I pick over England's defeat to South Africa at Headingley on www.laytheodds.com and suggest that the batsmen are more culpable than the selectors for the home team's predicament.

I have just had my 'Nasser Hussain at Brisbane' moment. As soon as Graeme Smith won the toss at Headingley and bowled, I knew my prediction that a fielding decision would be a mistake would come back to haunt me. My tip for an England win also looked instantly wide of the mark.

However, I do feel let down by the home side. They say look up at Headingley, not down, and Smith was not alone in following this advice. England's batsmen convinced themselves that the grey skies meant they were batting in trickier conditions than were actually in evidence.

This paranoia manifested itself in a panicked display of loose strokeplay, with Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Andrew Flintoff and Stuart Broad all falling to unnecessarily attacking shots. Nine players were out caught, which reflects England's failings more than it does South Africa's skill with the ball.

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