We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Sun Dec 25, 2016 12:16 am

rich1uk wrote:CMS's very own Johnny Cochran


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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby braveneutral » Sun Dec 25, 2016 12:31 am

Arthur Crabtree wrote:
braveneutral wrote:It was definitely a decamped camp. Like nomads with a guilty association with the establishment offenders.


A quote from one of your regular reports on the site, no doubt!

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I suppose.

At times.

Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:32 pm

4. India v England, Chepauk, Chennai. February, 1993.

India won by an innings and 22 runs.

For the tour of India and Sri Lanka in 1993, England named their most controversial touring party since the D'Oliveira Affair a quarter of a century before. The disenchantment was remarkable; similar to the kind of daily bubbles of outrage that inflate and pop in the era of social media. But then, people got out their pens and wrote a letter to the newspapers. Because England had not selected David Gower.

After Gower lost to Allan Border's Australians in 1989, Graham Gooch took England to West Indies and won the legendary Sabina Park Test. Just as remarkably, England drew at home 2-2 with the West Indies in 1991. New Zealand were defeated home and away. India were beaten at home. Tucked in among these results, was an away Ashes loss infamous for David Gower sitting in the passenger seat of a Tiger Moth biplane, and cavalierly buzzing Gooch's match preparation. The roundhead wasn't impressed.

So Gower was left out the tour of India. It was a decision that can still stir up divisions to this day. But once the offended had decided the selectors had blundered in preferring the more focused and professional approach at the expense of a sublimely gifted dilettante, the impasse got a bit blurred, with the omission of Jack Russell and even Ian Salisbury also cited as indefensible (the latter travelled as a net bowler and actually played in the first two Tests anyway). MCC members tabled a motion of no confidence in the selectors.

The tour was a disaster. India were far from being the indomitable home side they are now, or even the one tilted at so memorably by Steve Waugh. The games were usually attritional, with a lot of draws. England had won in India on their previous tour; they were thought to have a chance. And really, the inferiority complex with which England now contemplate tours to India started here. There were to be no attritional draws. England were thrashed three out of three, the first whitewash ever suffered in India, by anyone.

The tour is now notorious for everything going wrong that possible could, from food poisoning, to red eye train journeys during an Indian Airways pilot strike, to the end of the captain's marriage. On the field, Richard Blakey was selected ahead of Russell for his superior batting and famously averaged 1.75 for the series (and his career). Whereas for India, a debuting Vinod Kambli joined his old schoolmate Sachin Tendulkar in the side; both scored over 300 runs in the three Tests and averaged over a hundred. Emburey and Tufnell were thought to be superior to the home spinners but took six wickets between them, outbowled by Graeme Hick who took eight.

Those home spinners were Venkatapathy Raju, Rajesh Chauhan, and, making his home debut (taking 21 wickets), Anil Kumble. In the first Test, on a spinners pitch in Kolkota, England picked four seamers (Jarvis, Lewis, Taylor and Malcolm, Salisbury was the spinner) and had to rely on Hick for wickets as Mohammad Azharuddin scored a near run a ball 182.

It is the Chennai Test that everyone remembers, when England were struck down by allegedly poisonous prawns and struggled to get eleven men on the pitch. Gooch was too ill to play and Alec Stewart captained, but other players suffered from diarrhoea on the field. Robin Smith opened in an attempt to hide away from the spinners, so Kumble opened the bowling and got him lbw for 17. India batted for two days, then spun England out at their leisure.

Rather sadly, at the conclusion of the tour, a 39 year old Gooch stood down from the captaincy and the gains he had made were lost, and then forgotten. And manager Ted Dexter promised an investigation into the air pollution of India's Test playing venues. And an end to stubble.

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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby rich1uk » Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:30 am

you almost make the last couple of tests seem upbeat after reading that AC
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:36 am

Can't really do justice to that tour within reasonable space. But notable a few similarities with the recent tour. Cut down a lot of info on Gooch's captaincy.

