25 August 2013

An Australian summary - The Ashes 5th Test, day 5, The Oval


Australia: 9/492 dec. from 128.5 overs
Shane Watson 176, Steven Smith 138*
James Anderson 4-95


England:
377 all out from 144.4 overs
Joe Root 68, Kevin Pietersen 50, Matt Prior 47
James Faulkner 4-51, Mitchell Starc 3-92, Ryan Harris 2-64

Australia: 6/111 from 23 overs
 
Michael Clarke 28*, Shane Watson 26
Stuart Broad 4-43


England: 5/206 chasing 227 runs for victory
 
Kevin Pietersen 62, Jonathan Trott 59
Ryan Harris 2-21, James Faulkner 2-47


I am happy to eat my words written after day four was washed out. I wrote, "even if there is play tomorrow it will be a deflating display of defensive batting and tiresome bowling, with a few possible moments of excitement to play out for a drawn result."

We ended up getting quite a bizarre play of events in the end as England, probably reflecting on their batting on day three, came out with a more attacking attitude and we ended up seeing a game of it all. However, it was still a drawn result but it could have gone either way with England looking like favourites in the end until the umpires called for bad light. Worrying but exciting.

Michael Clarke's declaration was well timed in the sense that this game would have come down to the wire. England had to attack, they had to play out of their shells and we were tested in a limited overs sense prior to the limited series being just around the corner. Good on Clarke for making a match of it in the end, even if it was a nail-biting scenario and he opted for more conservative tactics after Kevin Pietersen's assault. Not sure of the crowds reasons for booing him though. Poor show after the crowd surely got a great days entertainment? Most puzzling indeed. 

Brydon Coverdale of ESPN summarised the tactics of Clarke really well on the final days play. In a way it highlights the slight confusion amidst our cricket ranks at present. Have a read at his article via this link.

This series will go down as one where the scoreline showed complete and utter dominance by a relatively stable English team. However, if you watched as much of the action as possible you will see it all came down to England's experience as a unit to win Test matches and having certain individuals stand up to the challenge having known how to do this from previous scenarios. It pays to stick with a side and show belief in the men who wear your teams caps, doesn't it?

Yesterday I summed it up, "
the English team have been together a lot longer now and experienced winning Test matches. They know how to win those small passage of play which - ultimately - brings about the main result in the bigger scheme of things.

As a result the selectors will hopefully realise that the players who showed strong performances or indications of their true skill need to be retained for the home Ashes series - they must not chop and change. The players who didn't step up will need to play out of their socks come the Sheffield Shield. They will need to fight for the right to put their Baggy Green caps back on, while I am certain other players will be as keen to bag lots of wickets or pocket plenty of runs to get their opportunity.
"


There will always be the bitterness regarding the Stuart Broad incident, which I prefer to put down to blind umpiring rather than Broad being a cheat. Andrew Symonds didn't walk against India in 2007/08 after a generous edge to MS Dhoni, so I'd be hypocritical to call him (Broad) a cheat even if he uses stall tactics too. Many players don't walk, period. They don't have to if the umpire doesn't raise his finger. It came down to the umpiring and it was a pretty bloody obvious edge too which made it infuriating and humiliating.

It has been a shocking series for the umpires and that decision ultimately changed many things regarding this series. The DRS came under scrutiny and the umpires have now become far more vulnerable to couch-umpire criticism. It could have been very different had their standards been better and had Michael Clarke been more strategic with his reviews, so bad luck has to come into it for The Baggy Greens.

Here's a look at the Tests. We fell 14 runs short in the first Test, just 14 runs after being down and out after a top order collapse - one of many. The second Test we were outplayed and I owe this to the manner in which we lost the first Test. I do believe this affected the teams confidence and self-belief immensely, whereas England just took the momentum home. We also have to wonder what if we'd caught Joe Root when he edged a delivery on just 8 runs and the slip cordon just watched it sail on by? He went on to score 180 runs.

The third Test was ours. I have seen enough cricket to know that any play that goes away due to rain or bad light cannot see potential results brought about my assumption. Anything could have happened had play resumed that day but yes, it looked like we had it in the bag. It was a bitter pill to swallow as I wrote at the conclusion of the Old Trafford Test.

The fourth Test we had it in the bag after Ryan Harris delivered another sensational spell of high performance fast bowling. Yet after a solid foundation set by Chris Rogers and David Warner it imploded and once again that lack of belief we saw after the first Test came out again. It was a humiliating loss which we threw away. It was once again a small passage of play which England just stamped with total dominance and authority.

We also had a first innings lead in four of the Tests but still didn't secure a victory. Further highlighting batting inconsistencies for a balance between good performances and shocking ones.

We could then perform an autopsy looking into the other aspects within each Test which brought about an English victory and further doom and gloom reports over the decline of Australian cricket. I can understand the pessimistic attitudes out there. We tossed many golden moments away, but I think we had many positives to take away from this series and if those can materialise with stability and consistency (along with selection consistencies - same old song) we have a massive chance to win back the urn next series and hang onto it for some time.

Chris Rogers was outstanding in my opinion. He came into this side with immense pressure as he would have been expected to perform from innings one given his county form and the circumstances surrounding his selection. He brought up his maiden Test century this series and even gave us solid platforms to work from, but our fragile middle order made his efforts seem lost at sea.

Ryan Harris was my Player of the Series for us and his delivery to remove Ian Bell at Old Trafford on day three was a beauty! He bowled his heart out and it kind of makes me sad to know that had his body been better equipped for Test cricket he'd be right up there with Dale Steyn. I spare a few thoughts for Ryano. He gave it his best and that isn't easy for a bloke whose endured so many injury setbacks. It must have been hard on his body to bowl as he did and with the success he had.

I wrote this about Ryano after the thumping at Lords:
"...Ryan Harris' body language was both sad and real. He worked bloody hard to grab a five wicket haul upon his return to the team. He made the Lord's bowling honours board and showed how proud he was to be back in the team. It was all in vain though as the batsmen burnt his efforts and you could sense his despair and sheer heartache. He was just going through the motions. That is the true frustration of the series thus far. We haven't secured vital passages of play, England has. Our batsmen haven't backed the decent performances of our bowlers, England has even if luck has been a major player in their fortunes."

