Cricket: Feast or famine for focused Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen had the ideal preparation for confronting an Australian cricket team. At his family home in Durban he played backyard cricket with his older brothers and suffered all the buffetings commonplace in these encounters.

His fighting qualities have been on show at Lord's too, his 57 in the first innings was top score for England on a difficult wicket.

As a boy he had to fight his way through the ranks at Maritzburg College, an institution regarded as rigorous even by South African standards - but a school that expected to win, and usually did. From the outset, he knew cricket only as a game that pits man against man.

It takes more than a few Australians to put him off. England has not chosen a batsman so much as a competitor, something evident in his first innings, which included a vigorous assault on the great Glenn McGrath, hoisting him for an enormous six as England battled to stay on terms in this opening test.

Ambition has never been been lacking in Pietersen. Every sign of meekness was eliminated as the frail child became the robust, headstrong youth. After school, he played practice matches for Kwa-Zulu, batting and bowling well enough to get further opportunities.

Much to his fury, his progress was interrupted by forces beyond his control. Instructed to field racially-balanced teams, the local selectors told Pietersen his time had not yet come.

Pietersen promptly flew to Johannesburg to meet Dr Ali Bacher, a man responsible for the cricketing destructions of the 1980s. Informed that sides chosen on merit were no longer feasible, the youngster decided to pack his bags.

He wanted to stand or fall by cricket alone. He was prepared to wait four years in his adopted country and then take his chances. Transformation is fine until the sacrifice becomes personal.

Clive Rice brought him to Nottinghamshire and then came further frustration as the county failed to show the drive for success desired by its combative signing. Pietersen is not by nature inclined to make the best of a bad lot. Instead, he raged like a caged lion.

His life has been all ducks and centuries, and will continue to be because he cannot otherwise survive. For some, to stop is to perish.

By his actions, he had revealed himself as a young man prepared to live by his own lights. Much the same wilfulness can be detected in his batting. He may go forward, he may go back, he will seldom be caught in-between. He belongs to the contemporary, post-welfare school of batting that seeks early domination and depends upon power to achieve it. He has already demonstrated that against the Australians and they will have marked him as a threat.

Nor does Pietersen allow himself to be compromised by doubt. Significantly, he is comfortable in the company of champions past and present. Bonds have been formed with Shane Warne and Ian Botham.

Pietersen's flame burns as hot as theirs. None of them ever thinks scared. It was the outlook Pietersen respected and wanted. Accordingly he entered their world, and drew them into his.

Now comes the challenge that Pietersen has sought all his life - to pit himself against the best. He's not as complete a player as Graham Thorpe. He is, though, more optimistic and less used to defeat. None of the Englishmen in this series has ever won an Ashes series, none of the Australians has tasted defeat.

At least Pietersen has few bad memories - although his three dropped catches, the most significant being off Michael Clarke when he was on 21, may hurt. Clarke made 91.

Pietersen's temperament will survive the examination. His technique is another matter. Australians are superb at exposing weakness.

- INDEPENDENT