The Reverse Sweep

Why the Australia-England ODI series is as bloody as the Battle of Stalingrad

 
The Battle of Stalingrad may have seen perhaps the highest number of casualties of any battle in warfare, but the current ODI series between Australia and England can’t be far behind – and it feels like it has lasted nearly as long as that bloody battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union too.

Certainly, the wisdom of having a seven match series straight after the Ashes, and so soon before the World Cup, has been exposed as the sheer folly most of us knew it was. Players on both sides have been dropping like flies throughout the series.

Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann have already flown home early and Ajmal Shahzad and Chris Tremlett are about to join them.

For Australia, it is not much better with Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty, Shaun Marsh all being felled to join Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey on the sidelines.

The sixth match of the series today was particularly bloody. Jonathan Trott and Steve Smith both required runners and Paul Collingwood was unable to bowl after jarring his back whilst batting. And if Shaun Tait's glass body managed to get through without a crack it will have been a miracle. At this rate, the final match of the series in Perth will be seven-a-side.

Indeed, things have got so bad for England that Liam Plunkett has been called up. Any additional injuries could see the unthinkable happen – the return of Sajid Mahmood.

If that happens, England’s hopes for the World Cup will be as buggered as the Wehrmacht’s Sixth Army was at Stalingrad.

Where next?

Back to back Ashes Series? Doomsday is here...

100 stories about the Ashes

An England under-23 XI featuring Chris Woakes

Reaction to England's World Cup Squad

Full coverage of the Ashes 2010/11 series

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

How England won the Ashes: Part 4 - Runs, runs, runs...

 
Despite England finally managing to win on Australia Day of all days, we are still not bothered too much by the never ending story that is the one-day series. Time to look back again, then…

With the notable exception of Jonathan Trott, England’s top six came into the Ashes series with doubts hanging over them after a collective poor return against Pakistan over the summer. Ian Bell, who had been injured for the Pakistan tests, was deemed a concern too given his previously poor record against Australia.

The man considered the biggest concern was Alastair Cook, with some pundits, including as shrewd a judge as Michael Atherton, calling for the opener to be dropped in favour of Eoin Morgan with Trott promoted to open. Thankfully, England’s selectors stuck with their man and Cook repaid them by transforming himself into a left-handed Herbert Sutcliffe to score more runs in a test series than any Englishman ever except Wally Hammond in 1928/29.

And it wasn’t just Cook. For those that grew up in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s, you will doubtless be familiar with Roy Castle singing “dedication is what you need…if you want to be a record breaker”.

Perhaps this tune was played alongside KP's favourite Carly Simon song on the dressing room stereo, as this is exactly the mantra that England’s batsmen followed during the series. Having all got into nick in the crucial warm-up matches prior to the 1^st Test, England’s batsmen showed exemplary patience and good judgment throughout the series – except in the aberration that was Perth. But even though they left the ball much better than the Australians, England still managed to post a higher run-rate per over for the series – 3.5 to 3.1.

In seven innings, England reached 500 four times. They hit their highest totals ever in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, with the latter being England’s highest ever test total in Australia.

In those seven innings, England’s batsmen hit nine hundreds (Cook (3), Trott (2), Strauss, Pietersen, Bell and Prior) – with six being at least 135 or over, compiled 11 hundred partnerships and all of the top seven – with the exception of Paul Collingwood – comfortably averaged above 40 for the series.

The comparison with the Australians was stark. The home side only once passed 400 in ten innings, hit just three hundreds (Hussey (2) and Haddin), only had four century partnerships and three batsmen averaging over 40 for the series (Hussey, Haddin and Watson). And unlike Cook, Australia’s premier opener Watson was unable to even convert one of his several good starts into three figures. That meant that with Australia’s supposed best batsmen Ponting and Clarke having dreadful series', none of Australia’s top four registered even one hundred.

If that wasn’t enough proof of how much Australia were outgunned with the bat, how about the fact that their average runs per wicket lost in the series was 28.9 to England’s 51.1? Or even that England had Bell coming in at six instead of North or Smith. Now that is perhaps the most damning point of all!

Where next?

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

How England won the Ashes: Part 3 - Hunting as a pack

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes including amongst others James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Graham Gooch, Dennis Lillee and Mitchell Johnson

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Reaction to England's World Cup squad - Prior the victor

 
Unsurprisingly, the fifteen names chosen by England today for the forthcoming World Cup differ from those we picked in our World Cup XV earlier in the week.

We can understand leaving out Chris Tremlett on a horses for courses basis given that on the pitches of the sub-continent he would be unable to generate the bounce that made him such a dangerous proposition during the Ashes. Moreover, with Tremlett’s chequered history of injuries, perhaps it is best that he be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the summer tests against Sri Lanka and India.

England will regret only picking one specialist keeper if Matt Prior falls victim to injury or Delhi Belly during the tournament. That said, we applaud the selection of Prior ahead of Stephen Davies, who hasn’t convinced us either, but we would have taken the Surrey gloveman or Craig Kieswetter ahead of Jonathan Trott for insurance purposes.

The omission of Davies and selection of Prior also makes the selectors look a bit foolish for not including the latter in the squad for the current seven (yawn) match series with Australia. The selectors hadn’t put a foot wrong this winter, but they erred on this occasion.

That said, both of these decisions were borderline and don’t cause us too many grumbles. However, the selection of Luke Wright and James Tredwell do.

Wright may look uncannily like Shane Watson, but it is Steve Smith that he most closely resembles as a player. Neither are good enough with bat or ball for international cricket, and surely Ravi Bopara would have been a better choice. Bopara could even have opened with Andrew Strauss, leaving Prior to fulfill the role down the order, which he is probably best suited to.

Like Wright, Tredwell is out of his depth in international cricket and whilst we never expected the selectors to go with our choice of Samit Patel, surely there are better options than Tredwell. Adil Rashid for one comes to mind.

Will this squad win the World Cup? Probably not. But England fans should expect their team to put in its best performance at the World Cup since 1992 when they were beaten in the final by Pakistan. We tip them to make the semi-finals at least.

Where next?

Watch Luke Wright breaking his cricket bat

Adil Rashid should go to the World Cup

Zeroes: Steve Smith

Luke Wright is the shit Shane Watson

What Cricket can learn from Football in staging a World Cup

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Shane Watson: No longer the bridesmaid & finally the bride

 
Jesus had been given some tough challenges before.

There was that day he had to walk on water, or the wedding when he had to turn water into wine, or even that time he had to feed 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of manky fish.

But yesterday, his task was much more difficult and even less unlikely.

At least it was Sunday, which apparently makes miracles more likely – something about the power of prayer – but this was the ultimate challenge.

Jesus had tried several times before. Eight times he had made it possible for him to reach 30 during the Ashes series, but each time the vain one had thrown his wicket away and as for his running between the wickets...

Then there was that Twenty 20 match, where Jesus had enabled him to score a blistering fifty and take four wickets for not many, but then some spotty debutant called Woakes stole the show at the death. Always the bridesmaid never the bride.

Confidence wasn’t high at the Pearly Gates yesterday. Some shoddy fielding and cack-handed wicket-keeping had enabled England to score 295.

How were Australia going to win from here? And how was Jesus supposed to perform the miracle that would be Shane Watson getting to three figures and leading his team home?

But just to prove that miracles can happen, or more likely that every dog can have its day, Watson went out there and did just that. Yesterday he finally became the bride.

We still don’t like him at the Reverse Sweep, and we didn’t watch the whole innings (anyone that watches all seven ODI deserves a medal in our opinion), but any score of 161 not out in a winning chase in an ODI is a fantastic knock.

Divine intervention occurs in the strangest of places. We may yet see Michael Clarke scoring at a run-a-ball or Steve Smith becoming a test-class leg-spinner, or even Andrew Hilditch admitting that he get it horribly wrong and voluntarily falling on his sword? Ok, even divine intervention cannot make everything possible.

Where next?

Zeroes: Steven Smith

Zeroes: Shane Watson

Zeroes: Andrew Hilditch

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Zeroes: Steven Smith

 
It would seem that the decline and fall of the Roman Empire had nothing on that currently being experienced by the Australian cricket team.

After years of dominance by an all-conquering side, the steady decline after their World Cup success of 2007 has suddenly turned into a rapid fall culminating in the recent catastrophic home Ashes series defeat.