Ted Dexter emerging as a key character in the bad days of English cricket. Tried to giver a flavour of Ted's role as hopeless onlooker of bad tours at the end there. The Paul Downton of his time. How did Ted ever get the job?

Next up, an epic defeat to South Africa and an England captain under pressure.
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:19 pm

3. England v South Africa at the Oval, London. July, 2012.

South Africa won by an innings and 12 runs.

It is a cliche of the spy film to emphasise the calm and utter normality before the bomb goes off. Outside the heads of the perpetrators, the clock ticks on as ever. South Africa tossed up at the start of the 2012 series at the Oval, and England elected to bat. In the next Test at Lord's began a process that would involve the ECB requesting to examine the mobile phone of a presumed mole in the England XI, suspected of giving information to the opposition, and then a dossier of that man's activities leaked to the public. The dressing room was a wreck, and the captain had quit.

But all at the Oval was calm, hosting the first Test while Lord's was readied for Olympic archery. It was suspected that Graeme Smith had played some mind games with Steve Finn's knocking over of the stumps in delivery, but that was standard practice and Finn wasn't playing. If anything, a little torpor had settled over the England side, following a rather lethargic draw with the West Indies at Edgbaston where England rested Anderson and Broad, and Denesh Ramdin and Tino Best (his 95 was a record by a number 11) added 143 for the last wicket.

England had won every home series since 2008 when South Africa last visited. Although England were ranked the world's best side in 2011, South Africa hadn't been beaten in a series since 2004-5, so this contest had a feel of a World Championship. The message was that England were strong (the media soon forgot the 3-0 loss in UAE). A loyal and confident home press corps were convinced that South Africa were underprepared at the Oval. England's first innings 385 was fitted for that scenario. Concerns were raised over Dale Steyn's fitness. But in truth the pitch was the flattest of tracks and wickets had been tossed away. A 37 year old and soon to be retired Jacques Kallis bounced out Kevin Pietersen and then bowled Ian Bell without a shot being played. That week's replacement for Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, made a six ball duck and when Alastair Cook failed to turn his ton into a big one, 251-2 subsided into 264-6.

When South Africa replied, Alviro Petersen was lbw to James Anderson for a duck, bringing Hashim Amla to the middle. England didn't take another wicket for six hours, until Smith played on Tim Bresnan for 131. And then they didn't take another at all. Jacques Kallis batted flawlessly for over seven hours for 182*. Amla became the first South African bat ever to pass 300. His thirteen hour 311* was the longest anyone has batted unbeaten. He edged a chance on 40, a high catch to Andrew Strauss off Bopara. Otherwise he didn't look troubled for over two days. England's four man attack were made to look tired and old and impotent. None of the three balls allocated moved worth a damn. Graeme Swann, who curiously hadn't been rested with Anderson and Broad, again sent down over 50 overs.

But, the pitch was sterile, and England had only four sessions to bat out for a draw. They didn't manage three. Dale Steyn, written off by the English press on day one, took 5-56. Only Bell's five hour 50 offered impediment as the strip came to life for the South African bowlers.

It was an epic victory for South Africa. England's reputation as the premier side of the era, which had been constructed in the years since the two sides had last met, was in pieces. In past series, Nasser Husain and Michael Vaughan had failed to survive contact with Graeme Smith, the widowmaker of England captains. A fortnight later, Andrew Strauss would join them. We still don't know if the story that emerged at Lord's, that Pietersen had been passing on information to the South Africans, bore the signature of the South African captain. But once again, Smith had won, and collected the trophy following a 2-0 win, and England were surrounded by debris, wondering where the walls had gone.



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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:22 pm

Next time. Action in Arabia.
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Wed Dec 28, 2016 6:22 pm

Two to go. Both this century.
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby sussexpob » Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:37 am

England fans never really acknowledge the fact that the Australia teams England beat in 2009 and 2010/11 were pretty abysmal. Its taken out of context because of the historical domination of Australia, but this Australia team was no better than most teams around.

