When To Declare?

England drew the first test against Pakistan today, but the dominance of bat over ball (1,483 run scored for only 31 wickets taken) had as much to do with the paucity of the two team's bowling attacks (and perhaps the fallibility of Pakistan's catching) as the placidity of the pitch.

I imagine that tomorrow's papers will criticise Strauss for not declaring earlier, but whilst these overpaid and under-worked hacks will gleefully point out that the target set for Pakistan was higher than any other that had been successfully chased at Lords, their analysis will most probably end there. The current record remains the 344-1 scored by West Indies in 1984. At the time Richie Benaud called David Gower's decision an "inspired declaration", whilst others in the media argued that he should have declared the previous evening. Following the conclusion of the game Gower was condemned for giving away a match that England had dominated.

I don't blame Strauss for not wanting to end up like Gower in what could be his only Test as captain. I expected this under-strength England team to be beaten at the home of cricket and arguably but for a brace of dropped catches they would have been. However, in the end England dominated this match and while an earlier declaration would not have resulted in a win for England, it could have handed Pakistan a victory they did not deserve.