Being England supporters here at the Reverse Sweep, one of the best things about Australia’s slide has been that they have started mirroring some of the worst excesses of the England cricket team of the 1990’s. Namely batting collapses from nowhere, toothless bowling, an unerring ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and bizarre selections.

One of these has been Steven Smith. We’re still not quite sure what the point of Smith is. He most definitely isn’t a test number six, nor from what we have seen to date, is he even remotely a test class leg-spinner. He can field and he certainly seems to have a bit of pluck, but to be frank not much else.

The Australian selectors won’t admit it, but they are desperate to find a leg-spinner to replace Shane Warne, and much like the England selectors when trying to find a replacement for Ian Botham, they are prepared to try pretty much anyone - hence the likes of Bryce McGain getting a brief and painful experience of Test cricket.

England were also desperate to find an English Shane Warne in the 1990s. Ian Salisbury was picked, dropped and recalled before being discarded for good. Then in a move similar to the Australian’s premature punt on Smith, Chris Schofield was plunged in at the deep end after a handful of first-class matches and sunk without trace in two tests against Zimbabwe in 2000.

Smith is only 21, so he has time on his side and to be fair we were impressed with his counterattacking 77 against Pakistan at Headingley last summer. He also seems to have more about him than Schofield. And if he continues to enjoy the luck he had in the second innings of the Perth Test where he became the most fortunate Australian since Elizabeth Hurley invited Warney in for a nightcap, he may yet make the grade.

But at the risk of Smith metamorphosing into a genuine test-class leggie that proves the difference between the sides in future Ashes series, we’ll be surprised if it is Smith that has us crying into our beer if and when Australian cricket rises again - unless if it is with laughter of course.

Where next?

Seven reasons why the Poms love Shane Warne

Is Australia's spin cupboard bare?

The curious case of Nathan Hauritz

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes: including amongst others Shane Watson, Nathan Hauritz, Mitchell Johnson, James Anderson, David Gower and Imran Khan 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

How England won the Ashes: Part 2 - Inspired selections

 
Let’s be honest, England have made a number of selection blunders in the make-up of their Ashes squads to tour Australia over the last 20 years.

Who can forget that Martin McCague - with catastrophic results - was preferred to Angus Fraser in 1994/95? Or that Andrew Caddick was left out for the 1998/99 trip, despite taking 105 wickets in the summer of 1998. And then in the ill-fated 2006-07 series, that a rusty Ashley Giles got the nod over Monty Panesar for the first two tests.

But there were no guffaws this time. On the contrary, the borderline selections of Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan proved to be positively inspired.

They also stuck with Alastair Cook despite before the series the likes of Mike Atherton calling for him to be dropped in place of Eoin Morgan. Of course, Cook then repaid the selectors’ faith by becoming a left-handed reincarnation of Herbert Sutcliffe. The selectors also resisted the temptation to move Jonathan Trott down the order and retained the six batsmen-four bowler policy.

All of these decisions paid off spectacularly. As did the one to keep Ian Bell at six when Paul Collingwood’s form faltered. Moving Bell up the order would just have undermined Collingwood and perhaps even given the Aussies a bit of a fillip – the sight of an in-form Bell coming in at four wickets down must have been soul-destroying for the Australians at times.

The two changes that England made during the series also paid off in spades. Tremlett was a revelation with 17 wickets after replacing the injured Stuart Broad. And what must have been a tough decision to replace Steven Finn with Bresnan for the last two tests also proved correct. Finn may have been the leading wicket-taker in the series at that point, but his economy rate of 4.3 runs per over threatened England’s plan of containment. So out he went, and in came Bresnan, who probably even surprised himself with how well he performed.

Whilst the England selectors deserve a tick in every box, Australia’s were hopeless and clueless despite what that ridiculous excuse for a Chairman Andrew Hilditch thinks. Forced into naming a confused and elongated initial 17 man squad 10 days before the 1st Test by Cricket Australia’s Marketing Department, they then compounded their error by jettisoning incumbent spinner Nathan Hauritz before a ball had even been bowled.

They then panicked after Brisbane by dropping Mitchell Johnson for the clearly unfit Doug Bollinger. Whilst for Perth they concluded that despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Steve Smith was a number six Test batsman and that the out-of-form and technically deficient Phil Hughes should replace the injured Simon Katich. Admittedly they did get it right by sticking with Mike Hussey and the selection (albeit belatedly) of Usman Khawaja, but the overall picture they portrayed was one of poorly thought out plans, risky and ill-advised punts and a general sense of making it up as they went along.

Not only did England end nearly a quarter of a century of hurt down under by winning the series (yes, we're still gloating), but their selectors transformed from a bunch of bumbling incompetents into Gandalfesque shrewd soothsayars whilst somehow transferring their discarded 'attributes' to their Australian counterparts. That makes it even more satisfying.

Where next?

How England won the Ashes: Part 1 - Preparation

The curious case of Nathan Hauritz

Doug Bollinger as you've never seen him before

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

Ashes 2010/11: England series marks out of 10

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Ashes 2010/11: Australia series marks out of 10

 
Australia's selectors confusingly named a 17 man squad prior to the Brisbane Test, so it is perhaps fitting that 17 men - not the same 17 mind - were eventually used throughout the series. Here are how they rated:

Shane Watson - 6 (5 Tests, 435 runs at 48.33, HS 95; 3 wickets at 74.33, BB 1/30): 435 runs and four fifties wouldn't normally be a bad series return especially in a well-beaten side, but Watson's failure to go on to record even one big score after getting to 36 eight times demonstrated that he is still a lower-middle order batsman desperately trying to be an opener. Doesn't rotate the strike enough, although maybe his abysmal running between the wickets has something to do with that after being involved in three catastrophic run-outs in the series. A reluctant bowler.

Simon Katich - 4 (2 Tests, 97 runs at 24.25, HS 50): Probably has the same low opinion of Shane Watson as us after being run out without facing a ball in the batting paradise of Adelaide. Started the series with a typically gritty 50 and ended it prematurely in Adelaide on one leg bravely refusing a runner. Australia missed his battling qualities thereafter, but with a team to reconstruct it is unlikely that the 35 year old will wear the Baggy Green again.

Phillip Hughes - 3 (3 Tests, 97 runs at 16.16, HS 31): Looked all at sea when he came in at Perth especially against Tremlett, but improved steadily match by match. However, a top score of 31 in three Tests is not good enough for an opening batsman and he would appear to have so many technical deficiencies that one wonders whether he will ever make a successful test batsman. Another sold down the river by Watson's keystone cops running, but he served his revenge cold in the second innings at Sydney.

Ricky Ponting - 2 (4 Tests, 113 runs at 16.14, HS 51*): Could it have been any worse for Ponting? Became the first Australian skipper to preside over three Ashes reverses since Billy Murdoch - when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Then there was his batting, where he made less runs in the series than Siddle and Johnson. Finally, his epitaph as captain - and maybe even as a test player - was the unseemly incident with the umpires at Melbourne. A broken finger is the least of his problems. 

Usman Khawaja - 6 (1 Test, 58 runs at 29.00, HS 37): Came in for his debut Test at Sydney with an increasingly desperate Australian press hyping him so much we were expecting the new Brian Lara. Khawaja did reasonably well though, dismissively pulling his second delivery in test cricket for four and generally looking composed and relaxed at the crease. Expect to see much more of him in the Baggy Green.

Michael Clarke - 4 (5 Tests, 193 runs at 21.44, HS 80): With Ponting's form deserting him, it was up to the vice-captain to step up to the plate. Clarke failed dismally and was guilty of a number of careless dismissals - especially getting out to Pietersen in Adelaide after his one decent knock of the series. Became Australia's 43rd Test captain at Sydney and quickly found that Lara Bingle was easy to manage in comparison. Is Clarke the tough character required to lead the rebuilding project? We're not so sure.

Michael Hussey - 9 (5 Tests, 570 runs at 63.33, HS 195): Came into the series with the axe hovering over his head, but emerged as Australia's best performer. Batted like Superman at Brisbane and Perth and fully deserved his two centuries. And for three Tests he stood almost alone of Australia's top six in facing down the England attack. Faded at Melbourne and Sydney after the effects of the kryptonite wore off, but that should not detract too much from a fine series for Mr Cricket.

