The Ashes Blog

Apparently England is seriously thinking of bringing back Mark Ramprakash or Marcus Trescothick for the final Test at The Oval. I find this unbelievable.

Firstly, if Ramprakash or Trescothick are good enough for the fifth Test, why weren’t they good enough for the previous four Tests? Why weren’t they even considered for the previous four Tests?

Secondly, imagine what England crowds and the media would be saying if the situation was reversed and Australia was talking about recalling a 39 year old player. It’d be on for young and old!!  Who could that Australian player be? How about one of Australia’s national selectors, Jamie Cox. He’s just a month younger than Mark Ramprakash, he’s made big runs at Australian domestic and England county level (51 first class centuries), and as a selector he could pick himself for the side! Or how about Shane Warne, who is also 39 years old. Now that would worry England.

Now consider the headlines if Jamie Cox was being considered as a replacement player for Simon Katich, or if Shane Warne was looking at getting a game ahead of Nathan Hauritz:

“Australia: Grandad’s Army”

If a 39 year old was to play for Australia, he would be old enough to be the father of Australia’s youngest squad member, Phillip Hughes. It really would be a step up from “Dad’s Army” to “Grandad’s Army”!

Where are these headlines in the England daily papers?  They’re not there because some people in the English media would love to see one of the old guys come back again and save the day for mighty England. It’d certainly make a great movie.

So, will Trescothick or Ramprakash play the fifth Test at The Oval? No. England selectors are smarter than we sometimes give them credit for, and I think the only change they’ll make will be to remove Ravi Bopara (who is obviously out of his league playing Australia at Test level), and replace him with Robert Key or Jonathan Trott. That’s it. No big comeback, no strictly come dancing, no romantic finale. All the talk about Ramps and Tresco making a comeback is ridiculous. England has lost just the one Test for goodness sake!  One Test!  There’s no need to be bringing players out of retirement at this stage.

Updated August 15, 2009: England’s selectors have apparently done exactly what I expected them to do and have dumped Ravi Bopara and replaced him with Jonathan Trott for the Fifth Test:

“England will give Jonathan Trott a Test debut against Australia at The Oval next week as they seek to reverse the horrors of Headingley by pulling off a victory that would regain the Ashes.

They will resist the clamour for mass changes after an innings defeat in the fourth Test, with Ravi Bopara the only batsman to suffer. Bopara will be dropped, with Ian Bell taking his place at No3.”
- England drop Ravi Bopara and bring in Jonathan Trott for Ashes finale

It’s been an interesting first two days in the tour match between Northants and the Australians. Let’s go through some of the Aussies who are under pressure:

Phillip Hughes: out cheaply in the first innings, and has so far made a lucky 65 not out in the second innings. He doesn’t look like he’s about to dominate the day like he used to, and I’d be tempted to dump him. No hard feelings, but it just looks like he’s lost his mojo in England.

Shane Watson: the guy is looking surprisingly good. Made runs, picked up cheap wickets – handy to have in the side, but could he open the innings? I reckon he could, and I don’t think it’s that big a gamble. Give him a go.

Mitchell Johnson: I really thought he’d come good in this game, but instead he finished with 42 for 0 from 7 overs. The selectors will be reluctant to dump him, but I wouldn’t blame them if they decided enough is enough.

Peter Siddle: was the leading wicket taker in the first innings, but was erratic.  If the selectors want to keep Johnson for another go, then perhaps Siddle needs to go.

Stuart Clark: bowled well, and looks reliable. I think Clark would fit well into the team, and he actually takes wickets. He’d be an ideal replacement for Peter Siddle.

So, based on performances so far, he’s my Aussie XI for Edgbaston:

Katich, Watson, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, North, Haddin, Johnson, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus, Clark

What do you think?

What a massive blow this is for Australia. Brett Lee has injured a side muscle, and could miss either one Test, or all five. With all of the talk about reverse swing being a factor at Cardiff, and Lee being about the only Aussie who showed mastery of it in the practise match against England Lions, this creates a huge problem for Australia. The balance of the team is now out, and it’s going to make it tough for them to win. A few months ago the Australian supporters wouldn’t have though twice about losing Lee, as he was well off his best. But now he’s looking really good again, and, well, with him out Australia’s in trouble.