All of the Aussies key players were out of form. Mitchell Johnson had a few tests vs South Africa, but I believe he averaged 50 for a year before the Ashes away series, and was being dangerously close to having his career terminated. Siddle was ok but he was no world class seamer against good batting teams on decent batting decks. Hilfenhaus was constantly injured, and because of the lack of options available was whipped through a series with hardly any pace. And by the 5th test Australia were picking Michael Beer and Steve Smith as front line bowlers, two guys that county division 2 batsman would back themselves to score against on raging bunsens. And Xavier Doherty also played the start of the series and was clearly rubbish.

In the batting, Shane Watson opened with Phil Hughes, and both got a going over. Michael Clarke was in a terrible form slump (averaged mid 30s for two years around that series). Ricky Ponting was finished, between 2006-2012 he averaged over 40 in one year, and was it not for his name hed struggle to get into the BD side. Haddin was batting in the top 6 by the end, Marcus North was arguably the most flawed batsman Australia produced in my lifetime. Considering form and the quality of this team, one could make a compelling case that England would have found Sri Lanka a tougher team to beat at this time.

Even England's victories against India seemed a bit hollow. Tendulkar was clearly finished and only in the team to make his 200th test (1 x 100 in about 25/30 tests at the end, wasnt it? Averaged in the 20s for 2-3 years). Sehwag was injured the whole series bar the final test, his eye sight was gone, and hed gone 3 years also averaging in the 20s. Laxman came to an abrupt end in the last 2 years of his career. Gambhir's post 2009 form was terrible. Yuvrag was still being trotted out with Suresh Raina, even though they were T20 players and couldnt bat in tests. Dhoni seemed uninterested in the test game and was ready to call it a day. Zaheer Khan was well passed his sell by date, as was Harbi. Yet India played Pujara as new batting blood, and he averaged near a 100 in India. Pravan Kumar got injured and never returned, but caused England problems. And Dravid, who was the one older player who looked to still have it, crashed 3 hundreds in the home series and was basically unremovable for most of the time. It seemed England dominated a load of has beens and players who were there on OD reputations, but had no test quality. Those players that didnt fit that mould, England found very hard to play.

It almost feels at times that England were a heavyweight boxer who had a 30-0 and two world titles won from bums, and then stepped into the ring with a true champion and got their head knocked off. South Africa looked so superior, and unlike the others, were the only true complete team somewhere near the top of their game left in the world. So yes, this test is suitably in your list because it should be the realisation that England were never actually that good in the worst standard of test cricket possibly ever. The series in general should come to define this era... overblown decent team who existed at a time where traditional test nations were in transition.

Australia were down, India were down, Sri Lanka lost Murali and their best batters were reaching the end, Pakistan were a mess and their best two players were in prison, Windies were a mess, BD were yet to be competitive, NZ's batting line up was getting blown away for a 100-150 by every established nation around the end of the 2000's, Zimbabwe had ceased to exist......

Only South Africa had a stable line up, and pulvarised England in their own backyard.
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Dr Cricket » Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:51 am

TBH that was also the test that showed how stupid the english press can be.
they attacked SA non stop because SA didn't do what the english press wanted in the warm up games and they called Steyn names because he didn't do that well on day 1.

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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby sussexpob » Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:54 am

bhaveshgor wrote:TBH that was also the test that showed how stupid the english press can be.
they attacked SA non stop because SA didn't do what the english press wanted in the warm up games and they called Steyn names because he didn't do that well on day 1.


England arent good winners.... or losers. :thumb
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Dr Cricket » Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:56 am

TBH england didn't tour india again till 2002.
so Ted dextor probably got his way.
you could argue England didn't really have a proper test tour to india till 2012.

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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:19 pm

There's a tendency to undervalue the qualities of any side that loses, and Australia take some beating at home, so the 2010-11 win had some value. In 09, England were a struggling side themselves, and they did rather resiliently hold onto a drawn series in SA that winter. The wins have some value. But, that loss in 2012 (irritatingly cut from 4 to 3 Tests) to SA did undermine the strong impression England made at the time. It seems to imply England were never really number one, they just didn't play SA.

