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Mitchell Johnson hit a low point of his career during last year’s Ashes but is now ready to shown what he has learnt

Brydon Coverdale in Birmingham04-Jul-2010This time last year, Mitchell Johnson was approaching his nadir. He was on Australia’s Ashes tour of England; his mother was in the tabloids back home, claiming Johnson had been “stolen” away from her by his fiancée. The stories were picked up in the London press, and it was an ugly episode that distracted Johnson from his role as the team’s spearhead.At Lord’s, he bowled short and wide and was carved up by England’s batsmen, and finished the match with 3 for 200. The crowds around the country got stuck in to him, he couldn’t swing the ball, and nothing went right. Next week, he returns to Lord’s to face Pakistan in a Test, almost a year to the day after he last wore the baggy green there, under nothing like the same intense scrutiny.”Lord’s was my lowest point, performance wise,” Johnson said in Birmingham, where he was preparing for Monday’s Twenty20 against Pakistan. “Even that, I look at the second innings and I started to feel a little better about my bowling. You look at the whole series and I was one of the leading wicket takers, I just wasn’t really at my best.”I’m definitely more relaxed this time. It’s totally different to last time. I don’t feel those pressures. My game, I feel, has improved a lot since last being here. I had that exposure of what it was like to be the new leader of the attack and getting all the media hype and what you were getting from the crowds as well.”On that front, Johnson is right. The Ashes this series is not, so the media hype will not follow him. And when the return contest comes later this year, Johnson will have the local fans behind him. Even so, he feels he has learnt from his last trip to England, and his focus was tested again earlier this year in New Zealand, when he clashed heads with Scott Styris in an ODI in Napier.”In New Zealand I copped a fair bit as well from their crowds, with the incident that happened over there with Scott Styris,” Johnson said. “I copped a fair bit over there after that, but I showed that I can pull my head together and just go out there and play cricket and not let the emotions get to me. I’ve pretty much shown that I have improved.”His focus is one thing, but Johnson must also find a way to master the English conditions. He finished the Ashes tour with 20 wickets at 32.55 – not a bad analysis, but one that flattered him a little. Part of the problem at Lord’s was the unusual slope, which Johnson had been warned about but which caused him all sorts of trouble, while he also found the English surfaces slower and softer under his feet.Against Pakistan at Lord’s and Headingley, Johnson will be Ricky Ponting’s go-to man in a pace attack likely to feature Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus. He doesn’t view the series so much as a second chance in England as an opportunity to fine-tune his game, which has improved dramatically since last July – he has taken 41 Test wickets at 25.90 since the start of the Australian summer.”I did find Lord’s quite different, quite a hard place to bowl because of the slope in it,” Johnson said. “It’s something that I was warned about, speaking to past players and [Australia’s bowling coach] Troy Cooley, who has been over here as the England bowling coach. It was a pretty good experience for me.”I haven’t played county cricket before, and it’s always a good experience coming over here and playing on different kinds of wickets. Whether it’s a second chance or not – I’m not looking at it that way. I just want to go out there and do my best again. Hopefully we can start off with these Twenty20s and then work into the Test matches, which I’m really looking forward to.”Monday’s Twenty20 will be Johnson’s first match back after missing the ODI series against England due to an infection in his right elbow. He had a tattoo on the arm ahead of the World Twenty20 and there has been speculation the two could be linked, but Johnson isn’t convinced that his artwork had anything to do with his soreness.”I wouldn’t have thought so,” he said. “I got the tattoo three weeks before I travelled away, so that ruled that out. I got to the West Indies and I felt like I knocked it on the plane, but I’m not 100% sure. It started off as a little bursa, a little sac of fluid, and then progressed from there. We’re not really 100% sure how it came and got infected. At the moment it’s feeling very good.”So is the rest of Johnson. What a difference a year makes.

Despite managing to valiantly claw back from being 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw against Manchester United in their latest Premier League match thanks to goals from Jacob Ramsey and Philippe Coutinho on his debut, Aston Villa were unfortunately struck with a concerning injury blow that will have some fans worried.

What’s the news?

In a recent article for Birmingham Live, Villa journalist Ashley Preece shared some details on the issue that forced defender Ezri Konsa off the pitch to be replaced by Kortney Hause at half-time.

