The clean sweep was in jeopardy at times — for instance at Old Trafford, where West Indies grabbed a first innings lead, and at The Oval, where the threat came from the weather. Somehow on both occasions the team made any such threats look no more than trifling.
It helps that England have strength in depth, as every man chosen to fill any available gap, certainly in the batting department, has produced the goods. Of them, Ian Bell can consider himself unlucky not to be on the plane to South Africa. It bodes well for the immediate future of this team.
The next challenge is a sterner one, even if the South Africans are having a tough time in Sri Lanka. Let us not forget that England, too, made heavy weather of their time in the heat and humidity of Muttiah Muralitharan’s fiefdom and came away chastened before Christmas last year, so in that respect they and South Africa will start pretty much even when they meet in December. Every sportsman and team knows that one draws a line at the end of every event.
The Proteas will have time to lick their wounds before Vaughan leads his men onto the field at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and will be determined not to slip further down the rankings. I suspect also that the success of the South African rugby team in recent weeks will have upped the ante for the cricketers. There will be the usual pressure of expectation from the home crowds, but that extra inspiration drawn from the rugby will do no harm.
However, man for man, England have the strength to beat South Africa. The latter still have a talented batting line-up, with Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis the most impressive. The fate of the team could rest largely on these three sets of shoulders, because it was through big totals that South Africa got themselves in front in 2003 before an astonishing fightback at The Oval allowed England to level the series. Since then, Steve Harmison has upped his game and the contest between him and the home team’s big three will make for absorbing viewing.
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Where South Africa fall short of England is in the depth and persistence of their bowling. Their desperation is starting to show, with the likes of Nantie Hayward being eased back into the fold and Lance Klusener and the United Cricket Board of South Africa ceasing hostilities. I might have to sharpen up a bit at my age to take on the pace of Hayward, but I would have few qualms facing Klusener and I don’t suppose he is giving Vaughan sleepless nights either. Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock, on the other hand, will need looking at more seriously, one thanks to his pace and stamina, and the other because of his vast experience and accuracy.
As much as anything, England will have to be aware of the pride that accompanies sport in South Africa. Even when they are not the best, they manage to believe that they are. It is not an entirely bad way to play sport or to watch it, and the Barmy Army will again be welcome as far as the England team are concerned because their vociferous backing will do much to counter the partisan support always guaranteed the home side. We saw how much the swell of support made a difference to England in Barbados a few months ago, and if there is a benefit to back-to-back Tests, it might just be that they will afford the Barmies the opportunity to stay around and even up the contest in the stands.
What else will England find down there for two months? Well, the hospitality is pretty good, while the wines of South Africa are improving rapidly and are certainly good enough to toast victory with.
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England squad: M Vaughan, M Trescothick, A Strauss, M Butcher, R Key, G P Thorpe, A Flintoff, G Jones, C Read, A Giles, G Batty, M Hoggard, S Jones, S Harmison, J Anderson, P Collingwood