The Ashes Blog

Preview: For England Flintoff is out, and Harmison is in. Prior has just injured himself during a warm-up, but will play. Their side has lost a lot of balance, and you get the impression that once the openers go, there’s not a lot there to add big runs. The Australians will be loving it.

For Australia Hauritz is out, and Stuart Clark comes in – a good move, that one, considering the wicket. I hope I don’t regret saying that. Brad Haddin is also back behind the stumps, although you have to wonder if he’s fully recovered from a busted finger.

So, what can we expect? England is definitely weaker, but will their batsmen finally stand up and perform?  Can Australia’s bowlers figure out how to take 20 wickets?

Day 1: Australia 196 for 4 (Ponting 78, Watson 51) lead England 102 (Prior 37*, Siddle 5-21) by 94 runs

Before the first drinks break of the first session I made the following comment on Twitter:

I wonder if this will be a 14 wicket day #ashes

It turns out I was right, as England, batting first, lost all 10 wickets and Australia lost 4. Absolutely amazing!! England really looked horrible right from the start, when Andrew Strauss should have been given out the first ball of the match. In my preview of the fourth Test, I wondered if England’s batsmen would finally play well – they didn’t. I also asked whether Australia’s bowlers could finally take 20 wickets in an Ashes Test – yes, they can.

Prior to this game I would have been happy to see Peter Siddle carrying the drinks, but today he stood up to claim his best ever bowling figures of 5 for 21. Apparently he received some helpful advice from England discard Darren Pattinson – perhaps big Darren should get a game!

What about day 2? England will need early wickets, something that is definitely achievable on this wicket. However, they’ll have to get through Clarke and North, the two guys who so brilliantly saved the game for Australia at Edgbaston. If they can’t do that, and if Australia builds a lead of over 200, then this Test would appear to be all over.

Day 2: England 102 and 82 for 5 trail Australia 445 (North 110, Clarke 93, Ponting 78, Broad 6-91) by 261 runs

This match is pretty much all over, and we’ve only had two days of cricket. Somehow, though, it seems like it’s gone on for much longer with 25 wickets falling in just 6 sessions. The Australians have obviously picked up some momentum from their successful final day in the Third Test at Edgbaston, and they have completely dominated this Headingley Test. England have not been in the game at all. They are either completely dependent upon the presence of Pietersen and Flintoff, or else they were never really in this series and it was only Australia’s inability to perform at 100% that gave England a chance. Now that Australia is getting back to operating at their best they seem unstoppable.

The Australians batted superbly on the second day, especially Michael Clarke and Marcus North, who put on 152 for the fifth wicket and took the game completely away from England. Then in came Stuart Clark for a nice little cameo of 32 from 22 balls (including 3 sixes).

England have only got 5 wickets left in the bank, and I can’t see them lasting too long on the third day. Matt Prior is still in and will probably go the tonk for a few quick runs, and one or two of the tailend batsmen might do the same, but England is a defeated team and will need to improve significantly if they are to be competitive in the final deciding Test at The Oval.

Day 3: Australia 445 (North 110, Clarke 93, Ponting 78, Broad 6-91) beat England 102 and 263 (Swann 62, Broad 61, Johnson 5-69, Hilfenhaus 4-60) by an innings and 80 runs

England: woeful, insipid, insecure

Australia: confident, accurate, perfect

After the previous three Test matches being relatively close (in so much as each team was in the game at some point, or at least performed well at times), this Headingley Test was decidedly one-sided from the very first hour of the first day. Australia was totally in control, and despite some late hitting from the tailenders on day 3, the match was always in their hands.

Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann did bat well on day three, but it’s nothing to get hopeful about. This was how England can perform when there’s no pressure, when they have nothing to lose. Australia’s bowling, too, became a little more wayward than it had been, again the result of not needing to apply any further pressure upon the opposition as the match was already in the bag.

So what can we expect in the final Test at The Oval? England will probably make some changes to their side, with talk of Robert Key, Mark Ramprakash, and Marcus Trescothick as possible players. Personally, I wouldn’t be making too many changes, as that would be far too unsettling for the side. Get Flintoff back if possible as a replacement for Harmison, and replace Ravi Bopara with a genuine number 3 batsmen. His ego is big, but his talent is not.

As for Australia, well they look confident and will be difficult to stop. However, England definitely remains a chance to win the series. When conditions are right, the England bowlers are very, very good. If their batsmen can perform to their ability, they could put some big runs on the board and get back on top. But with the momentum all Australia’s way, that’ll be tough.

Some interesting stats:

Innings and 80 runs
The margin of defeat – an innings and 80 runs – is England’s second largest at Headingley after the innings and 148-run loss to Australia in 1993. The margin of victory was also Australia’s largest since Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath retired.

16
Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood scored 16 runs between them in the Test – the lowest-ever aggregate for England’s Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in Tests.