Shane Watson finally scored a long awaited century which ended up being his highest Test score (176) and his first since 2010in Mohali, India. Watson is a frustrating cricketer because his ability is world-class but his application from a mental stand point is inconsistent. No one can pinpoint what it is but it was a relief to see him secure a massive score in the number three position. It came too late for us after he'd been disappointing with the bat but at least he did something a number three had not done since Shaun Marsh's century on debut against Sri Lanka in 2011.

Prior to Watson's century and since Ricky Ponting stepped out of the number three role (and ultimately retiring) we have used the following men at number three: Shaun Marsh, Ed Cowan, Rob Quiney, Phillip Hughes, David Warner Usman Khawaja and Michael Clarke. Took long enough. Watson also averages over 40 in the position.

Michael Clarke had to have an average series by his standards at some point. He couldn't continue to be the savior for our team. When he didn't perform with sublime output we saw how we desperately need guys to step up. Rogers did but ultimately it all came too late. Clarke's back will hopefully be ready for the home Ashes series. That is his biggest worry and could effectively end his career sooner than expected.

Steven Smith's century in the final Test was an important one. Like Khawaja he didn't really assert himself as a batsman making the position in the batting order his own and imposing himself as the man for the future to secure a middle order role for Australia. Yet one cannot deny it was a big moment for him to score a maiden Test century in circumstances where our team could have quite easily lost their fight and just handed England the match. He fought hard, batted with confidence and showed another sign he is slowly coming of age. I wrote my thoughts regarding Smith's turn of events on day two of the recently concluded Oval Test.

Nathan Lyon bowled with an attitude I have never sensed. He had a hop in his step and was really turning on the revolutions with his deliveries, foxing a few of England's best batsmen. His battle with Kevin Pietersen was fantastic to watch and, like Smith, this series gave an indication of Lyon coming of age. Perseverance with him will only benefit him as the Warne-days are now long, long gone and there will never be a spinner of that class again, even if Warnie was a leg spinner.

James Faulkner one and only appearance added a good dynamic to this side. His selection may have put some pressure on Shane Watson to perform, despite Watson having stacked experience in all forms of the game. Faulkner grabbed 6 wickets on debut and 45 runs. Nothing spectacular but a fairly good start compared some of the other Baggy Greens handed out like candy to a bunch of kids at party.

Ashton Agar's 98 on debut was awesome. "Awesome" is the perfect word for that display. He helped us stay in the game and showcased his abilities with the blade in hand, something I saw a bit of at The Adelaide Oval between Western Australia and South Australia in March. He was selected though as a spin bowler. Nathan Lyon is still our best and will be for some time. Agar will come around, he is just 19 but will need the correct mentorship and career management. I am not talking about "career management" as Cricket Australia markets it. I just mean I hope the selectors don't stuff up another young spin bowlers career by throwing him in to soon, making him suffer only to then pull him out for good.

Questions will be asked though.

Was this Brad Haddin's final Test for Australia? What if Matt Wade and Tim Paine get off to solid Shield starts? Haddin kept wicket extremely well this Ashes series, a big turn around for him if you think a few summers back. He's endured a tough run as a family fan off the cricket field so it was a big achievement for him to make this trip but is he too inconsistent now? He has yet to taste an Ashes victory as a member of the starting XI.

Is Mitchell Starc going to remain and pitch and match player? He continues to show poor discipline with his bowling and just cannot seem to build sufficient pressure from his end. On one hand I defend him because he is always in and out of the side so how can he build a solid game plan to match his abilities. Yet one has to ask is the reason behind his pitch and match selection due to the possible inability he has at present to build a game plan that compliments the other bowlers such as Harris, Siddle and Pattinson?

Phillip Hughes was a young man unbelievable confidence and he was piling on runs like no other young Australian batsman had done since Ricky Ponting. Then he had poor career management, endless advice and his game went to the crapper. He has been dropped four or five times now. How is a player meant to handle that? Surely he deserves an extended run? A man who has dominated a county stint and stacked up runs in Australia during different seasons surely deserves a run of consistency in the side? This is a batsman who has also dominated some of the best bowling attacks.

David Warner can belt a ball but is also becoming an inconsistent batsman to watch. Is he an opener or is he a middle order batsman? We all know the destructive player he is but until there is another batsman ready to knock down the doors to any possible batting order plans the selectors have for him, where is going to be placed? What is the plan for him?

Ed Cowan did all he needed to earn a Baggy Green cap but he just hasn't delivered the goods. He has been consistently mediocre and he must be the most confused man in the side as he show cased all that needed to be at state level. Why can't he bring it together in the Test arena? The same can be said for Usman Khawaja who has been on the sidelines a while but I have read and heard many cricket journalists and past-players mention a lack of determination and eagerness in his attitude. Only Usman can answer this.

We also need to see consistency come in the selection policies. The signs are there that there's enough ability in this teams batting line-up. Most of the players have a Test century coming against strong Test sides. Some have great experience, others are starting to come of age. If this can all click in one series as we saw against India in 2011/12 will this make players at state level work harder to earn a place in the side, to target a specific spot in the team to earn that Baggy Green cap?

Tough times ahead still. It seems whenever we get so close it all goes a few steps back. I do remain confident though we can win the Ashes back this summer.

Why? Read my opening paragraphs in this article. England won the small passages of play which ultimately brought about their series victory. They had a few players, just a few, step up when needed to in order to secure those passages of play. Those passages led them to victory. It comes down to those small moments, small differences between the sides which end up painting a much bigger picture than a scoreline indicates.

If our players can perform to the best of their abilities with synergy and start to win those small moments to ultimately win Test matches again we will get back the urn this summer. Don't stop supporting The Baggy Greens!

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24 August 2013

The Ashes 5th Test, day 4, The Oval


The Ashes 5th Test, day 4, The Oval

Australia: 9/492 dec. from 128.5 overs
Shane Watson 176, Steven Smith 138*
James Anderson 4-95


England:
4/247 from 116 overs
Joe Root 68, Kevin Pietersen 50, Ian Bell 29*, Chris Woakes 20*
Mitchell Starc 2-50, Nathan Lyon 1-41, Ryan Harris 1-41

The rain came down and washed the day away. No deliveries were bowled and that will be the Test match as even if there is play tomorrow it will be a deflating display of defensive batting and tiresome bowling, with a few possible moments of excitement to play out for a drawn result.

This means we will leave England's shores having lost 3-0 and it's frustrating to know we were so close on three occasions to have changed this scoreline. However, the English team have been together a lot longer now and experienced winning Test matches. They know how to win those small passage of play which - ultimately - brings about the main result in the bigger scheme of things.

