Tag Archives: Ashes 2013

The Ashes, Second Test Day 2: Keys to winning the day

July 19, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , 8 Comments

Probably the most important day of cricket for whole Ashes series beckons in a couple hours time. If England win the day then they will go a long way to winning this test match and the series will be all but theirs. If Australia win the day a draw or an Australian win will be the likely outcome of this game and the series will be alive and kicking.

Here are my 5 keys to winning the day today:

How long England bat

This pitch is a 400 run par score type of wicket and today will be the best day for batting all test match by all reports. England will be desperate to get their score to at least 350 from their current position and much will hinge on runs coming from Broad and Bresnan. If they are able to bat into the second hour before lunch, given that they general score around 3.5 runs an over 350 will well and truly be in play. If they get to lunch then the target of 400 will be just around the corner.

How has Ryan Harris pulled up?

Ryan Harris was the star with the new ball yesterday for Australia and given James Pattinson’s lack of current form will be the go to man again for Australia. Given his history of injuries all eyes will be on him in the warm ups to see how his knee and shoulder have recovered from 20 overs yesterday. If he is “cherry ripe” then that will go a long way to helping secure the vital 3 wickets Australia need in the first hour of play.

Runs from Australia’s engine room

A hundred or a “red ink” from any of these three batsmen, Rogers, Watson and Khawaja, assuming time permits, will be massive in the context of the game. Both Rogers and Watson were looking solid in the second innings at Trent Bridge before inopportune dismissals and Khawaja is the new boy looking to secure his spot. That said, Australia’s success in much of the 90s and 2000s was built of someone in the top 3 scoring a hundred in the first innings of a test match and this formula will again be the path to success for Australia.

Support for Jimmy Anderson

Every one knows that Australia will be trying their damnedest to blunt the impact of Jimmy Anderson. It will fall to his support bowlers in Broad and Bresnan to shoulder a much larger load in this game, in part because of the short turnaround since Trent Bridge and, in part, given the heat in London. If these two very experiences players replicate their best Australia will be hard pressed to keep them at bay. Conversely if they are anything like the performance of Steve Finn at Trent Bridge the test could quickly be out of their team’s hands.

He who uses the DRS the best

DRS will raise its head at some point and given the impact of it on the outcome of the game (I am not saying that England would have been bested I am just saying that a more judicious use of the DRS could have seen a different complexion on the game) at Trent Bridge the winner of the in game competition between the captains as to who uses DRS the best could end up with a tactical advantage by days end.

All in all, another fascinating day of cricket is nearly upon us. As I said in the preamble, the stakes for this day are particularly high in my view which will only add to the drama!

The Ashes, Second Test Day One: Reflections

July 19, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , 4 Comments

Day one of the second Ashes test from the home of cricket once again was riveting viewing that represented the very best of what Test cricket is about. After being introduced to the Queen of England both sides could lay claim to having the best of this day whilst rueing missed opportunities.

Here are my 5 main talking points arising from day one:

The Shermanator rises

Ian Bell came to the wicket with England in significant trouble but batted with such ease that he could have been having a net. He was very good at Trent Bridge but this innings was more complete with shots to all parts of the ground. Now joins illustrious company having scored hundreds in three consecutive Ashes tests.

Ryan Harris: bionic man

There are two camps of Australian cricket followers: those who think he is the best bowler in the country and those who think he is just an injury liability. Last night we saw again what the former have been harping on about. It was a trademark performance from Harris: length bowling with some swing and aggression. All eyes now point to how he comes up tomorrow.

Trott: another bad shot

If Ian Bell’s innings looked like a net then, right up until he got out, Jonathan Trott’s 58 had look of an innings played again schoolboys such was his control of the conditions and his opposition. That is right up until he got out top edging a hook shot to deep square leg. After letting two hundreds go begging via inopportune stroke play, it is obvious that a big hundred is around the corner for the English number 3.

Captain Courageous strikes

Say what you like about Michael Clarke’s off field management of the team, on the field there are few better tacticians in the game. Always prepared to try things three bowling changes during the first day reaped immediate results for the man many say has a more important job than Kevin Rudd. The move to bring on Watson in the fifth over was equal parts bold and brilliant given the result and when he rode his luck and tossed the ball to Steve Smith, it was a move that evened the ledger for the day.

Will the real James Pattinson please stand up?

I am an unabashed fan of the way James Pattinson bowls and goes about his cricket. It would not be hyperbole to say that his 18 overs on day one where probably his worst in international cricket. Variously full and wide, short and wide and, consecutively, just wide it was a woeful day for the Victorian. To avoid being tarred with the “Mitchell Johnson brush” he must improve on Day 2.

