A Captain's Innings (or three)
What a fantastic series the Ashes is turning out to be. Australia running away with victory in the first test at Lords, then England coming back strongly to level the series at Edgbaston, denying the aussies an historic win in the process. Yet, in the first two tests, no batsman on either side had scored a century..
With the series level at 1-1 there was everything to play for in the third test at Old Trafford. I think many people forgot that from the players' perspectives, there were also reputations at stake in this all-important encounter.
Michael Vaughan, the England captain, so dominant in the previous series between these two sides, had looked horribly out of form in the series thus far, clean bowled three times in four innings. With a player of his class however, you always know that another great innings is just around the corner. And so it proved at Old Trafford, as he notched up 166 runs to help England to a first innings total of 444, putting them in the box seat.
Another England captain, the future one, Andrew Strauss, was another player who, so far in the series, had been unable to reproduce the serene form that gave him one of the most prolific starts to a test career by an England batsman. It seemed he was in thrall to the great Australian leg-spinner, Shane Warne. In the second innings however, he survived a nasty blow to the head and a cut ear to record his first century against the old enemy, enable England to declare, and dispel any doubts about his ability to cut it against the best bowler the world has ever seen.
Whilst these two magnificient knocks would normally be contenders for the man of the match award, the greatest innings of the series was still to come. Australia were set a world record 423 to win, needing 399 of these on the last day. There were only two likely outcomes - a draw (the most likely) or an England victory, if they could take all 10 Australian wickets in three sessions.
In the end England came tantalisingly close to pulling off an amazing win and going 2-1 up in the series. As it was, they were denied victory largely by one of the greatest innings from a captain when it was needed most. Ricky Ponting will return to his homeland with a scar on his right cheek to remind him of this tour, and still could return home without the Ashes. To add to his woes, there were rumours of mutiny within the Australian camp and of a heated argument between himself and Shane Warne, also regarded by many as the best captain Australian never had. However he was resolutley determined not to lose his grip on the urn just yet, and scored 156 runs off 411 balls in a Mike Atherton-esque innings, surviving seven hours at the crease and withstanding the fiercest pace attack in world cricket at the moment. Brian Lara may hold the world record for most runs scored in an innings, but in the context of its importance to a side, this was as good as it gets.
Will it prove in vain? Can England still win the Ashes? With Vaughan and Strauss back in form, I wouldn't bet against it. But only a fool would write this Australian team off just yet and another knock or two like that from the touring captain and the nation's dream could be put on hold for a couple of years at least.
With the series level at 1-1 there was everything to play for in the third test at Old Trafford. I think many people forgot that from the players' perspectives, there were also reputations at stake in this all-important encounter.
Michael Vaughan, the England captain, so dominant in the previous series between these two sides, had looked horribly out of form in the series thus far, clean bowled three times in four innings. With a player of his class however, you always know that another great innings is just around the corner. And so it proved at Old Trafford, as he notched up 166 runs to help England to a first innings total of 444, putting them in the box seat.
Another England captain, the future one, Andrew Strauss, was another player who, so far in the series, had been unable to reproduce the serene form that gave him one of the most prolific starts to a test career by an England batsman. It seemed he was in thrall to the great Australian leg-spinner, Shane Warne. In the second innings however, he survived a nasty blow to the head and a cut ear to record his first century against the old enemy, enable England to declare, and dispel any doubts about his ability to cut it against the best bowler the world has ever seen.
Whilst these two magnificient knocks would normally be contenders for the man of the match award, the greatest innings of the series was still to come. Australia were set a world record 423 to win, needing 399 of these on the last day. There were only two likely outcomes - a draw (the most likely) or an England victory, if they could take all 10 Australian wickets in three sessions.
In the end England came tantalisingly close to pulling off an amazing win and going 2-1 up in the series. As it was, they were denied victory largely by one of the greatest innings from a captain when it was needed most. Ricky Ponting will return to his homeland with a scar on his right cheek to remind him of this tour, and still could return home without the Ashes. To add to his woes, there were rumours of mutiny within the Australian camp and of a heated argument between himself and Shane Warne, also regarded by many as the best captain Australian never had. However he was resolutley determined not to lose his grip on the urn just yet, and scored 156 runs off 411 balls in a Mike Atherton-esque innings, surviving seven hours at the crease and withstanding the fiercest pace attack in world cricket at the moment. Brian Lara may hold the world record for most runs scored in an innings, but in the context of its importance to a side, this was as good as it gets.
Will it prove in vain? Can England still win the Ashes? With Vaughan and Strauss back in form, I wouldn't bet against it. But only a fool would write this Australian team off just yet and another knock or two like that from the touring captain and the nation's dream could be put on hold for a couple of years at least.
posted by Jon | 6:34 am
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