Sport - The Ashes 4th Test M.C.G (preview)

Redemption time?

Was Perth a blip? In just over a day we'll find out. Was it a blip in England's batting, a (positive) blip in Johnson's bowling - on his home ground? Time will tell.

I see this from two ways. The over-riding feeling being an England fan is one of pessimism, of 'here we go again', of despondency built up over a generation or more. Ponting will score a hundred even with a broken finger, Hussey will be relentless, Johnson has regained his form. The other side says hold on - Australia were unremittingly bad for 8 days on the trot, England scored 500-1, we can bat this lot out of the Ashes. Time will tell.

Collingwood looks set to retain his place. I hope he doesn't. He is in poor form, very poor form. Trott was introduced late on in a series back in England and hasn't looked back since. The same chance should be afforded to Morgan. I love Paul Collingwood. I wish it were he and not Bell who was making runs. But it isn't. Those big scores in 2008/9 are beginning to look like a heyday. If he's picked I hope he proves me wrong (and let's face it, he wouldn't be the first in this blog) but for me Morgan would be the better bet. The more runs you score the less chance the opposition have of winning. Two draws would suit England. And the pitch is alleged to be one that will flatten out after some possible first day shenanigans. They really should consider Morgan.

Australia are suddenly cock-a-hoop, none more so than Mitchell Johnson. Together with Hussey the local boys made good. For the moment I'm sticking with this theory. Hussey and Johnson all but won that match on their own and the pitch at Perth was obviously a bit different, 'unsuited' to the England batsmen if we're being kind. Johnson bowled well but I wouldn't bet heavily on that continuing. Harris has impressed more and looks to be a more consistent threat. But not that much of a threat. Nine wickets bolstered by the tail flattered even him. I stand by the feeling that this Australian bowling attack cannot take 20 wickets on a flat pitch. If England get lucky with the toss again they should be brave and bowl again (brave because apparently England have only won two tests ever in Australia this way).

12/5 with Skybet for the draw.

Sport - The Ashes Third Test Day Four. The shortest day.

Eclipsed.

Sport - The Ashes Third Test Days Two and Three. Alarm bells ring out for England.

"Now what do you say you Pommie bastard?"

Er, I said sorry Mitch. Sorry for dissing you, sorry for doubting you - and sorry for thinking this was going to be anything other than a bloody difficult job down under. Back in England we had all watched the games, saw the shambles that Australia had become, and tempted fate by trying to assess things truely. What I obviously meant to say in the last blog was words to the effect of 'never write off a wounded Aussie team'. Or never, ever, expect England to match expectations. It's bound to go wrong. It always does. It certainly has.

As you all know by now, England folded to 187 all out and Johnson took the small matter of 6-38 on his home turf at Perth - a bouncy, green, 'results' pitch. The MCG and the SCG can't hope to be as bouncy as this but if the green tinges stay then England have every right to be worried. 501-1 seemed a very long way away from what happened here. By the end of the third day Australia had amassed 309 in their second innings (Hussey with another century, Watson with another nervous 90's dismissal to add to his career stats) and smashed England down to 81-5 at the close. Can't take 20 wickets? Johnson and Harris were to finish the match with 18 between them. Even Siddle and Hilfenhaus can manage the other two. Yes, I was wrong. On a green pitch at least this lot can take 20 wickets. Of course, England took 20 too. It's just that they ended up scoring some 267 runs less.

A happy Harris removes Bell.

81-3 chasing 391 would not have been impossible on this pitch. England made sure they had no chance though with the dismissals of Trott and Collingwood in the last seven balls of the day. Collingwood's dismissal was particularly stupid given that he had a chance to take a single off the previous ball which would have left Anderson to face the final ball of the day. They didn't take it, Collingwood edged to slip and the rest is now Ashes history. Collingwood must now be sweating on the loyalty of the selectors to make sure he isn't Ashes history. On current form he deserves to be history. Though shortly before the series started we should remember the same was being said of Cook.

