brandon
Striker
Much has been made in recent months of the choice between World Cup or Ashes. The notion that we can only pick one, so most of us made clear on here which one we’d rather win and why.
It seems evident from the last four years which one ‘Team England’ have prioritised too. It’s been a real bugbear for supporters of proper cricket that the fortunes of the Test side seems to have taken a back seat amidst the clamour for a WC win but then where criticism will be very much justified for the way the people of influence have neglected the red ball side, it should be said that the effort and professionalism towards exceptional preparation for the World Cup needs to be applauded.
Now that’s all done though - where next? We find ourselves 1-0 down in the Ashes, from a game where we can say we had victory in our hands twice only to let it slip away.
I don’t buy into the notion we need to panic as such, for 3 and a half days we were very much in the game and while the loss of the fourth seamer is something that we’ll never quite know fully the impact, it is reasonable to say we would’ve performed much better with that luxury.
What worries me though, is how we prepare for Lords and beyond. Tomorrow Australia start a 3 day game at Worcester, it appears from Edgbaston that they were ready for Test Cricket, both physically and mentally. This game may likely be used for their fringe men - as an Aussie I certainly wouldn’t worry if there was no game. For England though, once again an international summer has been arranged with a domestic schedule that will not in any way help Test deficiencies - there is no red ball cricket for our lads to play themselves into some sort of form. Unless like Archer, they’re allowed to play 2nd XI cricket - which clearly won’t happen.
In an ideal world I’d like to see a hastily arranged friendly against the Lions, even if it’s only a two day batting practice - but that won’t happen either. It seems that the best we can hope for his for the England psychologist to work his magic on the team ready for Tests 2-5. We have a mountain to climb.
Beyond that, what’s next for Team England? With the film ‘The Edge’ currently trending, I’d like to think as a supporter of proper cricket that the next plan is world domination with the red ball - but as this Ashes marks the start of the so called ‘Test Championship’ they’d better get a move on.
It seems evident from the last four years which one ‘Team England’ have prioritised too. It’s been a real bugbear for supporters of proper cricket that the fortunes of the Test side seems to have taken a back seat amidst the clamour for a WC win but then where criticism will be very much justified for the way the people of influence have neglected the red ball side, it should be said that the effort and professionalism towards exceptional preparation for the World Cup needs to be applauded.
Now that’s all done though - where next? We find ourselves 1-0 down in the Ashes, from a game where we can say we had victory in our hands twice only to let it slip away.
I don’t buy into the notion we need to panic as such, for 3 and a half days we were very much in the game and while the loss of the fourth seamer is something that we’ll never quite know fully the impact, it is reasonable to say we would’ve performed much better with that luxury.
What worries me though, is how we prepare for Lords and beyond. Tomorrow Australia start a 3 day game at Worcester, it appears from Edgbaston that they were ready for Test Cricket, both physically and mentally. This game may likely be used for their fringe men - as an Aussie I certainly wouldn’t worry if there was no game. For England though, once again an international summer has been arranged with a domestic schedule that will not in any way help Test deficiencies - there is no red ball cricket for our lads to play themselves into some sort of form. Unless like Archer, they’re allowed to play 2nd XI cricket - which clearly won’t happen.
In an ideal world I’d like to see a hastily arranged friendly against the Lions, even if it’s only a two day batting practice - but that won’t happen either. It seems that the best we can hope for his for the England psychologist to work his magic on the team ready for Tests 2-5. We have a mountain to climb.
Beyond that, what’s next for Team England? With the film ‘The Edge’ currently trending, I’d like to think as a supporter of proper cricket that the next plan is world domination with the red ball - but as this Ashes marks the start of the so called ‘Test Championship’ they’d better get a move on.
