Australia have hinted they will bring up the Ben Duckett affair in the third Ashes Test against England in Perth as they demonstrate their love of the art of mental disintegration that goes back a long wayIt took an awfully long time to bowl my first ball in Australia. I was playing grade cricket in Perth in 1981 in front of half a dozen spectators and in the opposition for Melville were Graeme Wood and Dennis Lillee, who was coming back from major back surgery.A left-hander (not Wood) was on strike when I was summoned to bowl. I set my field carefully like the good old English pro I was supposed to be and was about to propel my first...
Guardian writers pick their England XI for the crucial third Test. How many will go for the same team and how many will select Mark Wood or Ben Foakes?My England lineup for Perth Test Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson. Related: Australia's bowlers end England resistance to take 2-0 Ashes lead Continue reading...
Joe Root’s side must contend with England’s dreadful history at the Waca in next week’s third Test – it is hard to imagine them letting in the wind of changeAll this talk of 5-0 is not very helpful. But it is understandable. In two of the past three Ashes tours England have been whitewashed. Once the Aussie juggernaut is on a roll there can be no stopping it, especially since the refuge of a draw has just about disappeared from Test cricket.It now behoves England to forget about the long campaign. Every match must be viewed as their last chance so any thoughts about Melbourne and Sydney must be banished. Somehow, they must find a way to win in Perth...
England’s No3 is vulnerable through that slightly open bat face, while Alastair Cook’s Ashes game plan against the spinner Nathan Lyon isn’t clear, which is puzzling for a champion cricketer about to play his 150th Test in PerthJoe Root’s optimism after the defeat in Adelaide was to be expected. You don’t throw the towel in from 2-0 down, however much history is against you. That said, the way Australia’s bowlers are slicing through England is all pointing to the Ashes changing hands.Much was made of Root’s decision to bowl first – more on that later – but right now, four innings into the series without a hundred from a touring batsman and only one total a nudge above 300, it...
There are plusses for England despite the scoreline – Craig Overton, Chris Woakes and some team spirit – but the side may be clutching at straws from here on inIn Brisbane and Adelaide England have managed to tantalise. They have not been uniformly hopeless. They clung on at the Gabba for three days and there were moments when they could have taken control of that Test. Conversely in Adelaide, having played ineptly for two and a half days, they bowled out Australia for 138 in their second innings and so conjured up the possibility of a historic victory. On the fourth day they rose again and allowed their fans to dream. On the fifth grim reality returned. All out for...