Marcus North - 2 (2 Tests, 49 runs at 16.33; 1 wicket at 110.00): Started the series with his head in the noose and was hung out to dry after the heavy defeat in Adelaide. Australia's best spinner in Brisbane and Adelaide - not that there was much competition, but looked all at sea with the bat especially against Swann. Another unlikely to don the Baggy Green again.

Steve Smith - 4 (3 Tests, 159 runs at 31.80, HS 54*; no wickets): Ridiculously picked as a number six by the increasingly erratic Australian selectors at Perth, Smith was clearly out of his depth. His leg-spin showed some promise, but he picked up no wickets and went at four and a half runs an over. He is not yet ready for test cricket with either bat or ball, although he certainly has some pluck as evidenced by his fifty on the final day of the series.

Brad Haddin - 7 (360 runs at 45.00, HS 136): Started off the series like a train with a brilliant century at The Gabba, which as part of his 300 partnership with Hussey seemed to have put Australia in control. Increasingly became derailed as the series wore on with careless dismissals and some none-too-pretty work with the gloves. How long will Haddin be able to fend off the challenge of young pretender Tim Paine?

Mitchell Johnson - 4 (15 wickets at 36.93, BB 6/38; 122 runs at 17.42, HS 62): The ultimate hit or miss cricketer. Atrocious in Brisbane, dropped for Adelaide, the matchwinner in Perth, poor in Melbourne and indifferent in Sydney. Bowled plenty of tripe and went at over four an over during the series, but when he gets it right - as he did in Perth - Johnson is unplayable and therein lies the paradox. Also blew hot and cold with the bat with two fifties and three ducks.

Ryan Harris - 6 (3 Tests, 11 wickets at 25.54, BB 6/47; 14 runs at 3.50, HS 10*): Came in at Adelaide and bagged a king pair, but was Australia's best (make that only) bowler without getting much reward. Cashed in at Perth with nine wickets, before going wicketless at Melbourne and picking up a stress fracture. Has the pace, ability and heart to make a return to the test side, but perhaps not the body.

Peter Siddle - 6.5 (5 Tests, 14 wickets at 34.57, BB 6/54; 154 runs at 19.25, HS 43): Started off the series with a bang at Brisbane with a hat-trick and six wickets, and then took another six for in his home test at the MCG. But only two other wickets in the other five innings he bowled in smacks of inconsistency and it is interesting that he was successful when bowling a slightly fuller length. Probably didn't expect to score more runs and have a better average than Ponting, but looks to have some promise with the bat. One for the Australian selectors to persevere with. 

Ben Hilfenhaus - 2 (4 Tests, 7 wickets at 59.28, BB 3/121; 55 runs at 11.00, HS 34): Was our tip as leading wicket-taker before the series but proceeded to bowl like a bowling machine stuck in one delivery. He had only played one test in Australia prior to the series and it transpired that he was a shadow of the bowler who did so well in the 2009 Ashes. Needs to watch religiously a DVD of how James Anderson bowled.

Doug Bollinger - 1 (1 Test, BB 1/130, 7 runs): Was full of talk before the series about how he was going to let Pietersen's ego get him out, but as plans go it was up there with playing russian roulette with a fully loaded gun given KP's double hundred. Went at 4.5 runs per over, showed poor fitness levels, and made Watson's body language look positive. Unsurprisingly, the selectors decided the champagne was flat after just the one test. 

Xavier Doherty - 1 (2 Tests, 3 wickets at 102, BB 2/41; 27 runs at 9.00): Plucked from nowhere by Australia's erratic selectors to replace Nathan Hauritz and started well with 2/41 in the 1st innings at Brisbane. The wheels fell off after that though with Doherty looking every inch what he was - a bowler with a first-class average of over 50. Went at over five an over in Adelaide, but did do what he was brought into the side for by getting Pietersen out - for 227!

Michael Beer - 2 (1 Test, 1 wicket at 112; 4 runs at 4.00): Was surprisingly picked in the squad for Perth after only a handful of first-class matches and was finally handed a debut at Sydney. Looked a better bet than Doherty, but the moment that he over-stepped and handed Cook a reprieve proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Australia. Did enough though to suggest that he may get another chance.

Where next?

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

4th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

5th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

The Curious Case of Nathan Hauritz

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

5th Test - Sydney: Australia marks out of 10

 

If any more proof was needed, the defeat in Sydney showed that this is the worst Australian side since the dark days of the mid-1980's. Impotent with the ball and, in most cases, clueless with the bat, Australia were beaten by an innings again - the first time ever they have had three such defeats in one series.

A massive rebuilding programme awaits, but how did the well-beaten XI rate here (see England marks out of 10 here): 

Shane Watson - 5: Two more starts and two more failures to go on call into question again the long-term viability of Watson opening. His shout of "oh no" when he was dismissed in the first innings summed things up perfectly - what he said about being run out in the second is probably unprintable. We're looking forward to the "Shane Watson's Comedy Moments" DVD - crazy run-outs, serial failures to reach three figures and plenty of sulking and preening.

Phil Hughes - 4: Actually resembled a reasonable test match opener in the first innings before ruining all his hard work by having an injudicious swish outside off-stump with lunch just three balls away. Gave Watson an eye for an eye for Melbourne by running him out in the second innings. The less said about his antics when claiming a catch off Cook on 99 the better.  

Usman Khawaja - 6: A composed debut with the dismissive pull to the boundary off only his second ball in test cricket being positively Goweresque. Not the finished article yet, but likely to emerge as a vital cog in a rebuilt Australian side.

Michael Clarke - 3: Not a great first match as Australia's 43rd Test captain with two more careless dismissals and his side conceding more runs in an innings to England down under than any previous Australian side in history - and Pup thought that Lara Bingle was hard to manage. At least showed he was prepared to be bold by opting to bat under grey skies and in handing the new ball to Johnson, but as job interviews go this wasn't a compelling performance from Pup to get the job as top dog on a permanent basis.

Michael Hussey - 4: To say that Mr Cricket will have been disappointed to get out to Collingwood to the delivery before the new ball was taken is a massive understatement. Made a late bid to be classified as an all-rounder by rolling his arm over, but the kryptonite he took before the Brisbane Test has well and truly worn off now.

Brad Haddin - 4: Moved up to six and immediately got out chasing a wide one in the 1st innings before Tremlett got him with a brute of a delivery in the second. A very good batsman, but with Australia rebuilding, how long will it be before Tim Paine comes in?

Steve Smith - 5: Plucky 50 in the second innings doesn't hide the fact that Smith is not yet ready for Test cricket. Not good enough to play as a specialist batsman or bowler and not good enough either yet as an all-rounder. Clarke would seem to agree too given that he didn't hand him the ball until the England innings was over 100 overs old.

Mitchell Johnson - 4: A typical hit and miss performance from Johnson. His 1st innings 50 kept Australia in the game, but he was then wayward with the new ball and despite taking four wickets went at nearly five runs an over. His downhill performance continued with a first-ball duck in the second innings. Makes Steve Harmison look accurate and consistent.

Peter Siddle - 4: After his strong performance at the MCG, Siddle had to be content with just the solitary wicket of nightwatchman Anderson here. Further demonstrated his promise with the bat with a fighting career best 43 on the final day. A man that Australia can rebuild a team around.

Ben Hilfenhaus - 4: Rode his luck with the bat in the partnership with Johnson that gave Australia a foothold in the game. Poor with the new ball, he at least managed to pick up three wickets - his best return of the series, but he could do worse than sitting down to watch a DVD of Anderson to see how a swing bowler can be effective - and more importantly less predictable - on Australian wickets.

Michael Beer - 3: Bowled tidily enough but will rue for the rest of his days the no-ball that let Cook off the hook when he had made only 46. Looked a better bet than Doherty, but how Nathan Hauritz didn't play even one Test in this series is a mystery.

Where next?

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

4th Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Boundary View: England crush Australia to end 24 years of hurt - Sydney, Day Five

 
24 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming 

Like many we wrote before the series that this Australian team was there for the taking, but despite this our natural English pessimism led us to predict that the series would end 2-2. How wrong we were. All 13 players used by England during the series performed well - even Paul Collingwood who led the way in the field, whilst only four Australian players turned up - five if you include Mitchell Johnson at Perth. England prepared thoroughly, were well led and performed brilliantly, and after 24 years of woe down under, it feels good to give the Australians a dose of their own medicine. Long may it continue.

