By Andy Wilson
Mark Robinson recalled four contrasting innings as the highlights of a successful England Lions tour of South Africa.
The Lions drew the two four-day matches against South Africa A, then wrapped up the one-day series with one game to spare, ending with a 3-1 win after losing the last game in Benoni on Thursday night.
“We saw four special innings,” said Robinson, who was head coach of the Lions for the second consecutive winter after last year’s trip to Sri Lanka.
“Jonathan Trott’s double-century at Paarl, James Vince in that rearguard action in Bloemfontein to make sure the second four-day match was saved, and then the two explosive ones in the one-day series.
“Jason Roy in Kimberley, which we thought couldn’t be matched, only for Ben Stokes to go absolutely ballistic in the fourth game when we scored at 15 an over for the last 10 overs and he hit 15 sixes. They were four different innings, two explosive and two more conventional, but they’d probably be the highlights.”
Trott batted for 647 minutes to make an unbeaten 211 in fierce heat in Paarl, a phenomenal feat of stamina and concentration, as the Lions recovered from 67 for three to pile up 624 for eight in reply to South Africa A’s 504 for eight, and even put them under some pressure.
Vince also played his part in Paarl with 78 in a fourth-wicket stand of 165 with Trott, then went even better in the second match in Bloemfontein with an unbeaten 152 in the second innings, his first Lions century in 398 minutes of resistance, to secure another draw.
As Robinson said, the innings of Roy and Stokes could hardly have been a greater contrast. The Surrey opener slammed 141 from 110 balls, a career-best in one-day cricket, with 13 fours and six sixes to set up the Lions victory in the second match of the series in Kimberley, then Stokes made an astonishing 151 from 86 balls at the Mamelodi Oval in Pretoria, with those 15 sixes marking a new record for an England player.
“It’s been a challenging tour in lots of ways,” added Robinson.
“Playing a strong South Africa A side, facing a strong attack, on their own grounds, with the altitude and the heat, all those type of things, and for the bowlers using the Kookaburra ball.
“There has also been the issue of having 16 players here for the last few games who all think they should be playing, and it was particularly pleasing to see Jack Brooks and Adil Rashidcome in and make a big contribution in the last game after the frustration of not being involved in the one-day series before then.”
Robinson believes the England selectors “would be a little bit clearer if there was an injury tomorrow where they would go” as a result of the tour, especially in one-day cricket.
“It was a little bit harder from the Test match point of view especially for the batters because they only had three innings to make a statement,” he added.
Robinson also took time to thank his fellow coaches who had been helping out in South Africa, saying: “The players have been lucky as I have been to have a great support staff.
“And a special mention to Ottis Gibson and to Thorpey (Graham Thorpe) who’s worked tirelessly with the boys be it catching, throwing or doing the dog stick. That’s been another reason why it’s been really successful.”