Last Chance Saloon

 

 

Ashes 2013

 

Last Chance

 

January 2^nd 2014

 

England’s last chance to salvage something from this tour begins tonight. From the end of this Test until the visit of the Sri Lankans in May, there is only limited overs cricket: first in Australia, then in the Caribbean and then, on this utterly unforgiving treadmill, the World T20 in Bangladesh. It starts with its preliminary rounds in which the likes of Afghanistan, Ireland and Nepal will be hoping to ambush Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and reach the main tournament at their expense.

There are suggestions that Monty Panesar has a calf injury that may discount him from the starting XI,  although rumour has it that Scott Borthwick was likely to replace him anyway, so Monty’s injury may be convenient to avoid the need to drop him. Borthwick is an interesting choice, a young Durham legspinner who bowled a lot of overs in 2013 with modest results but, whose batting developed enormously. Those who remember the chastening debut of Simon Kerrigan and, way back in 2000, Chris Schofield, will hope that, if dropped into this deepest of deep ends, his start is more like Richard Dawson than theirs. Sadly, Dawson lost form and confidence, but not before coming out of tours to Australia and India with some real credit. Young spinners are famously vulnerable. While a 23 year old seamer can usually hit back and defend himself, a 23 year old spinner is very much an apprentice and easily damaged. Schofield, Swann and Kerrigan are three examples of spinners who had the ability, but not the maturity to use it when picked young. Graeme Swann came back successfully eight years later and, at around the same time, Chris Schofield famously, if briefly, returned to England colours before fading away again. Others though, never come back, as spinner after Australian spinner has found in the years since Shane Warne retired.

England fans are deeply divided about Borthwick’s selection. Some see it as a desperation move that could see him treated even more harshly than Kerrigan was. Others as a bold pick that might pay dividends. For Borthwick it is important that Alistair Cook wins the toss and bats and that he gets some runs in a good England total to allow him to take the field and bowl with some confidence.

There are suggestions that in a final throw of the dice Boyd Rankin may finally get his Test debut on the grounds of being the least bad of the tall, fast bowlers and that Gary Ballance may replace Michael Carberry. Although Ballance was born in Zimbabwe and thus will be a gift to the critics, he was educated and learnt his cricket in England. Many fans though would like to see Carberry given the chance to see out the series and have one more chance to make a major score although, to do it, he needs to steer a course between recklessness and shotlessness, having swung from one extreme to the other over the first four Tests. Carberry is just one major score from making his breakthrough. With no tour scheduled next winter, as the World Cup starts in February 2015, a big score from him would settle the opener’s spot until summer 2015 and give some stability to the side. Who makes way for Boyd Rankin is anyone’s guess: it could be that Jimmy Anderson is rested or, possibly, it could be Tim Bresnan. The selectors may worry that the new ball could be wasted and thus want the option of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson rather than have to give the new ball to either Stokes or Bresnan if Rankin misfires.

Whatever happens, the rebuilding exercise for the 2015 Test summer starts here.