Reflections on the Drawn First Test

Determined batting from the tail and dispirited bowling, especially with the third new ball, ensured that Sri Lanka posted their highest ever second innings total and wrote another chapter in the book on defiant tail-end stands against England. Before the start of today's play it was said that Sri Lanka would require some assistance from the weather if they were to draw the match. In fact all they required was assistance from the English fielders. Two more straight forward chances were spilled, which in village cricket would have cost Flintoff and Cook at least one round of drinks each, where an explanation of why the captain chose to field at slip when he was about to bowl the next over would also be expected.

Flintoff is clearly a captain who wishes to do everything himself and undoubtedly he has been successful in getting the best out of Freddie Flintoff. But he failed to get the best out of his inexperienced bowling attack. Panesar should have been bowling immediately after lunch with the old ball and not over half-way through the session with the new one. The fact that he only bowled 27 overs to Flintoff's 51, but took the same number of wickets and had the best economy rate, indicates why England failed to win this match. Plan A was for the seam bowlers to bowl out Sri Lanka. When that failed Flintoff reverted to Plan A.

I hope Flintoff can learn from this match and so when the time comes he will be a successful captain. In the meantime though, we need Vaughan back.