England setting up a big (Australian) summer
This post comes on the back of a comment made during the CoU “chat” last night.
I mentioned, at the start of the first session, that regardless of recent form in ODI’s and only managing to draw a test series at home to Sri Lanka, that England are a better than average chance to retain the Ashes this summer. I watched how Trescothick and Strauss jumped out of the blocks and it reminded me all too much (for my liking) of what we saw last English summer.
England then lost three wickets in that morning session. I returned to CricInfo this morning to find the score of 309, for the lost of just those original 3.
This is extremely positive for England, not so much for us Aussies, but what it shows is that the positive attitude instilled I believe mainly by Michael Vaughan is still around, and still around mind you, in new-comers to the side. These new-comers will be just as eager this Australian summer, to take part in something they missed out on last year - an Ashes victory.
There will be times when this all out attacking cricket doesn’t work and there will be those calling for a return to the old days of grafting, fighting and scratching for runs - you now, the “true” Test Cricket. That will always be the case - I have made the same calls at times, when watching Hayden, Langer, Ponting and co. batting “like millionaires” and sometimes failing, catastrophically.
But a few things are important. Firstly, and this is true in any undertaking you make, when things get tough, you have to stick to it. You must not immediately fall back on old
habits or “the new way” has no chance. Secondly, you must remember that it’s not going to work all the time, to enjoy the wins, you have to experience the losses as well. You have to believe that your way, will bring you more positives than negatives, take the negatives on the chin, and start pushing for the next win. That’s what I believe Paul Collingwood and Alastair Cook prooved in the second and third session. To succeed spectacularly, you have to be willing to fail spectacularly.
England have finished at 3 for 309, completely on top in this Test, and while dropped catches may have helped, they are a fact of life. Ricky Ponting was dropped on about 19 in the Melbourne Test last year - that alone could’ve made the difference in the entire outcome of the series, but who cares? Australia haven’t lost a Test since - and I believe, if England keep playing such positive cricket, they are more than a serious threat to Australia’s chances of regaining the Ashes this summer, they are in fact favourites to retain them.
Cross posted on STUmpcam.
