Test-ing tactics

Last updated: 24th March 2008

Michael Vaughan

Vaughan: decisions

I am afraid this sentiment stuff is beyond me. It is about winning the series.

Sir Ian Botham
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At 4-3 on the first morning, only the barmiest of England's travelling army of supporters would have predicted a lead of 501 runs with five wickets remaining for Michael Vaughan and his men.

But that is the situation England are in after three days of the final Test in New Zealand, thanks to centuries from Andrew Strauss (173 no) and Ian Bell (110), and now Vaughan faces the easier decision of working out when to stop batting and start bowling his side to a first Test series victory away from home since January 2005.

According to Sky Sports commentators Sir Ian Botham and Paul Allott it is a question of sentimentality versus professionalism.

Should Vaughan allow Strauss the chance to prove any critics wrong and make the extra 27 runs that would take him to a first Test double century or should he start trying to finish the Kiwis off?

Declaration

Botham presented the case for bowling sooner rather than later, saying there will be some nervous New Zealanders playing for places on their winter tour to England, and he would have liked to have seen England bowling at them late on day three.

"It depends what they want to do," said Sir Ian. "They could have pushed it a little bit tonight and got maybe 510, 520 and then maybe given 10 minutes or so to the openers.

"They wouldn't have enjoyed that. Matthew Bell on a pair; he would have been pretty fidgety and very worried because if he fails again, he is probably not going to make the tour to England.

"England have gone on and fair enough but I wouldn't bat for very long a tall tomorrow morning."

Neither would Allott but he can see why Vaughan might allow Strauss the chance to make his 200.

Sentiment

"I wouldn't bat for long tomorrow morning but I would probably look to bat for 40 minutes, maybe an hour," he said. "They will look at Andrew Strauss getting to 200 and that might take him a while.

"Why wouldn't you? There is plenty of time and there probably will be a degree of sentimentality about it.

"40 minutes, an hour would give you an hour with the new ball early on, a break for lunch and your bowlers will be fresh again. That is the way that I think Michael Vaughan is looking to go tomorrow.

"If he was only going to bat on for half an hour tomorrow morning, he may as well have got a move on today and declared with half an hour tonight."

Botham, you may not be surprised to hear, doesn't do sentimentality and since England have failed to win in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Australia since beating South Africa 2-1 in 2004/5, he wouldn't hang around having already set a target far in excess of the record fourth innings run chase.

Result

"England have batted a lot better and I don't see why New Zealand wouldn't bat a lot better," he said. "But I am afraid this sentiment stuff is beyond me. It is about winning the series.

"You were out of the series after the first Test, you played poorly. You bounced back in Wellington, you have a great chance to wrap this up. No side has ever got anywhere near chasing 500 in the last innings, so let's give our bowlers as much time as possible.

"To me it is about winning."

To watch Paul Allott and Sir Ian Botham talking to David Gower, click on the video link at the top-right of the page.