High noon

Just before noon it was Chris Tremlett who fired the final bullet by bowling Michael Beer and so consigning Australia to a third crushing innings defeat of the series - the first time that they have suffered this ignominy even against the mighty West Indian sides of the 1980s. Tremlett has been a revelation since coming back into the side at Perth, but this is the moment that will be retold again and again to the grandchildren.

Jimmy floors 'em like Tyson

Alastair Cook deserves all the plaudits coming his way as Man of the Series, but James Anderson deserves equal mention. The wicket of Ben Hilfenhaus gave Anderson an impressive 24 wickets at 26 for the series - the most wickets by an England seamer in a five-Test series in Australia since Frank Tyson took 28 in the 1954/55 series. The 'Typhoon' has gone down in Ashes folklore for his contribution on that tour and that is exactly what Anderson deserves for proving all the doubters before the series incontestably wrong - including us (see Dear Jimmy...).

A bright future

Collingwood may be retiring but the rest of the squad should be around for some time yet. England's current ICC ranking of 3 is about right as there is still some way to go before this side can be mentioned in the same breath as India and South Africa. But with the Proteas being perennial bridesmaids and with the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman probably nearing retirement,England's goal of becoming the number one side in the world seems more than realistic. A downer like the one suffered by the Ashes winning side of 2005 doesn't seem likely for this team with Messrs Strauss and Flower at the helm. 

Player of the day

Paul Collingwood led England out on his final day as a Test cricketer and as such he is our sentimental player of the day - farewell to England's working class hero.

Zero of the day

This one has to go to the Australian selectors. Their confused selection of a 17 man squad before the series set the tone and plenty of strange selections followed - Australia's best spinner Nathan Hauritz didn't play a single Test with the selectors preferring a man with a first-class average of over 50 (Xavier Doherty) and then Michael Beer - a bowler with only a handful of first-class matches under his belt. Phil Hughes was picked with a first-class season average of 15 and Steve Smith was picked for... well despite his plucky 50 today we are still trying to work that one out.

Where next?

Day 4 @ Sydney: England on the brink of joining Ashes immortals

Day 3 @ Sydney: Cook & Bell in the pink as England take command

Day 2 @ Sydney: England progress after Johnson's sting in the tail

Day 1 @ Sydney: Rain interrupts war of attrition

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

Follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Boundary View: Cook & Bell in the pink as England take command - Sydney, Day Three

 
'Daddy' Cook in the pink again

On a day when the SCG went pink in memory of Jane McGrath, Alastair Cook again looked in prime form as his plunder from the series rose to three hundreds and 766 runs. In the process, Cook became the 2nd highest run accumulator ever in a test series for England going past Denis Compton (753 vs South Africa in 1947) and his mentor Graham Gooch (752 against India in 1990 - in just three tests). Gooch is fond of the phrase 'Daddy' hundred to describe the importance of aiming big when a batsman passes 100. Cook has certainly done that in the series with scores of 235* at Brisbane, 148 at Adelaide and 189 here. And with Cook also passing John Edrich's record of batting 2,006 minutes in an Ashes series, he can ask Gooch 'who's the Daddy now?' 

From Sherminator to Terminator

After 18 Tests and 12 scores of 50 plus, Ian Bell finally got to three figures against Australia. In the process, he enjoyed the luck he perhaps hasn't previously in the Ashes. First, a decision to give him out caught behind off an inside edge when he had 67 was contentiously over-ruled on review when hot-spot failed to spot a mark on the bat. Then on 84, he was dropped by Steve Smith off a sharp caught and bowled chance. But as throughout the series, Bell's innings was one of the highest class and came when England needed it - countering all the old arguments that Bell only scores runs when the pressure is off.  When he came in, England were still 49 runs behind, but when he was out just before the close, he walked off with his side in complete command. As Shane Warne joked on-air, Bell has gone from sherminator to terminator.

Pup whimpers for Glenn on Jane McGrath Day

It was wonderful to see the support from players, supporters and broadcasters alike for Jane McGrath - although we're not sure about Nasser Hussain's shocking pink suit, but Michael Clarke may suggest simply re-naming day 3 at the SCG 'McGrath Day'. With Glenn McGrath so omnipresent on this day in particular, Pup will have been forgiven if he spent most of the day whimpering for the former all-time great to be in his attack. The fact that Shane Watson looked Australia's most dangerous seamer said everything and Clarke even had to turn to Mike Hussey for an over before tea. With Australia's next Test assignment being in Sri Lanka things are unlikely to get any better for Clarke's impotent attack.

What is the point of Steve Smith?

We're not quite sure what Steve Smith is supposed to be, and neither so it would seem is Clarke. With Smith demoted to seven in the order for this Test, it would seem that the selectors have him down as an all-rounder. But he failed with the bat again and then Clarke didn't turn to him with the ball until the England innings was over 100 overs old. When he failed to hold on to the admittedly difficult caught and bowled chance from Bell, it dawned on us that Smith could well be the first f***-all-rounder in Test history. As D-Ream once sang, 'Things Can Only Get Better' for the youngster.

Third time lucky for Beer could spell doom for Colly

Twice Michael Beer thought he had his first test wicket and both times he was foiled by the video umpire correctly reprieving Cook on 46 and 99. So it was hardly surprising that he gave a quick look at the umpire before celebrating the wicket of Paul Collingwood. A case of third time lucky for Beer, but not for Collingwood who probably hasn't had a worse taste in his mouth since he last sampled some of the local Australian brew. We're big fans of Colly here at the Reverse Sweep, but even we're not confident that we'll see him drinking again at the Test Tavern now. 

Player of the day

Alastair Cook has broken more records on this trip than a pious Radio 1 DJ who had been given a stack of gangsta rap vinyl, and he shares the plaudits with Ian Bell who finally removed that Ashes monkey from his back. Their partnership of 154 transformed a game that had been in the balance to one where England are now utterly dominant.  

Zero of the day

Although there were plenty of candidates amongst the Australian bowlers, it has to be Phillip Hughes. You could tell from his initial reaction that he knew that he hadn't caught Cook when he was on 99, but instead of asking the umpires to check the video he got carried away with the appeals of his team-mates. Did he really think that the footage would miss the obvious bounce before the ball went into his hands?

What happens next?

With the lead already 208, Australia's hopes of squaring the series are gone. England will likely try and bat until lunch before even considering a declaration with Matt Prior hoping to top the 85 he made in Melbourne. With the pitch likely to deteriorate, Australia will do well to combat Graeme Swann and avoid what seems a likely defeat. 

Where next?

Day 2 @ Sydney: England progress after Johnson's sting in the tail

Day 1 @ Sydney: Rain interrupts war of attrition

Read all the excerpts from KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes 

The best and worst Test XIs of 2010

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The curious case of Nathan Hauritz's banishment from Australia's Ashes side

 
We've never been Nathan Hauritz's biggest fans at the Reverse Sweep (see the link at the end of this post for evidence), but even we would admit that he had done a reasonable job as Australia's spinner and indeed was (and still is) incontestably the best twirler to wear the Baggy Green post-Warne.

Sure, he struggled in India just prior to the Ashes but a) he was just coming back from injury, b) Ricky Ponting's lack of faith in his spinner was ably demonstrated by the atrocious fields he set, and; c) it's not as if he was the first spinner to struggle in India - just ask Warne and Murali.

Butother than India, Hauritz had done a steady if unspectacular job and actually took 29 wickets in six home tests against Pakistan and West Indies last year at a decent 26.82. Those two sides may not exactly be the strongest in the world, but we can't imagine that Xavier Doherty or Michael Beer would have done as well.

Hauritz also did quite well in the 2009 Ashes, taking 10 wickets in 3 Tests at 32.10. Indeed, the decision to leave him out of the XI in the decider at The Oval probably ensured that Australia's grip on the Ashes was relinquished.

Despite his culling from the national side, Hauritz has also picked up 19 wickets in six first-class matches this season at 26.78 (as well as hitting his first two first-class hundreds). Hardly spectacular, but as we hinted before pretty reasonable. Again, it is significantly better than Beer's 16 wickets at 43, Doherty's almost identical 15 at 43 -or even Steve Smith's 12 at 42.

