Yes, It Is Worse Than 2006/07

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

Worse than 2006/07?

 

December 7^th 2013

 
 

After England threw away the chance of setting up a fightback on Day 2, there was always the chance that the side could bat long today and make a statement of intent, but that statement, made so forcefully at Brisbane in 2010, has not come and, with each day that passes, looks less likely to come.

In 2006/07 we tend to forget that we dominated the first three days at Adelaide. Glenn McGrath looked pedestrian. Shane Warne looked like someone trying to recall past glories, but not sure why he could not bring them back. For three glorious days England bullied the Australians who, despite almost hauling themselves up to parity on Day 4, looked like the old, tired side that they were, filled with players who were on the point of retirement having spent a decade and more fighting for Australia against all-comers. What followed finished Duncan Fletcher. England, unsure whether to go for quick runs or bat out time, sat on their splices and allowed Australia to attack them. Had England scored 40 more runs they would have drawn and, seeing how Australia wobbled in the eventual chase, could even have won.

Here, after a better Day 1, Day 2 was of abject surrender and Day 3 was embarrassing. Root and Carberry were runless, but at least solid. Root was doing the job that England had picked him for: blunt the new ball attack and give yourself a chance against the support bowlers. At 57-1 Nathan Lyon was in the attack with Peter Siddle coming on, the new ball thrust had been seen off and Michael Carberry was just beginning to look to score some runs. Root and Carberry had taken ten off a Mitch Johnson over to see him out of the attack. Carberry then took runs from Nathan Lyon and you sensed that this was the moment you were waiting for. England were starting to fight back and we would finally see how deep the Australian confidence was. Up in the commentary box Geoff Boycott, a gruff, proud Yorkshireman who has taken such pride in Joe Root’s success, said “not the time to play a reverse sweep”, meaning it as a joke. First ball from Lyon wide outside off stump. Premeditated slog sweep. Top edge. Thanks very much. Boycs was rightly apoplectic. Just when England looked to be doing everything right, a batsman who has done great things for England threw it away.

In comes KP. Still the runs are flowing with some comfort. KP survives a weird review. Surely, finally, things are beginning to go England’s way.  KP tries to attack Siddle, plays the flamingo shot. Straight to George Bailey: in, out it pops, in, out, in, out, in, out – will the ball finally fall to the ground? – in… and held. That was probably the critical moment of the morning. Had Bailey finally dropped the ball you could see KP making them pay but, once again, the small breaks were going Australia’s way. When KP fell that way you knew that things were hopeless.

Still though England wanted to make you think that the fightback would happen. Bell came straight in and played . . 2 .. . 6! His sixth ball disappeared over the longest boundary. Suddenly the game had changed: seven off the Lyon over after KP’s dismissal; ten off Siddle’s next over; eleven off Lyon’s next over; eight off Siddle; then a calmer over… just three of Lyon; Harris comes back and Bell creams him for a boundary. 43 from six overs after KP was out and England, suddenly and gloriously were cruising, with lunch coming up.

What happened then? Shane Watson, who had bowled just two overs – both maidens – at Brisbane, came on and suddenly, the runs dried up. Maiden from Watson. Maiden from Harris. Maiden from Watson. Maiden from Harris. You knew what was coming next. Five more dot balls from Watson, then a loose delivery. Carberry launches into it to relieve the pressure with a freebie and David Warner takes a screaming catch. Two overs before lunch and you knew that it was all over. Watson’s first five overs in the series stood at four maidens and a wicket-maiden.

At 111-3 with two batsmen looking like Bradman, you could see England getting close to saving the follow-on. Minutes after lunch it was 117-7 and the Ashes had gone. IT IS OVER.

There was not even the relief of Michael Clarke enforcing the follow-on and potentially tiring his bowlers. Instead it is England whose shattered bowlers are being put to the sword again. We are not even losing with dignity.