As a result the selectors will hopefully realise that the players who showed strong performances or indications of their true skill need to be retained for the home Ashes series - they must not chop and change. The players who didn't step up will need to play out of their socks come the Sheffield Shield. They will need to fight for the right to put their Baggy Green caps back on, while I am certain other players will be as keen to bag lots of wickets or pocket plenty of runs to get their opportunity.

No need to panic, it's not all doom and gloom. There were many positives here and in some regards we were even statistically better than England. Yet they had a couple of players who knew how to step up during those small passages of play and trail their way to the winning edge. This comes with time and come the home Ashes series I am confident we will be regaining the urn.

Verdict: No play for the day means it will be a drawn result. Even my optimism cannot make me think otherwise. The limited overs series approaches.


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23 August 2013

The Ashes 5th Test, day 3, The Oval


The Ashes 5th Test, day 3, The Oval

Australia: 9/492 dec. from 128.5 overs
Shane Watson 176, Steven Smith 138*
James Anderson 4-95


England:
4/247 from 116 overs
Joe Root 68, Kevin Pietersen 50, Ian Bell 29*, Chris Woakes 20*
Mitchell Starc 2-50, Nathan Lyon 1-41, Ryan Harris 1-41

In yesterdays review of day two I made a quick forecast for day three. I wrote, "Nathan Lyon will hopefully come into the equation earlier than expected, especially if Trott and Kevin Pietersen find their way to the wicket. Pietersen versus Lyon has become an exciting battle to witness."

It proved to be the hype of excitement yesterday as England looked set to drop anchor, dismiss their talk of a 4-0 victory and rather play for the drawn result - which is the English way. With rain due on Saturday it may not be a bad way to go for them to go unbeaten this summer, as we still search for a desperately awaited Test win.

Kevin Pietersen took three hours to reach his half-century, unusual by his aggressive, bold standards. Take this into account and it's amusing to note he also had the highest strike-rate of 37.59. Alastair Cook slugged away until his dismissal in the 32nd over, stamping the confirmation England's prized opener is just in a bit of a rut for the first time in some time. Jonathan Trott made another start but failed to go on, even though he looked far from inspiring or imposing as he has been so in the number three role. Joe Root upped his game for the first time since Lord's and this was likely a mindset factor rather than the manner with which he played our bowlers tactically. Now Ian Bell is there, England's golden boy for the Ashes and the ultimate difference between the sides this series.

All in all, it was dull cricket for the viewer but the intentions were understandable.

Ryan Harris soldiered in once again and is undoubtedly my Player of the Series for us. If anything he did look a bit worn out but who can blame him. His awesome bowling has been in vain due to our batsmen not playing upon his foundations set with the ball in hand. Even in the field he gave it his best go and I always admire this in a bowler. Harris' discipline remains top class in all aspects of his game.

Nathan Lyon was the stand out performer for me for the day. He found some great turn on the track and his immediate introduction to Trott and Pietersen saw him deliver with a hop in his step and unrivaled confidence, especially to Pietersen.

For a brief passage of play the man at short leg, Steven Smith, was in the game and both batsmen were lucky to survive some close calls amongst some shaky defensive strokes. His stats, like Harris', don't tell the true tale as to how he bowled yesterday. He's slowly coming of age and it's fantastic to see.

Mitchell Starc continued to be erratic and his bowling, according the commentators, was "unintelligent" at times. However, he still finds a way to get a breakthrough with a big wicket and often does so by accounting for one other big name. It wasn't as quick a succession as some of his previous efforts but he took down Trott and Pietersen as it looked as though the two batsmen would see it through to stumps. Starc has a lot of work to still do but it hasn't helped him that he's been a "strategic selection" and is in and out of the side a fair bit. Just needs to tighten those lines and the ball will do the rest of the work for him.

Even though the victory is looking slightly tricky as this stage taking the weather into account, I still see many positives for us as we look towards to home Ashes series. I will discuss this another day but this Test has ticked a few more boxes for The Baggy Greens.

Verdict:
It was an evenly matched day but with the slow scoring rate, lack of wickets on a good batting surface and time running out in this Test, it would seem England's tactic to play for the draw worked in their favour for day three.

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22 August 2013

The Ashes 5th Test, day 2, The Oval


The Ashes 5th Test, day 2, The Oval

Australia: 9/492 dec. from 128.5 overs
Shane Watson 176, Steven Smith 138*
James Anderson 4-95


England: 0/32 from 17.3 overs


Prior to this series Darren Lehmann stated we needed centurions every Test if we wanted to win. We knew our bowling stocks could get the job done, especially when Ryan Harris came into the mix. Harris' efforts were left in vain as our batsmen failed to collectively find ways to combat the English bowling attack and Lehmann's ambitious pleas for those centurions ended up being too scarce come the English securing both the urn and the series.

We can now see the men who needed those centuries and what the possible impact could have been had they believed in themselves earlier on in the series. This team hasn't played a great deal of cricket together and as they now reach their fifth Test, there may now be a light at the end of the tunnel for the home Ashes series. Connectivity is as important as collectivity to find the winning edge and winning ways in Test cricket.

Ashton Agar nearly reached a century on debut, sadly it wasn't to be and our momentum caved in. Michael Clarke was our first centurion, no surprises. Chris Rogers brought up his maiden century and has shown why he has value for our team and further provokes the question as to why the selectors just didn't look for his experience in earlier years as we gradually brought in younger batsmen. Shane Watson was the third, scoring a career saving ton at the number three role this Test (first century for a number three batsman since Shaun Marsh versus Sri Lanka in 2011) and now we have Steven Smith (138*) who, like Rogers, has secured his maiden Test century which will ensure he is a member of the home Ashes series end of the year.

We now have four centuries listed, whereas England have five - three of these coming from Ian Bell. It further illustrates the manner in which we lost the urn. Our batsmen just didn't bat through crucial passages of play as our bowlers have certainly tied England down and Ian Bell truly has been the stand out batsman and the ultimate difference. Good to see Watson, Clarke, Rogers and Smith all in the top four.

Smith resumed the day on 66* and much of the hype was surrounding Shane Watson's highest Test score and the manner with which he demanded a battle for the all-rounder spot. Smith however made the day his own. The first session was washed out but the covers came off and he played as Watson did - "no fear"!

He found the further 34 runs needed to get his long awaited century (not as long as Watson mind you) and when on 94 runs he did something that reminded me of a young Phillip Hughes.

