Cricket
Boycs warns Strauss over SA
2012-05-22 13:00
Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – Lingering technical problems against short-pitched
bowling by England captain Andrew Strauss could be seized upon by South
Africa’s pace bowlers later in the UK summer.
That warning came in the Daily Telegraph newspaper on
Tuesday from former England opening batsman and controversial critic Geoffrey
Boycott.
Writing in the wake of England’s hard-fought first-Test
victory over the limited West Indies at Lord’s on Monday, Boycott said
Strauss’s first-innings century (122) was a welcome development.
The left-hander had not registered a three-figure score in
26 Test knocks previously.
Boycott said: “Everyone is going to be happy that the
captain made runs. When he reached his hundred you could see the relief and
delight in Andrew’s face.
“Although he played nice and straight, when the ball is
short he still has a problem. He doesn’t use his feet. He doesn’t move his back
foot back and across; he just jumps in the air.
“The century will have given him some confidence, but he
needs to work on that because he will definitely face plenty of short balls when
South Africa come along (for three Tests) later this summer.
“Dale Steyn is quicker than Kemar Roach (who dismissed
Strauss in both knocks at Lord’s – Sport24) and a far better bowler.
“Morne Morkel is a tall man who gets bounce allied to his
pace. They will give him a working over.”
Strauss averages 41.26 in all Tests, but slightly higher at
43.73 against the Proteas.