Mike Atherton: Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel comparable to Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock
'England's batting, at least on paper, looks more flakey than it has for some time'
Sunday 20 December 2015 07:36, UK
As opening batsman and captain of England's touring side when the sporting world reunited post-apartheid, few understand the demands of playing Test cricket in South Africa as well as Mike Atherton.
The bruises have been replaced by fond memories and a few mental scars as The Times' chief cricket correspondent and Sky Sports cricket expert watches a new generation prepare for its own hostile examination at the crease, but while the names and faces change, the ferocity of the challenge remains undiminished.
The Number One Test: check out more expert analysis from Athers here...
Where in 1995 Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock hurled down short-pitched deliveries from long runs on helpful pitches to make batsmen queasy, two decades on Alastair Cook's side must ready itself for a similar barrage from the towering 6ft 4in Morne Morkel and the pre-eminent bowler of his generation, Dale Steyn.
"It's a tough place to play cricket for a number of reasons," Atherton explains. "South Africans are similar to Australians in their athletic lifestyles, love of sport and passion for the outdoors. This becomes a tour about fast bowling more than anything else and that means it's physically demanding. As a batsman, you have to be brave."
The fervour may be less pronounced than 20 years ago when South Africa returned to the Test match arena in front of packed galleries, but the tourists will still be facing the top-ranked Test nation and can expect a vociferous reception at the likes of the Wanderers in Johannesburg, where the crowd bear down on the players in an intimidating amphitheatre coined the Bullring.
"It's also harder for touring teams than it was in my day," Atherton believes. "England have had minimal time since the tour of the United Arab Emirates, whereas we would have travelled at the end of October and probably played three first class games to warm up and then faced provincial sides between Tests. Players out of form or not first choice could get a bit of cricket, but Test matches are now played back-to-back, so if a side gets off to a bad start, it's difficult to turn it around."
Live Test Cricket
The scheduling is not the only consideration for two months that promise to be tougher than out-of-date biltong. After struggling on the slow, turning wickets in India, the hosts will be relishing a return to four Test wickets in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Centurion attuned to their seam attack.
"Conditions tend to ask questions of the top order," Atherton says. "Durban can be green and humid, Johannesburg sometimes very spicy and Centurion is often a bouncy pitch too. You need a solid batting line-up because it becomes easier the longer you stick it out - yet England's batting, at least on paper, looks more flakey than it has for some time.
"Apart from Alastair Cook and Joe Root, who are proven Test class, it has more question marks over it than for a number of years. There's been an ongoing problem at the top of the order as to who should partner Cook. They have dropped Ian Bell [115 Tests, 7,569 runs] and included Alex Hales [yet to make his Test debut].
"In comes Nick Compton, a good player but inexperienced as a Test match number three, James Taylor at number five has played three Tests and Gary Ballance also returns having had his technique torn apart by New Zealand and Australia.
"The key for England will be how well they bat because with Stuart Broad and James Anderson, and Ben Stokes as an all-rounder, the bowling will be fine. Steven Finn has joined the tour party as his recovery from a foot injury seems to be going well and he looked to be bowling nicely until injured in the UAE. Given Mark Wood's ankle injury, having Finn challenging for a spot would be a bonus."
Test Cricket: The Verdict
Atherton believes not too many conclusions should be drawn from South Africa's 3-0 defeat in India. Where they may struggle is with the lack of a genuine all-rounder, meaning AB De Villiers is forced to take the gloves to balance the side, although it remains to be seen whether it will curb his own run-making ability. "De Villiers is one of the best, if not the best batsman in the world, and along with Hashim Amla is a proven class performer," is Atherton's glowing assessment.
The real threat, as so often, comes back to the fast bowlers. "Dale Steyn, if fit and firing, is one of the greats of recent times and it will be interesting to see if he's still as good, and when I watch Morkel bowl I'm glad I'm sat 150 yards away in the commentary box because he looks a right handful. The two are very comparable with Donald and Pollock. Steyn and Donald are both very fast, with a short skiddy trajectory, and Morkel and Pollock also quick with a high arm action."
Should either falter, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, who, if he recovers from injury for the last two Tests will threaten Cook as he bowls "beautifully" to left-handers, will be champing at the bit to fill the void. The production line of South African quicks shows no sign of easing up and that, for England's batsmen, is a worrying trait.
Watch all the action from the first Test between South Africa and England in Durban, live on Sky Sports 2 from 7.30am, December 26.
