Kevin Pietersen Era Gets Underway with a Win

Well, the Michael Vaughan era has come and gone, and the Kevin Pietersen era is well underway. Earlier today KP tasted his first success as England's captain, and I'm pretty sure he liked it.

The series may already have been lost, but other than that the circumstances couldn't have been more perfect. His first match as England skipper was against the team he could have been playing for instead—his greatest rivals, South Africa.

The stage was set, and Pietersen did not disappoint. He shuffled the bowlers around well and made very few mistakes which, considering it was his first game as captain, can be forgiven.

His batting in the first innings was truly majestic, on his way to a wonderful ton, silencing the doubters and the South Africans. Although he only managed 13 in the second innings, he could feel safe in the knowledge that he had all but won his debut match as captain.

Andrew Flintoff's six, straight down the ground, was enough to complete the chase and give England victory.

And I can see more of the same to come.

Pietersen's natural attitude of going after the game and hating to lose can only help England. Sure, sometimes he may lack a bit of self-control and patience, but those are things that can and will be stamped out of his game, while the desire and excitement of his play will live on.

I can see him being a hugely successful captain for England, and we will be very hard to beat while he is at the helm.

The selection of the team was spot on, bringing Steve Harmison and Stuart Broad back into the set-up. When on form, Steve Harmison can be one of the most dangerous bowlers in the world, and his 49 not out showed he is improving with the bat as well.

Stuart Broad is another who has impressed recently with the bat. I was surprised when he was left out of the last test. Yes, his bowling can be a little bit more expensive than some overs, but his recent good totals with the bat show that he is becoming a very talented all-round player.

We shall see how Pietersen does in the future as England captain, and if he can keep up this winning start. I suspect he can, and I have a sneaking suspicion he will become one of our best captains ever—if not the best.