The Wizard of Oz

Have you ever been promised an amazing present for Christmas? The build to the big day is all part of the joy; telling everyone what you are getting, imagining the glorious moment when you tear off the paper to reveal your dream in all its shining glory.  You wake up on Christmas morning with that sick excitement in your belly. You run downstairs and rip open your gift…only to find you’ve a Satsuma and a bag of walnuts, just like last year.

That’s how England fans feel. The build up to this Ashes series filled them with a belief that England could finally win it down under after 20 years, and, bar the first couple of days in Brisbane, that belief was compounded by England’s performance in the first two Tests.

However, like the ghost of Christmas past, the England of old were on display here in Perth. The team that blew Australia away in Adelaide were a distant memory, as were the batting performances that saw England amass 1137 runs in their previous two innings, for the loss of just six wickets. The batting from England was poor.

By the fourth morning, it was no great surprise that the final five England wickets fell in just 50 minutes. With Bell and Prior the only recognised batsmen left to play, the Australian team were so fired up by the opportunity to level the series that they made it look like childsplay.

England had bowled reasonably well, particularly in the first innings, restricting Australia to 268. Tremlett in particular was effective on the bouncy WACA wicket, but they missed the control offered by Stuart Broad, who flies home on Tuesday to begin rehab on his torn stomach muscle.

However, Finn, although taking wickets, is expensive. Swann is yet to perform to his usual high standards in this series, although this pitch offered little for a spinner.

One man made the difference between the sides in this Test match. Like the legend of Loch Ness, England had heard much of the monster that is Mitchell Johnson at his best, but, until now, they had never seen it with their own eyes. Taking confidence from his runs in the first innings, Johnson produced a match-winning spell with the ball that tore apart the England batsmen on day two. He removed four of the five top batsmen, three of them in 12 balls for just four runs.

Other players stepped up for Australia. Mike Hussey scored his 2nd century in three Test matches, and became top run scorer of the series. Harris took a Test best six wickets in the second innings, his first five-for in Test cricket. But it was the performance of Johnson, with bat and ball, that won this Test match for Australia, and it was all the more remarkable for the stark contrast to his recent shocking form.

The only dampener on this victory for Australia is the injury to captain Ricky Ponting. He fractured the little finger on his left hand attempting a catch in the slips at the end of day three. His participation in the next Test, just one week away, is unlikely to be decided until the morning of the game, but he remains positive about his chances.

“I think I have a really good chance of playing,” he said. “It’s only a small fracture. It’s a bit sore and a bit angry, but I’ll be right!”

England captain Andrew Strauss played down the severity of the loss, whilst admitting that it was the batting that let them down.

“Now is not a time to panic,” Strauss said. “Up until this game, our cricket on this tour has been very consistent. We dropped off in this game there is no doubt about it, but if we can retain those levels of consistency then we’ve got a great chance of going on and winning the series.

“As a batting line up we’d be very disappointed with our two performances. We’ve got to take that on the chin, learn the lessons and move on.

“You’ve certainly got to address the way we lost wickets in clusters,” Strauss conceded. “The issue to address is if you lose one or two wickets, to make sure that you don’t lose three, four or five in a row. The batters have got to take responsibility for that, but at the same time we’ve got to keep perspective about things.

“It would be wrong for us to just wash our hands of this game completely”, Strauss said. “But it’s all about bouncing back now. We’ve done it well in the past and we are going to have to do it well in Melbourne.”

England have plenty of food for thought over Christmas. Whilst wholesale changes are not England’s style, and not necessarily needed, there are some causes for concern.

Collingwood is the standout weakness in the batting line up, having only scored 62 runs so far in the series. He continues a poor run of form that has spanned much of England’s summer in the UK. At 34, he is the only player almost certain to not take part in the next Ashes series in 2013. But his other contributions to the team should not be underestimated. His bowling offers an alternative to the quicks, and gives them a vital rest. He took the crucial wicket of Johnson in the second innings here. And his fielding is exemplary. He is also a trusted confidant of Strauss.

Morgan would be the obvious replacement for Collingwood, but his place in the team should be considered alongside the bowling line up, which is where the other decisions will lie. Finn looked tired during long bowling spells, and proved expensive. With Shahzad and Bresnan both chomping at the bit to get an opportunity in this series, Finn may be rested for the next Test. Bresnan would add strength to the batting line up, while Shahzad, with his ability to swing and reverse swing the ball, is perhaps the bowler most likely to take the all important wicket of Hussey.

