Making a Hash(im) of it

South Africa lost 2. England lost 20. The English were not able to overhaul the Saffer's total in spite of that. The number 1 ranking now hangs by a thread and if they fall, they would give it up to worthy successors. It is difficult to imagine where KP would have fitted in this South African side had he not changed loyalties. Could he have replaced Kallis? That may sound like the joke of the century. Over 12k runs at 57 and over 275 wickets at 32 are numbers that any specialist batsmen or bowler would give an arm and a leg for. Combine these with over 150 catches, some of them out of this world, and you have a cricketer who stands tall not only amongst his peers, but across history. Amla showed how far he has come from the callow cricketer who was targeted with the perfume ball when he first came onto the scene. He becomes the first SA cricketer to make a test triple ton and one wouldn't bet against him repeating the feat. Such is the calmness in his demeanor and so honed are his skills that one may not miss Rahul Dravid playing cricket. There were no extravagant gestures when he conquered the landmark and that is another small thing where he stands out from most modern batsmen (consistency being the bigger one). With a bowling attack comprising Steyn, Philander and Morkel, the blow hot, blow cold syndrome is much less likely to hit the Proteas. I would predict a prolonged reign for them at the top if they manage to topple the incumbents. Where do the English go from here. For starters, the series is yet to be won and lost and it would be nice if Anderson and company can step it up a little. Whether the Oval thrashing remains a blip or a harbinger of impending long term crisis will depend on how they respond. Onto Leeds and Lords then to decide if we will have a new Test number one.