England have a wonderful batsman sitting on the sidelines waiting to make his mark. Step forward Eoin Morgan, your time has come. On the bowling side the talk is of 'resting' Steve Finn. There has to be a chance England will keep the batting packed with Morgan for Collingwood and A.N.Other (i.e probably Bresnan) for Finn. Bresnan can bat. I'd like to see Monty back for at least one of these last two tests. I have my doubts England are brave enough to risk that.

Sport - The Ashes 3rd Test Day One Tremlett rises to the occasion (Collingwood too)

Catch of the day - Ponting is 'Collingwooded' once again.

The fairytale continues. England fans, so used to waking up to nightmares when their team is in Australia,  were treated to another champagne breakfast from their heroes down under. Perth holds a miserable tradition for England with only one victory (against Australia 2nds in the days of Kerry Packer) against seven defeats. The time difference makes it worse for the fans back home as they have so often been treated to hearing or seeing some of the capitulation, Perth being a couple of hours behind Sydney et al. Today, for the first time in a lot of fan's living memory, the boot was firmly on the other foot. The humiliation for Australia continued.

All the talk of Beer before the game came from the Australian selectors. And it was just that - talk. Beer was put on drinks duty. All the talk of beer during and after the day's play came from the Barmy Army as tumbling wickets were celebrated in time honoured fashion. Phil Hughes's return was as unimpressive as Tremlett's was eye-catching. In the six balls they shared Tremlett put Hughes on his knees before squaring him up, beating him and knocking his stumps over. England are getting pretty good at statements of intent from early on.

If it was hard to imagine a more perfect start Collingwood defied that one. Strauss had already dropped a near impossible chance off Watson at the beginning of Anderson's third over so Colling wood decided to show his Captain how it's done four balls later - and for the prize wicket of Ponting too. If you haven't seen it I suggest you do. Arsenal could do worse for a goalkeeper.

Look ashamed Michael, look very ashamed.

Tremlett picked up three of the first five to leave Australia 69-5. 268 all out might look like a great recovery but really it just shows up the poor batting of Australia's top order - a top order in a real crisis. North may have gone but his replacement Steve Smith looked ludicrously out of position at 6 in the batting order and both his and Clarke's dismissals were tame beyond belief. If Clarke does replace Ponting at the end of what is becoming carnage for Australia then he will either have found some miraculous form out of nowhere - or have friends in very high places.

Hussey and Haddin started a fightback (where have we heard that before) and this time the recalled Johnson joined in too along with Peter Siddle. But with England closing out the new ball to 29-0 it was another day to England, the eighth in a row in this series. Johnson looked pretty stupid trying to play the hard man to Strauss as the players left the field. Michael Vaughan had it about right (for once) "That's desperation. Their team is knackered."

Halfway through the series we have Ponting averaging 20, Clarke 23 (and Hussey 100). Anderson, Finn and Swann have taken 11 wickets apiece. There is only one team playing as a team here. You have to feel for Ricky Ponting. No you don't.

330-5 by this time tomorrow. In our dreams?

Sport - The Ashes 3rd Test Perth Preview. Beer and Skittles.

Line 'em up, knock 'em down - Aussie selection policy in tatters.

Two weeks of snow and ice are slowly beginning to thaw back in England but at nowhere near the pace of the receding threat of Australian cricket. The UK's earliest start to winter in 17 years has been nicely counteracted by the warmth generated from English cricket's earliest start to the Ashes down under for 23 years. Long suffering England fans used to the chopping and changing of a squad usually crippled by injury, inferiority, or both have been treated to life on the other side of the mirror this week as Australia produced a selection policy pulled straight from the 90's English classic Little Book of Horrors and Knee-jerk Obstinate Reactions to Losing Hopelessly.

Nathan Hauritz, once Princely heir to the Warne throne and fresh from making a career best 146 and taking 3-62 to ensure victory for his state team New South Wales is not in the picture. In his place, or at least in the place vacated by the out-of-his-depth Xavier Doherty, please welcome Michael Beer. What do you mean - "Who?" That's Michael Beer, 26, a man with five first-class matches under his belt and 16 wickets at 40. Scoff not. As Andrew Hilditch the selector has noted, Beer is a local specialist at the Waca in Perth. Except he isn't. 12 months ago he was playing club cricket on the other side of the country. He's played three matches at the Waca, never taking more than three wickets. It's quite possible Hilditch doesn't really know who Beer is. And it's mighty strange and extremely satisfying that Australia are capable of having their very own Ted Dexter moments.

