Bowlers will give SA the edge

2008-08-20 15:46

Johannesburg - Former England international Robin Jackman believes South Africa's bowling attack will give them the edge in the ODI series that begins with the first match at Headingley in Leeds on Friday.

Jackman, who is a regular guest in the SuperSport studios for live broadcasts of matches, feels that while the two sides are fairly evenly matched in the batting department, the Proteas have the edge over the English as a bowling unit.

"I feel South Africa are better equipped than England, particularly when it comes to the bowling. Also, the Proteas are not No 2 in ODI cricket for nothing, just as England are not No 6 for nothing," said Jackman.

"The Proteas haven't had great preparation, with a loss against the England B side and the Twenty20 match being washed out. But I wouldn't read too much into that...I still maintain they have the ability and desire to come out on top in the series. Weather permitting - and there has been a bit of that around - I see South Africa winning 3-2, and possibly even 4-1.

"From an England point of view, they still appear to be feeling their way as a one-day side. Matt Prior is suddenly back in the mix as wicketkeeper, Andrew Flintoff is back after being out for a long time through injury and Kevin Pietersen is the new captain.

Leading allrounder

"Pietersen, of course, is a big factor. He has a superb ODI record against South Africa - even better than his Test record - and captaining in the one-day format is easier than in Test cricket. Also, the return of Flintoff is a big plus for England. He is their No 1 allrounder and the fact that he was out for so long with injury is one of the reasons they are ranked sixth in the world."

Although South Africa's leading allrounder, Jacques Kallis, had a disappointing Test series with the bat, Jackman still expects him to feature prominently in the ODI series.

"Jacques is mentally very tough and he'll be ready to do his thing in the one-dayers. He didn't make many runs in the Test series but he performed very well with the ball. That is why he is so valuable to the team...he can do it as a batsman and a bowler, and he is a handy slip fielder as well. His experience is also a big plus for the Proteas," said Jackman.

* The England-SA match at Headingley on Friday is live on SuperSport 2 and CSN from 14:00.

- SAPA