7-1
The century tally after four Tests is 7-1 in Australia’s favour with five of their batsmen averaging over 50. Andrew Strauss is the only England batsman with a series average higher than 40.

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?

Day 1: Australians 337 for 8 (Hussey 143*, Katich 95)

There were some concerns for the Australians with a few of their top batsmen failing, but Mike Hussey looks like he could be back to form and ready to terrorise the England bowlers.

Phillip Hughes was once again dismissed cheaply, and I just wonder if he might have used up too much energy in playing for Middlesex. He’s a terrific player, and I’m not going to discount him, but he needs to get this run of low scores out of him as soon as possible. He is the sort of guy that can just turn it on at anytime … a little bit like Adam Gilchrist, you just never want to write him off.

However, another shining light was Mitchell Johnson, who once again showed the more qualified batsmen the way to go. You England fans shouldn’t underestimate this guy – he is seriously good. And I mean, Flintoff ‘05 good. Look out. Read the rest of this entry »

Australia: 419
England: 161
Australia wins by an innings and 99 runs

It was yet another comfortable win for the Australians, with all of the bowlers contributing in another standout performance. Brett Lee’s 4 wickets were just reward for the way he bowled … he obviously had plenty of Weet-Bix for breakfast. Stuart Clark also bowled beautifully, and together with Lee’s bag of 4, there weren’t too many left for Messrs Warne and McGrath.

For the English, Chris Read did really well behind the stumps, taking 6 catches, and making 26no with the bat. It was to be expected, after all, for once again England has brought a capable player into the side too late for him to have any positive impact on the series.

The Australian and English media have been calling for Kevin Pietersen’s elevation to number 4, and finally the England management gave in, though one wonders whether the timing was appropriate. England were struggling at 2 for 48 when ‘The Ego’ surprisingly came out to bat one spot higher than he has all summer. The experiment was allegedly KP’s suggestion, though it didn’t work out with the former South African adding just 1 run to the England total before being bowled by a delicious Stuart Clark off cutter.

Aside from that the only other real talking point was the poor umpiring from Rudi Koertzen, who seemed intent on not giving any LBW decisions for the entire match. I remember when I did a season as a professional umpire. In one game I was far too generous with my LBW dismissals, raising the finger for just about anything. The day after the game I received a call from the cricket association’s umpiring chief, who, in a very kind way, reminded me that I should be a little more judicious in my decision making. I’d reckon Rudi Koertzen might be receiving a similar phone call.

So now we head off to Sydney for the fifth Test. The Australians are red hot favourites to win the final Test in the harbour city, with England looking about as demoralised as they have all tour. We all scoffed at Glenn McGrath’s predictions that Australia would win 5-0, and now he gets the chance to prove us all wrong in his final Test.

Glenn McGrath, the man known for his metronomic ability with the ball, has decided to call it quits. The Sydney Test will be his 124th, and with somewhere in excess of 560 wickets, he will end his career as the most successful fast bowler in cricket history.

He started off at New South Wales in 1992/93, but I think it was the following year, when he took 4 for 17 against Queensland, that he got the attention of the national selectors. I must admit that I hadn’t really heard much about him when he debuted against New Zealand in Perth. After all, he was just another New South Welshman who, because of where he was born, was now playing for Australia. But in 1994 McGrath went to the West Indies and blew ‘em away with 17 wickets for the series, helping Australia win back the Frank Worrell Trophy from the Caribbean superstars for the first time in 16 years. Ooh, aah, a champion was born.

Since then, he has been Australia’s rock. We got to the point where we were no longer surprised if he picked up 3 wickets in the first hour of play. After all, that’s what Glenn McGrath does. It’s going to be near impossible to fill that gap, but that’s ok. Someone else can now rise up to be Australia’s premier fast bowler. Ricky Ponting is hoping that Brett Lee can do it, although I think someone like Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson or perhaps Ben Hilfenhaus, is far more likely. Lee is good, but he hasn’t really shown that he can be the leading bowler. Hopefully he can prove me wrong.

What are others saying?

“He’s a fine bowler. He’s always there and he’s always testing you. He’s always on his line and length and he’s a fantastic cricketer.”
- Andrew Flintoff

“He is the meanest of opponents, seeks to dismiss batsmen without cost, or at worst for a few runs apiece. In truth he is more accountant than murderer.

Yet he is feared because he lures batsmen into unanticipated self-examination. They walk to the crease as accomplished players and are suddenly made aware of cracks in the facade.”
- Peter Roebuck

“No Warne and no McGrath. Who will shower the opposition with verbal abuse and unplayable deliveries now?”
- Scott at The Corridor blog

Australian cricket legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are to retire from Test Match cricket at the end of the fifth Test in Sydney. A formal announcement is expected from Warne today, and McGrath is set to do the same next week.

