the ashes
2015
borah Kn
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The First Test
After the disaster that was The Ashes Down Under in 2013 - if
you’re English that is - it was time to start all over again, this
time on English/Welsh wickets and with a Duke rather than a
Kookaburra ball. Now, I’ve never played cricket but I do know
that co nditions and the variety of ball makes a whole heap of
difference.
Even with the shape the England team had been in when
soundly beaten in Australia any sane cricketing person should
have known that without anything having changed in the home
camp, the much vaunted 5 nil for the visitors was highly unlikely!
We had however had a glimpse of changes as far as England
were concerned during the very enjoyable series against New
Zealand. With the limited overs cricket in particular in mind
it felt that the joy had returned, oh and the memory of what
the piece of wood (otherwise known as a cricket bat) was for.
The question would be could the change of attitude and form
translate into the red ball game - and the hugely important Ashes
red ball game at that?
The Ashes returned to Cardiff for the first Test - and I had tickets
days 3 and 4. England had won the toss and elected to bat on Day
1 - that seemed to have been a disastrous decision on a cloudy
morning when England found themselves on 43 for 3 with Adam
Lyth, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell losing their wickets cheaply!
Listening from afar I wondered if I’d have cricket to see on Day 4!
However I had no need to worry, one Joe Root came to the
rescue - he scored a wonderful 134 runs. He was kept company
firstly by Gary Ballance scoring 61 - he faced 149 balls hitting
eight 4’s - but showing his usual patience in helping Root get
England back on track. The partnership saw 153 runs added.
Ben Stokes joined Root at the crease and in opposite style to
Ballance hit 52 runs from 78 balls. He and Root added 84 runs
before Root was caught by Shane Watson from the bowling of
Mitchell Starc. England had been taken from 43 for 3 to 280 for
5, something of a recovery. Stokes followed Root 13 runs later
having been bowled by Starc.
8 Issue 09
Jos Buttler
and Moeen
Ali
were
in
the
spotlight
and
put
on a good
50
before
Australia took
the wicket of
Ballance on the
stroke of stumps
- England were on
343 for 7 and I’d say that
wicket made the day even.
And so to Day 2 - England had made a great recovery but not
a good enough lead - Moeen Ali however batting at a lowly 8
made sure his team gave themselves a decent lead, with the tail
keeping him company he added to his overnight total, hitting
77 runs from 88 balls. Stuart Broad who the Australians were
looking forward to intimidating after his panda style impression
last summer having been hit in the face, made a useful 18 before
Lyon had him caught behind by Haddin.
Mark Wood remained at the wicket seeing Ali depart after a
Watson catch from the bowling of Starc. Mitchell Starc took 5fer
claiming the wicket of Jimmy Anderson bowling him for a single
run. And so England’s first innings was over, they’d put on a
healthy 430.
Australia’a batting line up, on paper is one of the best in the
world, full of experienced international batsmen, with the
exception of Adam Voges, a late pick, he’s made his mark
in English cricket. Which of the stars would break England’s
hearts? Would it be Chris Rogers, David Warner, Steve Smith or
Michael Clarke? All men capable of hitting up a storm.
The two openers are surprisingly small in stature, a real sign
that technique not strength is the key factor when we look at class
batsmen. Unlike England they got to 52 before the first wicket