Ashes 2013
Is your journey really necessary?
November 9th 2013
During the
Second World War the British population were encouraged to save precious fuel
with the slogan: “is your journey really necessary?” The England squad must be
wondering if the slogan has been revived on recent Ashes tours. While the southeast
of the country has been suffering drought and catastrophic bush fires, England
have been rewarded with a trip to Tasmania. Tasmania is a place where one
appreciates from the late spring temperature, that there is nothing between you
and the South Pole. You also find that, even if you came to Australia expecting
sun, rain is a fact of daily life in Van Diemen’s Land, along with winds
blowing off Antarctica. The ACB’s careful preparations slipped when the Sun
came out for the first day and England won the toss, but things returned to
plan as, desperate to play on the fourth day, although with no hope of getting
any kind of match from the wreckage, rain reduced the final day to two sessions.
Two sessions
though were probably enough for England to finish happier than Australia. Joe
Root scored a good fifty which will do little to quiet the speculation that he
will do far better in the Tests at six than opening. Matthew Prior had a useful
innings. And, although both failed – Kevin Pietersen to a genuinely unplayable
ball – both he and Jonathon Trott at least got to the middle. Another selection
issue was resolved by Gary Ballance falling cheaply again. With Jonny Bairstow
not having played and Ballance’s two innings both being close to the shortest
possible, England’s top nine for Brisbane are absolutely clear to all but a few
die-hards: Cook, Carberry, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Root, Prior, Broad and
Swann. It is also absolutely clear that Ballance, Bairstow, Stokes, Finn,
Rankin and Monty will all play at Alice Springs, this being possibly their last
(and, in a couple of cases) only cricket of the tour and, as a two-day game, it
will not even be First Class.
When
Australia A finally batted, Jimmy Anderson showed that he is ready by action
with two cheap wickets. Graeme Swann added Michael Klinger, who has terrorised
Division Two bowlers in England this summer with a serious of superb
performances for Gloucestershire and Chris Tremlett bowled eight tidy overs. None
of the five Australia A batsmen who got to the middle passed 31, so none of
them has made a pressing case for inclusion in Brisbane, which is hardly likely
to cause Andrew Flower to shed a tear or two. Similarly, the news that yet
another Australian fast bowler is out injured – this time Josh Hazlewood – and that
Ben Cutting is one of the squad of quicks under consideration for Brisbane,
will not cause too much lost sleep in Camp England. In fact, it can be argued
that England have got far more out of this match than Australia, with the
England side now picking itself, while Australia are still wondering who will
be fit enough to get out onto the field.
The only
concern was Stuart Broad, who needs plenty of middle time. Although he got more
overs than anyone else, he was more expensive even than the overmatched Australia
A bowlers and desperately needs more overs to get some rhythm. More rain in
Sydney on Tuesday would be a disaster, but the situation is still under control
at the moment.
Although
there is an “if” and a “but” it looks as if Chris Tremlett may have sealed the
third seamer spot for next week’s game and, hence, for Brisbane, although there
are still real doubts whether the Chris Tremlett who struggled to hold a place
in the Surrey side last summer, is still the Chris Tremlett of the 2010/11
Ashes series.
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