A Big Vote Of Thanks To The Brisbane Courier Mail

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

Dear Brisbane Courier Mail…

 

November 21^st 2013

 

 

… keep riling Stuart Broad; it worked really well for us today.

In the lead-up to the 1st Test the Brisbane Courier Mail has made a name – of sorts – for itself, by subjecting the England team and, in particular, Stuart Broad, to the sort of abuse rarely seen even in the worst days of the British “popular” press. A few years ago this sort of tactic was part of the regular tactics used in Australia to subject the opposition and particularly the English, to mental disintegration as it was termed. The idea was to turn them into a defeated, helpless rabble before the cricket even started. Sadly, all too often, it worked.

However, times have changed. The England side is no longer a weak, poorly managed and ill-prepared rabble and the Australian side is no longer strong. The Australian tactic has been to portray the defeat last summer as an aberration caused by a mixture of bad luck and biased umpiring and to point out that they side is on the up and up, stable and in magnificent form and that England are an ageing, spent force, with the majority of the side out of form and in danger of losing their places and no reserve strength to speak of. Once again, spin has been economical with the facts: the Australian side in the first Test is actually significantly older than the England side, but far less experienced (when your main strike bowler has the third highest Test run aggregate in the squad, you know that you have an issue).

In contrast, England have just got on quietly with their preparations. Australian fans have suggested that any form shown in the games to date is irrelevant as England have played third-rate opposition (this from a side that has whinged constantly about only playing cherry-picked second division opposition last summer – it did not, two of its three games were against consistently strong 1^st Division sides and the third against a side just relegated!!) However, as some wise old heads had warned it would, the Australian performances on batting paradises in India have been allowed to influence selection for the Tests. The result was the Australia went into the match as firm favourites with the bookmakers and with enormous pressure on themselves to back up their aggressive words with a performance that would push England straight onto the back foot.

The result was almost inevitable. England did what had been telegraphed for days. Despite showing almost no form in the preparation matches, Chris Tremlett was picked as third seamer. The idea was that he should keep things tight and allow the rest of the bowlers to attack at the other end in short spells. Not only did he do his job to perfection, allowing little over two and a half runs per over, he also removed the dangerous Steve Smith just when he and Haddin seemed to be steadying the ship a little.

If the editor of the Brisbane Courier Mail had consulted the England team psychologist, he would have learnt that Stuart Broad thrives on abuse. At 71-1 just before lunch, Australia seemed to have weathered the early loss of Chris Rogers and, on a perfect pitch and a warm day, looked set to pile on the runs. Stuart Broad removed Shane Watson who, to his credit, did not review the comfortable slip catch to Graeme Swann and, with two more wickets just after lunch, 71-1 became 83-4 and familiar trouble for the Australians.

The Courier Mail can at least point to the fact that Stuart Broad was comfortably the most expensive of England’s bowlers, going for significantly over 3 and over, but 5-65 has made a huge dent in Australia’s chances of dictating in this Test. A vote of thanks to the Brisbane Courier Mail: please keep riling Stuart Broad, it worked well for us today.

Although the kidology is continuing, with Mitch Johnson claiming that Australia are well ahead of the game and suggesting that Australia believe that they have England where they want them, most experts thought that Australia should convert winning the toss into a score well over 400. In truth, there was little swing and little seam movement and England will be bitterly disappointed if they do not manage a useful first innings lead. Whereas Australia only passed 300 twice last summer, England did it six times and will hope to maintain that advantage by knocking over the last two wickets quickly and then batting long and deep.

The Courier Mail should be warned, having also subjected Kevin Pietersen to some pretty unpleasant abuse, that he is another player who thrives on it.

England fans though will remember some less than convincing batting at times last summer and will be understandably wanting to see them bat a great deal than Australia have before making extravagant claims about the destination of the match.