Monty And Jimmy Save The Day

It took a while to get going but the 1st test of this Ashes series finally delivered some excitement for the home supporters. On the final day England had an unlikely challenge of batting for a huge 90 plus overs. The task looked doomed to failure with England losing regular wickets throughout the day.

The top 3 batsmen failed in both innings and should take a good look at themselves after letting the side down. It was left to the lower order and they came to the rescue with notable contributions from Flintoff, Swann and especially Collingwood. The last two of Anderson and Panesar played with distinction and negotiated the final tense minutes. What looked an Australian win turned into a draw although it felt more like an England victory.

In this test match Australia was the better outfit in all departments. They batted better, bowled better and fielded better. England was fortunate to escape with a draw. On the other hand, it shows what could happen if batsmen play with discipline and maintain concentration. Most of the top order batsmen got themselves out by playing poor and unnecessary shots.

The experiment with playing two spinners backfired partly because Australia turned the tables on England. They posted enough runs in the 1st innings to ensure that England would be batting last on a supposedly turning pitch. In truth, the pitch was flat and had the draw written all over it but England made life difficult as per usual.

Some fine tuning is required with regard to selection for the next test. Genuine pace is required to get the Aussie batsmen jumping around. Panesar will probably make way for Harmison, Onions or Sidebottom as England search for a formula that will deliver 20 wickets.

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