He said: “Konsa took a whack to his hip and, after attempting to run it off before the second half, had to come off at the break after shaking his head to fitness coach Jordan Milsom saying he couldn’t continue despite having some painkillers in the dressing room.”

Preece also added that Villa will be “sweating” over Konsa’s fitness now and that it “doesn’t look too good” in terms of his chances of being available for their next match against Everton at Goodison Park next weekend.

A big miss?

So far this season, Konsa has played in all but one of Villa’s 20 Premier League games so far this season, showing how highly rated he was by former Villa manager Dean Smith earlier in the season as well as current boss Steven Gerrard.

This then shows how much of a big miss he would be if he were to spend a significant period of time out of action due to this hip injury, something that would ultimately severely worry fans.

Also, one other worrying aspect with this situation at the moment is the lack of depth in the centre-back position with the Midlands club saying goodbye to Axel Tuanzebe earlier in the window.

Moving forward, the best thing that everyone at Villa can hope for is that Konsa can recover from this injury as soon as possible and that Hause and Tyrone Mings can keep things tight at the back if he misses the Everton game or any other matches after that.

Fortunately for Villa, with Hause managing to deliver a solid display in the second half against the Red Devils, this should be encouraging for Gerrard and the Villa fans that he has what it takes to fill in for Konsa.

In other news: Villa could secure another transfer masterclass with £49k-p/w gem who “has everything” – opinion

West Ham are still interested in completing the signing of Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Lingard excels at West Ham

The 29-year-old spent half of last season on loan at the London Stadium, becoming a hero in no time and spearheading the Hammers’ European challenge.

Lingard scored nine goals and registered four assists in just 16 Premier League appearances for West Ham, prior to returning to the northwest.

He has again struggled for playing time at Old Trafford this season, however, and the Hammers have been tipped to re-sign him in the near future.

The Latest: Hammers still in the fight

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Lingard remains on David Moyes’ radar, with their interest never going away:

“He has been on West Ham’s list since last summer when he had that great loan spell at the London Stadium last season. He doesn’t figure in Manchester United’s plans going forward.”

Newcastle are now strongly linked with the 32-cap England international, so it appears Rob Newman could have a fight on his hands for his signature in the next ten days.

The Verdict: Newcastle favourites

While it would be great to see Lingard back in east London, it does look increasingly as though he could be part of the Tyneside revolution, following their recent big-money takeover.

The Magpies have made a second loan bid for the England international and their newfound financial power could give them the edge over West Ham, in terms of wages.

Should the player opt for London living and a club currently thriving instead of fighting relegation however, Lingard would be a fantastic addition to Moyes’ squad this month. He has been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by the Hammers boss in the past and showed in his temporary stint last term just how much he can inject into the Irons’ attack.

In other news, some West Ham fans are excited after an update on one target. Find out who it is here.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is approaching his first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants as January is merely days away.

The Dutchman may want to strengthen his Gers squad by making an addition or two to bring some freshness to the side heading into the second half of the campaign.

One player who has been touted with a potential switch to Glasgow is Anderlecht defender Wesley Hoedt, formerly of Premier League club Southampton.

Bye-bye Goldson

The Dutchman could come in as the perfect replacement for Connor Goldson, either in January or in the summer. Van Bronckhorst’s current centre-back is out of contract at the end of the campaign, which means that his time at Ibrox may be up in one of the next two transfer windows, with the Gers either cashing in on him next month or allowing him to run down his deal before leaving on a free.

Football Insider reported this month that, as per Ibrox sources, the former Brighton defender wants another crack at the Premier League, so he may well be coming towards the final few months of his time at Ibrox.

Hoedt has played in a number of top leagues and is currently impressing for Anderlecht in Belgium, which is why he could be a perfect replacement for Goldson. He is in fine form and still has plenty left to give at the age of 27, averaging an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the Pro League this season.

He has played for Southampton, Lazio and Celta Vigo and been capped by the Netherlands in the past, showing that he has been able to play at the top level in England, Italy, Spain and internationally.

Former Saints chief Les Reed previously heaped praise on the Dutchman, pointing to his potential and experience, saying: “Wesley is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe and represents a significant addition to our squad. Having procured a Champions League finalist from one Italian club we have now added an Italian Supercoppa winner from another.”

