So, all the pre-series hype is living up to expectation. The Australian team had been roundly dismissed, and over the course of the opening two Tests, there has been little to dispel these dismissals. Australia, for the most part, have been woeful. England, for the most part, have been superb. As a result, even the Aussie media have turned on Punter & Co.
At Brisbane, on a pretty flat track, England got off to a rather precarious start. A superb hat-trick from Peter Siddle had the Gabba absolutely rocking, albeit with some wafting help from Matt Prior. Over the next two days, Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin did everything they could do dispel the notion that Australia are at their weakest for decades.
Step forward much-maligned Alistair Cook.
Cook was under a lot of pressure coming into this series. Criticised, damned even, in many quarters, the English media would have been sensing (and baying for) blood when England began their second innings. 428 balls, 235 runs, 630 minutes and 27 boundaries later, no less with a glorious * against his name, Cook left Brisbane on top of the world.
Much has been said of the Aussie attack and the generosity of the Gabba pitch, but you can only beat what is presented to you. And beat them Cook did, with all manner of sticks. It was as satisfying for Cook as it was demoralising for a nation (no, not you England – he actually is a good player). Add to that the importance of the situation – first Ashes Test, away from home, staring down the barrel, and facing a mountainous struggle to bounce back – and the significance of that innings should be realised. If it wasn’t realised then, it certainly was after the second Test in Adelaide.
Credit must be handed also to Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott. Whilst Cook deservedly took the plaudits in Brisbane, without Strauss and Trott as support, his record-breaking task would have been all the more difficult.
Adelaide was as one-sided a victory as England could ever have dreamt of – Australia’s first innings defeat at home since 1993. Dominant with bat, ball and in the field, England took a justified 1-0 lead in the series. And not even Alistair Cook – and Nasser Hussain’s incessant moaning on Sky Sports about his records tumbling – could detract from what was a barnstorming return to cricket’s top table from Kevin Pietersen.
Assured, confident, stylish and cocky – Pietersen really was on fire. His career-best 227 was the highlight of another stunning England batting performance after the bowlers had made surprisingly short work of Australia – except Mike Hussey. But it was in the final over before close of play on day four when Pietersen produced the match-winning swing of momentum – with the ball.
Calling himself “the original pie-chucker”, KP ‘chucked’ one which pitched in the rough, beat the dangerous and returning-to-form Michael Clarke all ends up, and was snaffled by Alistair Cook (is there a trend here?). The only thing more astonishing was that it had to be referred. Clarke later apologised for not walking, perhaps rightly so. But it was a massive wicket, and the scenes of jubilation when England walked off were mirrored the following day as Graeme Swann cleaned up.
On pitches not entirely suited for spin, Swann has to be on top form to be a success in this series. Hussey rightly punished the uncharacteristic short stuff in Brisbane, but the spell which blew away Australia’s tail (and the notable scalps of Ponting and Katich), will live long in England fans’ memories. Clinical, accurate and, at times, unplayable, and set against the backdrop of the delirious Barmy Army’s rendition of a Joy Division classic, Swann did tear them apart. Again.
Next stop, Western Australian Cricket Association ground in Perth. Personally, this is a nightmare for me. Watching the opening session of each day’s play live until lunch (2am), going to bed, spending the next working day avoiding any details in order to get home and watch the extended highlights was difficult enough when play began at midnight. Play in Perth begins at 2:30am, and apart from late Saturday/early Sunday, it looks like more highlights for me.
By the time the third Test begins, Australia will have dropped two of their pace men and probably their spinner, will have lost an opening batsman to injury, and Marcus North’s international career is hanging by a feathered edge. England, conversely, have a team that picks itself. Stuart Broad will miss the rest of the tour, which is a blow, but England have three reliable seamers to choose from as a replacement; Chris Tremlett the most like-for-like.
Australia face a huge task to claw back the famous urn. One more win will do it for England. The signs from the first two Tests are that an England win is almost a foregone conclusion.
Mike Ashley: the joke is (on) you.
Finally, a word on the furore at St. James’ Park, where Mike Ashley has come out of hiding to again stamp his ridiculous mark on Newcastle United. Not content with overseeing the club’s relegation, while he tried his best to offload the club, he has now gone and sacked the man who admirably steered the Toon Army back into the top flight.
I’ve read in a few places the wonderful depiction of the situation as the 'Cartoon Army of Sid James’ Park', and it is something that the fans do not deserve. Generally regarded as among the best around, the fans are suffering the ludicrous rule of a guy who seemingly wants nothing more than having his Sports Direct brand beamed into space from the Gallowgate End.
OK, Newcastle have had a couple of terrible results recently, not least the feeble defeat at West Brom. But you can’t sack a man who has just tanked your fiercest rivals 5-1, or who won the Championship with 102 points. There seems to be little doubt that Mike Ashley has been waiting for any moment to get rid of Chris Hughton, and has again emerged into the spotlight of the fans and players wrath alike.
Martin Jol has been installed as favourite, even though Alan Pardew had been odds-on. I’m not sure if Jol would want to take the job from his assistant at Spurs, but with the disgrace that was his contract "negotiation" at Ajax during the Summer, I wouldn’t be overly surprised. Either way, another period of instability looms for Newcastle, and Ashley, and relegation would be nothing more befitting for Ashley in particular. Shame he is going to tear those fans apart. Again.
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