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- Jan 13, 2010
Article by barmyarmy -
The circus is in town, the ringmaster is ready and this series is about to catch alight. Will England pull off a high-wire act to retain the Ashes or will Australia, despite their well-documented problems, perform a Houdini trick and reclaim the urn?
So how close will this really be? The pundits are split, the bookies are undecided and the X factors that usually decide series like these are still unknown. They say that Australia is the ultimate test of character. Can you still run in at pace when you haven?t taken a wicket for 3 sessions? Can you step up the crease in a crisis and remember the words of Rudyard Kipling? Can you hold you nerve and aim true under the most extreme pressure there is in world cricket?
Here is the ultimate form guide, a Planetcricket step-by-step analysis of the key battles ahead.
Openers
Versus
Watson, known in the past as a one-day specialist, has made a massive improvement in the last year. Whereas before he looked like a stop-gap until Philip Hughes rediscovered his form now he looks like the real deal. I still have doubts about his ability to pace an innings under trying circumstances and score big 100s but he?s certainly a very dangerous player. Kato on the other hand has always been respected by England. One of the nuggetty, scrappy type players than England often find difficult to dislodge he will have the ability to frustrate and get under the skin of the English bowlers.
Australia is no place to come if you are anything other than on top of your game. The Aussie pacemen will have noted with glee Cook?s indecision outside off-stump and the sharks will be circling from the first ball. Strauss has clearly been in wonderful nick since becoming captain and it?s widely acknowledged that his form will be pivotal to England?s chances. He has to lead from the front, tough it out when the quicks are pushing 90+ mph and score big.
Based on Cook?s poor form I?m giving this one to Australia.
3 and 4
Versus
Ricky Ponting is, quite simply, playing for his job and his legacy. Going down in history as the captain who lost the Ashes 3 times is too dreadful to contemplate for him. ?England will be under no illusions about how hard Ponting will be to dislodge. His captaincy may be suspect but his batting certainly isn?t. Clarke too is a powerhouse in the Australian top order. He has replaced Ponting as Australia?s most consistent batsman and has been lined up by most to replace him at the helm as well. Ironically that appointment could come sooner if his own form falters in this series.
Jonathan Trott proved at the Oval in August 2009 that he had a big match temperament and he is going to have to prove it time and time again over the next two months. It doesn?t get much bigger than batting number 3 for England in an Ashes series. Thankfully Trott?s (South African?) temperament seems able to withstand the pressure. He had a poor series last time he went on tour but as everyone knows if there?s one country the Saffers really love to beat it?s Australia. Speaking of Saffers, KP at 4 really is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Abundantly talented and endowed with an incredible eye the ?it?s just the way I play? excuse it starting to wear thin. If Pieterson wants to be recognised as a true great and not just another pretender in English cricket he needs to ensure that he doesn?t fluff his lines on this, the biggest of stages.
With Pieterson?s mercurial nature and Trott?s relative inexperience this one is going to the home side as well.
5 and 6
Versus
The 5 and 6 slots are the ones mostly likely to change during the series for Australia as two players who are arguably on a downward arc are asked to rise to the challenge. In Australian conditions though both will still be formidable opponents. Mr Cricket can (or certainly could) bat and bat and Marcus North was one of Australia?s best performers in the 2009 series. The speculation surrounding their selection won?t make their job any easier.
Paul Collingwood is England?s version of Michael Katich. He?s not afraid to make ugly runs and, alone of the English batsmen here, knows what it feels like to score a double-tonne in Australia. He has done enough to in the warm-up matches to secure his place but knows that Eoin Morgan will be knocking on the door if he falters. Ian Bell is nothing if not a fighter. Written off many times over he still manages to captivate crowds with his beautiful technique and shot-making. In the past Bell has been accused of being all nicey nice but no punch and English fans will be hoping that he has finally turned the corner. Confidence is critical to Bell and the Australian bowlers will know that. Keep it tight early and don?t let him off the leash.
The lower-middle order battle goes to England.
