Fletcher keeping the party on hold

The days of fancy dress on 25 December are long gone from England cricket tours. Which is just as well, really, for coach Duncan Fletcher, who wouldn't know whether to turn up as Santa Claus or Scrooge.

In the 1980s, no player party was complete without a costume parade and the sight of Phillip DeFreitas dolled up as Diana Ross on Christmas Day caused a fair bit of confusion for a minute or two. But that's another story.

There will not be too many high jinks in and around England's 2004 team hotel.

But Fletcher is adamant that his players should enjoy a festive, family occasion - just so long as they keep their eye on the ball, metaphorically speaking, then go out and dominate South Africa at Kingsmead on Boxing Day.

Christmas is a difficult time and it is not so long ago that families were discouraged from joining England tours.

There is no more hard-nosed, business-like operator than Fletcher. But the coach almost beamed with delight when asked what he thought about seeing so many wives, girlfriends and toddlers joining the tour here.

"I think it's fantastic," said Fletcher. "It's nice to see the kids around the place, it's just a lovely feeling.

"We won the First Test in Port Elizabeth, then all the families arrive and it creates a really nice atmosphere. I'm definitely in favour of them being here."

But there's still work to be done in the workhouse?

"Yes, you've got to be careful," said Fletcher. "The key is to maintain your routines and get the team focused on this next Test straight away.

"We could sit back, have a day off, start thinking it's all easy and suddenly find a holiday feeling developing. But we won't. It's a cliche but, as we keep saying, the next Test is always harder to win."

It just might be, as well. South Africa will look a far more formidable unit with Herschelle Gibbs restored to the top of the order and, in Charl Langeveldt, they have a swing bowler who could fully exploit the usual humid conditions in Durban.

There is also the expectation that world-class all-rounder Jacques Kallis will be able to bowl here, unlike in Port Elizabeth, after recovering from an ankle problem.

And South Africa may axe tailender Thami Tsolekile and hand the wicketkeeper's gloves to First Test opener Abraham de Villiers.

England, though, have plenty of room for improvement, too.

They won convincingly enough in the end at St George's Park to register a record-breaking eighth consecutive Test victory but still looked short of match practice.

Well, Michael Vaughan and his men have had that practice, finished all smiles and should be ready to equal or even better some of their summer performances.

"There's no doubt there is scope for improvement," admitted Fletcher. "But at Port Elizabeth the only time they got close to us was when we gave away so many soft wickets on the third day."

England played at perhaps 70 per cent of capability in Port Elizabeth, but were still good enough to win. Now they can achieve the rare feat of going a full calendar year without losing a single Test.

"I'm very proud of what's been done," said Fletcher.

"We've got a formula we use which is that hard work gives you confidence gives you winning and winning gives you enjoyment."

So, while Christmas may be almost upon us, England are still working and already thinking about Boxing Day. And no one more so than the coach.

"Yesterday my wife Marina was talking to me and I'm not even listening," admitted Fletcher.

"She gets quite annoyed! But I was just throwing things around in my mind, thinking about what are we going to do in this Test."

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