It was that summer when it became unmissably obvious that the press weren't going to hold England or the ECB to account.

A global shortage of good bowlers would explain why the England bats were so prolific for two years, and not so much before and after- particularly Cook and Bell. But it feels a bit simplistic. Bell did well in SA in 09 and 2013, and Cook did well in India. Trott starred in one of the hardest batting series I remember, against Pakistan in 2010. And KP's best form was actually before this period.
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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Fri Dec 30, 2016 5:24 pm

2. Pakistan v England at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. February, 2012.

Pakistan won by 71 runs.

There is a temptation now to view the 2011 contest in the UAE as not only unwinnable, but the 3-0 grand-slam by Pakistan as being inevitable. But that was far from the morale with which the series started. Pakistan were not matchless in their temporary home. Their spinners were not invincible. South Africa had drawn a two Test series at the end of 2010. AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis scored over 300 runs and Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla also made hundreds. South Africa drew 1-1 in the abandoned stadiums of the desert in 2013. They were similarly prolific against an attack little different from the one England faced. Just before England arrived, Sri Lanka played out two draws to a single defeat with Kumar Sangakkara scoring 516 runs.

England were confident. They were the number one side in the world. Perhaps they and their appreciative press were enjoying their allotted time with the leadership baton a little too fulsomely? And perhaps others would take a little pleasure their comeuppance? After England's coronation in 2011, Pakistan flattened them like an experienced and able hooligan, with surprising and excessive force. True, Saeed Ajmal wasn't operating by Queensbury rules, but Abdur Rehman was a more orthodox and no less effective opponent. No England batter made a hundred or made more than one fifty. It was England's worst runs per wicket (18.2) since George V was on the throne (and only that once since Victoria), save, just, the 1985-6 West Indies whitewash.

England under Andy Flower had not been tested in Asia outside of Bangladesh. It is quite remarkable, that over all these years of looking like chumps in Asian Test series, they had never struggled against spin, nearly as badly as this. And here was a batting line up that tripped off the tongue like the greats of Barnstoneworth United. England were mostly hurried out lbw by the fast heavy ball bowled by the Pakistan spinners, backed up with the independent evidence of DRS. Over and over. Usually playing the sweep.

The three Test, 3-0 defeat had something for everyone. There was the miscalculation of going into the first Test in Dubai without Monty Panesar, who, once selected, took 14 wickets (the most in the side in a Test fewer) at 21.6. There was the fallacious hope of Abu Dhabi, where chasing 145 (in reality, out of reach) they were dismantled for 72. But I've selected the third game in Dubai, because having bowled Pakistan out for 99 in the first innings of the game, they demonstrated they could truly lose from any position. Not for over a hundred years had England bowled out a side for under a hundred and lost.

England reciprocated with 141, Abdur Rehman returning 5-40. England's bowling was steadfast over the three Tests; it was a trouncing wholly owned by the batters. But at last, after again and again restarting the team's heart in this series, the bowlers struggled and finally England suffered the hopelessness with the ball that is the stamp of a truly bad defeat. That flatlining in the field that has grown familiar. Azhar Ali (157) and Younis Khan (127) put on 216 in five hours with barely an inconvenience as batting looked a serene picnic. Even then Panesar and Graeme Swann returned to knock over the lower order.

England were exposed as a team with a significant flaw. By the time they addressed this in India, they had begun to falter in more familiar climates. The defeat in UAE was the beginning of the end for an England side that is remembered from 1-11 almost as spontaneously as we can recite the winners of 2005. The home press were not inclined to rewrite the story of England's glory yet, and haven't still. But this was an emphatic beginning of the end for Flower's side, and the unwillingness of their coach and the media to recognise the scale of this rout, drove the wedge in a little further between the team and some of their harder to please followers.


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Re: We'll Keep the White Flag Flying.

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Fri Dec 30, 2016 5:35 pm

No hints needed for the top spot.
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