A series for the quicks

As England's one-day side folded all too familiarly I couldn't help but turn my attention to the upcoming Test series against South Africa.

The merits of the shorter game, be it 20 or 50 overs have been trumpeted repeatedly recently. Test cricket though, especially between evenly matched teams presents a different kind of drama.

Without the restrictions on bowlers, field placing and overs for batmen, Test cricket leaves players naked. Every nuance of technique and character is explored. Hoping to triumph for the first time in England since 1965 Graeme Smith brings a buoyant South African side to Lord's next month.

Since re-admission South Africa have never quite managed to assert themselves on the world game. Branded chokers following habitual World Cup semi final losses they have never been a threatening force in Test cricket.

Cautious at best and outright boring at worst, their cricket was too often epitomised by Jacques Kallis. Despite his impressive statistics he has never had the belief to impose himself on oppositions and turn matches. It's a negative outset that for many years held back South African cricket.

But now united under a captain who demands respect without having to shout his mouth off, and free of the shackles of selection quota system, South Africa are playing vibrant cricket.

Dale Steyn has added dynamism to an attack that since Allan Donald's retirement has been little more than steady. How his skiddy pace adapts to English conditions could determine the outcome of the series. When a youthful Brett Lee arrived on these shores to a similar fanfare in 2001, he was taken apart by a hopeless England side.

England, following their hesitant triumph over the three-match series against New Zealand, are being brought nicely to the boil under Michael Vaughan. As always much depends on the fitness of Andrew Flintoff. If fit he lifts England's attack to another level backing up the likes of Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad, Monty Panesar and Mr Mercurial James Anderson.

Abandoning reason and assuming Flintoff does return he magnifies England's biggest concern - their wobbly middle order. If they take the jump and play five bowlers, one of Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell would miss out, and Tim Ambrose's runs will be closely monitored. It places huge responsibility on the top four, but you feel the aggressive approach gives England their best chance and will make for a thrilling series between two strong bowling sides.

Given their recent form South Africa must start favourites, but if England's top order can conquer Steyn then the road for the Ashes may yet be paved with gold.

Brett Lee is the worlds best smiling assassin

(This article also appears in www.sportingo.com)

Sport, like religion and politics rarely leaves room for consensus. One of the greatest joys for a sports fan is raging to defend your favourite player, trying to achieve the impossible task of proving that your player is better than another. Cricket, with its vast bank of statistics offers the greatest armoury for scientific proof.

So when South Africa arrived in England last week with claims to having 'the best fast bowler in the world', pubs and message boards across the cricketing world erupted in debate. Dale Steyn is the name that will dominate the England team talks and who Graeme Smith's team will be hoping can prove the difference between the two sides over the next few weeks. With pace, late swing and a menacing glare he has had a phenomenal year yielding 78 thrilling wickets in 12 games at 16.24. The statistics indicate a bowler in the form of his life.

Interestingly, the last time these two sides met it was England who had the pace sensation. Somebody called Steve Harmison had just completed a barnstorming year, prompting Stephen Fleming to hail him as "a more dynamic, threatening version of Glenn McGrath". Harmison went on to take only nine expensive wickets in the five-game series. His career has never really recovered and it will be a surprise to see him at all this summer. This demonstrates, as if we didn't know it already, the futile nature of predictions in sport.

Unlike almost no other in the game, the sight of a fast bowler steaming in intimidating batsmen is truly exhilarating. Alongside all the technical skills, fast bowlers need presence - a personality that crushes batsmen as much as a searing yorker. Curtly Ambrose barely had to whisper a word, but his was a chilling presence that many could never overcome - just ask Graeme Hick.

With too much one-day cricket on too many flat pitches, today's crop seem a tamer bunch. Pleasingly, there are a number of promising youngsters around the world, but they still have plenty to prove. Following Steyn in the ICC rankings are the Australian pair Stuart Clark and Brett Lee. Despite lagging far behind in the rankings, Andrew Flintoff's early season barrage moved Justin Langer to declare him the very best fast bowler around. Until Fred can actually get on the field for England, however, we'll have to forget about him.

Lee is now the complete package. Handed the mantle of leading Australia's attack following McGrath's retirement, he has transformed himself and bowled with hostility, accuracy and a guile that Steyn can yet only dream of. Added to his remarkable talent is a heart and enthusiasm which would fuel him through a brick wall. In an age where sporting spirit is continually undermined, Lee has lit up grounds and newspapers with his Colgate smile and vibrant personality.

Statistics can always tell a story, and leading an inexperienced attack against good batting sides, he has taken 58 wickets in nine games over the last year at 21.55. With his stealth like new-ball partner Stuart Clark, he is hoping to carry Australia into the next generation. There's no column in the scorebook for it, but inspiration here would be the mark of a truly great fast bowler. As ever the facts can't reveal the entire truth. But that's just my opinion.

And so it is, just like Glenn said it would be

Fifth Test, Sydney
Day 4 Comment
(1:50am)

Maybe you feared it before England arrived in Australia, maybe it seemed inevitable after the first ball of the series, maybe its taken one month and seven days for you to finally know it – but Australia have decimated England. Five-nil.

This diary, like England, ran out of ideas long ago. Today mirrored what we have seen all series. All that can be said about both sides already has been, and will continue to be for weeks.

Cricket, however, has entered a new era. Shane Warne is the best bowler of all time, he has changed cricket forever, and we will never see another bowler who can instil the same fear in batsmen as he could. Glenn McGrath is the most successful fast bowler of all time, and it is unlikely we will ever see a fast bowler with greater control.

