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...
The opinionated former England batsman’s TV and radio commentary always refers to his past exploits and that is something irrelevant to the modern eraOn a mid-summer afternoon more than 30 years ago, back in the long-lost era when Yorkshire played a lot more of their cricket away from the dismal confines of Headingley, I was having a happy sunlit wander round the charming old ground at Harrogate.One man on a bench on the boundary was going on and on to his mate about the usual subject. I paused for a moment to see which way this rather one-way conversation was going to turn when a bloke in the row behind intervened, loudly. “Oh, give it a rest for Christ’s sake!”...
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...
Anderson made a mockery of the notion that he poses a threat only on English green-tops on a day that left Australia with decisions to ponder before PerthJimmy Anderson does his best work after midnight. Australian time. For cricket fans in this country, the presence of the world’s most productive seam bowler of this decade is more theoretical than palpable. He lives on cable TV in the middle of football season.But his record in Australia? That is a story we’re familiar with. Sure he did well in 2010-11, but got properly carted in the whitewashes either side. He’s the guy George Bailey hit for a record 28 runs from an over. Bailey played five Tests. Related: Joe Root digs in...