I expect they’ll replace Lee with Ben Hilfenhaus rather than Nathan Hauritz, though that will depend on what they see the pitch doing when the Australian selectors take a look at it on Wednesday morning.

For England, this will give them a pretty big boost. They would have been concerned by Lee’s performance at Worcester, but now they’ll be thinking that they’ll have a much easier time of it. And they probably will.

Symonds is out, McDonald is in, and Brett Lee gets another chance at glory on English soil. Frankly, I think the selectors have done alright. I am surprised they went with Ronnie (McDonald) over Roy (Symonds), but I think they made the right decision. As for the rest, it’s all fairly predictable stuff. Only one specialist spinner is in the squad (Hauritz), but that’s not going to be a problem. If Cardiff is a turning pitch, then guys like Clarke, Katich, and North are all wicket takers who can combine to fill the extra spinner position.

As for the fast bowling “pack”, Johnson and Siddle are automatic selections, which leaves Lee, Clark, and Hilfenhaus fighting for the extra 1 or 2 spots.

Here’s the squad: Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Vaughan, the part-time miracle worker from Yorkshire, has been selected in a 25 man squad for the 2009 Ashes series. Some people, especially writers at England’s Guardian newspaper, think that Vaughan should play regardless of how many runs he makes. Others go even further:

“There is a rumour that KP and Freddie will be rested for the Ashes if Vaughan is fit. No point risking their fitness when Vaughan is around to win the game.

Andrew Strauss might as well be shot; he is just that superfluous now. England don’t even need a coach, Vaughan is back, save your money ECB, in fact the ECB is no longer necessary, Vaughan is here to plug all gaps and make everything better.”
- Michael Vaughan is here to win the Ashes: Crikey

Ok, so that’s a bit over the top. The real issue is whether there is another capable player who can win matches batting at number 3 for England in the same way that Vaughan could. Who are the other contestants? Owais Shah (not enough runs at Test level), Ravi Bopara (batting average of 24 just not good enough), and Ian Bell (former wunderkind who has been struggling lately). With competition like that, Michael Vaughan would appear to be a near certainty, with or without his signature walking stick.

Terry Alderman went on two Ashes tours of England, and took 83 wickets. In 12 Tests. Unbelievable.

Well, now the Aussie selectors are looking to two Test veteran Ben Hilfenhaus as the guy to “do an Alderman” in England in 2009. He has only taken 5 wickets so far in his Test career, but the way he was able to move the ball through the air and off the seam was just what chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, was looking for:

“As far as Ben’s concerned, probably two years ago we wrote him down as someone we wanted to be in the Ashes and we’re really pleased in South Africa and that’s one of the big reasons we’re giving him a rest, he’s one of our plans for the Ashes, we think he’ll do very well.

They’re pretty big shoes to fill, (Alderman) was one of the greatest of all time …”

So it looks like Hilfy is locked in as a bowler for the First Test at Cardiff, provided he does alright in the practice games. So if Johnson is a guarantee, and presumably Siddle and Hilfenhaus are also near certainties, where does that leave Stuart Clark and Brett Lee? I’m guessing at least one of them will have to miss out.

Which bowlers would you pick to play for Australia in England?

Phillip Hughes, the 20 year old from country New South Wales, is set to replace Matt Hayden at the top of the order for the 2009 Ashes series. Assuming he doesn’t completely lose the plot in South Africa, and doesn’t sustain serious injury (which seems to be the curse of Aussie cricketers at the moment), he’ll walk out to bat with Simon Katich at Cardiff on July 8.

I think the decision is an excellent one. He’s young, talented, and a leftie. Even though he’s about three feet shorter than Hayden, Hughes looks set for a long career with the Australian cricket team, and I think we all just hope he lives up to the hype.

One concern is how he’ll cope with the English bowling conditions. He bats well in Australia, but it’s a bit different facing that seaming, swinging ball under cloudy English skies.

Will Phillip Hughes succeed in England? I’d be interested to hear what you think, so leave a comment below.

Update:
What a start by Hughes! Two Tests, four innings, and scores of 0, 75, 115, and 160. As Ricky Ponting said, “I’ll make sure his head doesn’t get too big over the next couple of weeks.”

At least Hughes will be well prepared for the 2009 Ashes series, having been signed up by Middlesex for the start of the season. And the signs are looking good for Hughes doing well in England. As Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said:

“… he has just survived the most difficult assignment imaginable in facing Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel on their home pitches. Those are harder pitches and bowlers than he will face in England.”