In his second Test match at Kingsmead versus a strong South African bowling line-up, Hughes plugged Paul Harris away for consecutive sixes to bring up his maiden century. Smith decided to go to his maiden century in a similar sense, by smacking Jonathan Trott down the ground for a maximum. There was relief on Smith's face, not pure joy and excitement, it was relief. This has put him on the map.

Smith has been used for a variety of purposes but I felt for him as his role was never truly realised by the selectors and this couldn't have been easy. At last he knows his purpose, knows that batting is his priority and this match will make him realise why he is there. He's gone from being a player who fished outside of off-stump, became a specialist fielder who could just bat and bowl a bit, to a confident emerging Test batsman. He was put into the mix too early but now he's coming around and looks to have that self-belief.

Hughes had the opposite treatment. He was a man with no fear (as has been the case with these two centurions) and had so much self-belief. His technique was wild, his approach was unique but we had a young man come into the side with a purpose. How times have changed for Hughes with so much meddling in his game and the constant series of being in and out of the team.

I wrote the following about Smith during the third Test which seems to have greater meaning right now:


"
Smith has shown incredible application to his game when I think back to 2010/11 when he was plain and simply not ready for Test cricket. I was always frustrated with the selection of Smith as he was put into the Australian team well before he had sufficient first-class exposure.

This was made worse by the former selection panel not giving him a specific task. He was called in as a leg spinner, who was a part-time spinner at best. He was made to bat in a variety of positions but was impatient, fidgety and easy picking outside of off stump in the Test arena. Then he was just a specialist fielder, keeping out better players. It wasn't his fault but he took flack for it. The new selection panel kept him out the side until the time was right. He is now a better cricketer and is asserting himself as a batsman.
"

The aggression from our lower order to put us into a dominant position appeared fantastic, especially seeing debutant all-rounder James Faulkner put Stuart Broad away for collection of boundaries. 172 runs were added after Peter Siddle's dismissal and these runs came from 34 overs with a run-rate of just over 5 runs an over.

It allowed us a chance to bowl at England with 492 runs on the board. An eagerly awaited scoreline for our bowlers. England managed to see the day through to stumps with ten wickets in hand, so tomorrow will be a big session or two for our bowlers. Nathan Lyon will hopefully come into the equation earlier than expected, especially if Trott and Kevin Pietersen find their way to the wicket. Pietersen versus Lyon has become an exciting battle to witness.

Verdict: Australia take day two and should be content with the scoreboard having seen one session washed out.


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21 August 2013

The Ashes 5th Test, day 1, The Oval



The Ashes 5th Test, day 1, The Oval

Australia: 4/307 from 90.0 overs
Shane Watson 176, Steven Smith 66*
James Anderson 2-52


It was bittersweet seeing Shane Watson reach his first Test century since 2010. It’s been a long wait and I felt the weight that was lifted off his shoulders! Even though it was a great moment to witness him bring up a career saving century, most surely felt it came a bit too late for the team this series - knowing what Watson is capable of doing for the team.

It was a demonstration that a Shane Watson who can mow on from a strong start is able to crush most bowling units. He has always been a crisp hitter against the new ball – no doubts there. He plays with confidence, but the element yesterday was one of “no fear” to coincide with that confidence in stroke play. This is something that has lacked in Watson’s game and the confidence in the stroke play is there, but not in the application from a mental dynamic as a Test cricketer.

Watson is able to change games but his poor conversion rate has never allowed the masses to see that pure potential Shane Warne saw in Watson so many years back. The poor conversion rate has led to some psychological weaknesses, a shuffle all around the batting order and a man who has found himself fortunate to still be in the side after a very poor run. The benefit of being an all-rounder has paid off for Watson to have faith kept in his abilities and this brutal innings of 176 at The Oval, in the manner we recognise with him, is a relief for everyone.

We need to win this Test for pride. It is also important for a number of reasons. This team needs to rally together!

Watson may have felt himself under immense pressure with the inclusion of James Faulkner (Baggy Green #435), which to me seemed more a move for a bloke who “gets things done” as opposed to a genuine tactical decision.

Two all-rounders in a side was the call. Faulkner is an aggressive cricketer, just like Watson, only with age on his side, strong State performances and few injuries to burden him. I believe Faulkner was in this side to put the pressure on Watson to perform, to force him to stand up and showcase his skills. Faulkner was there to remind him he is not the only all-rounder anymore. Someone new is in the system and the best of Shane Watson came out. Congrats Shane!

Healthy competition is what this team needs and the more men we have knocking on the door after biding their time at State level to take the place of a cemented Test cricketer, the greater our stocks will be. Pride will return for the players, it will no longer be fear for a position. A stable side is needed though too.

Steven Smith (66*) was able to step up. He started his Ashes series off strongly but slipped into the same bracket as every other young cricketer. Before this Test, Mark Taylor said that this was a game about the younger men. The older players have stood up – Rogers, Harris, Clarke – and it was now time for the younger players to show why they are there and to actually do something. Smith did something right yesterday.

Smith and Khawaja are two players who have had incredible opportunities this series to show ability beyond the batting skills. They needed to show case their hunger and self-belief to want to hold down a long term spot in this side. Both needed to perform to grab a piece of Ashes history to propel their careers forward.

Khawaja may have lucked out on that now, but Smith’s time with Watson proved vital as he played with confidence and assisted us over the 300 mark – something that has been too rare a sight this series.

Chris Rogers (23) was out for just 23 runs but it was so much more than that. He supported Watson and together they put together a century stand of 107 runs. Both have stated their enjoyment batting together and this was proven. Yes, it was only 23 runs but for those 100 deliveries Rogers was out there and the few less that were spent with Watson may have been the exact man who was needed at the crease to push Watson in the right direction. A stat alone doesn’t always tell a true tale.

Michael Clarke was peppered by Stuart Broad, who bowled a wild spell of short fast paced bowling at Clarke and Watson. Watson took a serious knock to the back side of his head (believe me, it really hurts!) and was down on the ground, but he soldiered on to score a big century. Clarke however looked rattled. He wasn’t picking up the shorter deliveries from Broad and even though he did counter-attack a few times with some good looking pull shots, he was far from comfortable and he was bowled once again this series, oddly enough but a ball that wasn’t short leading to his downfall. The man to get him? JamesAnderson.

