You know what? We might actually win this test. We’re in a great position: just twelve runs behind with six wickets in hand. I don’t think many people expected us to compete so well at Sharjah.
The really pleasing thing is that different batsmen have finally stood up to the plate. It wasn’t Root or even Cook that got us into this position (although the latter took the shine off the new ball) it was a relative newbie: James William Arthur Taylor. Even Jonny Bairstow batted well and made a good contribution.
It was also great to see Ian Bell playing more confidently. He had to be extremely patient but he looked every inch the player his record suggests. Some may quibble over his scoring rate, but the situation demanded restraint during the afternoon. It was possibly the key session of the test match so far, and England’s resistance was really heartening.
So let’s talk about James Taylor now – the mighty atom, the pocket rocket, the mouse with a lion’s heart. As Yoda once said: “size matters not … judge me by my size, do you”?
The idea that Taylor was too short for test cricket was madness. He’s an inch taller than Sachin Tendulkar and only an inch shorter than Don Bradman. That’s pretty good company.
The world has seen many, many world-class shortarses. Sometimes being tall can be a hindrance – just ask Tom Moody or Graeme Hick. Tall batsmen can sometimes be stiff at the crease and give nasty fast bowlers a bigger target to aim at.
Smaller guys often duck under the short ball with relative ease. They’re frequently quick on their feet too. They can rock onto the back foot quickly and seize upon anything short. Just look at Steve Smith.
James Taylor has much to prove before he can be mentioned in the same breath as a Smith, let alone a Tendulkar or Gavaskar, but his innings today was extremely promising. He played the spinners really well and withstood the pacemen too.
Although his technique is still a little quirky, he looks more orthodox than he did last year. This obviously helps him somewhat, but his game has never been based around elegant, fluent shot-making. He’ll never make the purists purr. Instead he has something just as valuable: balls.
Taylor’s temperament seems to be his greatest asset. He’s got mojo. His walk isn’t quite a strut but it still says: “I’ve got this lads”. He’s uber confident and always up for a fight – qualities his teammate’s will always appreciate. I bet you he’d make a good welterweight.
With the pitch expected to deteriorate from day three onwards, Taylor has put England in a fantastic position. If we can add another 120 runs, which isn’t beyond the realms of possibility with our lower order depth, we’ll put Pakistan under massive pressure.
If England can somehow manage to level this series, and walk away with a creditable 1-1 draw, it will be the side’s finest achievement for some time. What a shame there’s only three matches. Good things come in small packages I suppose.
James Morgan
“Although his technique is still a little quirky, he looks more orthodox than he did last year.”
Personally, I don’t care a jot about unorthodox technique if it works for the player. It drives me crazy when I hear of or see a coach dismantling a player’s technique for no good reason other than it does not conform to the manual!
Fantastic to see you so energised as you start to shape your new blog. All power to your elbow!
Thanks mate. I think it’s more important for batsmen to be orthodox (play straight etc) than bowlers. In fact, unorthodoxy can sometimes be an advantage for bowlers. Malinga = Quirky. Woakes + Very orthodox. Who is easier to line up if you’re a batsman?!
So pleased for JT today, have long been a fan of his and it’s madness that he hasn’t been in the side before.
Incidentally I heard Alan Green on 5Live yesterday saying he had got to Southampton early for the match v Bournemouth and was chatting to Saints’ supporters outside the ground, getting their views on things at the club. Wonder how often the cricket journalists bother to do this with England fans?
Great to have your new blog up and running James, good luck with it!
Thanks Maggie. Much appreciated. Interesting stuff re: Alan Green.
Is Steve Smith short? I wouldn’t have guessed that.
Good luck with the new blog.
Yep. He’s a little over 5 ft 7. Just an inch and a bit taller than Taylor!
Fantastic day for England. But there’s still plenty of time for us to screw it all up! Let’s hope Taylor can complete his maiden ton tomorrow. He looked good.
What a satisfying day’s cricket in Sharjah and a vindication both on the pitch and in your own piece for the slightly shorter players! It was great to see Taylor playing in the Test side at long last and to see it work so well.
Taylor’s style and his stature may be slightly less than orthodox but it works brilliantly. There’s the attitude t00 – you could see this Summer that for some reason he really got under the skin of the Australian attack – but it seems to be based on a can-do, let-me-at-them approach which is nice to see.
Sorry to see Moeen’s unnecessary act of hari-kiri and the inevitable calls to rethink his opening position that this has caused, before he’s been given enough of a chance to show whether opening is an attitude that he can adopt successfully. With Cook and Root (and Taylor!) in the list, surely we can afford to give Moeen a little longer to come good as an opener. Particularly when there are no replacements any more obvious or compelling than Moeen himself.
Bell’s knock was also critical in getting England to their position this afternoon and shouldn’t be dismissed lightly. It wasn’t enough to withdraw the question mark over his continued selection, but it was surely enough to show that with his enormously distinguished contribution he should be given the opportunity to continue and for the knives to be re-holstered.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s action – which wasn’t what I had been expecting.
Good luck with EMS!
Great day for Taylor but genuinely annoying that it has taken England this long to get in the team (and as a replacement) as I really think he has merited a spot for a few years now with his first class record. If he’d been playing from the start of the series perhaps we’d be 1-0 up instead. Still, we got there eventually….
Although he’s a completely different kind of player to Root, his positivity reminds me of the latter – he always seems to be looking for a quick single and by continually rotating the strike, helps alleviate pressure for both batsmen and make it harder for the bowlers.
I genuinely think in two years we’ll be talking of him as having a similar importance to England as Root and Cook.
Yes I think there are similarities in attitude between the two (root and taylor). Good thinking
I am only surprised that Taylor hasn’t been given a run earlier in the summer. I liked the look of him during the world cup and his innings there vs Australia when the rest of the team was failing miserably was excellent.