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History is against Proteas
21/07/2008 22:05 - (SA)
Leeds - South Africa will savour
Monday's victory over England at Headingley, where they went 1-0
up in the series, though they are aware history is against them,
captain Graeme Smith said.
South Africa have not won a Test series in England since
1965 and since their return from sporting isolation they have
taken the lead in the three series they have played in 1994,
1998 and 2003 only to fail to go on and triumph.
"We are going to enjoy this moment (first)," Smith told
reporters. "Edgbaston is a little time away but it is something
we have been aware of all the time. The important thing is that
we are on the up.
"Edgbaston is a pressure cooker atmosphere for any away
team, but in the meantime we will relax things a little and
prepare and hopefully play as well at Edgbaston as we have
here."
Smith and his opposite number Michael Vaughan both
acknowledged that England's below-par total of 203 on the first
day presented the tourists with an opportunity to take the lead
in the four-match series.
The South Africa skipper paid tribute in particular to the
way AB de Villiers played for his 174 - saying "it was a man's
innings" - after getting booed by the crowd for his part in a
controversial catch incident.
Sensible batting
While Smith said England "played frantically" to be bowled
out in just 52.3 overs, Vaughan admitted his side batted "like
millionaires" before South Africa showed a more sensible and
circumspect approach.
"We are a better batting unit than 203 - 350 would have put
us in the game," Vaughan said. "South Africa went out and batted
how you can bat on a Headingley pitch."
Vaughan alluded to how selection changes upset team morale.
Little-known swing bowler Darren Pattinson came in, Andrew
Flintoff came back and regulars Ryan Sidebottom (injured) and
Paul Collingwood (dropped) went out.
Pattinson's call-up invited criticism as the more
experienced Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Sajid Mahmood and
Simon Jones were all overlooked. Vaughan, though, said it was
unfair to blame Pattinson, who he "felt sorry for".
"It does look like a confused selection," Vaughan said. "But
the selection of one person doesn't lose you a Test match. We
lost the Test match because we didn't play good enough as a
collective unit."
He added: "We didn't feel as much as a unit this week as we
did the week before. I have a huge belief that we need to be a
unit in Test match cricket and have that togetherness. Two
changes don't help.
"Over the next week it's important the guys get away and
work and come back to the squad on Sunday and react like we did
at Lord's and get that buzz back. This week it wasn't there."
- Reuters
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