Perhaps Strauss is right to play down the significance of this loss. There are still two matches left in the series, and England need only win one more to retain the Ashes. But momentum is with Australia, and if the Wicked Mitch of the West shows up on Boxing Day, England will have to overcome the Wizard of Oz.

Pakistan finally put up a fight at Durham

By Gemma Wright

On the day that three of their players flew home, the rest of the Pakistan team finally showed up for a game. In their best performance since the spot-fixing scandal broke during the final Test at Lords, Pakistan gave England a run for their money in the first ODI. In front of a much improved crowd from the poorly attended T20 games in Cardiff, Pakistan fought to the final ball attempting to chase Englands’ 274 from 41 overs, after rain reduced the game.

His team’s performance should give Afridi some encouragement. Whilst they didn’t get the victory he has said they so desperately need to lift team spirit, they came pretty close. There are many positives that he can take from this game.

Saeed Ajmal bowled superbly, with figures of 4-58 from his nine overs. Pakistan’s performance in the field was much improved too. However, it was not all good news. Mohammad Irfan, the 7’1” left armer, bought in for the one day series, had a day to forget. After his first over went for 15, he managed just another 4.3 overs before cramp got the better of him and he left the field wicket-less. Afridi remained confident that he is “a very talented guy who will adjust himself as soon as possible”.

After being inserted, Strauss and Davies made a good start for England. Timing the ball well, they shot to 78 from the first 11 overs before the England captain was bowled trying to sweep Ajmal. Davies did his position as limited overs keeper/batsman no harm, top scoring with a superb 87, having been dropped on 21 by Afridi. Everyone, except perhaps Craig Kieswetter, will have enjoyed that performance.

Jonathan Trott has once again proved his worth with his 69 well paced from 78 balls. He has now well and truly established himself as England’s number three.  With a swift 35 at the end from Bopara, England looked strong with the bat. With players such as Ian Bell, Kieswetter, and Luke Wright waiting in the wings, there will be some tough selection decisions ahead for Strauss and Flower.

Collingwood remains the worry in this line up. He started well, smashing Umar Gul over long on for six, and taking out a wheelchair bound spectator in the process. But the batting powerplay quickly bought about his wicket for 14, and left him lacking in the runs column once again.

England may have issues developing in the field too. Whilst standards remain generally high, there have been fielding errors over the past week that could be much more severely punished this winter than they have been against Pakistan.

James Anderson, who missed out in the T20’s at Cardiff, was the pick of the bowlers for England. Michael Yardy remains one of Englands’ most reliable bowlers, keeping the run rate down. His position in the one day side is surely now established.

It was always going to be a tough call, chasing 275 to win. But the Pakistan batsman put in a much more dedicated performance than in Cardiff to keep within touching distance of the run rate. But in the end it was not enough, and regular wickets kept victory just out of reach.

Kamran Akmal, after a poor tour, has finally found the right end of his bat, hitting 53 from 61 balls. He caused early friction in the field, exchanging words with Trott and Broad. Englands’ and particularly Broads’ tendency towards this kind of behaviour in the field had quietned down since Broad was punished for his behaviour at the Edgbaston Test. It is something that England need to keep an eye on.