Final synopsis:

The fortunes of the teams ebbed and flowed throughout the day with both well and truly on top at various points. At 7/289 both teams, I suspect, would have been satisfied without being overjoyed with their day’s work.

Day 2 beckons with a perfect pitch and conditions akin to a heat wave hitting London. If Australia can rest the three remaining English scalps in the first hour and remain with all of their wickets intact at lunch they will be in the box seat.

The Ashes: Australian Team Named for the Second Test

July 18, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

According to reports on News Limited websites the Australia cricket team has been named as follows:

Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Usman Khawaja, Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith, Phil Hughes, Brad Haddin, Ashton Agar, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ryan Harris

Usman Khawaja, how moved to Queensland last year for an opportunity to play under Darren Lehmann, comes in for the out of sorts Ed Cowan and Ryan Harris, a brilliant but injury plagued right arm fast bowler, comes in for the erratic Mitchell Starc.

The only question mark for me is that sameness about the fast medium bowling attack: four right armers (if you include Watson).

Six and half hours to go until the first ball.

The Ashes, Second Test: 5 Keys to Success for Australia

July 17, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , 1 Comment

The second test of the Ashes kicks off on Thursday at Lords. Australia comes into this game off the back of a heartbreaking loss in the first test and, to state the obvious, will need to win this game to even countenance having a chance of returning the urn to Australia at the end of the series.

Here are the 5 keys to success for Australia in this second test (in my opinion):

Can someone please score a hundred?

It has been 4 test matches since an Australian top order batsman (or any batsman for that matter) has scored a hundred. Michael Clarke’s 130 in the first innings in the first test at Chennai seems a very long time ago. More concerning for Australia is that the only other centurion for Australia’s current top order in the last 12 months is Ed Cowan arising out of his performance at Brisbane in November last year. Someone from the top 6 MUST score a hundred in this test match if Australia is to win.

Neutralise Jimmy Anderson

There has been much discussion across social media as to whom is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment: Dale Steyn or Jimmy Anderson. I decline to enter that debate. What I have been consistent in stating is that Jimmy Anderson was a class above the fast bowlers in the first test match. Australia must find a plan to deal with Anderson’s reverse swing because that will put their other bowlers under pressure and open up opportunities for Australia to get on top.

Strong first half hours with the ball

Generally speaking, Australia was not disgraced with the ball in the first test at Trent Bridge. That said, at times, particularly at the start of innings or after breaks, our bowlers seemed to take some time to get into the rhythm of the game and presented some easy opportunities to the English batsmen to get in and score. Good starts with the ball and the pressure that flows from that will be vital for Australia.

Agar Factor: second test syndrome?

Ashton Agar had an excellent debut of that there can be no doubt. All of us: fans, pundits and players alike have placed massive pressure and a heavy weight of expectation is now on him. How he reacts to that weight and performs at the home of cricket will be a key to Australia’s chances. We need him to take wickets: it is as simple as that!

Lords: Australia’s home away from home

Before England’s 115 run victory in 2009 Australia had not tasted defeat at Lords since we lost by an innings and 38 runs in 1934. The myth of Lords and Australia’s dominance there can only be a positive for this team.

Thursday 8pm can not come quickly enough. Every test match at Lords is a special test match. This one has the potential to be one of the most absorbing contests at Lords in some time.

The Ashes: First test compendium

July 15, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Well the first test is over and here is a compendium of all of my posts relating to it:

The English team named: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/07/the-ashes-england-squad-announcement/

The Australian team named: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/10/the-ashes-australian-team-named/

Reflections on day 1: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/11/the-ashes-1st-test-day-one-some-reflections/

Reflections on day 2: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/12/the-ashes-day-2-reflections/

Considering the drama from day 3 and the issue of Stuart Broad’s conduct: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/13/the-ashes-on-the-question-of-broad-and-walking/

Reflections on day 4: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/14/the-ashes-first-test-day-4-reflections/

The final day equation: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/14/the-ashes-first-test-the-last-day-equation/

The five lessons from the result of the 1st Test: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/15/the-ashes-first-test-the-5-lessons/

The first test player report card: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/15/the-ashes-1st-test-player-report-card/

It was just a brilliant game of test match cricket that ebbed and flowed throughout. With only 3 days to go till the second test at Lords I can hope that it is half as good as the game just gone.