Reed continued: “We believe he has all the qualities to play a big part in our future, and we have worked hard to bring him to Southampton, with a number of other high-profile clubs interested in him. Wesley has proven his talent through his performances for Lazio, as well as the Netherlands, and we believe he can develop even further here at Southampton, alongside his international teammate Virgil van Dijk, as well as the likes of Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Jan Bednarek and Florin Gardos.”

This highlights some of the qualities that he could bring to Glasgow, and coupled with his form for Anderlecht, it shows that the 6 foot 3 powerhouse could be an excellent signing. He is a strong defender, as shown by his consistent performances in Belgium, and he could slot straight into the team in place of Goldson, which is why Van Bronckhorst must seal a swoop for his services.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could get Ibrox rocking with Rangers swoop for beast who can do “wonderful things”…

Tottenham Hotspur could form a frightening frontline amid interest in Adama Traore this January…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit have once again been linked with a move for the powerful Wolverhampton Wanderers winger ahead of next month’s transfer window.

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is a huge fan of the Spain international and the club could be set to revisit their interest in signing him.

‘The speed-king was identified as a target while Nuno [Santo] was in charge during the summer, but Spurs only made an offer to take him on loan. Conte is also a fan of the player and would no doubt see a similar bid as a waste of time. He will want Levy to commit to the kind of offer that might make Wolves think,’ he wrote.

Earlier this month, it was suggested that Wolves would accept a bid as low as £18m for the 25-year-old, as per ESPN.

Imagine him and Son

Not only would Traore be a perfect fit for Conte’s wing-back system in N17 but he could give Spurs another standout option in the final third, one that would send fear into many a Premier League defence.

He’s capable of playing as a winger, more centrally as an inside-forward and at wing-back, so there is plenty of room for the Italian to fit him into the team.

Traore has long been a nuisance in the top-flight and alongside a player like Heung-min Son, Conte could have a frightening duo to play in behind Harry Kane.

As he did last season, the Wolves star leads the division for dribbles per game (4.7). Of course, his end product has always been brought into question but Kane and Son are there to take up the brunt of the goalscoring duties.

He’s still averaging 1.1 key passes per game, proving to be quite the creative option, too.

Aside from his ball-carrying ability, Traore is also built like a brick wall and his physicality is another reason why so many full-backs struggle to combat him.

Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster” to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel, whilst Jurgen Klopp has often deemed him to be “unplayable.”

On the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal a move for Traore, especially for as little as £18m, in January.

AND in other news, Spurs can sign their next Mousa Dembele in “devastating” £26m-rated machine who won’t cost a penny…

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a significant boost regarding the fitness of Grady Diangana.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, Valerien Ismael revealed that, after being left out of the Baggies squad for the 1-0 win over Birmingham City on Friday evening, the winger had suffered a slight hamstring strain.

However, the Frenchman went on to state that he expects the 23-year-old to be available for Albion’s trip to Swansea City on Wednesday evening.

Speaking about the condition of Diangana, Ismael said: “Grady has a hamstring issue, not too bad. It’s a small issue, we didn’t want to take any risks for this game. My expectation is that he will come back for the next game against Swansea.”

Ismael will be buzzing

While Diangana has not exactly been in the best form of his career this season, being yet to score a goal and providing just one assist over his 11 Championship appearances, the winger nevertheless proved during West Brom’s last promotion-winning campaign that he is a player who possesses the ability to fire the Baggies back to the Premier League.

Indeed, over his 30 Championship appearances in 2019/20, the £9m-rated man scored eight goals, registered six assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Lee Hendrie dubbed a “magnificent” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking the £36k-per-week winger as West Brom’s third-best performer in the league that season.

As such, Diangana is clearly a player with the ability to win any particular match in an instant, and, with the former England U21 international looking to be available for Wednesday’s clash with Swansea, Ismael will certainly be hoping for the winger to do so at the Liberty Stadium – an outcome that would leave both the 46-year-old manager and fans of the club buzzing.

