English batsmen’s selfish showing: says http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Geoffrey-Boycott-c58776 – Cricket News Update
The first Test between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 ended in the favour of the visiting side, when the failure to bat through the final day let down the Englishmen.
The home team lost the all-important cricketing affair by an innings and 12 runs, courtesy a strong bowling performance by the Proteas bowlers, spear headed by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DW-Steyn-c1409, who finished with seven scalps, including a sublime five-wicket haul in the second
innings.
Former English opener, turned commentator and writer, Geoffrey Boycott, showed his concern for the English batsmen, while identifying a few problems associated with their below average showing with the bat on the final day of the Test match.
“When defence is paramount and not giving your wicket away crucial, then surely top players have to rein in their stroke-playing,” the former opening batsman turned commentator wrote in his column for a local newspaper.
“If they can’t, or won’t, then they are playing for themselves and not the team.” he added.
Later, the veteran cricketer explained the need to be mentally tough in such circumstances; while none of the English batsmen, besides http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Prior-c1984, demonstrated any fraction of resistance in the second innings. Boycott also added that batsmen
should have been keen on playing the waiting game rather than worrying about scoring runs.
The legendary Englishman was highly critical of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KP-Pietersen-c1806 after he relinquished his wicket in an attempt to get the better of Morne Morkel, rather than respecting the situation and consolidating the innings.
“Kevin Pietersen got sucked into a bouncer contest with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Morkel-c73528,” he wrote.“His hubris got the better of him. He was too busy trying to score runs and get on top of the bowler and he forgot about his defence and missed a straight one,” added further.
The second Test is scheduled to begin at Headingley on August 2nd where a win for the visitors will see them overtake their host as the no.1 Test side. However, one must back the Poms to comeback strongly, considering their impressive home form,
where they have not suffered a series’ defeat in seven attempts.
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