So, Hauritz really would seem to be the best spinner Australia has and their failure to call on him during the series appears to be inexplicable. We're not saying that Hauritz would have made the difference between Australia winning and losing the Ashes, but we bet he would have done better than those that replaced him.

Where next?

5th Test preview: England aim to give Clarke a baptism of fire

Michael Beer's selection explained

Zeroes: Nathan Hauritz

Zeroes: Andrew Hilditch

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

The best and worst Test XIs of 2010

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

4th Test - Melbourne: Australia marks out of 10

 
The wheels came off in startling fashion for Australia at their supposed Melbourne stronghold. All out for 98, Ricky Ponting remonstrating with the umpires and defeat by an innings and 157 runs - their third worst Ashes defeat ever on home soil. It will be interesting to see where the beleaguered selectors go for Sydney.

Here's how the well-beaten Aussies rated:

Shane Watson - 5: Dropped twice before finally departing for a sorry 5 in the 1st innings. Scored yet another unconverted fifty second time around. Openers are supposed to score tons and Watson needs to work on this, his dreadful running between the wickets, poor body language and serious misjudgements such as his inexplicable decision to leave that straight one from Bresnan.

Phil Hughes - 4: Did the hard work of playing himself in both times, but failed to go on. He only had himself to blame first time around, but was sold down the river by the self-obsessed Watson for a crazy run out on day 3. There is talk of Katich returning for Sydney, if so will Hughes get another chance?

Ricky Ponting - 3: Will be wishing that his finger injury had ruled him out. Lost the toss, lost his wicket cheaply twice and then lost his marbles with the umpires. His position as captain and number three batsman is now under threat.  Has probably been Australia's best batsman since Bradman, but now looks a shadow of his former self. The end of days are nigh for Punter.

Michael Clarke - 3: Two more failures for the supposed heir to Ponting and he fell meekly both times. As Samson when he lost his hair, Clarke's loss of Lara Bingle seems to have deprived him of all vestiges of his strengths. Disappointing against Pakistan in the summer, disappointing in India and now woeful against England. The next-in-line to the throne could yet be usurped.

Mike Hussey - 2: His Atlas-like heroics had to finish somewhere and they certainly ended here with scores of 8 and 0. But Hussey is one of the few that should be spared from the mountain of criticism that will be levied at Australia after their meek surrender here.

Steve Smith - 4: On this showing he is not good enough to bat at six or bowl leg-spin in test cricket. The selectors asked the impossible of a promising 21 year old and unsurprisingly he has failed to deliver even if he obviously has a bit of ticker.

Brad Haddin - 7: Gave it away like everyone else in the 1st innings, but at least made England wait for the inevitable on the final morning. How Haddin can be placed below Smith in the order is one of the mysteries of the series. As an archetypal tough and gritty Aussie, could be a decent choice as an interim captain.

Mitchell Johnson - 3: He didn't quite sink to the depths of Brisbane, but his first spell on Boxing Day was woeful. If every test match Australia played was at the WACA, then Johnson would be the best bowler in the world, but in the real world the ultimate mummy's boy is more of a flop than the top gun.

Ryan Harris - 4: No wickets and a dreadful break for the wholehearted Harris with a stress fracture ruling him out of the World Cup. Has the talent and heart, but perhaps not the fitness to make a test comeback. 

Peter Siddle - 8: It was no fault of Siddle that Australia flopped so badly on his home ground. Took his second six for of the series to prove that he could walk the walk after talking the talk in the run-up to the match. Breezy test best of 40 made England wait a while on the final morning.

Ben Hilfenhaus - 3: Our tip as the leading wicket-taker in the series has bombed badly. He may be tidy and economical, but there is a serious lack of variety and the England batsmen have been able to play him with relative ease. At least doubled his tally for the series with the wickets of Swann and Tremlett on day 3. 

Where next?

Day 4 @ Melbourne: Ashes retained as England end 24 years of hurt

Day 3 @ Melbourne: England on the brink as revolution looms down under

Day 2 @ Melbourne: Trott so hot as Ponting boils over

Day 1 @ Melbourne: Ponting's Turkeys are stuffed on Boxing Day

1st Test: England marks out of 10, 1st Test: Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

3rd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes: featuring Shane Watson, Graham Gooch, Justin Langer and Matt Hayden amongst others

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Boundary View: Trott so hot as Ponting boils over - Melbourne, Day Two

 
Not so Keane

Being a Pom and a Liverpool supporter, we've always likened the Australian cricket team to Manchester United. But even we wouldn't expect to have seen Ricky Ponting doing a passable impersonation of Roy Keane when he led a posse of players in haranguing and chasing referee Andy D'Urso in a Premier League match against Middlesborough in 2000. Ponting was furious when a review to give Pietersen not out to a caught behind was correctly upheld by the video umpire. His subsequent gesticulations and animated debate with Aleem Dar may not have been as bad as Keane's antics, but they have no place in cricket - even if it was a case of a frustrated captain who knows that the writing is on the wall as far as regaining the Ashes are concerned. 

Form is temporary...

When you are out of form with the bat, judgement can be impaired and a large slice of fortune may be required to get you firing on all cylinders again. Both of these facets were on display at the MCG today. After seemingly getting his innings started with an edged four through the slip cordon, Paul Collingwood unwisely decided to hook a long hop from Mitchell Johnson straight down the throat of fine-leg. When Ian Bell followed in similar fashion soon after, it brought the out of touch Matt Prior to the crease. England's keeper proceeded to enjoy more luck than your average lottery winner with top edges and skied hooks falling out of reach of the fielders. Then Prior's jackpot arrived when umpire Dar asked for the review after Prior had edged Johnson behind - and sure enough Johnson had stepped over the line. With this many breaks, Prior was bound to get some runs and that is exactly what he did. 

...class is permanent

When Pietersen arrived at the crease to join Trott, Australia sensed a chance to get back into the game. Would the Pietersen of Perth or Adelaide turn up? Fortunately for England it was the latter, as KP played a watchful innings sprinkled with a series of classy straight drives and a couple of brutal boundaries off Steve Smith. He added 92 with Trott to put England back in the box seat and having just reached his 50, looked set for a big one before getting caught in front to one from Siddle that kept low. The plaudits for the day will rightly go to Trott, but Pietersen looks back to his best on this showing. 

...and Trott is relentless

Perhaps Ponting's ire with the umpires came about because of the sheer frustration of trying to get Trott's wicket. Having made that dream debut at the Oval in the Ashes decider of 2009, England's number three has continued to make waves in test cricket. His only real problem today was when on 72 an inside edge cannoned onto his right knee and sent him to the canvas. For a while, Trott looked in trouble and Bell was even ready to come on as a runner, but he soon recovered his composure and continued in that serene and relentless fashion we are all becoming very accustomed to. 

Siddle walks the walk

Peter Siddle certainly talked the talk in the run-up to this Test, but to be fair he really put his money where his mouth is today. After inducing an edge from Alastair Cook in just the fifth over of the day, he surprised Andrew Strauss with a lifter soon after as Australia made life difficult for England in the first hour. Whilst his side's fightback petered out, Siddle kept going and picked up Pietersen in the second session as well as two excellent catches from injudicious hooks by Collingwood and Bell.  

Player of the day

Australia must be sick of the sight of Jonathan Trott, who now has three hundreds in just five tests against them. Given the amount of conferences between the bowlers and Ponting, they still haven't worked out how to bowl to him. Trott's test average now stands at a touch under a remarkable 63 from 17 Tests - second only to a certain Don Bradman and against Australia it is even better - a staggering 104.5. Not bad for someone whom  Mickey Arthur once said wasn't good enough to get into South Africa's side. 

Zero of the day

Shane Watson's wayward over first up after the lunch break would normally have won the day, but it has to be Ricky Ponting for his prolonged haranguing of Dar. He may have been frustrated and he probably knows that the Ashes and maybe his captaincy are slipping away, but this level of disent is inexcusable. And it's not as if it is the first time either...

What happens next?

Can Trott get England's third double hundred of the series and Prior their seventh three figure score? Those are the two sideshows before England declare and try and take the ten wickets they need to retain the Ashes. A second innings defeat in the series beckons for Australia.

Where next?

Day 1 @ Melbourne: Ponting's Turkeys are stuffed on Boxing Day

4th Test Preview: Can England reprise glory of '86?

Dear Santa...