In other news: Signed for £750k, now worth £1.8m: West Brom struck gold on “amazing” £14k-p/w dynamo

After their three-day demolition of Kent last week, when their credentials as title candidates appeared to be an impressive endorsement of much pre-season punditry, Nottinghamshire’s bright start to the season was checked a little by Somerset, who recover

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge21-Apr-2010
ScorecardStuart Broad collected three wickets but struggled for rhythm on his first outing of the English season•Getty ImagesAfter their three-day demolition of Kent last week, when their credentials as title candidates appeared to be an impressive endorsement of much pre-season punditry, Nottinghamshire’s bright start to the season was checked a little by Somerset, who recovered from 78-5 to total 272 before removing both the home side’s openers cheaply.A rare appearance by Stuart Broad, who was given dispensation by England to make only his fifth Championship appearance in his third season with the county, was of little benefit to Nottinghamshire in the event. Ryan Sidebottom, who had looked in good order against Kent, had nothing to do this time but promote the Little Siddy Club, following the launch earlier this year of the Little Siddy Trust, a fund-raising venture running alongside his benefit programme.Having been under orders to rest since the end of England’s Bangladesh tour, Broad clearly looked in need of some overs ahead of the World Twenty20 in the West Indies. In stark contract to international teammate James Anderson, who bowled impressively for Lancashire at Chelmsford, Broad struggled for rhythm and a consistently testing length, conceding 79 in his 19 overs, of which 52 came in boundaries as Somerset’s batsmen took a heavy toll.The early wicket of Marcus Trescothick might have been a fillip, the former England opener, off-balance as he tried to put away a short ball, turning an attempted pull into a loopy swat to mid-wicket, where Hashim Amla, falling backwards, did well to hold on to the catch.But it was not until the last of four brief spells, none longer than six overs, that Broad began to look more than an occasional threat. He produced a decent delivery then to have Damien Wright, on the back foot, caught at second slip, before picking up a third wicket when Peter Stiff, swinging the bat, was caught on the third man boundary.In the morning, after Broad’s opening three overs had gone for 18, it was the supporting cast who appeared to be justifying Chris Read’s decision to put Somerset in.Andre Adams, who had bowled well against Kent, struck with his third ball after replacing Broad at the pavilion end, dismissing Arul Suppiah with a delivery that moved away late, Neil Edwards taking the catch at second slip.Luke Fletcher, powerfully built and deceptively sharp, nipped one through to trap James Hildreth leg before, after which Paul Franks, who had taken over from Adams, dealt a double blow to Trescothick’s team by removing Zander de Bruyn, who chased a wide ball to give Edwards a second catch, and then – the real bonus – Craig Kieswetter.England’s Twenty20 wicketkeeper, who made seven and 17 in Somerset’s opening-round defeat by Yorkshire, fell for a single this time, caught behind to the third ball after lunch as Franks surprised him with some extra bounce. Five down for 78, Somerset looked in trouble.That they recovered owed something to Peter Trego’s decision to take the bull by the horns and attack the bowling in a style that comes naturally. It might have failed spectacularly but this time it had the desired effect. Reaching 50 off 66 balls with nine fours, he led the way in a sixth-wicket stand of 64 in 19 overs with Nick Compton, which ended when Compton pulled Fletcher to Mark Wagh, who seemed to lose the ball momentarily but recovered to take the catch.Trego’s charge ended when another expansive swing edged the ball through to Read for Franks to claim his third success but by then Somerset were looking somewhat healthier. With Wright and Alfonso Thomas then taking Trego’s lead, Wright rocking back to hit Franks clear of the mid-wicket boundary with the shot of the day, they wound up with what might just be a workable first-innings score.It will be, certainly, if Nottinghamshire do not build themselves a strong foundation on the second morning. Losing Edwards, facing his former teammates, leg before to Charl Willoughby’s third delivery, they managed only two scoring strokes in the first 10 overs, suffering another setback when Bilal Shafayat edged Thomas to first slip. Amla, after his debut century last week, needs to produce something special again.

