England vs http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 - The ultimate show down of the year for Test cricket lovers - Part 1 - Opinion
Grand finales have never been so eagerly awaited in cricket. The only other deciders that come to mind in 2012 would be the IPL final, the CB series final and the Asia Cup Final of 2012. Yet for Test cricket lovers, the Lord's Test of 2012 between England
and South Africa which starts on Thursday would be the ultimate show down of the year. The riveting encounter which was viewed at Headingley by a box office audience has set the stage for a grand finale at the home of cricket. The battle for supremacy in the
Test Arena has never been so riveting in recent times, as England managed to hold on to a tame draw at Leeds. Thursday’s encounter on the hallow turf of Lord's is bound to generate a lot of excitement as both sides would be aiming to assert their ascendancy.
Test match encounters in the past have swayed in terms of the intensity on the field by the players. This fact can be attributed to the nature of the oppositions which have encountered one another in recent times, where defeat has been considered as unacceptable.
The Ashes for example became a blockbuster hit after the 2005 series, where an http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 contest has often been compared to the Ashes where two arch rivals dish it
out on placid wickets.
Yet since 2012, the eagerly anticipated Investec Series has become the prized contest for Test enthusiasts. The prime reason for this anticipation is the fact that England has been in devastating form off late. The side lead by an astute Andrew Strauss,
had managed to wreak havoc on almost every opposition that they encountered. The only watershed event that the English had to bear in this year was their defeat to Pakistan in the Emirates in early 2012. Otherwise, an array of top quality players had performed
sensationally for England, such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GP-Swann-c1501. This English side had made headlines around the world as they managed to achieve some incredible feats such as winning the Ashes twice
and beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 four nil in their own den. For England however, this series became the most eagerly anticipated one for the players given that victory would be equated with becoming the best Test outfit of all time.
Yet it has never been all smooth sailing for England. Various on-field battles against an array of oppositions had been intense. England also has a fair way to go before they could emulate http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Harold-William-Stephenson-c61707 Waugh’s Australia, of the late 1990s and early 2000s, or Clive
Lloyd’s West Indians of the 1980s. This is in spite of the fact that their status as the best in white clothing is not disputed by other teams. The challenge however, would be to ensure that their number one tag stays intact, which would help in ensuring that
they become invincible to the very core.
Their opponents on the other hand have plenty of points to prove in world cricket. The South African cricket team has always been known as archetypal chokers, yet have retained the element of being formidable in the Test match arena. They are arguably, the
finest set of players that England has encountered over a decade. The Proteas' astonishing record in Test matches, both home and away in recent times, is enough to assert themselves as top contenders for the number one ranking in Test cricket. Their ability
to capitulate under pressure on occasions however, has often acted to their detriment in key games against sides such as India and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Smith-c1473
and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Vernon-Philander-c2753.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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