Test cricket won’t be the same. Thanks for the memories, apart from the last five games, which have been a personal hell. I hope I can finally have a life again. So will England.

Leaked plans in a lacklustre series

Third Test Melbourne

Day 2 Comment

Before this tour began it would have been impossible to predict just how one-sided the series would be. At every stage England have plummeted to lows they could never have imagined. Yesterday, in the midst of a Symonds inspired riot, England found a new way to illustrate their scrambled minds and find greater depths to sink into – their game plans were leaked.

The significance can and will be played down by both sides, but for Australia to have hard copy of England’s carefully-planned strategies for each batsmen is a blow that will tear away at the few fibres of morale the team may still have. The fact that such a document was left around and misplaced is shocking, and illustrates the lacklustre and muddled approach England have had all series.

That England does not have the depth in their attack to maintain their plans was perfectly demonstrated yesterday, but full credit must go to Hayden and particularly Symonds, who came in at a tricky time and played a scintillating innings. He managed to defend well initially before launching into all the shots we know he has. For all cricket lovers we hope that this turns out to be his "breakthrough" innings because he brings a panache and flair that is exciting to the game.

However he, and many of the batsmen this test match, will be thanking Rudi Koertzen for his dreadful umpiring.

England are staring four nil in the face, and will soon be staring into the abyss. I would say that Australia are finishing on a high they never dreamed of, but remembering McGrath’s 5-0 prediction ritual, I guess I’d be wrong.

The Ashes are over

Third Test, Perth
Day 5 Comment

It took 6,273 days to win them back, but just over a year to lose them again. Australia have regained the Ashes. It was promised to be an epic battle, but in truth it was never a contest.

This is an Australian side utterly consumed with one goal – winning the urn. Given the challenge of any pivotal session this series, they have surged ahead and left behind a bewildered, shocked England side.

I would never have said that one side could have more desire then the other, I thought the Ashes was too big for that. But watching Australia drive through and then celebrate victory, one sensed, that at a level unknown to even the players themselves, Australia needed to win it back more then England desired to retain them.

It is easy to say that this was an all-conquering Australian side, complete in every department. However, unlike the sides of the 90s, this one had significant flaws. It was also an ageing side with many playing their last ashes series, but the desire this gave them outweighed the creaks.

In truth, England’s grip on the urn slipped from the moment they first grabbed it on that September day. Their focus from that moment has oscillated from basking in the glory, to looking ahead to the rematch. In the intervening period between ashes series, Australia, paused, reflected and then concentrated on improving themselves. They won 12 out of 13 games. For England, winning the Ashes before 2005 was a mythical, unimaginable end to a cricket side. Reaching that point, they suddenly didn’t know what to do. Rather then continue sharpening their physical and mental skills, they lost focus and won just four out of twelve completed matches. They submitted to a ‘be all right on the night’ attitude for this series.

Players spoke before hand about it all ‘clicking in place’, but the sound of ‘clicking’ in test match cricket is months of hard graft and preparation. England arrived with few players who had been through that process. It is no coincidence that the ones who did – Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Panesar and Hoggard – have fared well this series.

For England fans, tonight is a relief. The agony of hope and despair is finally over. As I said after day 1 in Brisbane, it is hope that feeds the addiction of momentary, wonderful highs followed by long periods of desperate lows. The frustration and anger has now turned to acceptance for me, and the cold rational autopsy now begins.

Ashes defeats provide natural watersheds and there deserves to be debate about the future and setup of ‘Team England’ but we should not, again, fall foul to mis-focus. This is a young and talented side and the gremlins that a 5-0 defeat would provide could haunt England for many years. If the recovery of England is to happen, it begins with the first hour of the next session of cricket.

Australia cook up a storm

Third Test, Perth
Day 3 Comment

It required a Churchillian speech from my grandmother to get me up enough to write today’s entry.

The human body must have a natural capacity to defend against pain. For the first time this series I fell asleep during play. It was blissful. I missed Hussey completing his century, then Clarke his and the final showpiece from Gilchrist. I woke up, saw Strauss being triggered again by the theatrical slow finger of Rudi Koertzen, and promptly fell back asleep.

I have discussed the tourists non-stop this series, but today, more then any other is not a day for that. (Having watched the highlights!) This was a day for Australia the magnificent. In turn, each ingredient that makes Australia such champions was displayed. First, against spirited bowling Hussey and Hayden got stuck in, determined and hard-nosed. Then, as the opportunity to drive home the advantage developed, Clarke cruised with confidence and control, and finally, when they the game was theirs, Gilchrist unleashed their flair, panache and touch of genius with a stunning 57 ball hundred.

This may well be the last test series for many of the Aussie players and they have departed in style.

It's all but over...

Third Test, Perth
Day 2 Comment

The day was as sad for England fans as it was predictable. There is little more to say then England are not good enough at the moment. Australia are driven enough to make up for their shortcomings and have raced ahead of England every time they tried to get near them.

The inevitable post-mortem will point fingers at the coach, but the players must take some responsibility too. Since the 2005 series, the focus and ruthlessness has been lost. Ironically they kept looking to this series instead of the ones they were playing, and they are paying the price for that now.

This was, for me, the saddest day of the series. England were brilliant at times yesterday, and even though it was all too late, I felt pleased that we had shown that we could match Australia. But today it finally sunk in that we can’t, not this time.

The current mood is best summarised by the Barmy Army Trumpeter, who began they day with ‘The Great Escape’ but ended with Christmas carols. There will be no escape for England in this game or series. Chilling as it is, they will have to strive to avoid a five-nil drubbing.