So who else is in the picture. Step forward Steve Smith. Brought in as a replacement for North (a casualty nobody can argue with) he is almost certain to play and equally almost certain to score the same runs and take the same wickets as North did. The problem with that is that North was meant to be a batsman who could turn his arm over occasionally. Smith is supposed to be a leggy who can bat a bit. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. But far more likely a couple of each. Runs and wickets that is.

Next in line is Phillip Hughes. England have destroyed his career once already, Harmison and Flintoff finding him out with the short ball. Oh how Broad would have loved to bowl at him. And it's for that reason I expect to see a like-for-like change in the England ranks with the tall Tremlett being given his chance to bounce at Hughes.

Changes four and five (that's nearly half the team - well, they were rubbish weren't they?) bring in, or rather bring back Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus. So ineffective at the Gabba they were both dropped for Adelaide these two selections alone are highly symptomatic of the panic and disarray displayed by this squad selection. Johnson hasn't had a game since Brisbane. Neither has Hilfenhaus. It looks like a case of doing nothing being better than doing poorly. They are both recalled not on the strength of any comeback form but on the weakness of Bollinger at Adelaide. England must be licking their lips.

W.A.C.A Perth

Win the toss and...? Australia will bat, they always do. Any change to this would be seen as a sign of weakness, pretty much like a weak team winning the toss and bowling just to make the game last longer. However, a quick look through recent Tests shows that the team batting in the 4th innings always makes a high score, whether to win, lose or draw. It is here two years ago that I managed to catch Mitchell Johnson exploding onto the global radar with an eight wicket demolition of South Africa only for the Saffas to bite back in the 4th innings with a world record 414-4. And it was an easy 414-4. Australia barely looked like taking a wicket on that fifth day (indeed, they took just one). And in that attack was Brett Lee. And Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and an unknown spinner about to fade into obscurity Jason Krejza. Beware Michael Beer.

England, win the toss, field. Although to be honest, does it even matter these days?

Sport - Ashes 2nd Test Day Five Swann mops up before the storm

Hold that pose Peter. Ta. That's a great shot.

For Australia the rain, in vain, fell a long time after the game. By then England had wrapped up the Adelaide test, beating Australia by an innings for the first time in 24 years. To my son that's a whole lifetime. To the rest of us, it just feels like one.

England is never expected to play the perfect game, whatever sport you care to talk about. We win with wobbles. We win with fingernails chewed to the base. Not this time. This time we won with aplomb. And, of course, a Swann.

Celebrate good times, come on!

Swann knocked over the last three batsmen with ease, a trait previously unknown in English bowlers for a long time. This boy does it for fun. Final figures of 5-91 should have put paid to the knockers who were trying to claim Swann had lost his mojo based on four overs of Aussie attack at the Gabba. Finger spinners at the Gabba  have about as much chance as Chappell against Botham in a car park brawl

Help arrived earlier, for Swann not Chappell, in the form of Anderson (two in two balls, including a golden pair for the hapless Harris) and Finn (the huge wicket of Hussey). Finn took eight balls with the new ball to make the breakthrough, something he might have to do a lot more of now Broad is out of the tour. Tremlett now may have his chance in Perth.

Take away the rain breaks and England actually won this game inside four days. It's impossible to see this Australian attack taking 20 wickets on flat pitches. Australia are in deep trouble. England are in fairytale land.

Australian tears washed down from the stands.

Sport - Ashes 2nd Test Day Four Can't keep KP away

Catch this. I need to get some bowling practice.

I never thought they'd declare on 551, did you? For starters it seemed prescient to only bat once, or at least leave virtually nothing to get in the second innings. And then of course there was that number, 551...superstitious Mr Strauss? Of course not. Never. Well, maybe a little.