Morgan punishes Shoaib’s errors in Cardiff

By Gemma Wright

Anyone can have a funny five minutes. Even Lenny Henry.
But Shoaib Aktar’s ‘funny spell’ in the first T20 international in
Cardiff had a more dramatic impact than most. By dropping a simple
chance offered by Eoin Morgan, of all people, when the batsman had
just 13, he allowed England to run away with a game that had
previously been in the balance. Shoaib also fumbled a routine ball in
the field to gift England a boundary. In a low-scoring contest, such
margins are vital.
Those few minutes swung the game back in England’s favour. A
mid-innings wobble had left them tottering on 62 for 5 after 10
overs. Had Akhtar held on to the chance offered by Morgan, England
would have been 72 for six and Pakistan would have been into the
lower-order of a team that – without Kevin Pietersen – looked one
batsman short.
It wasn’t Pakistan’s only lapse in the field. Kamran Akmal reprieved
Yardy when the batsman had 13, while a number of run-out chances were
also squandered. When Shahid Afridi admitted afterwards that Pakistan
needed to spend more time practising their fielding, it was hard to
wonder why they haven’t done so previously. It’s hardly breaking news
that it’s poor, is it?
As it was, however, the two World T20 winners, Morgan (38 from 36
balls, with six fours) and Yardy (35 from 27 with four balls), added
67 from 43 balls to secure victory for England. Winning by five
wickets and 2.5 overs is, in this format of the game, is a comfortable
margin.
Pakistan had started pretty. Despite being inserted on a slow wicket,
Shahzaib Hasan and Mohammad Yousuf prospered against the seam bowlers.
As so often in the World T20, it was England’s spinners, Yardy and
Swann, who stemmed the flow of runs. They conceded just 35 runs from
their eight overs, at one stage delivering five overs without
conceding a boundary. By contrast, Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s specialist
spinner, conceded 30 from just three overs. Only a couple of dropped
chances from Tim Bresnan and Luke Wright blotted an otherwise
excellent performance in the field from England.
In many ways, it was as if nothing has changed since the Caribbean
World T20. As captain Paul Collingwood put it later, England have “a
strategy that seems to be working.” The bowling attack was the same
as that employed in the final, while Davies, who kept nicely and ran
between the wickets impressively, showed enough to suggest he has a
decent future at this level.
In contrast, Pakistan were once again below par in the field, though
Mohammed Yousuf, running backwards from mid-on to dismiss Bopara, took
an excellent catch.
Still, at least the match took place. At the end of one of the most
controversial weeks in cricket’s recent history, the taking part was
more important than the result.

You couldn’t completely escape the match fixing controversy however. Shahid Afridi, while attempting to take the heat out of the situation dismissed Yasir Hameed comments by saying ‘he may be 30/31, but mentally he is 15 or 16. He is unreliable.’

Haider provides hope for Pakistan

By Gemma Wright

It’s not often that a guy given out first ball in both innings goes on to make a half-century. Zulqarnain Haider, on debut, did just that, however, ensuring that England could face a tricky few hours on the fourth day at Edgbaston. On this pitch, against Pakistan’s attack, victory is far from assured.

If Pakistan do win, they will owe a large debt to Haider. After his first ball dismissal in the first innings, his heart must have sunk when he saw the umpire raise his finger to his first ball in the second.

Wisely, however, Haider asked for a review and subsequently won a reprieve. Had the decision not been overturned, Pakistan would have been six down and still 97 runs behind. The game would surely have been over before tea.

As it was, however, Haider seized his opportunity. First with Amir, who resisted 117 balls for his 16 runs, and then Ajmal, who counter-attacked in his 79-ball half-century, Haider showed the patience, application and skill that Pakistan have so sorely missed this series. His 88 is Pakistan’s highest score of the series so far, while his 115-run partnership for the eighth-wicket with Ajmal is their highest of the series. Their fortitude should be an example to their top-order colleagues.

Barring miracles, England will still win this Test. But their performance on the third day was not entirely convincing. It suggested that, on flatter pitches and against more resilient opponents, their attack may still struggle for penetration. They have been flattered by playing against opponents as brittle as Bangladesh and Pakistan and must remember that tougher challenges lie ahead. Had Pakistan held all their chances, England would surely be struggling.

Stuart Broad was particularly disappointing. While he bowled respectably, his petulance is becoming unattractive. At one stage he hurled the ball, quite unnecessarily, into Haider’s chest, while he also moaned excessively after a referral decision went against him. In the age of TV replays, there can be no excuse for such behaviour. Broad really needs to curb such tendencies. He’s too good a cricketer to taint his reputation with such antics. He has already been charged by the match referee and will be very, very lucky if he escapes censure. No Englishman has ever faced suspension by the ICC; Broad may well be the first.

At least Graeme Swann was impressive. Utilising a dry pitch expertly, he found a prodigious amount of turn and finished with his best figures in Tests. He struck, once again, in his first over, with a delivery that he later rated “the best ball I’ve ever bowled.” Pitching outside Farhat’s leg-stump, it turned sharply to hit the top of off. The delivery that bowled Ali, pitching outside off and turning sharply through the gate, lost little by comparison. At one stage, Swann delivered 67 consecutive dot balls and only Haider’s long reach and utter devotion to survival above run-scoring helped Pakistan resist.

Gradually, however, Haider became more expansive. Somehow putting the plight of his father, who has been in a coma in Pakistan suffering from hepatitis, to one side, he produced some sparkling drives off front and back foot and looked on course for a maiden century until he mis-timed a drive to mid-off. His obvious delight upon reaching 50 was charming.

Afterwards, Pakistan captain Salman Butt expressed his disappointment at Broad’s behaviour. “It’s just frustration,” he said. “It’s not good to see people throwing balls intentionally at others and not even apologising properly.”

