KP does it again

"The captaincy will cramp his style," was the cry that went up when Kevin Pietersen was unveiled as England's new leader. And to a certain extent it did. There was not a switch-hit in sight as KP set about building on the advantage that his bowlers had given him on the first afternoon - instead he produced 137 balls-worth of solid, confident, and unyielding strokeplay, in an innings that was the very epitome of responsible. Perhaps his only moment of hesitancy came when Paul Harris entered the attack with Pietersen a single blow away from his hundred. At Edgbaston, he went for it and memorably failed. This time, he came half-forward and was saved by his thigh as Harris tweaked one past his bat. One over later, however, and a forceful clip off the toes whistled through midwicket to cue the trademark leap and punch, and the latest bout of adulation of Pietersen's Oval love-in