England's Paul Collingwood ducks a rearing Brett Lee delivery - AAP Photo/Jenny Evans
There are only a few days left before the ancient battle resumes in Cardiff. Cardiff? Yes, that traditional Ashes venue at the traditionally named SWALEC Stadium. Stadium? Well, it’s an unpretentious county ground with a few open stands thrown up around it, with the river Taff drifting lazily by a good Chris Gayle blow over long on away.
The starting teams are still unknown to all but a privileged few selectors – and even they are probably still fulminating over the BEST combination available to give the greatest chance of victory in the crucial first match.
The fact that Australia play England, rather than Wales or Scotland or Belgium, for the Ashes seems to be a moot point in this age of global marketing and multicultural inclusiveness.
Of course the organisation that runs ‘English’ cricket is called the ‘England and Wales Cricket Board’ – hence the new playing addition to the Ashes roster at Cardiff.
The common response by punters and cricket traditionalists to playing an important match at a new and less than modernised facility has being closer to tepid than lukewarm, however the venue’s vagaries have actually added to the mystery surrounding team balance and speculation.
The pitch at SWALEC (you’ll get used to it over the 5 days) has been beneficial to the spinners early in the season prompting an unusual interest in the value of slow bowlers.
Australia have just the one ‘specialist’ in their touring party, an issue much debated in this column, and Nathan did not look effective in the very valuable first class match against the England 2nd XI (otherwise known as the Lions).
Marcus North bowled 5 overs in each innings, Michael Clarke 4 in the first only and Simon Katich 5 overs for 11 runs, all in the 2nd innings.
At last the Australians re-discovered that competitive cricket, where your statistics count on the permanent record, is the appropriate way to prepare for a robust Test series.
The problem came with the captain’s lack of perception in what is required in such matches. Certainly the batsmen got valuable runs and crease time, except for Phillip Hughes who has been found wanting to one of the more fundamental cricket tactics – the short ball.
The wisdom, or lack thereof, by the wisemen in not selecting a third specialist opener (Chris Rogers) or even another batsmen (not all rounder) in the squad is already looking dubious before a ball is bowled.
Hilditch et al will have their fingers crossed that Hughes can overcome this easily identified deficiency under the blowtorch of Freddie Flintoff bearing down.
Katich looks ready to bat in a tough series. North, Clarke and Haddin are fine, while Ponting himself is off the usually high standards he sets himself but should be OK under fire. Hussey made his first score in an age, reassuring no doubt, but not fully convincing.
That leaves the bowlers.
Johnson didn’t appear to slip himself to 100% and did not swing a single delivery, either direction, but he will need to find a higher gear on Wednesday.
Lee took late wickets, old ball victims after England’s second stringers were 0-172. He finally took 6 in the first inning which makes good reading but Stuart Clark looked more dangerous early on.
Against Pietersen, Strauss, Bopara et al Australia can’t afford to wait until the ball starts swinging ‘reverse’ in the 40th or 50th over.
The selectors must decide between Lee swinging the old ball and Clark seaming the new one. I would go for Clark who bowls tightly even when attacking and always get the extra bounce that a 6’5” man will get over the low trajectory on low pitches that Lee provides.
Ponting did not give his three part-time spinners the work out they needed in the Lions match, and the fields he had set for Hauritz did not encourage attacking, flighted spin bowling.
The best off spinner in Australia – Jason Krejza – was meanwhile trundling down overs in Townsville for Australia A against Mohammed Hafeez and Kamran Akmal’s brother. At least he will be match fit and ready for a call up should an extra spinner be needed. Cross your fingers.
Oh, by the way, Dougie Bollinger just took a 5 for’ in Townsville as well and is packed and visa’d should an injury befall a bowler or Shane Watson.
The Poms may well go into Cardiff with two spinners in Graeme Swann (a major danger to Australia) and Monty Panesar. No Harmison though despite his effective assault on Hughes at Worcester, Onions instead as the appetiser, but I think that is a mistake from England. Unleashing Harmison for a single Test may have been an effective first strike.
Will Australia bother taking Nathan Hauritz into the first Test? The pitch is rumoured to be slowing and flattening as the groundsman fears a low scoring, shortened affair for his maiden big time match. The heavy roller has been working overtime.
Australia has played one international cricket match at Cardiff in the past (although we’ve played lots of Test rugby a mere kilometre away at the old Cardiff Arms Park – now there’s a name for a cricket ground – now known as Millennium Stadium).
In 2005 we lost to Bangladesh, on the way to losing the Ashes. On that day Andrew Symonds was pulled from the announced starting XI after a late night drink with some mates.
Will Brett Lee at 33 years of age, averaging 31 in Test cricket and 45 in Ashes Tests, win a spot over Stuart Clark? Or will Warney be called up from the commentary box after customary pitch report shortly before the toss?
I wish I was there at Sophia Gardens- that’s what it used to be called before the marketing execs got involved and romantically named it after that great patron of cricket, the Maquis of Bath’s wife .
Can’t wait for Wednesday.
Australia are set to turn their back on rising star Jake Fraser-McGurk’s whirlwind IPL form and drop Steve Smith in their T20 World Cup…
If people can lose their job, and clubs can face massive payouts, due to the behaviour of coaches, it will drastically change the way sporting teams in Australia will be run.
Australian fast bowling great Jason Gillespie has been named head coach of Pakistan's Test team, as the nation overhauls its coaching department ahead of…
Will Jacks got RCB past the 200 target set by Gujarat with four overs to spare.
With Rajasthan needing 25 off 17, both batsmen ended up at the same end but the bowler dropped the throw from his teammate -…
A six-laden, 27-ball 84 from Jake Fraser-McGurk to continue his outrageous debut IPL!