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Boundary View: - Cold Turkey for Australia on Boxing Day - Melbourne, Day One

 
Dear Santa

As I've been such a good boy this year, please can you let me win the toss on a typical greenish English seamer. Can our bowlers consistently put the ball on a testing full length. Please can the opposition batsmen play a series of loose and airy shots outside off-stump to give the keeper and slips catching practice. Please can the opposition pick an all-seam attack and Gabba Johnson and not WACA Johnson turns up. Please can Cooky and I surpass Australia's total on our own and be no wickets down by the close. Finally, can I record my 6,000th test match run to put the icing on what would be a very sumptuous Christmas Cake. There's some mince pies and Delamain brandy for you and some straw for the reindeer by the door. Many thanks, Captain A.J Strauss.

Third time lucky

Shane Watson certainly has the capacity to annoy. He has niggled England since coming in to open the innings at Edgbaston in 2009 and prior to Perth had scored between 34 and 62 in each of his nine Ashes innings. At the WACA he could only manage 13 in this 1st innings, but then bounced back with 95 second time around. So when England dropped him twice this morning, the decision to bowl first could have backfired badly on Strauss. But thankfully, Chris Tremlett produced a beautiful rising delivery that caught Watson's  glove and looped to Kevin Pietersen at gully -England were off and running - albeit belatedly.

Maidens

One of the reasons attributed to why England left Steven Finn out of their XI here was that despite his 14 wickets in the series, he had gone at over four runs an over. Certainly, the pressure that England’s bowlers exerted today with 16 maidens out of the 42.5 that they bowled indirectly led to a number of the wickets that fell. Given that Finn’s replacement Tim Bresnan bowled six of them – and got two wickets to boot – the selectors tough call has been vindicated so far.

A Tale of Two Pitches?

In the run-up to this Test, most of the talk has been about the late switch in pitch. Well, today it looked like each team was batting on a different wicket. When the Australians were batting, the ball was nipping around and the batsmen looked hesitant in their strokeplay. Then when England batted the ball went gunbarrel straight and Strauss and Cook looked completely untroubled and left expertly. The natural state of order seems to have been restored in the series after what would appear to now be a blip for England at the WACA.

Cook steals a march on Hussey

One of the quirks of this series, has been that the batsman on each side most under pressure at the outset have turned out to be the two most prolific batsmen. Hussey edged ahead of Cook at Perth, but his first failure in the series came at just the wrong time for Australia - only two balls before rain brought about a premature lunch break. Cook, on the other hand, left the ball beautifully and by the close had moved within sight of his third ton of the series. He is now back at head of the table of leading run scorers in the series with 575. How many more can he add tomorrow?

Player of the day

All the England seamers deserve high praise, but James Anderson just pips Tremlett and Bresnan for this honour. He bowled beautifully in his first spell but saw Watson dropped twice. Then with the second ball of his second spell he got the key man Mike Hussey and followed it up with the wickets of Smith, Clarke and Johnson – all caught by Prior. Anderson arrived in Australia with many doubting whether he could be effective on the pitches here, but he now has 16 wickets at 26.68 and is the leading wicket taker in the series.

Zero of the day

It's difficult to pick out one of Australia's top six, because all of them looked poor today. But Phillip Hughes' dismissal was particularly dismal given that he had been at the crease for nearly an hour and had seemingly done the hard work until he slashed wildly at Bresnan to get caught in the gully. One wonders if someone if Hughes' technique - what there is of it - can ever be a long term success in test cricket.

What happens next?

Is the game over already? If England bat well on day two it surely is as Graeme Swann would then be able to wreak havoc in Australia's 2nd innings. Just as in 1986, barring a minor miracle, England look set to retain the Ashes in Melbourne.

Where next?

4th Test Preview: Can England reprise glory of '86?

Dear Santa...

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

The 25 Greatest Ashes Tests of them all: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

4th Test: Melbourne - Preview: Can England reprise glory of 1986?

 
The last time England retained the Ashes down under was in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in 1986 when they crushed Australia by an innings and 14 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. With the debacle at Perth now behind them, Andrew Strauss' side has a second opportunity to retain the urn at the same Melbourne Cricket Ground over the coming days.

In the lead-up to the 4th test there has been much speculation about the late switch to a much greener looking pitch, which has given hope to Australians that Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris will find a similarly helpful, fast and bouncy wicket to the one that suited them so much at Perth. This is probably wishful thinking on behalf of the home side and the usual slow Melbourne pitch is a much more likely proposition.

This means that Australia will have to think hard about the make-up of their side. Do they risk going in again with four specialist quicks and the part-time spin of Steve Smith? Or do they hand Michael Beer a test debut in place of either Peter Siddle or Ben Hilfenhaus? Dropping the former would mean that Australia would lose its chief snarler in what appeared to be a new 'in your face' approach in Perth.

England also have decisions to make as to the make-up of the bowling attack, although Andy Flower confirmed earlier this week that they will stick to their four-man bowler approach in the absence of a world-class all-rounder. This is no surprise especially as Matt Prior isn't in the form to justify an elevation to number six.

Likely line-ups

England are likely to be unchanged although Tim Bresnan or Ajmal Shahzad may come in for Steve Finn if the latter is deemed to need a rest by the England management. other than that the only change could be Ian Bell being promoted to five ahead of Paul Collingwood.

For Australia, Ricky Ponting is almost certain to play despite a broken little finger and surely they won't repeat their error of The Oval 2009 by going in without a specialist spinner? If Beer does get the nod, expect Siddle to be the one carrying the drinks. Australia also has the option of bolstering the batting by playing Ponting's stand-by Usman Khawaja instead of Smith at number six.

Look out for…

We tipped Kevin Pietersen to end his long quest for a century in our preview of the Adelaide Test and despite crashing back down to earth in Perth, we fully expect him to reach three figures here again in Melbourne.

Ricky Ponting is too great a batsman not to stamp his influence on this series and despite his broken digit and poor run of scores, we would be very surprised if he doesn't make a significant score on the biggest of stages.

Finally, Graeme Swann had a quiet game in Perth after his seven wickets in Adelaide, but the surface at the MCG is likely to suit him better and we wouldn't be surprised to see him star in the 2nd innings. Australia may come to regret not picking their best spinner - the in-form Nathan Hauritz instead of the untried Beer.

Previously at Melbourne

Scene of the first ever Test match in 1877, there have been 53 encounters between England and Australia at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia has the advantage with 27 wins to England’s 19 and perhaps a clue to the outcome of the 2010 edition is that there have only been 7 draws.

2006 – Australia won by an innings and 99 – England suffered a Boxing Day hangover as they were bundled out for just 159 with Warne taking his 700^th Test wicket. England struck back by reducing Australia to 84/5 before Hayden and Symonds both reached 150. England then capitulated for a second time for 161 for yet another woeful defeat on the most dispiriting of tours.

2002 – Australia won by five wickets – Justin Langer hit 250 as Australia amassed a powerful 551/6 and then England only managed 20 more runs than Langer made on his own. They did better after following on with Michael Vaughan scoring a sparkling 145 as England at least set Australia a target. They then restored further pride by taking five wickets as Australia stumbled over the winning line.

1998 – England won by 12 runs – A pulsating test match with a dramatic climax. Rain ruined day one but Alec Stewart scored a captain’s hundred as England made 270. Steve Waugh (122) then masterminded runs from the tail as Australia led by 70. And when England could only make 244 in their second innings and Australia reached 130/3 in pursuit of 162 all seemed lost. Step forward Dean Headley – who engineered a spectacular collapse and a famous England win.

1986 – England won by an innings and 14 – Mike Gatting’s side secured the retention of the urn with a crushing victory in the Boxing Day Test. Gladstone Small and Ian Botham took five apiece as Australia could only muster 141. Then Chris Broad’s third successive hundred provided the bedrock of England’s 208 1^st innings lead. Phil Edmonds and John Emburey then spun England to victory.

1982 – England won by 3 runs – The forerunner to Edgbaston 2005. An extremely tight match saw all four innings total between 284 and 294. When Australia were 218 for nine chasing 292 all looked lost for the home side. But Border and Thomson took them to within sight of the finishing line before that man Botham struck inducing an edge from Thomson that Tavare parried into the hands of a grateful Miller.

Prediction

If the weather holds true then the MCG is a result wicket and we fully expect England to win a tight encounter and therefore retain the Ashes with the final test in Sydney still to come.