England clubbed 69 from 9 overs to reach 620-5dec. Pietersen, Bell and Prior (slightly avenging his first-baller at the Gabba) all joined in the fun. Doherty got Pietersen but not before Pietersen had got 227. And Doherty conceded 13 runs off the over in which he took his wicket. This is almost certainly Doherty's last test for some considerable time, perhaps ever. And with figures of 1-158 even he may be glad of that. Only Harris and Watson came out with remotely acceptable figures. And they were only remotely acceptable.

So do the Aussies have enough fight in them to guts it out as England did at the Gabba? Of course they have the fight. They're Australian. But this doesn't necessarily mean they have the skill. Watson and Katich put on a solid opening stand but England's persistence in targetting on or around the off stump paid dividends when both gave catches to keeper and slips when both looked set. 57 (Watson) and 43 (Katich) do not save games. Katich has limped off to hospital with achilles trouble and looks a serious doubt for the next test.

Ponting is in turmoil and it showed with his dismissal to Swann.

Ponting c Collingwood b Swann 9

Ponting seemed to take an age to leave the crease, his demeanour mirroring that of Swann at the Gabba on the first morning. How fortune's have changed since then. All these dismissals Michael Clarke to fight with Mike Hussey (the one batsman who has stood up to be counted so far) and for 33 overs and 104 runs they did just that. Clarke went into this game averaging over 100 at Adelaide. Out for two in the first innings he had some making up to do. The pitch was now taking considerable turn but Swann, despite his victories against Katich and Ponting, was having no luck finding the edge. Pietersen had no such bad luck. Thrown the ball with a couple of overs left in the day he removed Clarke with what proved to be the final delivery, prospectively the hammer blow of the day. At 238-4 only the hammer of Thor can save Australia now.

Pietersen levitates up to cloud 9

Sport - The Ashes 2nd Test Days Two and Three. Let's bat. And bat.

It's that man again

A couple of days before the Ashes started Andy Flower was discussing alternatives for the England opening partnership. Trott could move up there. The second string had just arrived down under and we could call on one of them if necessary. I don't think that will be necessary do you Mr Flower? Unless we're being rather harsh on Strauss's aberrations around the position of the top of his off stump. Since that interview Cook has scored 450 runs at 225, dismissing records set by, amongst others, the great Don Bradman. Oh how the Aussies must love him.

Two days relentless batting has scored 551-4 on the board, a runs total that evokes the ghost of Adelaide past - though it is surely Ponting who is getting the fright of his life from the deja vu. Lightning doesn't strike twice. Though it might need to, from the sky and the predicted weather forecast, to save the Aussies from the spectre of defeat.

Cook went on to make 148 before he finally lost his wicket. In the meantime he'd added 502 with Trott (including the unbroken stand at the Gabba) and Kevin Pietersen had sat with his pads on for some 10 or 11 hours longer than he might have wished. And someone was always going to pay for that. By the end of day three Pietersen was 213 not out and probably only robbed of a triple century by a foreshortened day. For once it wasn't a century, a double century, of chances and drops. Only one false shot looped luckily into no-man's-land. Gone were the reverse slogs and showmanship. And those last two sentences are probably not entirely unrelated.

So what of this man?

Dear Santa/God - 3 Batsmen, 4 Bowlers...

He needs help. And he's not going to get it from his bowlers. Doherty has been cruelly exposed as out of his depth. Siddle's had his birthday. Bollinger looked laboured by the end of day two. And Ryan Harris could only manage two wickets in two days on this, the ground where he is deemed a specialist. Twenty wickets and a test victory look a long way away. The best Ponting can hope for is stubborn resistance in the batting ranks. With his own brand of bloody-minded determination the whole of English cricket probably expects him to make a century tomorrow. Unless, of course, the strain is beginning to tell. Now he knows how Mike Atherton felt for all those years.

Sport - Ashes 2nd Test Day One

Panic. Hilfenhaus and Mitchell replaced by Bollinger and Harris.
Panic. Katich OUT for a diamond duck.
Panic. Ponting OUT Clarke OUT 2-3.
245 all out. All out panic.