England should still win. Steve Rouse, the Edgbaston groundsman, felt the use of the heavy roller before the Pakistan innings had deadened the pitch and that batting would probably be more straightforward as a result. But the turn will remain and Pakistan’s seam attack – shorn of the injured Umar Gul – will remain a handful.

Either way, at least the series has become a little competitive. For Pakistan, the spectators and an England team that need to be tested more ahead of the Ashes, that can only be a good thing.

*Tickets for the fourth day will be priced at £20 for adults but will be free for Under 16s. Anyone who has purchased a full priced ticket will be offered either a free ticket for day 1 of the npower Test match next summer against India or the chance to bring 2 guests free on the fourth day of this game. Book online at www.edgbaston.com and use the ‘Ticket Fast’ option to print your ticket at home to save queuing.

KP benefits from Pakistan profligacy

By Gemma Wright

Do you remember the game of table cricket? The fielders could only claim a catch if it landed directly in the pouch between their feet. Even then, the ball would bobble out given the slightest opportunity.
So it is with Pakistan. Their fielding was so shocking parents shielded their children’s eyes so as not to be permanently scarred by the horror of what they saw. By the end of the day, even coach Waqar Younis could be seen laughing ruefully on the balcony as yet another sitter was put down.
Pietersen was the chief beneficiary of these outrageous mistakes. Struggling for form at the moment, at least half a dozen chances in his innings were refused by Pakistan, and the visitors made poor referral decisions with several lbw shouts.

There were glimpses of the Pietersen of old. He took successive boundaries off Ajmal, cutting once behind square before launching a
ferocious straight drive back past the bowler, and produced one classic flick through mid-wicket off Aamer.

Mostly, however, this innings was a horrible struggle. It was as if a Pietersen impostor had taken his place and to see him surviving missed
chance after missed chance was like watching a drowning man thrashing for a lifeline. He is a man crying out to play more cricket.
He battled, though. He’s batted for longer than anyone else in the game and, by contributing 80 in such a low-scoring encounter on a

pitch he rated as “really hard”, he should have answered some questions about his commitment. It’s now 23 innings since his last Test century (at Port of Spain exactly 17 months ago) and, against any other team, he would have been out five times here before reaching 50.
Controversy had surrounded Pietersen in the first session, as he stepped away from the crease just as bowler Asif let go of the ball. Although it had been called dead ball, Pietersen still hit it and, ironically, it was caught. It was deemed not out, but Pakistan were underwhelmed with the decision. He later apologised for any misunderstanding caused, but cited Trott, the non-striker, walking into his eye line as the reason for backing off. Pietersen finally went, misjudging Ajmal’s doosra and falling to a return catch.

KP’s dismissal precipitated a collapse. England lost seven for 46 from that point, with Ajmal claiming his first five-wicket haul in Tests. His last four wickets came for the addition of just two runs in 26 balls. Had all the chances been taken off his bowling, he might have taken 38 wickets. In the end he resorted to taking two of his own catches to ensure they stuck.

It is, perhaps, worth noting the dismissal of Eoin Morgan. There is a theory that he struggles against the short ball and that angled across him. He did nothing to disprove that later theory when he felt for one angled across him and was caught behind.He still has much to prove.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 179 runs, Pakistan struggled against England’s quick bowlers. Anderson soon removed Butt with a good ball to swinging away from the left-hander. Butt’s shot, playing slightly across the line, did him few favours. England rarely drop those catches.

Pakistan ended the day on 19 for 1, still needing another 160 runs to make England bat again. Even if they do, a hamstring injury to Gul is likely to rule him out of the remainder of the match. Unless the weather intervenes, it’s most unlikely that this game will crawl into a fourth day.

Afterwards , Butt dismissed the fielding performance as “one of those days”.
“Nothing went out way,” he said. “It wasn’t one or two people [dropping chances], it was everybody. [In the end] you just have to
laugh about it. They were catches guys should take with one eye closed.”

Actually, plenty went Pakistan’s way. Their bowlers kept finding the edge and the ball kept going to hand.
Butt does his cause a grave disservice if he diminishes the extent of the problem. Pakistan are not just unlucky. They are poorly prepared.

They have been consistently poor in the field for some time and their attitude to fielding practise is that of a reluctant schoolboy faced
with a detention. It’s not coincidence. They simply have to work harder. One drop, by Amin in the gully off Aamer when KP had 36, was as bad as this ground can ever have witnessed.