23.12.07

Timeless and Understated

The Galle rains - and some characteristically obdurate batting from the superb Alastair Cook - saved England from a 2-0 defeat, but the truth of the series - that England were more than a little outclassed - wasn't so easily obscured. Michael Vaughan, Peter Moores, and the rest of the 'Team England' hierarchy have a lot of thinking to do before New Zealand.

The player who impressed me the most in the last two Tests was the timeless and understated Chaminda Vaas. A couple of games after his obituaries were being written he was slicing through England with a perceptive combination of low pace, conventional swing and the most finely adjusted line to left and right-handers this side of Glenn McGrath's retirement villa.

Vaas, 33, should now grace Test cricket for a while longer. And, let's face it, if you played in the same side as the great Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, wouldn't you fancy taking the new ball?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

England players need to be more physically fit. Since the 2005 Ashes triumph, we never saw that great team
play together again. Key players were out of the team for long periods
and it has been downhill for England since then.

Brian Carpenter said...

Thanks for the comment. I think they're fit enough; they're just not very good at avoiding injuries. The problems are more technical and mental. However you look at it, though, England are struggling.

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