The plan for tomorrow would be logical. This pitch will start to seriously favour the spinners. There will also be enough irregularity on the surface to assist to seam movement for the fast bowlers. It may not be easy but all that Clarke will want is from his batmen to come is to mow that score along too as many runs as possible.

Verdict: Australia takes day one. We also won the toss and if we were to play mind games, the only toss we won the series ended up being a drawn result, easily looming to be a win. The games we lost the toss ended up being a lost result. Let’s see!

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12 August 2013

The Ashes 4th Test, day 4, Chester-le-Street


The Ashes 4th Test, day 4, Chester-le-Street:

England 1st innings:
238 all out from 91.6 overs
Nathan Lyon 4-42, Ryan Harris 2-70, Shane Watson 1-21, Peter Siddle 1-41, Jackson Bird 2-58
Alastair Cook 51, Jonathan Trott 49


Australia 1st innings:
270 all out after 89.3 overs
Chris Rogers 110, Shane Watson 68
Stuart Broad 5-71


England 2nd innings:
330 all out from 95.1 overs
Ian Bell 105*, Tim Bresnan 45, Kevin Pietersen 44,
Ryan Harris 7-117, Nathan Lyon 3-55

Australia 2nd innings:
224 all out from 68.3 overs
David Warner 71, Chris Rogers 49
Stuart Broad 6-50 (11 wickets for the match)


Match status:
England won by 74 runs and have won the series 3-0.

This is not an easy article to write. Not only because we have now lost the Ashes series along with the urn. Not only because our side has found a way to lose a Test from a winnable position. Not only because players who have needed to step up to secure their own piece of Ashes history have failed to do so. I am actually struggling to write this mostly because I have the deepest sadness for one Australian cricketer in particular and that is Ryan Harris.
It's a mixture of emotions actually. Harris charged in with us effectively needing to reduce England's lead to 250 minimum, more for a psychological advantage. With their lead at 202 with 5 wickets in hand it could have gone the same way it went for us trailing by just 16 runs at 5 wicket in hand. Instead having England under this lead with only 3 wickets to grab, the plan went south.

Harris will feel his unbelievable effort to claim 7 wickets (9 for the Test) was in vain as was his also impressive spells sent down at Lord's. He has been let down by our batsmen. Harris is a man who may not have a great deal of time left in his career and he is without a doubt our best bowler. I said it before coming into this series and I have been proven right. However, our batting was also our obvious weakness coming in and once again when this side had a chance to step up on the batting front, back the amazing performance of Harris and create some history, they folded and we were left short by 74 runs. A thrashing in my opinion.

We dominated the first two days of play. It was a win or draw situation but our side found a way to lose the match. This is nothing new. It would be harsh to dismiss this side as the worst side, because they aren't a terrible side. They are an unfortunate side who just don't have the winning edge and have lost great players at inconvenient times and therefore left to find this edge on their own. This "edge" only comes with time together as a unit, with men knowing their role and performing so accordingly. This team can beat the best of the best but not when they cannot secure vital often small passages of play.

Throughout this series it's been the case. An English partnership dragged on, tactically we blew a decision, batsmen fell to stupid shots etc. Even in recent history it goes back to Cardiff 2009 where we just needed 1 wicket to win the first Test. We didn't get it and since then the winning edge, the ability to have that winning edge, just faded out and England faded in. Things changed from that moment.

Shortly before in 2008 we had South Africa at the MCG against the wall, but a partnership between Dale Steyn and JP Duminy - enhanced by a Michael Hussey drop catch - went on to be match winning. In 2011 at Cape Town we had a generous lead and found a way to get bowled out for a humiliating total of 47. The next day we put down catches and South Africa strolled home. In 2012, also against South Africa, we couldn't get a handful of wickets on the last day at the Adelaide Oval after dominating the Gabba Test before. We lost the winning edge and South Africa won at the WACA.

Most recently of all these incidents was right here, this Test. Ian Bell just played a gem of an innings as he finds himself in the form of his life. However, while Harris did his work he had no support from the other bowlers, allowing pressure to fall on the wayside. A complete contradiction to our first innings effort. Nathan Lyon came on too late to give Harris that bit of support needed. Harris leaked runs but only because England had been psychologically released. They took the lead to 300 runs. It could have been less had this team had the winning edge to secure that passage of play.

There's numerous incidents scattered about, moments on the field I could recite but why bother?

The bottom line is this side I see so much potential within, a side I continue to support and show belief in just doesn't have the winning edge and if they can't find it now it will be hard work for them to find it. It's a reason certain players of old school experience were brought into this side. The home Ashes series is a realistic battle and I am still glad Darren Lehmann will be coach. We haven't played badly here. England just know how to up their performance in those small moments of the game and can flip it all right around. And for that I must salute them. It's why they haven't been beaten for a while.

Cricket Australia will probably pull away from the unnecessary marketing hype before the home Ashes series. The Big Bash will be priority there. If anything, let's just keep it on the low down and see if we - now as the true underdogs - can surprise England on our home soil in what will probably be the last stand for Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris, assuming they want to be a part of it all.

Here's some stats. The reason for frustration lies with the fact we were 2-147. We needed 152 runs to win, one day and a bit of play remaining and 8 wickets. We ended up losing by 74 runs, losing 8 wickets for 78 runs. It's humiliating and Ryan Harris will be the man of all Australian players, of all Australian supporters who will be feeling this loss the most.

7 wickets and 9 for the game and your side loses. A stack of wickets at Lord's and the batsmen get slaughtered. Our bowlers have carried this side for too long and Michael Clarke carried a batting unit single handedly.

Chris Rogers scored 110 runs in the first innings and without the support of Shane Watson, he would have played an innings in vain as Michael Clarke has done so. In fact it appears this way. Rogers scored 49 runs in the second innings. A failure in his eyes but he got runs on the board. David Warner scored 71 runs, a half-century. We needed a centurion bu he put runs on the board and got us 71 runs closer to victory. We fell short by 74. We needed more from numbers three to seven. Our top duo scored 109 runs and collectively 120 runs. Three to seven brought 50 runs, one run more than the effort of Chris Rogers.

We lost this series due to our batting and the reality of when Michael Clarke is not in sublime form is when the lights go on. This side will need to look at ending it all off at 3-1, as it was so in the 2010/11 Ashes series. They still need our support and will do so.

It was hard to find the words for this loss but it's harder to describe what emotions I am feeling. I believed we could win this series, as did Michael Clarke. Sadly it is clear that we have lost the winning edge and how we regain that spark can only be done through winning Test matches and all of this will start by winning small passages of play. As they say, it's the small things that count, the small moments that matter most. This is so true in Test cricket and so true to this Australia team.