Ponting attacks Strauss

Ponting attacks Anderson

They sacked their bowlers but left it to England to dismiss their batsmen. Anderson et al did not disappoint. Australia won the toss, got first go on a flat track - and blew it gloriously. Despite another rearguard action from Hussey and Haddin they were bowled out for under 300 at Adelaide for the first time in 17 years leaving England with a wonderful chance to consolidate over the next two days what has already become a winning position. Only the forecast thunderstorms can seemingly hold them up now.

Cricket fans are witnessing a shift of power the like of which has not been seen since the fall of the mighty West Indies. It is not a coincidence that both falls from grace were predicated on the loss of the best bowling attack in the world. While Australia and West Indies undoubtedly had world class batsmen in their line-ups its easier to score big when your bowlers are making sure the totals you have to chase are small. Without McGrath and Warne to bedevil English batsmen at the Gabba England were allowed to rack up 517-1. 245 all out on a flat track is a direct result of that English total. The pressure is on Ponting and his men - and boy are the cracks appearing.

It does seem that bowlers take more than their fair share of the blame when things go wrong in cricket. Doug Bollinger probably hasn't worked out what he did wrong to be dropped for the Gabba, let alone what he did right to be reinstated for Adelaide. Ben Hilfenhaus could be forgiven a 'serves-you-bloody-well-right' chuckle if Aus are put to the sword again tomorrow by England's batsmen. And let's just leave Mitch Johnson alone, quietly, to grieve. Meanwhile many, most?, Aussie fans are still wondering how Clarke, and particularly North, ever get a game these days. North's dismissal was profoundly abject, worse even than the two run-outs, highly symbolic of the timidity and confusion Australian cricket has now wrapped itself in.

A man at the top of his game - James Anderson

As if their own incompetence weren't enough, the Aussies are also having to cope with several England players at, or approaching their zenith. Australia had a game plan for Swann and for four overs of the First Test it worked. Since then Swann has fought hard to recover his advantage and Anderson has bowled out of his skin. Broad's bowling has gone almost unnoticed but he too looks light years ahead of anything the Aussie attack can muster. With their batsmen scoring centuries for fun its advantage England. Tomorrow they should go a long way towards securing the first set.

Sport - The Ashes 2nd Test Adelaide (preview)

Two of the last three Tests in Adelaide (against W.Indies and India) have finished in a draw. Given Adelaide's propensity for producing a batting paradise on days one and two and a weather forecast that suggests interrupted play (storms are predicted) on the last three days, the draw would seem odds-on here. Which makes Blue Square's offer of 11-10 the draw look quite favourable. The only hiccup to this theory would be a team batting first, racking up a huge score, and then the team batting second to bat quite poorly - twice. As both teams are likely to go in batsmen heavy with only four frontline bowlers I'd suggest the draw is a pretty good bet at this stage.

"Shut the door on the way out Mitch"

One Aussie bowler certainly not taking part is Mitchell Johnson. Spearhead of the attack for the last three years he now finds himself the Harmison of 2010, spraying the ball all over the place and surplus to requirements. The rumour is that Hilfenhaus's place is no more safe than Johnson's which would leave the Aussies free to call up Bollinger and Harris. It would also look like panic. More likely is that Hilfenhaus retains his place and Aus have to choose between the out-of-favour Bollinger and the Adelaide specialist Harris. I'm betting on Harris, but if that decision backfires they will look in total disarray come the Third Test. It's a big call for Ponting and co and not one I'm convinced they will get right.

England, on the other hand, are a settled unit. At least until the next batting collapse. With only Collingwood really failing to contribute anything in the First Test it would be a major surprise if they didn't name the same XI for Adelaide. Despite his failure in Brisbane, maybe even because of it, Collingwood may be good value at 7-1 (widely available) to be top England batsman in the first innings. Last time he was here he made 206 and shared a 300 stand with Pietersen. Win the toss, bat first, and this would again become possible. And two more hot days of demoralised bowling would come close to making the Aussies grovel. We live in hope.

"Look! There's Mitch in Row 22."