Look to better performances in fourth test

AFTER the below par performance of the England cricket team in the second test, Joe Root was castigated by previous test captains for poor captaincy and application.

At the same time Faf du Plessis was praised for his captaincy!

In the third test, the display by the Proteas was woeful, to say the least.

From the start, that Vernon Philander was allowed on the field, with a stomach problem, put the team on the back foot, in his not being able to take up his role as a lead bowler.

However, once again we must query the role of the batting coach and the assistant coach.

England were allowed to accumulate a reasonable first innings total, because the bowling attack was below par and Chris Morris sprayed the ball all over the pitch, conceding sometimes 20 runs in an over.

Test cricket is played over five days, but the batsmen persist with “brave cricket” when the conditions don’t suit it!

Even with four wickets down and the top order back in the hut, with close to 400 runs to chase, assistant coach Adrian Birrell maintained they had a chance to save the game.

Anyone with a limited amount of cricket savvy would know that a statement such as that was pie in the sky.

Hopefully the fourth test, starting today, will produce better application by the senior players and the people making press statements will stick to facts and not cloud the issue, in that their performance was not up to scratch.

R A Hill, Greenacres, Port Elizabeth