Keepers
Versus
The aggressive Haddin will provide a good counter-foil to the two above him and will fancy having a go at Graeme Swann at some point in the series. A superb limited overs player Haddin has a relatively poor test average and has struggled in the past against late movement. If the deck is flat he will prosper, if England can get it reversing he may be in trouble,
Matt Prior has had a wonderful few series with both the bat and the gloves and will come to Australia full of confidence. A wonderful player against spin he may well fancy the look of Xavier Doherty. Prior?s biggest asset in recent times has been his ability to boost the runrate at moments when momentum is flagging. England will need Prior to play well in this series as that will take the pressure off Swann and Broad?s batting.
Haddin edges the batting and Prior the keeping. We?ll call it all square.
Bowling
Versus
In many ways his surprise call-up and the expectation that Swann is going to totally out-bowl him may help Doherty?s game. England have already admitted that they expected to face Hauritz and had been planning around that. It?s hard to dismiss the suspicion however that calling a player up just to try and get KP out may not have been fully thought through in a wider sense.
Graeme Swann is almost literally carrying the weight of expectation of a whole nation. Recent history is against spinners, any spinners, having a major impact in Australia but that hasn?t stopped the Swann bandwagon (or more accurately juggernaught) from careering on.? Australia are clearly confused about the best way to deal with him. One day we hear that they will be showing him respect, the next that they will be trying to hit him out the park and throw him off his game. One thing is for sure; Swanny won?t care either way.
Swann would beat any spinner in a match-up right now and poor Xavier never had a chance in this one.
Versus
For all the pyrotechnics of Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus is the most important bowler in the Australian line-up. It will be his job to induce England to do what they do best and throw wickets away. Hilf is clearly a star performer and the Aussie public will be praying that his knee holds up. A useful contributor with the bat, if he has a strong series England will be in trouble.
James Anderson returns to Australia not as a backup but as the leader of the English attack. It is a mantle he has won over the past 18 months with crucial performances against top opposition. In the past there has been a doubt over his ability to get men out if the ball wasn?t moving but, with David Saker?s help, Anderson now has a wide variety of deliveries and tactics to suit any pitch.
A really tough call this so I?m ducking it and giving it as all square again.
Versus
Johnson?s biggest asset in this series may well be the English batters? memory of how poor he was in 2009. Spraygun Johnson produced wide after wide and bled runs at critical times when Australia needed to apply pressure. England will know that, in spite of that, he remains one of the best and most dangerous strike bowlers in the world but complacency is still a possibility. Mitch can also claim to be a genuine all-rounder with a fabulous batting record and an ability to decimate any bowling attack.
Stuart Broad is improving as a player all the time but he is still some way off being the finished article in my opinion. His tendency for his head to drop and his temper to go is something he must eradicate if he is serious about becoming a top-class player. Brilliant in spells and more than handy with the bat Broad has the ability to turn matches but he must also develop the ability to fight for them when they are slipping away. May be under threat for his place from Bresnan and Tremlett if he under-performs.
Despite his wonky radar this one goes to Mitchell Johnson.
Versus
Doug Bollinger is another player who has been on the one day scene for a while but only recently broken into the test team. As a second left-arm quick in the attack he is bound to cause problems for England?s batsmen even if he is more in the mould of Ben Hilfenhaus than Mitchell Johnson. Bollinger should not be under-estimated and England must show him the respect he deserves.
England?s answer to Glenn McGrath is by all accounts a quiet unassuming lad and he could be perfectly suited to Australian conditions. If Finn can keep it as tight on this tour as he has done in the past then him bowling in tandem with Swann could be a very tricky pairing to score runs off. ?Like Broad, and unlike Australia?s attack, Finn is still young and will be around for a long time to come.
I really think that Finn?s metronomic bowling and extra height is going to cause problems. One final point to England.
Score 3-3
So there we have it; it really is too close to call. I think England are good enough and I think Australia are good enough. On tiny things do series hinge. In 2005 it was England?s last-gasp victory at Edgbaston, in 2009 it was an inspired Jonathan Trott debut century in the final test. All we can hope for is another pulsating, roller-coaster series that reminds us all why this really is the greatest show on earth.
player photos taken from cricinfo.com
More...