I think the two of them have timed their retirements perfectly. They have just regained the Ashes on home turf, with the prospect of a 5-0 result possible. Following the Sydney Tests, the Australians don’t play any Test Match cricket until the following November, allowing an unusually long time for the selectors, and new players, to adjust. Although one would expect the two of them to be replaced by a pair of Stuarts – Warne by Stuart MacGill, and McGrath by Stuart Clark – that period of adjustment will be a huge benefit to Australian cricket.

The retirement of these two cricketing greats will add further incentive to the Aussie dream of a 5-0 whitewash. Those two blokes will be giving their all in Melbourne and Sydney, and I’d reckon the rest of the Australian team will be doing the same. Warne and McGrath were special players, and they deserve a very special ending.

Australia wins by 277 runs

It took just 19 overs this morning for Australia to wrap things up in Brisbane and go to a 1-0 lead (click here for the scorecard). England offered surprisingly little resistance, with Kevin Pietersen gone in the first over, Jones bowled by McGrath 7 overs later, and the rest did their bit as lower order batsmen … a few swipes, and then back to the pavilion before causing too much trouble.

Australia reviewed:
For Australia, there were plenty of positives to come out of this game. Stuart Clark’s rise continues, the batting from the top six was awesome, and Glenn McGrath showed us that he still has the magic.

On the negative side, there’s the batting of Gilchrist, the impenetrable bowling from Brett Lee, and the way in which everyone allowed things to get a little out of hand when Pietersen and Collingwood went on the attack.

England reviewed:
For England, well, at least there weren’t any major injuries. The few positives include the guts and fight shown by the middle order on the fourth day, the bowling of Flintoff, and Kevin Pietersen’s haircut (no more Skunk Boy!).

The negatives are many and obvious. Stephen Harmison’s bowling improved from utterly woeful to barely Test standard, the batting and overall captaincy shown by Flintoff, the bowling from Anderson, the batting from Strauss, the presence of Duncan Fletcher, and the absence of Troy Cooley.

What lies ahead?
Australia has a few big selection issues, but they are all good decisions. Shane Watson’s not yet ready, which helps a little, but then if they want to bring in leggie Stuart MacGill, who do they get rid of? Stuart Clark, who took 7 wickets for the match? Brett Lee, Australia’s stump-destroying speedster? It’s going to be a tough call.

England probably couldn’t play any worse than they did in Brisbane, but then we were probably saying the same thing in 2002, 1999, and beyond. England will certainly improve, but whether it will be enough to get them a win in Adelaide is difficult to tell. At this stage I’d say an Adelaide win is unlikely, but then look what happened last year! Freddie Flintoff has told his bowlers to look to Glenn McGrath for an example of bowling perfection, and his batsmen have to show a bit of the determination shown by Collingwood and ‘Hollywood’. Harmy will need to get back to his best, and I just can’t see that happening, and Ashley Giles will need Panesar to keep him company, at the expense of James Anderson.

I know Flintoff is using 2005 as a source of hope, but the circumstances are quite different. If England are still lapping up past successes then they will need to quickly move on. Facing Australia in 2006 is a very, very different scenario.

I thought it would be interesting to do a statistical comparison of the two sides to see how they will fare against each other, statistically speaking. What I’ve done is add up the batting averages for all 11 players in each side to give a team batting average. I’ve then added up the bowling averages for Australia and England, and this gives us a team bowling average. To the Australian batting averages I added the England team bowling average to give a final total (and vice versa for England). So if a side has a very good, and therefore low, bowling average then they won’t be adding too many runs to the oppositions total team average, so it seems to me like a fair comparison: Read the rest of this entry »

Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Watson, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson.

It looks like a pretty good team, with 6 pacemen to choose from. Jason Gillespie has been dropped after making 201 not out in his last Test match in April – he won’t go and make that mistake again. So it’s really up to a choice between Johnson, Tait, and Clark for the third seamers position.

Tait has been told to show his stuff against the English when they play South Australia in a 3 day game starting today. His late swinging deliveries, at pace, make life rather difficult for the guy batting at the other end, and he could have a good game. Apparently he wants to hit 100mph, although I’d prefer to see him concentrate on a good line. He can be a little wayward, but as Peter Roebuck points out, this isn’t such a problem when you’ve got another 4 quality bowlers at your disposal.

Mitchell Johnson offers variety with his left arm swing, and has already shown that he can knock over England’s best. He’s a Queenslander, so he knows how to bowl at the Gabba, and his form at the Champions Trophy shows that he’s ready to bowl at the elite level. I like the look of Johnson, and I reckon he could really surprise the visitors with his variety, swing, and pace.

Then there’s Stuart Clark. He’s a quality bowler, though perhaps a bit too much like Glenn McGrath. His bowling average is terrific, at 18.76, but this was against South Africa and Bangladesh, who aren’t in the same class as England.

If Pigeon was out, then Clark would be first pick, but I’d probably favour the variety of Johnson or Tait ahead of the New South Welshman. Either of those blokes could make the final XI and could potentially win a game for Australia. Let’s see how Tait goes against the tourists in Adelaide and make a decision at the end of that game.