The Ashes: 1st Test Player Report Card

July 15, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

After such a brilliant first test match and with the second test match only three days away, it is time to run the ruler over the performances of each player from both teams.

Australia

Shane Watson: 7 out of 10

Dismissed sparring at a leavable ball outside the off stump in the first innings and LBW in his usual style in the second after getting off to a good start. Was a miser with the ball but did not bowl enough to slot into the allrounders roll Australia needs.

Chris Rogers: 7 out of 10

Did the job he was asked to do and showed glimpses in both innings of why he has been tapped on the shoulder for this series.

Ed Cowan: 2 out of 10

Two bad shots and his career is in jeopardy. To be honest they were shots that were indicative of a clouded mind. Will play at Lords but will be on his last chance.

Michael Clarke: 5 out of 10

Got a jaffa from Anderson in the first innings and then wafted at one outside off stump in the second. Never looked set and Australia needs his production to succeed here. Appalling on reviews to DRS.

Steve Smith: 7 out of 10

A solid knock in the first innings was followed by a good ball from Swann in the second innings. Needed to make more his opportunity in the first innings and went hard at a ball that he should have left.

Phil Hughes: 7.5 out of 10

Kept it together in the first innings and had pundits calling him Steve Waugh reincarnate. Maybe number 6 is his position but he looked all at see against Graeme Swann in the second innings and was found out.

Brad Haddin: 7.5 out of 10

A fantastic knock in the second innings probably will do much to mask some frailties with his glove work that have been much made of until his last day stand. Is the old head Australia needs in the middle order but must assert himself more on the field in DRS scenarios.

Peter Siddle: 7 out of 10

8 wickets in the test match was a solid return to form for Siddle. Lionhearted in the second innings and, despite his limitations, continued to lead the attack wholeheartedly when others were starting to wilt.

Mitchell Starc: 6 out of 10

Wayward when we needed him to be on line but is a top order wicket taker and did so in the first innings albeit with a bit of luck. Will need to work on his control for the second test.

James Pattinson: 6.5 out of 10

Read the comments on Starc. Same rules apply to Pattinson. Last wicket heroics with Haddin get him the extra half a point.

Ashton Agar: 8 out of 10

The statement that this was the best Ashes debut ever is hyperbole: Bob Massie wins that battle by the length of the straight. Still though this was an excellent start for the young man.

England

Alistair Cook: 7 out of 10

Solid with the bat without being outstanding and marshalled his troops well when things were going pear shaped on day 5. Was excellent on his use of DRS.

Joe Root: 4 out of 10

Looked a little out his depth at the top of the order albeit scratched out 30 in the first innings. Looks a long term prospect for England if they don’t bugger him up.

Jonathan Trott: 5 out of 10

Looked like he was serenely going on his way to another hundred in the first innings until he played a shocking shot off Siddle (he was not the only one) and got a bad decision in the second innings for a golden duck. Will play a major part in this series at some point.

Kevin Pietersen: 7 out of 10

Is there a better player of the straight drive in the game of cricket? Love him or hate him Pietersen’s second innings 64 was an important precursor to the Bell / Broad partnership that changed the game.

Ian Bell: 9 out of 10

A career defining hundred in the second innings. It was a brilliant innings without which England would not have won the game.

Jonny Bairstow: 6.5 out of 10

Is another player of the future and will be better for this test match. His first innings 37 was vital batting with the tail to get England over 200.

Matt Prior: 5 out of 10

Out to two woeful shots but showed wonderful intent in the second innings when he went hard at the second new ball and got England on top. His glove work was exemplary and his work advising Cook on DRS decisions just as good!

Stuart Broad: 7.5 out of 10

Forget the sore shoulder and the controversy of not walking: this was a solid all round performance from a much maligned player. A quick fire 24 in the first innings when things were going haywire and a staunch 64 in concert with Bell in the second inning in the match winning partnership from number 8 where match winners. 2 key wickets in each innings show his value in this England team.

Graeme Swann: 7 out of 10

A dear in the headlights with the willow but tied up one end for the English while Jimmy Anderson worked his magic. Big wickets at the end of day 4 turned the match the way of the Poms.

Steve Finn: 3 out of 10

Over 5 runs an over in the first innings and then targeted by Brad Haddin the second. Was just too inconsistent with length and line and was the obvious weak link in the English attack. Will struggle to keep his position for the next test.

Jimmy Anderson: 10 out of 10

Just a brilliant performance from one of the best bowlers in the world. He was a class above any other bowler in this game. His 13 over spell to start day 5 was the match winner. A worthy man of the match.