The circus is in town, the ringmaster is ready and this series is about to catch alight. Will England pull off a high-wire act to retain the Ashes or will Australia, despite their well-documented problems, perform a Houdini trick and reclaim the urn?
So how close will this really be? The pundits are split, the bookies are undecided and the X factors that usually decide series like these are still unknown. They say that Australia is the ultimate test of character. Can you still run in at pace when you haven?t taken a wicket for 3 sessions? Can you step up the crease in a crisis and remember the words of Rudyard Kipling? Can you hold you nerve and aim true under the most extreme pressure there is in world cricket?
Here is the ultimate form guide, a Planetcricket step-by-step analysis of the key battles ahead.
Openers
Watson, known in the past as a one-day specialist, has made a massive improvement in the last year. Whereas before he looked like a stop-gap until Philip Hughes rediscovered his form now he looks like the real deal. I still have doubts about his ability to pace an innings under trying circumstances and score big 100s but he?s certainly a very dangerous player. Kato on the other hand has always been respected by England. One of the nuggetty, scrappy type players than England often find difficult to dislodge he will have the ability to frustrate and get under the skin of the English bowlers.
Australia is no place to come if you are anything other than on top of your game. The Aussie pacemen will have noted with glee Cook?s indecision outside off-stump and the sharks will be circling from the first ball. Strauss has clearly been in wonderful nick since becoming captain and it?s widely acknowledged that his form will be pivotal to England?s chances. He has to lead from the front, tough it out when the quicks are pushing 90+ mph and score big.
Based on Cook?s poor form I?m giving this one to Australia.
3 and 4
Ricky Ponting is, quite simply, playing for his job and his legacy. Going down in history as the captain who lost the Ashes 3 times is too dreadful to contemplate for him. ?England will be under no illusions about how hard Ponting will be to dislodge. His captaincy may be suspect but his batting certainly isn?t. Clarke too is a powerhouse in the Australian top order. He has replaced Ponting as Australia?s most consistent batsman and has been lined up by most to replace him at the helm as well. Ironically that appointment could come sooner if his own form falters in this series.
Jonathan Trott proved at the Oval in August 2009 that he had a big match temperament and he is going to have to prove it time and time again over the next two months. It doesn?t get much bigger than batting number 3 for England in an Ashes series. Thankfully Trott?s (South African?) temperament seems able to withstand the pressure. He had a poor series last time he went on tour but as everyone knows if there?s one country the Saffers really love to beat it?s Australia. Speaking of Saffers, KP at 4 really is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Abundantly talented and endowed with an incredible eye the ?it?s just the way I play? excuse it starting to wear thin. If Pieterson wants to be recognised as a true great and not just another pretender in English cricket he needs to ensure that he doesn?t fluff his lines on this, the biggest of stages.
With Pieterson?s mercurial nature and Trott?s relative inexperience this one is going to the home side as well.
5 and 6
The 5 and 6 slots are the ones mostly likely to change during the series for Australia as two players who are arguably on a downward arc are asked to rise to the challenge. In Australian conditions though both will still be formidable opponents. Mr Cricket can (or certainly could) bat and bat and Marcus North was one of Australia?s best performers in the 2009 series. The speculation surrounding their selection won?t make their job any easier.
Paul Collingwood is England?s version of Michael Katich. He?s not afraid to make ugly runs and, alone of the English batsmen here, knows what it feels like to score a double-tonne in Australia. He has done enough to in the warm-up matches to secure his place but knows that Eoin Morgan will be knocking on the door if he falters. Ian Bell is nothing if not a fighter. Written off many times over he still manages to captivate crowds with his beautiful technique and shot-making. In the past Bell has been accused of being all nicey nice but no punch and English fans will be hoping that he has finally turned the corner. Confidence is critical to Bell and the Australian bowlers will know that. Keep it tight early and don?t let him off the leash.
The lower-middle order battle goes to England.