The Oval Test is all that remains. If anything this is now purely for pride. Nothing more than that. The home Ashes series is a fresh start removed from this series.

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11 August 2013

The Ashes 4th Test, day 3, Chester-le-Street


The Ashes 4th Test, day 3, Chester-le-Street:

England 1st innings:
238 all out from 91.6 overs
Nathan Lyon 4-42, Ryan Harris 2-70, Shane Watson 1-21, Peter Siddle 1-41, Jackson Bird 2-58
Alastair Cook 51, Jonathan Trott 49


Australia 1st innings:
270 all out after 89.3 overs
Chris Rogers 110, Shane Watson 68
Stuart Broad 5-71


England 2nd innings:
5/234 from 74 overs
Ian Bell 105*, Kevin Pietersen 44, Tim Bresnan 4*
Ryan Harris 3-74, Nathan Lyon 3-46

Match status:
England lead by 202 runs with 5 wickets in hand and two days of play remaining.
Day three was a topsy-turvy sort of a day as this entire Test has been in patches. Come the closure of day one and two we were on top, now we find ourselves down on the other side. There's been similarities too but after two days on top we find ourselves in a concerning situation in a must win Test match.

On the start of day two we quickly ended England's innings, lost quick top order wickets when we came into bat but found a centurion (Chris Rogers) and someone to partner him (Shane Watson). Come stumps we had five wickets in hand and trailed by 16 runs.
Day three arrived and England quickly ended our innings, with us only able to gain a lead of 32 desperate runs. We then came onto bowl and Ryan Harris picked up three quick top order wickets in elite style. Then England found a centurion in Ian Bell (105*) and he had support from Kevin Pietersen. England went into stumps with five wickets in hand, but a very good lead to have that edge on us.

If patterns were to emerge with similarity to the above mentioned passages of play, then it would be with hope we can grab England's last five wickets in quick succession to ensure they don't have a lead greater than 250 runs. It's a big ask and come the time of our innings we'd have to hope to not suffer a top order collapse, which has seemed to be an occurring theme when chasing targets - leaving it to some lonesome fighter.

Our day started dismally. To only secure a lead of 32 runs having had five wickets in hand is poor. Ryan Harris belted it about to advance it a bit more but we needed at least 75 runs and above. Chris Rogers is not in a position to be faulted. If it weren't for his innings with the support coming from Shane Watson (who is under injury threat watch now) we would have been slaughtered this innings after losing our top order for as good as nothing. Rogers had a soft dismissal with a mighty fine catch taken by Matt Prior off Graeme Swann's bowling. Hot spot showed just a tickle off the glove and Rogers' fine Test innings came to an end. He would have been so disappointed but his innings was one to remember and without it, who knows.

Brad Haddin is hot and cold these days. His work behind the stumps has been world-class but his batting is a bizarre spectacle. Some days he will impose himself and play glorious shots and dominate with an aggressive objective. Frustratingly it seems he gets out cheaply when playing the defensive role. We needed plenty of runs from him and after being removed plumb LBW by Swann - oddly reviewed - he walked off too soon from the middle of the wicket than what was desperately required. It was a huge loss.

With a lead of just 32 runs in the bag it was going to be a game where the teams would likely remain on par until the final days play.

Ryan Harris was unbelievable as he gave it everything he has. His body must be feeling the strain but he showed signs of nothing other than wanting to dominate each and every English batsman. He used the conditions to his advantage and picked up three top order wickets, giving us a sense of hope. His delivery to remove Joe Root is being compared that which removed Michael Clarke at Trent Bridge off the bowling of James Anderson. It was near identical and as unplayable. It was the delivery fast bowlers have good dream about, the one which is pitched on a good length and just nips away ever so slightly from the right hand batsman to clip the top of off-stump. Perfection!

Unfortunately Harris was not given the support required from the rest of our bowlers, especially with the loss of Shane Watson to injury. Watson was able to play a crucial role in the first innings by applying immense pressure upon the English batsmen, allowing our faster bowlers to pepper them. Not this time.

Nathan Lyon bowled a good gig for the day but his wickets seemed to have come a bit too late in the day, but better that than nothing at all and not his fault. Michael Clarke was also oddly slow with his field placements, especially when Ian Bell was just dominating the third man region, as he's done so often. We still have a chance here though. How realistic it is will be seen soon enough.

I think many Australian supporters will feel dejected having been in such a grand position come stumps on day two. Now we see England in control and in the strongest position either side has been in this Test. It's disheartening and even a score of 250 to chase down will be seen as a huge task given history in recent times.

Our younger batsmen in Khawaja and Smith have yet to step up to the greater challenges when presented and if they can't do it come our second innings I wonder when it will happen in a greater match. They've shown they can bat, no doubts there. Yet this is not our issue. It's about youngsters seeing an opportunity and doing what Rogers and Watson did in the first innings against what was easily the toughest barrage of bowling seen this Ashes series.

Then we need David Warner to fire, along with the experience of Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin. Bottom line is whatever target is set by England we need three to four batsmen to post big scores and this hasn't happened in a very, very long time (2011/12). If that doesn't happen it will leave supporters wondering when it ever will. We can't afford to lose this Test match. We need to see the scoreline at 2-2 before the home Ashes series - for the sake of pride and to leave people wondering "what if it hadn't rained at Old Trafford?"

Tomorrow's first session will determine much. Michael Clarke will need to be tactically and strategically switched on to a level like no other this series. It's obvious what we need to do. It would just seem many supporters are dreading the potential figures Graeme Swann will be looking to stack up come our second dig, the huge challenge to see whether we can walk away with pride from this series to end it all at The Oval.

Verdict: England joined in the game of topsy-tuvy and secured the day with the greatest advantage in the match thus far. Ian Bell has also more than likely secured the Player of the Series Award too after another century was registered to his name.

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10 August 2013

The Ashes 4th Test, day 2, Chester-le-Street


The Ashes 4th Test, day 2, Chester-le-Street:

England 1st innings:
238 all out from 91.6 overs
Nathan Lyon 4-42, Ryan Harris 2-70, Shane Watson 1-21, Peter Siddle 1-41, Jackson Bird 2-58
Alastair Cook 51, Jonathan Trott 49


Australia 1st innings:
5/222 after 74.4 overs
Chris Rogers 101*, Shane Watson 68, Brad Haddin 12*
Stuart Broad 4-48


Trent Bridge is one of the toughest grounds to bat at in international cricket. However, yesterday was definitely one of the toughest days for batting in this Ashes series at Chester-le-Street. There was also an element of this attributed to some impressive bowling from England throughout the first two sessions and it was survival games for two of our batsmen, after Stuart Broad sent down one of his blitz spells to rip through our top order. This was with the exception of one man not dismissed and this was Chris Rogers.

