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31 July
2008 Cook Defends
Under-Fire England Coach Peter
Moores avoided an inquisition into England's latest
batting calamity and insisted they could scrap
their way back into the third npower Test at
Edgbaston, as reported by Ladbrokes. England were
bundled out for only 231 after winning the toss, an
innings riddled with farce, including the final two
wickets falling to run-outs. South Africa, who
inflicted a crunching 10-wicket defeat at
Headingley, resume on Friday on 38 for one after
talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff prised out
Graeme Smith. Everything had
appeared to be going right for England after
Michael Vaughan won the toss but Andrew Strauss'
hit-wicket dismissal began a terminal decline from
68 without loss. But Moores merely
said: "We are disappointed after a decent start we
didn't push on but that is what we've got and we
have got to work with that. Getting Smith out was a
start for us to claw our way back into the game.
You work with what you've got and work hard with
that because you know you are still very much in a
scrap - if we bowl them out tomorrow and bat well
they have to bat last on the wicket, which will be
real pressure. We will say we wanted to get more
runs, of course we will." Flintoff was left
unbeaten on 36, ultimately stranded by mix-ups with
James Anderson and Monty Panesar, the second
dismissal close on suicidal after the latter
flicked to fine leg and attempted two. "The run-outs
were disappointing but we expected our top order to
get us off to a good start to establish a base,"
said Moores. "It was a shame because Fred was
starting to look dangerous. He played with real
authority and calm to start with and was looking to
get himself in. When we started to lose wickets he
was going to start to open up and unfortunately we
didn't see that at the end because he ran out of
partners. I don't think he should have taken one
and put himself at the other end. Fred wanted to be
on strike so he could do what he could do but he
made a mistake and that is done." Bet now at
Ladbrokes Flintoff was
clearly angry as he left the field, way ahead of
his partner, following the needless run out of
Panesar, who was also on the receiving end of Ryan
Sidebottom's displeasure for his efforts at fine
leg. "It was
frustration yes, because Fred wanted to carry on
and he was enjoying himself," Moores said. "In
sport you get stuck in with each other, sometimes
you shout at each other but you all get stuck in
together. We have to pull ourselves tight, get out
there tomorrow and scrap hard to get ourselves back
into the game. International cricketers are always
under pressure, that is part of the territory and
the fun of the game." No-one is under
more than Paul Collingwood, whose first-class tally
of runs is now 96 in nine innings this summer after
another single-figure score on recall. "He was left out
as much because of shape - as we played an extra
bowler at Headingley - and we wanted to play a
different shape in this game because we thought it
was our best team," said Moores. "He is playing
pretty well in his practice and he has another dig
in the game, so he's got a chance. He's a tough
bloke Colly and he has played well for England over
the last 12-18 months. He has had a bad run of
scores but we support him because we think he is
playing well enough and can come through that. Paul
has served England very well in the past and I
think will do long into the future." England lost
three wickets for six runs shortly before lunch, a
spell begun by Strauss' stray boot and also
including the departures of Vaughan and Kevin
Pietersen to disputed decisions. "Strauss' was a
bit of a bizarre dismissal - I don't think he has
ever hit wicket before," Moores added. "There were
a couple of tough decisions and suddenly we were
behind the eight ball." Fast bowler Andre
Nel took advantage of Dale Steyn's broken thumb
with three wickets, and admitted: "We got a lucky
break with Strauss stepping on his wickets. I was
about to shout at myself for bowling down the
leg-side and then all of a sudden Bouch (Mark
Boucher) came running towards me shouting 'he's
out', so I was pretty happy." All-rounder
Jacques Kallis also claimed a trio of scalps from
the city end as it was the Proteas' back-up men who
inflicted the damage. "Jakes bowled
really well into the wind, it was an unbelievable
spell of bowling as it was a real test of your
skill from that end," Nel added. "It is a bit
slower from that end against the wind and allowed
us to attack from the other." Bet now at
Ladbrokes |
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