Keepers
The aggressive Haddin will provide a good counter-foil to the two above him and will fancy having a go at Graeme Swann at some point in the series. A superb limited overs player Haddin has a relatively poor test average and has struggled in the past against late movement. If the deck is flat he will prosper, if England can get it reversing he may be in trouble,
Matt Prior has had a wonderful few series with both the bat and the gloves and will come to Australia full of confidence. A wonderful player against spin he may well fancy the look of Xavier Doherty. Prior?s biggest asset in recent times has been his ability to boost the runrate at moments when momentum is flagging. England will need Prior to play well in this series as that will take the pressure off Swann and Broad?s batting.
Haddin edges the batting and Prior the keeping. We?ll call it all square.
Bowling
In many ways his surprise call-up and the expectation that Swann is going to totally out-bowl him may help Doherty?s game. England have already admitted that they expected to face Hauritz and had been planning around that. It?s hard to dismiss the suspicion however that calling a player up just to try and get KP out may not have been fully thought through in a wider sense.
Graeme Swann is almost literally carrying the weight of expectation of a whole nation. Recent history is against spinners, any spinners, having a major impact in Australia but that hasn?t stopped the Swann bandwagon (or more accurately juggernaught) from careering on.? Australia are clearly confused about the best way to deal with him. One day we hear that they will be showing him respect, the next that they will be trying to hit him out the park and throw him off his game. One thing is for sure; Swanny won?t care either way.
Swann would beat any spinner in a match-up right now and poor Xavier never had a chance in this one.
For all the pyrotechnics of Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus is the most important bowler in the Australian line-up. It will be his job to induce England to do what they do best and throw wickets away. Hilf is clearly a star performer and the Aussie public will be praying that his knee holds up. A useful contributor with the bat, if he has a strong series England will be in trouble.
James Anderson returns to Australia not as a backup but as the leader of the English attack. It is a mantle he has won over the past 18 months with crucial performances against top opposition. In the past there has been a doubt over his ability to get men out if the ball wasn?t moving but, with David Saker?s help, Anderson now has a wide variety of deliveries and tactics to suit any pitch.
A really tough call this so I?m ducking it and giving it as all square again.
Johnson?s biggest asset in this series may well be the English batters? memory of how poor he was in 2009. Spraygun Johnson produced wide after wide and bled runs at critical times when Australia needed to apply pressure. England will know that, in spite of that, he remains one of the best and most dangerous strike bowlers in the world but complacency is still a possibility. Mitch can also claim to be a genuine all-rounder with a fabulous batting record and an ability to decimate any bowling attack.
Stuart Broad is improving as a player all the time but he is still some way off being the finished article in my opinion. His tendency for his head to drop and his temper to go is something he must eradicate if he is serious about becoming a top-class player. Brilliant in spells and more than handy with the bat Broad has the ability to turn matches but he must also develop the ability to fight for them when they are slipping away. May be under threat for his place from Bresnan and Tremlett if he under-performs.
Despite his wonky radar this one goes to Mitchell Johnson.
Doug Bollinger is another player who has been on the one day scene for a while but only recently broken into the test team. As a second left-arm quick in the attack he is bound to cause problems for England?s batsmen even if he is more in the mould of Ben Hilfenhaus than Mitchell Johnson. Bollinger should not be under-estimated and England must show him the respect he deserves.
England?s answer to Glenn McGrath is by all accounts a quiet unassuming lad and he could be perfectly suited to Australian conditions. If Finn can keep it as tight on this tour as he has done in the past then him bowling in tandem with Swann could be a very tricky pairing to score runs off. ?Like Broad, and unlike Australia?s attack, Finn is still young and will be around for a long time to come.
I really think that Finn?s metronomic bowling and extra height is going to cause problems. One final point to England.
Score 3-3
So there we have it; it really is too close to call. I think England are good enough and I think Australia are good enough. On tiny things do series hinge. In 2005 it was England?s last-gasp victory at Edgbaston, in 2009 it was an inspired Jonathan Trott debut century in the final test. All we can hope for is another pulsating, roller-coaster series that reminds us all why this really is the greatest show on earth.
player photos taken from cricinfo.com
More...
