South Africa in England

Weather permitting, Edgbaston will host its 39th test match later this week as England play host to the South Africans for the 18th time. The history of the two sides is one of controversy and huge interest yet began - as most cricket did - in quaint, humble beginnings on matting in Port Elizabeth. A touring team led by Major Robert Gardner Warton, who umpired the game, comprehensively beat their debuting opponents just before what is now tea time, on the second day. The second of the two tests saw Monty Bowden become the youngest English test captain ever at just 23 years 144 days - a record which stands to this day. He would play no more games as he and a friend decided to stay in Africa to start a business. He died less than three years later in a makeshift hospital in Rhodesia. England's fortune on the pitch was, thankfully, a little better as they beat their hosts by an innings and 202 runs. The tour was a success for all concerned and became a regular affair until 1965 when the last meeting on African soil for over thirty years was contested between an English side including Boycott, Barrington and Dexter and an African one featuring the Pollock brothers.


Anti-Apartheid laws forced blacks and whites to play in separate sporting arenas from 1967, a ruling which emphasised the isolation South Africa had brought upon itself from the outside world. Many of the elite Saffie players plied their trades abroad during the Apartheid years and many of those remained away from their native land after the sanctions were eventually lifted. Kepler Wessels, Barry Richards and Basil D'Oliveira being three of the higher profile cricketers to make successful careers abroad during the years when South Africa were in solitude, the former of which captained South Africa when they were reintroduced to test cricket in the 1990s after a stint as an Australian international.


Much has been written about the England team to represent the Cross of St. George and the decisions regarding some of the famed old guard. Fast bowler Darren "Dazzler" Gough and Surrey batsman Graham Thorpe are the two players at the hub of all the recent deliberation and will no doubt endure to be as the five match series is concluded. Gough has staked a successful claim for his place after a cogent Natwest Series seeing the Yorkshireman take nine wickets at 22.55 and a miserly economy of just 3.62. His best figures of 4 for 26 were the second best of any bowler in the ten game series.


The figures don't tell the whole story for Gough, however. Born in 1970 in the district of Monk Bretton, Barnsley, he is one of only nine Englishmen to take 200 test match wickets. He is only twelve victims shy of the 200 mark in one-day internationals also. "Dazzler" is a man of immense character and offers more than just wickets and economy to club and country. He was one of the few men who dared to stand up to the mighty Australians and demonstrated this with sovereign effect at the first Ashes match in 1997. Gough blew away the top order leaving the Australians at 28 for 4 before Andrew Caddick dismantled the tail giving the home side a monumental advantage. The visitors to Edgbaston fought back in their second knock - replying to 478 for 9 declared - and a draw was looking more and more likely until Gough ripped the heart out of the middle order, eventually leaving his side needing little over a hundred runs for victory. It would be the last time England were to lead in an Ashes series.


Gough is seen by many as the man to bring on the vast reserves of talented quicks and make them into an all-conquering unit, capable of finally seizing back the famous Ashes urn. The likes of Simon Jones, James Anderson, Stephen Harmison, James Kirtley, Kabir Ali and Rikki Clarke represent arguably the greatest wealth of talent, in the fast bowling department, the nation has ever known. Who better than Gough to show them the ropes? He is personable, well humoured, intense, strong willed and levelheaded despite all the hype that invariably encompasses him. The youngsters can also learn how to bowl outswing, inswing, yorkers and see the exponent of one of the deadliest slower balls the game currently has. He is also the leading fast bowler available after Andrew Caddick suffered a back strain through wearing a special boot to assist in healing a damaged foot - he won't return until at least 2004, if at all.


All and sundry have agreed that Gough is the one who should utilize the new ball with young James Anderson at Edgbaston and beyond. He has done all that was asked of him in the one-day internationals and followed this by bowling over 37 overs at a recent county game in Chester-le-Street to show he has the fitness and stamina to bowl in test cricket. It has been almost two years since Darren Gough sent down his last test delivery, he will be the man wearing the widest grin on Thursday when he hurries in to send his next.


Averaging over 47 this season in county championship games with a top score of 156, Graham Thorpe was seen to be ready for a reinstatement of his own. He is the man the Australians said would be the only Englishman capable of joining their ranks, should his passport bear the emu and kangaroo. Thorpe was the first Englishman to tour for ten consecutive years with the 'A' and test teams and established himself as the most complete batsman in the side before the controversy surrounding his much publicised seperation from his wife put his career in doubt last year.


Thorpe opted not to tour Australia last year due to the pressures of his overly public break up. It was fancied that he would withdraw from the game after announcing his retirement form one-day internationals and an indefinite recess from all molds of cricket. However, The Surrey batsman vanquished the troubles of his divorce and set about restoring his name in the cricket world. He made himself available to the test selectors again and continued playing with the mastery and endeavour that made him one of the greatest left handed batsmen English cricket has ever seen.


David Graveney and his cohorts opted against a recall for Graham Thorpe for the first of five summer test matches, but is yet to publicly say that a revival for Thorpe is out of the question. Having secured their first silverware in Nottingham and being well on the way to another county championship, Surrey will be happy to hold on to Thorpe for the summer. Thorpe has also said he will be happy to play exclusively for Surrey, that isn't to say he couldn't be happier.


There are four more England teams to be announced this summer. Gough - fitness permitting - looks certain to be one of the first names on all four. Graham Thorpe will be keeping a watchful eye on the middle order places throughout.

Posted by Lee