Cook hails potential of young England side

Ccaptain Alastair Cook

REUTERS: England have the makings of a strong future test team, captain Alastair Cook said on Wednesday after a comprehensive 241-run win over South Africa in the first test at Kingsmead.

“The guys have over the last eight months or so taken big strides forward as a side. We didn’t quite get our rewards in the United Arab Emirates,” Cook said referring to the series defeat to Pakistan in October, “but we did today.

“Over five days we got the rub of the green and played very well. It’s a good side to captain, full of balance and guys that are happy and hungry.

“One to 17 in the squad want to push on, if you see them training, they work really hard. There will be some tough times ahead but it is very pleasing.”

They produced a strong all-round showing with some impressive batting and bowling performances to hand the top-ranked test nation a thumping on home soil.

Moeen Ali was named man-of-the-match for taking seven wickets but there were strong claims for the award from the likes of Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Joe Root and James Taylor.

“We don’t win away all that often. It’s been a while for us as a side. We got our opportunity and we took it.

“Potentially this team can do some really good things, there’s so much talent in this side and I think we are seeing a lot of younger guys coming through. There are a good 20-odd players starting to form the nucleus of the new England squad and that’s really encouraging.”

But Cook also warned: “Let’s not get too carried away. It is relentless hard work and good results over a long period of time.”

England’s second Test against South Africa begins on Saturday at Newlands.

South Africa hoping for happier New Year

REUTERS: South Africa will hope the New Year brings about a change in luck as they seek to put behind them a disappointing 2015 and get back to winning ways against England in the second test at Newlands starting on Saturday.

One of the iconic venues of world cricket, nestled in the shadow of Table Mountain, is traditionally a happy hunting ground for the home team but they are low in confidence after losing the first test in Durban by a hefty 241 runs.

With just a two-day break between the matches South Africa will be wrestling with the demons of another flop which meant they ended the year on a run of seven games without victory.

They looked mentally fragile and devoid of the fighting spirit that characterised their rise to the top of the test rankings.

England might only be sixth in the standings but they looked more like a team at the top with a clinical and confident all-round display.

Captain Alastair Cook, however, has cautioned against too much euphoria.

“There is also the issue of complacency and we’ve got to be careful with recovery,” Cook told reporters.

England won the match in Durban without leading wicket taker James Anderson, who is likely to return for the second game at the expense of Chris Woakes.

South Africa’s top pace bowler Dale Steyn is doubtful due to a shoulder injury and he will probably be replaced by Kagiso Rabada or Chris Morris while Quinton de Kock will return behind the stumps to lighten the load on gun batsman AB de Villiers.

“His workload was a bit more than we had expected,” Captain Hashim Amla said of De Villiers’s dual role at a time when South Africa have made it clear they want to rest their talisman more.

The Newlands test will be followed by two more in the high altitude of Johannesburg and Pretoria.