I was invited to The Oval this morning to attend a press conference with David Morgan, former ECB chairman and current ICC president, no less. Up for discussion were the prospects of a World Test Championship, day-night Tests, the pink ball and India’s enthusiasm for Test cricket.

What did we get? Either “I don’t have the answers” or a vocal enactment of the dreaded ICC press releases (I don’t want to hear the word “pinnacle” again). Here’s a sample:

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Lots of head-shaking in the office about England’s use of the review system on the first day of the Test. I’m sure it was replicated by many people watching at home, as well as the Sky commentators. Everyone likes a good head-shake, but please calm down.

Most of the shaking was a result of England’s appeal for a caught behind off an AB de Villiers sweep shot. Graeme Swann and Matt Prior were certain de Villiers had hit it and they convinced Strauss to refer.

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Let’s hear it for Ian Bell. And no sniggering at the back. Because amid all the agonising over England’s failure to go for broke and pick Luke Wright for today’s first Test at Centurion, Bell has quietly been given a reprieve.

That may sound like an odd phrase to use about a player who batted at No 3 in England’s most recent Test, but the return of Kevin Pietersen and the certainty that Jonathan Trott would be going nowhere other than up two places after his Oval heroics at No 5 meant Bell was, in effect, fighting for his place all over again. And he’s fallen on his feet: after all, No 6 has produced four of his eight Test hundreds.

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One thing about South Africa-England Test series that everyone forgets: despite the great anticipation, despite wanting to beat them more than any other nation except Australia, the series are often very boring.

And this isn’t a bad thing.

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