By Richard Sydenham
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 11 (Reuters) – England must
improve on the test performances against West Indies if they are
to succeed in their next challenge against South Africa,
according to captain Andrew Strauss.
Strauss’s team sealed a 2-0 series win over West Indies on
Monday after the rain-affected third and final test was
abandoned as a draw.
England dropped four catches in one innings and allowed the
last-wicket pair of Denesh Ramdin (107 not out) and number 11
Tino Best (95) to share a stand of 143.
The three-match South Africa series, which starts at The
Oval on July 19, will decide whether England remain top of the
world rankings or the Proteas leapfrog them.
“We go into our next test assignment in pretty good fettle
and feeling pretty confident,” Strauss told reporters. “We are
also aware there are definitely areas in which we need to
improve.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance by us in the little play we
did have here and that is frustrating. We dropped a few catches
and you don’t want to be in a situation where number 11 gets 95
all that often.”
No play was possible in three of the five days in the third
test at Edgbaston, England reaching 221 for five in reply to
West Indies first innings 426.
“We found ourselves under a bit of pressure with the bat but
there were still some good performances,” said Strauss.
Continued…
