‘I’m being sacrilegious but we need to look at artificial surfaces,’ says the Wanderers groundsman, Evan Flint, amid climate crisisEvan Flint has his feet up, at last. It is day four of the final Test between England and South Africa and, as chief groundsman, all he can do is watch as Rassie van der Dussen and Dean Elgar grind out the beginnings of a doomed rearguard action.Flint has been at the Wanderers since last spring, lured north after 10 and a half years at Newlands, where he won groundsman of the year during his last two seasons. He had had a lot to cope with. Related: The Spin | Cricket feels heat as climate crisis creates corridor of uncertainty Related:...
The multi-talented player has a lot to offer his country - but recent form with the bat shows he is not cut out for Test cricketA rand for Jos Buttler’s thoughts as Mark Wood and Stuart Broad were clouting South Africa’s bowlers around Johannesburg? The invigorating final-wicket stand of 82 contained the kind of pyrotechnics we have become accustomed to from Buttler in white-ball cricket. Cross formats, though, and England’s Test wicketkeeper looks as sorry as a soggy Catherine wheel.It wasn’t always this way; Buttler was deemed a triumph of a selection after he received an unexpected Test recall in May 2018. That pick, a ballsy initial calculation by national selector Ed Smith in his first summer in the job,...
The Johannesburg wicket is expected to be quick and Joe Root’s side think they can exploit itOthers may have grabbed most attention on the first three days here, notably Ollie Pope and Dom Bess, but the performance of Mark Wood in his first Test for 11 months has given England cause for real excitement for next week’s series finale in Johannesburg. Related: Dom Bess takes five wickets but rain, drops and South Africa stall England Continue reading...
The Surrey batsman is the youngest Englishman to score a Test century since Alastair Cook and the quality of his batting conjured memories of Joe Root at the start of his careerThere are some young players who you only need to see a handful of times before coming to the conclusion they have a long and distinguished international career ahead of them. Ollie Pope, after his performance during this third Test against South Africa, can undoubtedly be classed among that rare group.It was not just that Pope, at 22 years and 15 days, became the youngest Englishman to score a Test century since Alastair Cook back in 2006 at Nagpur. It was everything about his innings, from the composure shown...
Forget the Hundred, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year pulverised South Africa’s bowlers in Cape TownBen Stokes missed the start of this tour to make sure he could pick up the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award in person after a stellar 2019. Six days into 2020 the all-rounder looks like he is in the mood to hang on to that crown for another year.Following a record-equalling five catches in South Africa’s first innings, Stokes pulverised the home bowlers during a remarkable 75-minute cameo in which 72 runs flowed from his bat in only 47 balls. Those who remark that this form of the game is boring or that it needs to be altered should have been at...