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Watson could prove the difference in Ashes battle

Expert
5th February, 2010
11

Australia's Shane Watson plays a shot off the bowling of England's Graeme Swann on the first day of the third cricket test match between England and Australia at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham, England, Thursday, July 30, 2009. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

I might be English, related to a member of the Ashes winning team and a patriotic supporter of my national side, but I’m worried. With the next instalment of the Anglo-Australian rivalry just nine months away – I know there is plenty of other cricket before then, but it is an Ashes year so nothing else really matters – it is worth getting on the bandwagon early, so here goes.

The cause of my concern – Shane Watson.

Yes, the injury-prone, poltergeist-fearing all-rounder who just a few months ago was just a support member of the Australian team at best and far from a potential pivot in Ricky Ponting’s side.

Before the Cardiff Test last July, you could’ve got decent odds on Watson opening the batting for his country, especially ahead of Philip Hughes, and even longer ones on him making a pretty good fist of it.

So good a fist, in fact, that he’s probably one of the first names on the teamsheet.

But such a success he has been, he now constitutes the main difference between Australia and Andrew Strauss’ England. Watson could well be the decisive factor in next summer’s Ashes because he provides that elusive factor – balance.

Although he is opening the batting, Watson is both the sixth batsman and fifth bowler. In contrast, Ian Bell is England’s sixth batsman, but there isn’t a fifth bowler.

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Spot the difference?

The Australian team who have just beaten both the West Indies and Pakistan looked like a unit who are heading in the right direction and with one target in their sights.

On the other hand, England, while far from a carbon copy of the team that lost direction in the aftermath of the 2005 Ashes victory, don’t quite seem to know which direction to take.

Andrew Flintoff may have had his critics, but Strauss would’ve given his right arm for an all-rounder in South Africa recently, particulary after taking the lead in Durban.

The problem is that England feel that they need six batsmen so they have to sacrifice a fifth bowler.

The reality, as proved in Cape Town and Johannesburg, is that they need a fifth bowler, but aren’t willing to sacrifice a sixth batsman.

The result is a spinner who carries an enormous workload and a bowling attack that can quickly look thin when conditions aren’t in their favour.

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Australia isn’t renowned for providing the most forgiving of conditions and a constricted series with little respite between games will place a significant amount of strain on the bowlers.

Which leads us back to Watson.

A few decent overs here and a few decent overs there, combined with the runs he should score give Australia, at this early stage, one over the old enemy.

But what am I worried about? With his history, he’ll probably be injured come November.

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