I guess that answers the question I asked earlier – will Hughes handle the “seaming, swinging ball under cloudy English skies”?

Update – April 23, 2009:
Phillip Hughes scores a century on debut for Middlesex
The dream run continues for young Aussie opener Phillip Hughes, who has scored a hundred in his first innings for county side Middlesex. Granted, the pitch was a good one for batting, and the opposition bowlers were pretty ordinary, but it does answer the big question over how Hughes will go in English conditions. Another Aussie young gun, Mark Cosgrove, also scored a century in the same match, so perhaps the signs are good for Aussie batsmen in England in 2009.

Update – May 8, 2009:
Three centuries in four innings for Hughes
Phillip Hughes is loving this England gig, as he has just notched up his 3rd century for Middlesex. That takes his aggregate to 452 for twice out in four innings – a batting average of 276. Not too bad for a young fella on his first trip to England.

Here’s how Rod Marsh sees the teams when they next compete for the Ashes in England in 2009:

Australia
out: Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden, Justin Langer, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath

in: Brad Haddin (keeper), Tim Paine (opener), Phil Jaques (opener), Cullen Bailey (spinner)

England
out: Matthew Hoggard, Michael Vaughan, Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood

in: Andrew Strauss (captain), Ed Joyce, Owais Shah, Andrew Flintoff (batting no. 7), Liam Plunkett

Some England fans reckon that with so many of Australia’s stars retiring, the 2009 Ashes series is already England’s, but Mike Atherton is not so sure:

“… those who think that the Ashes in 2009 are as good as in the bag are guilty of the same kind of complacency and self-delusion that the England team were guilty of in the build-up to this series.”

I think he’s right. Australia has some good talent coming through, and will be difficult to defeat. Here’s how Peter Roebuck sees the two teams lining up in a little over 2 years time:

Australia:
Jaques, Rogers, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, White, Haddin, Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Heal/Hauritz, Clark

England:
Strauss, Cooke, Bell, Pietersen, Lumb, Joyce, Flintoff, Read, Panesar, Broad, Tremlett, Hoggard

What do you think?

We’re about to witness the retirement of Shane Warne, and there’s talk about other players like McGrath, Langer, and Hayden following close behind. Apparently there aren’t any Tests for Australia until next November when we host Sri Lanka for a couple of games, but from then on it’s a pretty busy schedule:

(Note: this schedule includes Test matches only, and does not include all of those meaningless little one day international tournaments that seem to fill the calendar)

2007
November: Australia v Sri Lanka (2 Tests)
December to January: Australia v India (4 Tests)

2008
February to March: Pakistan v Australia (3 Tests)
April to May: West Indies v Australia (4 Tests)
July to August: Australia v Bangladesh (2 Tests)
October: India v Australia (4 Tests)
November: Australia v New Zealand (2 Tests)
December to January: Australia v South Africa (3 Tests)

2009
February to March: South Africa v Australia (3 Tests)
July to September: England v Australia (5 Tests)

Click here for a diary of all international Tests and one day internationals until 2012.

With so much cricket coming up, does that mean that now is a good time to bring in some significant changes, or should we phase out the players gradually? Read the rest of this entry »

The time has come, Mr Jones, for you to move on. You came in as a replacement ‘keeper for Mr Read, and your performance hasn’t been good enough. You seem like a nice bloke, and you’ve done well to graduate from playing grade cricket in Brisbane to the international stage, but you’ve got some work to do. Martin Johnson from The Age put it this way:

“… when you go into a series without one of your best bowlers because he can’t bat, while selecting a wicketkeeper who can’t catch, you’re inclined towards the feeling that England got what it deserved.”

Since last year’s Ashes series, Mr Jones, you have averaged just 16.7 in 14 Tests. You continue to drop the ball behind the stumps, you’ve messed up a stumping or two, and your run out on Monday morning was the result of carelessness on your part.

Nor am I alone in this assessment. Simon Briggs thinks so, as does The Times, and The Corridor.

Go back to Kent, work hard at your game, and there’s every chance that we’ll see a new and vastly improved Geraint Jones in 2009. In the meantime it’s up to Mr Read, and then perhaps Mr Foster, to have a go.

Farewell, Mr Jones. And please, leave those gloves on the table on your way out.