At last, a batsman other than Michael Clarke reached a century. The last century came from Matthew Wade in January against Sri Lanka. Rogers also becomes the second oldest Australian to score a century. He has done it in an Ashes series where he was selected upon his experience and current form. Chester-le-Street is a bit unknown to this team except Rogers, so this was a testament to the reason upon his selection. Really proud of him.

Early in the day I was concerned the English tail may drag them over 250, but Jackson Bird bowled James Anderson second over of the morning, meaning no runs were scored. Task set, get the lead!

We ended up seeing a similar pattern of disaster occur as a top order collapse hit and the fear set in. It could have quite easily ended in a disaster. David Warner was promoted to open with Rogers due to the lack of fire power from Shane Watson, despite Watson appearing in okay form. It was an odd turn of events. Warner was bowled for just 3 runs and Usman Khawaja was caught in no-mans land unsure whether to play or leave a delivery from Stuart Broad, giving Broad his second in quick succession.

Michael Clarke marched out to the wicket with a situation which must be the norm for him after the last two years. Yet when you'd have expected Clarke to grind them down, he played a wild drive that was too loose a shot and he was caught sharply by Alastair Cook in the slips. Broad had three, we'd lost our best batsman.

Steven Smith partnered Rogers to add another 27 runs onto the board and as it seemed they'd settled us down, Smith was out with a soft dismissal just not covering the line and tickling one through to Matt Prior. We were in the danger zone and England sensed an opportunity just like Lord's.

Enter Shane Watson, a man dropped from the top order spot to allow Warner a chance in his place. In an odd turn of events Watson ended up scoring 68 runs, which is also an important event as I believe Watson has to make something out of these last two Tests. Like Clarke, if Watson performs it can push us over the finish line. He needs to be converting and performing now and his innings yesterday was fought mighty hard.

Tough batting comes to mind after I watched Rogers and Watson last night/ early morning. Rogers was under pressure with the ball passing the edge of his bat many times and being beaten on a number of deliveries. He was only given a handful of bad balls to put away, which he was able to maximise on. It was still hard work though as he was continually being tested and never allowed to score with ease.

Stuart Broad worked him over particularly well when nearing his half-century. He was even dropped in the slips of 49, allowing him to run through to get his half-century. His celebration was deflated as he'd been given a lifeline. You need luck in this game! 


Click to enlarge image.


While the English attack came at him at their hardest, he was having to settle in with Watson at the other end who also went at a steady pace, taking some time before assessing how the wicket was playing. He finally found the confidence to play with freedom to whip the ball off his pads, finding boundaries and not playing victim as an LBW candidate. As Watson increased the scoring opportunities, Rogers began to play with a little more freedom in his own capacity, finding strength to target the on side, just using his wrists to perfection.

The two of them added 129 runs for the fifth wicket partnership. Having seen Watson play with greater confidence on the leg side, it was strange that he ended up trickling a poor leg side delivery to Prior behind the stumps. Odd end to what has been one of the hardest fought innings from Watson in a long time and he finally got beyond the half-century point.

With Rogers finally reaching his century, it was an emotional point in his cricketing journey. More than 20,000 first-class runs, switches between State teams, immense experience gained in overseas conditions and his one Test match came at the WACA against India in 2008 finally being so much more.

Similar to Ryan Harris he could have been a one-hit wonder, as Harris was in ODIs. It seemed thereafter it was over but he kept believing in himself, eying opportunities and scoring lots and lots of runs. On 10 August 2013 he finally scored a Test century, an Ashes century. It's his and in order to have stayed in this game we needed someone other than Clarke to score a century. After Clarke's dismissal we needed a centurion.

Well done Chris Rogers! I kept the belief in him with the announcement he'd be in our side. Even though we haven't won back the urn, we still need to draw this series 2-2 and his contributing.

Brad Haddin is at the crease with him, our last recognised batsman. We still trail by 16 runs and it will be interesting to see what this wicket brings about tomorrow.

Checking my Ashes venue analysis article I wrote a few months back, I wrote this about this relatively unknown ground, "
it does seem to be a track that is difficult to bat on at first, but the longer you bat and the further into the Test match the contest goes, the easier it is to negotiate what comes off the pitch."

Hopefully Brad Haddin can play with some aggression tomorrow and find the run scoring zones, while Rogers can play with the knowledge he has that century and can cash in. He will have an idea what the track should offer come tomorrow. First objective will be to get the lead and then, with our last 5 wickets, try and get that lead to a minimum of 100-150 runs as a starting point. Up to Clarke to play his tactics right from that point on.

Verdict: Day two goes to us. It was a worrying start to the days play after losing three top order wickets but Rogers and Watson ensured we went to stumps within a sniff of the lead and 5 wickets in tact. It was a very hard days play and a big step forward. Consistency now the key from here to win this match!

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09 August 2013

The Ashes 4th Test, day 1, Chester-le-Street:


The Ashes 4th Test, day 1, Chester-le-Street:

England 1st innings:
9/238 from 90 overs
Nathan Lyon 4-42, Ryan Harris 2-70, Shane Watson 1-21, Peter Siddle 1-41, Jackson Bird 1-58
Alastair Cook 51, Jonathan Trott 49

The only thing that didn't really go our way on day one of the fourth Test is the fact we didn't get 10 wickets to give ourselves a fresh start with the bat come day two. The bowlers will still need to show up for the second day of play to ensure they grab that last English wicket as quickly as possible. The tail has already dragged proceedings on by another 24 runs and recent history has shown that wrapping up the oppositions lower order isn't a quick procedure for us. Still, it was good to come out on top of day one after our misfortune at Old Trafford.

The two English batsmen we have been waiting on to fire looked as though it was their day on a wicket that had a fair bit of drag in it and no real sense of an immediate threat for our right-arm bowling attack - having not selected left-arm Mitchell Starc.