Where next?

Dear Santa...

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

Dean Headley's 15 minutes of fame

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

The 25 Greatest Ashes Tests of them all: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Dear Santa...

 
With Christmas only two days away, we’d been wondering what some of cricket’s big names have asked Santa for.

Thanks to a renegade Elf in Santa's inner sanctum, all can now be revealed:

Shane Watson – the man who Carly Simon once wrote a song about has asked for his bedroom to be covered wall to wall and floor to ceiling with mirrors. He has also asked for a year’s supply of Kleenex. No, not for that! But in anticipation of more tears when he next gets out in the nervous nineties

Michael Clarke– a lifelike Lara Bingle rubber doll and a backbone

Jonathan Trott and Doug Bollinger – appointments with Jacques Kallis’ new hair consultant

Ricky Ponting – the hottest curry sauce of all – anything that means he can get amongst the runs again, but on no account does he want any Beer to go with it

Andrew Strauss- an exclusive membership of the club of Middlesex captains that have won an Ashes series down under. To date, Mike Gatting, Mike Brearley and Pelham Warner are the only members

Steve Smith– Being young he wants to learn, so he has asked Santa for  ‘The Marcus North Tutorial of Batting at Six’ and ‘The Idiots Guide to Leg-Spin by Chris Schofield'

Steve Finn– he had wanted clothes, but after being so expensive at the WACA he managed to bag a sponsorship deal with Prada, so the tall paceman now wants the same radar that Mitchell Johnson used in Perth

Matt Prior & Peter Siddle and Ian Botham & Ian Chappell – a pair of boxing gloves each so that they can take their respective war of words into the ring

Michael Hussey– some more kryptonite to ensure that he can reprise his Superman heroics at Melbourne and Sydney

Kamran Akmal  - A new set of wicketkeeper gloves made entirely out of velcro

Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif  - A damn good lawyer

Nathan Hauritz – Having got rid of his Australian kit at a recent garage sale, the discarded spinner now wants a fresh new kit from Santa in time to make a comeback in Sydney

MS Dhoni– some cotton wool in which to wrap up Zaheer Khan prior to every test match and particularly for the upcoming tours of England and Australia

Tim Bresnan and Jesse Ryder - a KFC Bargain Bucket per day for life

Ijaz Butt  - World War III

Harbhajan Singh– a set of Matthew Hayden’s cook books so that he can prepare a meal for his good friends Hayden and Andrew Symonds when he tours Australia later this year

Daniel Vettori - the Prime Ministership of New Zealand - well he does everything else. Either that or to wake up on Christmas Day as an Australian - there seems to be a vacancy for a spinner

Ian Bell – a DVD of the Famous Five, so he can prepare for his promotion up the batting order

Paul Collingwood – a guide to the best retirement homes in the North East of England

Mitchell Johnson – Kevin Pietersen’s phone number

Kevin Pietersen - A romantic dinner for two with Mitch

Where next?

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes featuring Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Hauritz amongst others

Historic India-Pakistan peace summit flounders on cricket diplomacy

Read KP's Ashes Diary exclusively at the Reverse Sweep

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

3rd Test - Perth: Australia marks out of 10

 
The worst Australian side for 25 years? Maybe not. The batting of Michael Hussey and Shane Watson and the bowling of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris inspired Australia to bounce back from heavy defeat in Adelaide to dish out some of the same medicine to England in Perth.

With momentum now with them, can Australia continue their stunning revival to wrest the Ashes back? We shall see. For now, here's how they rated in Perth (see how England rated here): 

Shane Watson – 8: No-one does the nervous nineties like Watson and it was no surprise that he fell short of three figures again. But his partnership with Hussey took the game away from England and he was particularly harsh on Finn – just like he said he would be before the series started.

Phil Hughes – 3: Has had a poor season for New South Wales and had a poor match here. May not be as susceptible to the short ball as many suggest, but at the moment there is a multitude of other ways to get him out.

Ricky Ponting – 6: His nightmare with the bat continued, but he fought for a four-man pace attack with the selectors and having got his wish, Ponting duly fired them up and rotated them to thrilling effect - hence the inflated score of 6. He may have a broken digit, but one suspects that Ponting would want to play at the MCG with a broken leg now that the momentum has shifted so dramatically.

Michael Clarke – 3: Two more failures and two more dreadful shots. If Ponting is ruled out for Melbourne, is Clarke in the right state of mind to lead the side?

Michael Hussey – 10: Hussey’s second coming continued. He knew the WACA pitch better than any of the other batters, and boy did it show. Hussey, as much as Johnson, was the difference between the sides.

Steve Smith – 5: His second innings 38 may have made him the luckiest Australian since Liz Hurley invited Shane Warne in for a nightcap, but Smith deserves credit for showing plenty of ticker. Patently not a test number six – a weakness that England will seek to exploit to better effect in Melbourne.

Brad Haddin – 7: Another fifty to continue his rich vein of form with the bat, a running battle with the Barmy Army and for once a pretty much faultless display with the gloves. Really gets under the skin of some England players.

Mitchell Johnson – 10: The most dramatic rise from the dead in circa 2000 years. Johnson’s spell of four for seven in the 1^st innings changed the course of this test and potentially the Ashes too. Also showed that he can be dangerous with the bat by top-scoring in the 1^st innings. From a 0/10 at Brisbane to 10/10 at Perth – and they say that football is a funny old game.

Ryan Harris – 9: As hopeless as he would appear to be with the bat, Harris has proved to be extremely effective with the ball. He bowled well in Adelaide with little reward or support, but he got both here and nine wickets to boot.

Peter Siddle – 6: Only played a bit–part role here, but what he did, he did well. Got a priceless unbeaten 35 with the bat and then bowled bodyline to first unsettle and then dismiss Prior. Our money’s on Siddle if he takes up Prior’s offer of a re-match in the boxing ring.

Ben Hilfenhaus – 6: Finally got his first wicket since the first over of the series by getting KP to edge to slip in the second innings. Bowled better than his figures suggested and provided the control that enabled others to get the rewards. Why was he dropped for Adelaide again?

Where next?

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

1st Test: England marks out of 10, 1st Test: Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

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The Boundary View: Hussey & bowlers put England to the sword - Perth, Day Three

 
Hussey serves up more humble pie

Before the Ashes we suggested that Michael Hussey was shot as a test cricketer - we even wrote this: Zeroes - Mike Hussey. We now feel like turning the gun on ourselves as once again Mr Cricket proved that we couldn't have been more wrong if we had said on the night of the Election that Nick Clegg was a man of his word. Hussey is now the leading runscorer in the series and has hit six consecutive scores of 50 or above in an Ashes innings - a record. Now, where did we store that humble pie?

Test Cricket? It's a funny old game

Perhaps like no other sport, test cricket is a game of highs and lows. Mitchell Johnson's rise from the dead in this game is arguably the type of resurrection not seen for circa 2,000 years - especially given how low he sunk in Brisbane. Kevin Pietersen has gone in the opposite direction. After a test best 227 in Adelaide, he followed his first innings duck here with a dreadful shot to give Ben Hilfenhaus his first wicket since the first over of the series.

Not so elementary my dear Watson

We're not big fans of Shane Watson in the Reverse Sweep household (see Zeroes - Shane Watson), but to be fair he does provide plenty of hilarity. No one does the nervous nineties quite like him and it seemed inevitable that he would yet again fall short of the magical three figures. Sure enough, Chris Tremlett caught him in front for 95 and despite a desperate call for the review and a near flood of tears when the decision was upheld, Watson had to depart for his fourth ninety in test cricket. His conversion rate is worse than the ugliest of geeks with only two hundreds from 16 scores of 50 or more - only 12.5%.

Court Jester Smith rides his luck

Steve Smith is patently not a test number six, but he obviously picked the right fortune cookie last night if his innings today was anything to go by. He survived more appeals and reviews than Wikileaks head honcho Julian Assange, was nearly run out, hooked just short of fine-leg and even survived leaving his bat in the air while ducking a Tremlett bouncer and a top edge looped over the keeper and slips. When Smith said he was going to bring a bit of fun to the side, no-one realised that this would amount to playing the court jester in the middle too. The luckiest Australian since Liz Hurley invited Shane Warne in for a nightcap?

