant runs at the top of the order along with an in-form Ian Bell. Both these players are considered to be key at the Oval. The spot light for South Africa is on their make-shift wicket keeper batsman AB de Villiers, who has been their best Test batsman of late, and will play a key role in anchoring the innings. South Africa has recently been handicapped over the injury to Mark Boucher.
Players from both sides have expressed their optimism over the competition which commences at the Oval. James Anderson of England believes the clash between the batsmen will be more significant.
“If you look at both batting line-ups they're potentially as strong as well. It's going to be a clash of two really good teams.”
Veteran Jacques Kallis of South Africa reiterated Anderson’s claims over the interesting nature of the battle which could unfold at the Oval.
“It's going to be an interesting battle to see who comes out on top. Both sides have got good batters as well. It's going to be a fantastic series.”
The conditions at the Oval are expected to suit the South African stroke makers, given the nature of the bounce on offer and the ground’s reputation for having the quickest pitch in the UK. The Proteas however, succumbed to an embarrassing defeat in the 2008 series but still managed to retain the Basil D’ Oliveira trophy after losing it to England in 2004 at home. South Africa has not lost an away Test series since losing to Sri Lanka in 2006.
England on the other hand, has had some memorable success at the Oval and has been unbeaten at that venue since Pakistan managed to defeat them in 2010.
The forecast predicts possible thunderstorms in London with the temperature lingering at around 16C. This might ruin chances of fair play tomorrow at the Oval, but in the sessions that could be on view, the bowlers are expected to have an advantage. The ball is bound to swing around and bounce off the deck, which gives the likes of Steve Finn, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn an undue advantage over the batsmen who might struggle in the initial hours of play.
The Oval has not produced good turn over the years since the 2009 Ashes series, which would irk the spinners. There is plenty of bounce on offer though, as the pitch is rock hard. Players such as Graeme Swann would be able to extract plenty of bounce off the turf. Graham Onions and Ravi Bopara have been included in the English squad and are likely to play, depending on the state of the series and the conditions.
The first Test is a critical one for both sides as the number one ICC Test ranking is at stake. A win in this series for South Africa would help them regain their number one rank which they had lost since 2008. England on the other hand would want to maintain their winning streak by keeping South Africa at bay.
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