Starc can definitely feel unlucky and the only reason I could see him being left out of the team is his inability to bowl consistent spells and build sufficient pressure from his bowling end. Just seeing how the bowlers toiled for day one of this Test was a clear indication this element is what got us through what could have been a spanking from England's top order. Pressure and bowling in tandem did the trick, so despite his collections at Old Trafford as well as a half-century, this decision to leave him out was purely tactical.

Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook added 73 runs for the second-wicket partnership. Trott tried to impose himself to get every chance to play to his strengths and regain his confidence, which has oddly enough been slightly dampened. Meanwhile, Cook went along with the patience and resistance he showed against us in the last Ashes series, but there was always this sense I had that we'd get him well before a century as he was seriously showing restraint against straight bat shots - or just shots for that matter. After doing the hard yards at a strike-rate of 31.09, he left a delivery from Jackson Bird which swung into him just enough to trap him LBW without offering a shot. Aleem Dar sent him on his way with no hesitation. His resistance ended being his downfall, rather than a switch to impatience.

The first wicket of the day needs to be briefly discussed as it once again involved umpire Tony Hill (New Zealand) who has had a torrid series, even worse off than the players who generally get more criticism than an umpire - even though it is a thankless job, sadly.

Hill seems to have lost whatever confidence he has in his abilities as an outside edge off the early bowling change of Shane Watson, while slightly faint, was as clear as day to everyone on the field but Hill. Even Joe Root looked sheepish. Yet, Hill didn't give it and a referral then changed our fortunes for the ultimate dismissal. It was frustratingly another worrying sign that DRS is far from our main issue with decisions this series. Had this been India, Hill would have been on his way ages ago with the threat of a series boycott.

Earlier in the day Ryan Harris, Bird and Peter Siddle had all taken a while to get into their routines but fortunately Shane Watson was on song and provided his economical input as always and really mounted the pressure, allowing our bowlers to ease into the game. Soon enough our fast men where definitely get something out of a nothing sort of a track. It still wasn't looking all that threatening.



Enter our bowler who has been left on the fringes despite having taken 81 Test wickets to date from 24 Tests. The dismissal of Jonathan Trott was brought about by our right-arm off spinner, Nathan Lyon.
Trott found the faintest of inside edges onto his pad which was well grasped by a diving Usman Khawaja at short-leg. It was a huge wicket but Lyon's ultimate victory came against Kevin Pietersen.

Pietersen has taken to Lyon's bowling and looked to attack him from the word "go". He did so at Old Trafford and again in this match. However, despite Pietersen's momentum and confidence to attack, Lyon had him just nudging at one which moved across him, bowling from around the wicket and Pietersen didn't cover the angle and outside edge carried to Brad Haddin, who has kept wicket excellently so far.

From that dismissal it was the Nathan Lyon show as he picked up another two wickets to take 4-42 from the day.

It was great to see reward go to Lyon as the best performer. He has had to graft really hard match in, match out with the fear he could be tossed into the junk yard of spin bowling rejects in the post-Warne era. Fortunately, the selectors have finally realised there will never be another great leg spinner and Shane Warne was one of a kind legend of the game. Therefore, we need a guy who can spin with subtle variation and bowls with both confidence and intelligence. This doesn't come from twenty Tests. This comes from perseverance, belief from the selectors and team mates, while most importantly being given the guidance and motivation to improve after every series he plays - not every game he plays.

Patience is the key and I have seen notable improvement in Nathan Lyon's performances after his outstanding debut against Sri Lanka back in 2011. Graeme Swann has become a world-class spinner because the English selectors have nurtured his development and kept him in the side. When other competitors have come about they've made him aware of this but he's only thrived off it and continued to find ways to be the best English spinner. Lyon can learn something from Swann and it seems our selectors are learning a lesson.

Lyon will have many, many more battles ahead but this innings was one where he took the initiative and helped the bowlers find a way forward on a track that looked like it would see day one at stumps with England in a dominant position. Well done Gaz!

All our bowlers chipped in and this evidently continues to be our strong point, especially having Bird come in at the expense of Starc to just boast our depth.

Come tomorrow we need to roll England before they reach 250. It will be a small victory in the context of this all important game. England have said they want to win 4-0 but it is not in their nature to be this aggressive. I anticipated them to become complacent knowing they have the urn and I hope this turns out to be the case so we can level this 2-2.

Hard cricket ahead as this seems to be a track where Swann will be used to bowl many overs and James Anderson has a killer average at this ground too, so watch out!

This Test is also important because someone other than Michael Clarke needs to step up. I get the feeling Shane Watson has two more Tests to show his value with the bat because recent years show he does not warrant a spot in the team, even though he is clearly having a mental barrier to his game as he is still playing brilliant shots. Bowling will only keep him in the side for so long, as hard as it is to accept this as a supporter. Chris Rogers needs to once again showcase his experience in English conditions as this ground is unfamiliar to this side. David Warner can play the villain and steal the glory from the hometown heroes, while Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith have another golden opportunity in the biggest, most historical Australian Test series to make their own history. Both have to do it soon as they can bat, no doubts there but are they strong willed enough?

All of these questions will be answered come tomorrow and it's going to be a massive test for the batsmen as should we get that last wicket soon enough, this is the moment where we need to finally bat as a top Test team. This is the moment!

Verdict: Day one goes to Australia, especially on the tactical front where we managed our reviews far better and Clarke used his bowlers effectively.


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07 August 2013

The Baggy Green Blog is on Facebook


As of a few months ago, I stated I would only be writing articles from time to time. I am operating things on a more frequent basis via social media avenues though. So, if you're on Facebook then head over to The Baggy Green Blog page and join in the daily conversations. Don't fret, any articles I post here still get fed via the pages Twitter account and my own personal account. Facebook gets the article links too.

What is being discussed tonight? The batsmen have apparently been using silicone tape on their bats which will result in edges going undetected via hotspot. The ICC to investigate.

I have also covered each days play of this Ashes series. You can catch up on each days action, with some analysis too regarding our team. The final day of the Old Trafford Test is worth a read - finding positivity going forward.

First Test, Trent Bridge: Day one, day two, day three, day four, day five.

Second Test, Lord's: Day one, day two, day three, day four.

Third Test, Old Trafford:
Day one, day two, day three, day four, day five.

England lead the Ashes 2-0 and retain the urn with two Tests to go.

PLEASE keep supporting the boys. I know it is tough to have to wait until the home Ashes end of the year to get back the urn but we can still level the scoreline 2-2. Back the Baggy Greens! Thank you for the support for the site and my writing too.


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