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As the ball looped lazily toward short leg from Jimmy Anderson’s self-preserving fend I had ample time for a 24-year-old flashback.
Just before George Bailey swallowed the Kookaburra I could see Boonie sweeping Nick Cook to backward square for the boundary that regained the Ashes (in the UK for the first time in 55 years).
I had been a part of Australian teams that had lost and had now regained the urn.
It was a spiritually cleansing experience, even for an atheist. The elation on the Old Trafford balcony was measured in megatons.
Exhilaration and relief, in no particular order, followed by mass man-love and copious amounts of alcohol.
The scenes at the WACA weren’t a whole lot different apart from a lower balcony and lack of long-sleeve jumpers.
The first session battle was intense, as the New Zealand-born Ben Stokes batted with maturity and fluidity that his seniors could not find, and the grizzled veteran Prior bunkered down.
Between sips of local ale and salad sandwiches, punters’ talk turned to the odds of an England victory.
Ridiculous of course, but the game is not over until it’s over. The morning skirmishes had seen the ball beat the bat quite a few times but no blood drawn.
Captain Clarke was cool in charge of the anxious troops. The break came as Prior’s concentration lapsed and Johnson’s pace, angle and intent presented golden gloves Haddin with another scalp.
This was the beginning of the end. Nathan Lyon’s support overs bore fruit just as they had in the first two Tests.
The folly of playing a teenager in the spinning role during the winter Ashes may have seemed left-field at the time, but now looks downright bizarre.
There had been general agreement, Down Under at least, that the 0-3 result in the northern summer wasn’t a true reflection of the difference between the two teams.
A quick examination of batting and bowling averages from that series confirms the premise. If you had only the numbers to go on the conclusion may have legitimately been that Australia had won a close encounter.
England may have believed their own propaganda because they needed to lift their game a few notches for the antipodean conditions, but they ended up dropping them.
It was as though a sharp prod to the shallow torso had sent an unbalanced England team crashing over the precipice.
Once falling, they couldn’t regain any ground – every time Australia got on top in these three Tests they didn’t let England get a toenail hold to help them back up.
Mitchell Johnson, fast and accurate yes, accurate, provided the first second and maybe third prods, his support cast added impetus and all the Australian bowlers can have a celebratory refreshment knowing they have contributed significantly to the win.
Johnson’s consistency coupled with his pace has forced England to survive without scoring runs.
Johnson has bowled more maiden overs in three Test than he had in the previous 22.
The attack was high quantity and quality, reminiscent in deed if not mechanics to Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Max Walker in 1974-75.
Ashley Mallet being the Lyon equivalent and you can compare their aesthetics as well as the stats.
Constant pressure from the bowlers bore regular fruit. The bowling pressure produce false strokes and false strokes produce catches and in this area the fieldsmen never let the bowlers down.
Fielding coach Steve Rixon, a no-nonsense, no excuses, old schooler drove the quality of the catching to almost perfect heights.
Chances created were being converted, while England were grassing many of their hard earned opportunities. The Michael Carberry miss off Brad Haddin at Adelaide was a crucial error.
Haddin made England pay at every turn. His batting has been exceptional and consistent, making up for his team’s early order hiccups in every Test. ‘Recovery’ could be his middle name.
Old-school ‘Boof’ can take a bow.
“Pick the best team every time,” he ranted. It was not rocket science but distinctly old-school, given the scientific plans devised by those who know nothing of cricket.
No bowler rotated, hard work, guts and determination, bowlers getting through pain rather than resting. Well done Ryan Harris bustling in with a sore and swollen, and then drained. knee.
Well done maturing Steve Smith, picked before he was ripe and now just taking the early steps to a highly productive career.
Peter Siddle was Peter Siddle, rolled out to knock over Kevin Pieterson, bowling line and length, off-cutters at pace finding KP’s inside edge, always so far from his pad.
Watto broke partnerships, ala Dougie Walters, and flayed a gasping attack but will need to keep producing if he stays at one down.
The opening partnership from the odd couple works on so many levels. Chris Rogers doesn’t even think about matching David Warner’s dazzling array of sabre strokes, he just forms the other half of the partnership. It takes two to tango.
A victory for the team not just in name but in the full flowing eleven, and there were contributions all round.
England were solitary and overwhelmed, they will be looking in their Christmas stockings for quality, quantity, unity and resolve.
Their supporters will be hoping they have been ‘nice’ all year long.