Time for the Review System to be reviewed?

For the most part, the dreaded UDRS has worked reasonably well in this series - whatever Aggers may say, but there is still room for significant improvement. A case in point was when Erasmus turned down a leg before decision against Smith when he had made 28. England sent for the review and it showed that the ball would have hit leg stump, but it was adjudged 'Umpire's Call' and the decision was upheld. If the technology is there why not use it to ensure that the right decision is given for every referral, especially when England lost one of its two reviews as a result?

Player of the day

Michael Hussey - certainly Australia's player of the series to date and now that he is the leading run scorer on both sides arguably the player of the series so far too. But Chris Tremlett deserves a mention too for his first test five for and eight wickets on his test comeback.

Zero of the day

Graeme Swann didn't have a good day. Ignored for the whole morning session by Strauss, he proved expensive when he finally came on and then dropped Peter Siddle before tea, thus allowing Australia to further extend their lead.  

What happens next?

It's over already thanks to Hussey and more poor batting from England - it will be 1-1 going into Melbourne.

Where next?

Perth: Day 1 - Tremlett's Sinatraesque Comeback

Perth: Day 2 - Johnson's rendition of I Am the Resurrection reduces England to rubble

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

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Perth Heroes & Zeroes: Adam Gilchrist,  Alex Tudor and Chris Broad

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The Boundary View: Tremlett's Sinatraesque Comeback - Perth, Day One

 
Brave call at toss pays off for Strauss

Andrew Strauss' brave call at the toss to insert Australia paid off in spades as England dominated again on the first day at the WACA. And it could have been worse too for Australia as had to recover from 69/5 before posting 268 all out. The recalled Chris Tremlett was the standout man in the attack, but all the bowlers chipped in with wickets even if James Anderson and Steve Finn were not at their best. Graeme Swann typically chipped in with a couple of wickets to emphasise once again his value to the side and provide further evidence why he should win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday.

Tremlett's Sinatraesque Comeback

 We've been saying for ages at the Reverse Sweep that Tremlett deserved another chance at Test cricket after regaining form, confidence and fitness in his first season with Surrey. The way he set up Phil Hughes with a succession of short balls before bowling him with a fuller one in his first over demonstrated that he has the skill and nous to flourish at the highest level. Shane Warne has said that Tremlett could be the best bowler in the World if he puts his mind to it and on this showing...  

To play, or not to play?

That is the question at Perth where the extra bounce means that batsmen have to adapt in deciding which balls to leave. Australia's Captain and Vice-Captain both got it wrong by playing needlessly at balls outside off-stump to depart early. That said, Paul Collingwood's spectacular diving one-handed catch at third slip to dismiss Ponting was simply stunning. Those that question his place in the side forget the package he offers - an average over 40 and runs invariably in tight situations, a useful occasional bowler, trusted lieutenant in the field and England's best fielder.

Ponting gets something right

Back in July when Steve Smith scored a counterattacking 80 against Pakistan at Headingley, Ponting was adamant that Smith was not a test number six. Ponting hasn't got much right in this series, but the evidence of today suggests he was spot on. How Smith - at best a test number seven or eight that can bowl a few overs of leg-spin - could come in ahead of Brad Haddin is beyond belief.

Deja vu as Hussey and Haddin star again

Once again in this series Australia were indebted to Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin. Indeed, the contribution of the two has been extraordinary. At Brisbane, where the pair added 307, Hussey and Haddin accounted for 69% of Australia's first-innings of 481. At Adelaide it was 61% and today it was 43%. It would have been higher, but for Mitchell Johnson - proving that once he gets in he is a dangerous performer with the bat - and Peter Siddle ensuring that the Australian tail wagged.

Player of the day

We suggested yesterday that Chris Tremlett could put in a man of the match performance if he was picked for his first Test in over three years. Well, he's certainly made a good start mixing up his length well to take 3/63 on a pitch that was always going to suit him.

Zero of the day

With Hughes and Ponting back in the hutch early, Michael Clarke needed to put in a strong performance as vice-captain. So dangling your bat half-heartedly at one well outside off-stump was not what the doctor ordered. Clarke just doesn't look like captain material to us.

What happens next?

If England have another good day tomorrow then the prospect of retaining the Ashes by Christmas will be tantalisingly close. Australia went for broke with a four-man pace attack, but will it be a gamble that fails dismally? The pitch looks much better for batting than a total of 268 suggests.

Where next?

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Can England wrap up the urn by Christmas?

Exclusive: Read KP's 2010 Ashes Diary

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3rd Test: Perth - Preview: Can England wrap up the urn by Christmas?

 
Australia has confirmed its overwhelming cricketing superiority over its former colonial masters in the last two Ashes Tests at Perth, winning at a canter in 2002 and 2006 to gain an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

But this time is different, and having survived the Gabbatoir and then extinguished the horrors of Adelaide in 2006, England know a win at the WACA - where they have only won once - would see them retain the Ashes before Christmas.

They may never get a better chance. Australia would appear to be in complete disarray with the selectors doing a passable impersonation of England in the 1990's. Simon Katich's injury means that Phil Hughes comes in to open the innings and Steve Smith replaces the discarded Marcus North in the lower middle order. The seamers may be juggled again, but the biggest surprise of all is the pick of left arm spinner Michael Beer - a man with just six first-class matches to his name.

England have no such problems and James Anderson will hope to make a similarly impressive contribution as Kevin Pietersen when he popped back to England for the birth of his son in the World T20 - even if Bob Willis may not be amused. England have dominated the last seven days of the series and if they can repeat the trick at the WACA then the urn will be theirs and Australia may just capitulate completely.

Likely line-ups

The only selection debate for England is whether to go with Tremlett, Bresnan or Shahzad to replace the injured Broad. Otherwise they will be unchanged.

Australia are pondering over a three or four man seam attack, with Beer making his debut if it is the latter and either Siddle or Hilfenhaus missing out if it is the former. 

Look out for…

Chris Tremlett has not been confirmed as Broad’s replacement yet, but if he plays his fourth test and his first since 2007, he should enjoy the bouncy WACA wicket and a man of the match performance is not out of the question.

It will be a surprise if Mitchell Johnson doesn’t come back into the Australian line-up, with Ponting and his selectors fully aware that the misfiring Johnson is their most likely match-winner on his home ground. He took 8 for 61 on this ground against South Africa in 2008-09, so England’s batsmen may finally be about to find what all the fuss is about.

The Pitch – It would seem that the WACA pitch could return to the lively track of old if curator Cameron Sutherland is to be believed: "We're going to aim for a fair bit of grass on top this year. Certainly, we want a result and we're confident that we'll have a pitch that will produce a result." Could this play into England’s hands given they would appear to have the most settled and potent attack?

Previously at Perth

A look back at the record books shows that England have an abysmal record at Perth, winning only one out of 11 Tests. Australia have won seven and England have been on the receiving end of some fearsome beatings in the last five WACA contests.

2006 – Australia won by 206 runs – Monty Panesar made a belated entry into the series and took five for 92 on day one as Australia were bowled out for 244. England were unable to take advantage though and folded for 215 before Australia racked up the runs second time around with Hussey, Clarke and Gilchrist all making hundreds – the latter off only 57 balls. Cook made a hundred, but England could only reach 350 and the Ashes were gone.

2002 – Australia won by an innings and 48 - England and in particular Alex Tudor were terrorised on a quick Perth wicket by Brett Lee. England could only make 185 and 223 as the game finished on the 3^rd day, which meant that Australia had secured the Ashes again on just the 11^th day of the series

1998 – Australia won by 7 wickets – Another dreadful Perth experience for England as they were shot out for just 112 on the opening day in just 39 overs. Tudor had a better WACA experience than he would have four years later and took four for 89 on debut. Again, England were only able to take the game into the third day.

1978 – England won by 166 runs - England’s only Test win at the WACA came against an Australian team ravaged by World Series Cricket defections. David Gower scored 102 and Rodney Hogg took 10 wickets as Australia fell well short of their victory target of 328.    

Prediction

Despite the curator's promise of a green and bouncy wicket, the WACA has lost much of its hostile reputation in recent years, so England's top six could be set to cash in again. This Englishman may regret his bravado, but we go for England to break their Perth hoodoo to give Strauss the best of early Christmas presents.

Where next?

Michael Beer's shock selection for the WACA explained

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep