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.
Rellum
Guest
I am going to out on a crazy limb and say that I think Hughes was faking it, ala Warnie in 1992. Get the poms thinking you are rubbish against a short ball and then dine out when they dish them up. You just can't come through the Australian first class system and not be at least competent against the short ball. I saw some extended highlights of that warm up game and it almost look like he was waiting to angle some slips practice catches. I am probable speaking through my rectum, but I put this on the record anyway :)
Chop
Roar Guru
I think Hughes will be fine, the Saffers tried to test him on pitches bouncier than the English ones. The worry is the 4th bowler, I hope they play either Hilfenhaus or Watson (if fit) and not Hauritz with his straight breakers....
Chop
Roar Guru
that's a good call Redb, I can just hear aggers on the radio now 'McDonald cuts Onions and no one will stop that'
Redb
Roar Guru
Gotta say I'm really looking forward to the Ashes. shame about Lee. We need McDonald in the side purely for head-line potential up against Onions. Redb
Jameswm
Guest
Hughes was unceremeniously peppered with short balls by Steyn and Co in SA, and piled on the runs. He'll be fine with it, you watch.
JohnB
Guest
A fit Clark along with Johnston and Siddle look the goods to me even before Lee's injury. Hilfenhaus, Hauritz or McDonald as the fourth bowler? No-one exactly leaps out and demands selection. On Hughes and the absence of back-up - he must have got the odd short ball from Steyn and co (and for that matter in Shield cricket). Twice out in similar ways in the Lions game doesn't look great, but he can't be that weak against short bowling or he would have been found out well before this. Or am I just being optimistic? Are there any possible back-ups currently playing county cricket?
Jameswm
Guest
I'm afraid our current selectors have a lot to answer for. No attacking spinner. MacDonald there as a nothing pick. No backup batsman. With Watson injured, what happens if a specialist batsman treads on a ball an hour before play?
Tony Tannous
Expert
Enjoyed the summary. I was pretty stunned to see Australia start the second innings by using Mitchell Johnson to "scramble" the seam in order to scuff the ball, in order for it to 'reverse' for Lee. An admission they couldnt do much with the new ball? Was really impressed by Henley, and as usual underwhelmed by Pontings defensive strategies. Anyway, the latest news may mean Clark gets his chance to take the new ball and seam it around; http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25741713-5009880,00.html Overall, Clark and Lee’s capacity for injury and 'break-down' is a major concern. I was also stunned to see Hughes' weaknesses so easily exposed by Harmison. After all the hype over the past few years, I was under the impression his game was fool-proof, that he had it all. Not so, it seems. Re Hauritz, it's quite unbelievable really. What on earth did Krejza do to Ponting's breakfast during that 12-wicket performance? England don't look quite as strong as the last time over there, but Australia are also a few notches short. Any Spiro, Henry's lack of involvement in a selection or coaching capacity means we get to enjoy his insight during the ABC radio coverage during the Sydney test – always good value, and far more objective than the stuff dished up from the likes of Healy and Langer. But you're quite right, a very insightful analysis.
Ian Noble
Guest
Spiro There has been alot of debate about the choice of Sophia Gardens. It appears they did offer the greatest bid for a Test game, I think in excess of £3m backed by the Welsh government and other bodies keen to show cricket is alive and well in Wales, in an effort to bring the Ashes road show to Cardiff with it's obvious spin offs. Unfortunately I am unable to go to Cardiff but one of my neighbours is trekking West and he can't wait for the first ball. The general consenus is that the series will be close as there are too many unknowns and alot could hang on the first test. Sophia Gardens after all the dry weather in the UK over the last two weeks will probably be a turning track and England might play two spinners, Swann and Panesar, which will be interesting against the Aussies who will probably have an all seam attack with some part time spin. I know Geoff has spent the last few weeks in England and whilst I can understand his point on Harmison, in the recent past he has been so flakey and he has buckled under pressure. I am not sure that one reasonable game for the Lions is sufficient to take into the test match arena. I like Swann not just his ability as an off spinner but his attitude on the field; he plays with smile. There has been interesting discussion about reverse swing and how Brett Lee might exploit it after the fielders make the necessary efforts to scruff the ball, legally I might add. I am not an expert but the Dukes ball is probably more likely to reverse swing than the Kookaburra. I can't wait to Wednesday am, as I shall listen to TMS on the radio much better than TV, and I shall enjoy Geoff summaries together with the wonderful banter between the commentators.
Spiro Zavos
Expert
It seems bizarre to have the first Test of an Ashes series at a ground that has never hosted an Ashes series. What could possibly have got into the minds of the officials organising the series? Did Cardiff make a more attractive offer about income and so on than the more traditional venues? Was it because the venue is a terra incognita to most of the Australians but familiar to the England players? It certainly has added some mystery, as Geoff Lawson points out, to the usual suspense around the beginning of an Ashes series. Geoff's analysis of the bowlers is so acute and shrewd (as befits one of the best captains NSW ever had) that it continues to be a blight on Australian cricket that he has no role either in the selecting or coaching area with the Australian team. As a matter of interest, could David Boon or Merv Hughes write an insightful piece like Geoff's above in The Roar?