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Jettisoning the deadweight has worked

Having taken bold decisions, England has deserved its dominant position, writes
Peter Roebuck

England’s opening engagement with West Indies has followed a predictable course. A combination of cold weather, cloud and a greenish pitch turned Lord’s into hostile terrain for the visiting team.

In these conditions many overseas sides come a cropper. Everyone used to talk about the challenges of playing cricket in India but England can be just as confronting. Shivering bodies cannot function properly.

West Indies floundered whilst Andrew Strauss’ side played honest, hard cricket. But it has not only been a tale of bad luck or murky light. Having taken bold decisions, England has deserved its dominant position.

Having limped into the series, the West Indies cannot expect any mercy from the game. Before the series began, Andy Flower and the selectors threw overboard all the remaining deadweight from the glorious summer of 2005.

Pragmatic thinking

It was high time England stopped looking backwards and started thinking pragmatically. To that end the temptation to recall Michael Vaughan was resisted whilst Steve Harmison was rejected on the grounds that he is as fitful as a Skoda. Ian Bell was also sent packing after flattering to deceive for several campaigns.

Andrew Flintoff injury created another opening and again England responded aggressively, choosing a fifth bowler and a longer tail. So much for the conservatism that has bogged them down for years.

Instead opportunities were given to committed players busy taking wickets and scoring runs in county cricket. Ravi Bopara was given the first wicket down position and promptly held the batting together on the opening day. Throughout he looked a well balanced batsman hungry for runs.

Graham Onions was summoned from the Durham stronghold and immediately took five wickets with his purposeful swingers.

Stuart Broad justified his promotion with a forthright innings. Graham Swann confirmed that he is a better attacking spinner than Monty Panesar. Tim Bresnan did not get many chances but the selectors were right to focus on form, not reputation.

Intensity

In short England ignored yesterday’s baggage, fielded an enterprising side and played with appropriate intensity. Amongst the hosts, only Kevin Pietersen had a stinker, losing his wicket to Fidel Edwards without troubling the scorers.

Obviously it’s unwise to read too much into a single lapse. Suffice it to say that the second drop gave himself little time to adjust from African conditions and the tempo of 20-over cricket to the rigours of Test matches on English soil.

Considering his form, it did not seem sensible. Considering his wealth, it did not seem necessary.

Pietersen also needs to rid himself of lingering grievances about losing the captaincy. Whatever the ins and outs of the episode, it is history. And it’s unlikely his conduct was beyond reproach.

Disarray

Contrastingly the West Indies were in disarray before a ball had been bowled. Chris Gayle must decide whether or not he wants the captaincy and all that goes with it.

It cannot be right for a captain to swan around overseas and to join his players a few days before a series starts. It’s had enough to judge players, encourage strugglers, build spirit and find form from close at hand, impossible from thousands of miles away.

Unsurprisingly Gayle lurched from blunder to blunder, allowing England to bat in the best of the conditions, dropping a slip catch, misusing his bowlers and failing with the willow. He got his just desserts. And West Indies paid the price.

If money means so much to players, then let them become bankers (though not in Sir Allen Stanford’s little outfit).

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