Going up

A lot of foolishness has been talked since Super Sunday and it is time for a word of caution like that delivered by Andy Flower, the England coach. England have now risen to fifth in the world rankings and for a while that may be as far as they get. Anyone who imagines they will shoot further up those rankings by playing against South Africa in the Republic had better think again. Yes, I know the Australians won in South Africa but Graeme Smith's men are now the No.1 side in the world, full of that hey-the-Zulus-are-coming-lets-get-the-wagons-in-a-circle mentality that has saved Tests in the past. If the going gets tough, they simply bat. Runs don't matter; men like Smith, A B de Villiers and Jacques Kallis will hide behind bats and pads until the danger has passed. Last time England won back the Ashes they mistakenly thought they had only to arrive at a Test ground to win: the result was summed up by the 5-0 drubbing from Brisbane to Sydney. It can happen again but if they listen to Flower they might - strengthened by Kevin Pietersen, with the addition of Jonathon Trott and Stuart Broad's rising star - creep a little nearer the top of the tree. But it aint going to be easy.