England v Australia third Ashes Test preview: Joe Root comes home to Headingley needing to disprove the captaincy burden August 21, 2019 It’s hardly a new debate – in fact, it’s one nearly as old as the game itself – but Joe Root will still want to nip it in the bud this week as he returns home to Headingley. England begin the third Ashes Test against Australia in Leeds tomorrow needing to win at least two [...]
Australia still lead but Jofra Archer has redressed the balance of the Ashes at Lord’s August 18, 2019 They may not have levelled the series, but England’s performance at Lord’s has gone a long way to redressing the balance of the Ashes. Ultimately they were undone by the weather, which denied them the time to wrap up a win at the end of another enthralling Test. Considering the nature of their previous failings, [...]
Batting failures once again define England’s performance in second Ashes Test at Lord’s August 15, 2019 We don’t yet know the exact nature of the position England find themselves in after the first day’s play at Lord’s against Australia – being Test cricket it could be anywhere from disastrous to advantageous on the sliding scale – but what we can be certain of is that the same frailties were evident. England lost [...]
Chris Tremlett: England need classic Lord’s conditions to level the Ashes against confident Australia August 13, 2019 Spring-like weather has hit London over the last few days and, with the second Ashes Test starting tomorrow morning at Lord’s, England will be hoping April showers don’t ruin their chances of levelling the series. Having been beaten by Australia at Edgbaston, England really need the conditions to be on their side over the next [...]
Hazards of the Dukes: Why England cannot rely on the mysterious commodity of swing to win the Ashes August 13, 2019 It’s a mystical, erratic but vital element of Test cricket. Batsmen hate it. Pace bowlers thrive on it. Swing is the backbone of the contest between bat and ball – a sought-after, match-winning commodity which flits in and out of existence throughout the ebbs and flows of a game. And yet it remains largely misunderstood. Shine [...]
Chris Tremlett: Jofra Archer has the ability to solve England’s Steve Smith problem at Lord’s August 6, 2019 When they look back on the 251-run defeat by Australia in the first Ashes Test, England will reflect on an opportunity missed. After losing the toss, England had the visitors right where they wanted them at 122-8, only for Steve Smith to claw Australia back into the game with a brilliant 144. The former captain [...]
England facing stern questions after succumbing to Australia comeback in first Ashes Test August 5, 2019 In the end England surrendered the first Ashes Test meekly. The 251-run margin of defeat was unimaginable on the opening day, when Australia were reeling on 122-8 at a raucous Edgbaston. And unimaginable for good reason: England made history, registering the biggest loss of any Test side to have claimed a first-innings lead of 90 [...]
England face monumental challenge to save first Ashes Test after another Smith century August 4, 2019 How do you solve a problem like Steve Smith? England may have dismissed the former Australian captain twice in the first Test match at Edgbaston, but it took them 426 attempts, came at the cost of 286 runs and the chance of making a winning start to the Ashes. England began day four with hope, [...]
Steve Smith’s wonderful 144 sees Australia bounce back from Stuart Broad barrage on day one of the Ashes August 1, 2019 Today was a big day for Steve Smith. The first day of an away Ashes series and, more pertinently, the first Test match 16 months on from his very public shaming, lying, tears and grovelling. The pressure was on at Edgbaston, but Smith didn’t show it, blocking out the boos with a typically patient, dogged [...]
Chris Tremlett: England’s mastery of conditions give them the edge but expect tight Ashes series July 31, 2019 Both England and Australia come into the Ashes on the back of a summer packed full of one-day internationals and far from ideal warm-up games. England’s World Cup win was followed by the shock of the crazy Test against Ireland which highlighted their inconsistencies, while Australia played out a wicket-filled warm-up game among themselves. Read [...]