Brendon McCullum termed New Zealand’s series victory against South Africa “phenomenal” after their 27-run win in Kimberley and hoped it would send “a bit of love” to the supporters.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2013Brendon McCullum termed New Zealand’s series victory against South Africa “phenomenal” after their 27-run win in Kimberley and hoped it would send “a bit of love” to the supporters.After two Test matches that produced a combined total of seven days play and two innings defeats there were low expectations of New Zealand coming into the one-day games, but they clinched a one-wicket win in Paarl and caused South Africa to implode during their run chase in the second match with five run-outs. The hosts had raced to 167 for 1 in the 31st over when Graeme Smith’s run-out ended a century partnership with Colin Ingram and proved to be the turning point of the game. McCullum admitted New Zealand had been under pressure till that point, but hadn’t given up hope.”There was a period there when we were definitely behind the game,” McCullum said after the match. “What we kept saying to each other out there was that we had a good score on the board, courtesy Kane’s [Williamson] innings and Grant [Elliott] and Kane’s partnership. We just looked to hang in there, show the characteristics we want to be known for as a team and just keep fighting as hard as we possibly could.”If we got one or two wickets, then we could try and exert some pressure on them. As it happened we got a couple through run outs, managed to get some momentum and I thought after that we just kept applying the pressure and in the end it came pretty good for us.”It also clinched New Zealand’s first series win in any format in South Africa. “It’s a phenomenal win, the ninth-ranked team in the world against the top team,” McCullum said at the post-match presentation. “It’ll go down as one of our biggest wins in the limited-overs games.”Coming after the severe defeats in the two Tests, McCullum spoke of how proud he was with the way his side had fought back, in the absence of several key players. “The enormity of the task had sunk in before we undertook the series. We knew how big this series was. They beat us very comfortably in the Tests. We knew we had to play out of our skins to get the victories. I think the characteristics we showed in the first game really flowed on to this game as well. Very proud at the moment of each individual within our group, support staff and players alike. Also pleased to be able to show some love for the fans back home who have stuck by us through a pretty tough time.”It is important to acknowledge that we have missed Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Dan Vettori, Tim Southee, Adam Milne. What that has done is it has given other guys an opportunity to stand up. To see guys stand up from domestic cricket to international cricket and also some of the newish guys stand up and take a more leading role in the group was fantastic. It will only make us stronger when those other guys come back into the mix.”The victory was set up by a magnificent innings from Williamson who struck an unbeaten 145 to lead New Zealand to a competitive, but far from overwhelming, 279 for 8. It had been a difficult tour for Williamson, who struggled against pace in the Tests, but he controlled his innings superbly especially through a middle-order wobble.”Williamson’s innings was as good as we’ve seen from a New Zealander,” McCullum said, before giving a mention to his brother. “Nathan McCullum was phenomenal in that spell of bowling and the fielding was probably as good as we have shown. I’m very pleased.”Williamson, who suffered cramp in the later stages of his innings which had started in the third over, said: “It was nice to contribute like that in such an important game. It’s been tough playing the No. 1 team in the world. I cramped up a little bit but the guys at the other end helped us get a good total… I got regular drinks, took a few tablets and it seemed to ease off a little bit. During the break, it was a key time to hydrate and get back on the park.”[This win] would be right up there. The one against South Africa at the World Cup would be right up there as well. Every win we get has been hard to come by of late, especially against such quality opposition. It is great to take the series.”

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with Hugo Lloris over a new contract, according to Football Insider.

The lowdown

The 34-year-old’ current deal is due to expire at the end of the 2021/22 season.

The £8.1m-rated Frenchman has been with Spurs for nearly a decade, having joined from Lyon in 2012. He is closing in on 400 appearances for the club and has kept 132 clean sheets to date (via Transfermarkt).

Lloris has won the World Cup and the UEFA Nations League with France and helped Spurs to reach the 2018/19 Champions League final.

The latest

A Tottenham source has told Football Insider that Lloris has ‘opened talks’ over a ‘long-term’ agreement, with the Frenchman hoping to remain with the north London club into his late 30s.

That’s because his family are settled in the area and he believes that ‘good times could be ahead’ under Antonio Conte.

Spurs, for their part, want him to put to pen paper and are reluctant to lose a player they perceive to be a key figure both on and off the pitch.

The verdict

Lloris is performing well this season, so you could argue there’s no real reason for Spurs to make a change between the sticks. Data from FBRef shows that he has the seventh-best shot-stopping record in the Premier League with 0.8 expected goals prevented, edging the likes of Alisson and Ederson.

What’s more, he produced ‘two massive saves’ in a display of ‘top class goalkeeping’ to help his country to win the Nations League in the autumn, as per a tweet from sports journalist Josh Bunting.

Given that Spurs clearly value his presence in the dressing room, who’s to say that he couldn’t transition to a player-coach role towards the end of any new contract? It certainly seems to be in the club’s best interests, both on and off the field, to keep him around for another while.

In other news, Paratici has received a boost in his pursuit of this striker

At the end of a batsman’s career, history rates them by how many hundreds they have scored for their country, but for Paul Collingwood there should be an extra column. How many Tests he has saved for England

Andrew McGlashan in Johannesburg12-Jan-2010At the end of a batsman’s career, history rates them by how many hundreds they have scored for their country, but for Paul Collingwood there should be an extra column. How many Tests he has saved for England. In the last eight months he has played a major role in three great escapes with backs-to-the-wall efforts at Cardiff, Centurion and most recently Cape Town.In the first Test against South Africa he made 26 off 99 balls to ensure England’s late jitters didn’t cost them the match, but his 188-ball 40 at Cape Town was on a whole new level. The team were five down before the second ball was taken and the result looked a foregone conclusion.But somehow Collingwood survived a withering new-ball burst from Dale Steyn and defied South Africa until into the final hour. There was another late wobble – it really wouldn’t be England without one – but his five-hour partnership with Ian Bell meant the visitors hold a 1-0 lead heading into the final Test at the Wanderers. Collingwood has nine Test centuries, and made 91 at Durban in this series, but his match-saving efforts are what he savours.”They are right up there if I’m honest,” he said. “Centurion was a very satisfying innings but for some reason last week at Cape Town – we were five down pretty early and backs against the wall – I always had the belief we could do it. It was such an important game for us.”It’s very hard to measure those kinds of innings because it’s not about runs. It’s about the time you spend in the middle, the attitude you show to the other players that we can do it. In many ways I always think they are worth a hundred, but because you haven’t got the runs it doesn’t come across that way. To get across the line like we have done in this series it’s a big achievement.”Right from the beginning of his Test career Collingwood has shown the ability to fight it out when the going is at its toughest. When he was recalled to face Australia, at The Oval, in 2005 he played a vital role on the final afternoon alongside Kevin Pietersen’s thrilling 158. Collingwood only made 10, but used up 51 balls in a stand of 60 that extended England’s precious lead.”Those are the situations I do really, really enjoy,” he said. “I like – not upsetting the opposition – but just going out there and doing things that are not easy to do. I know I must bore people at times. But it’s a job I enjoy doing, and I hope there are more of those kind of innings in the future.”I am a fighter. I always have been, since growing up with my brother, from my early teens. I’m sure I’ll keep that kind of fighting spirit all the way through my career.”Given Collingwood’s history of rescuing his country, the Cape Town effort didn’t come as a huge surprise, unlike that of his main partner, Bell, who set a new benchmark for his career with a 213-ball 78. Collingwood believes it can be a turning point for Bell, who has often been criticised for making easy runs when the going is good.”At Durban he played a fantastic innings, he timed the ball well, he scored elegantly, but I’m sure he’s come off the other day and thought that’s probably worth more runs than he scored at Durban,” Collingwood said. “That was a fantastic knock from him. From being under pressure a couple of games ago to turn that around and to show he as the mental strength to see out a day will certainly give him a lot for the future.”The South Africans acknowledge the role Collingwood has played in this series. “He has shown the quality player he is and his experience has come into play,” Jacques Kallis said. “Perhaps he’s not the prettiest player in the world, but you’d rather take the guys who are ugly and get the runs than pretty players who don’t always produce the goods.”Those fighting qualities could well come the fore again this week as England aim to secure a memorable series triumph. With South Africa having no option but to attack for victory all the talk is of a lively pitch although that doesn’t concern Collingwood.”Let’s be honest they’re not going to produce a flat, flat wicket where it’s going to turn out to be a draw,” he said. “South Africa are in a position where they need a win and to do that, they’ve got to gamble a little bit.”This wicket does tend to go through a lot more anyway and you get a bit more bounce here. Then if they leave a bit more grass on, it will obviously seam around a bit. It could be a difficult week for the batsmen. But it’s all about adjusting to conditions. Whatever we come up against, it’s the same for both sides. The team that adapts best will win.”So far in this series it is England who have adapted best to the challenges that have faced them and in no small part that has been down to Collingwood. For England’s born fighter there’s one round to go.