Issue 149

Can Freddie be a hero again?

20th November 2006

We preview England's winter tour to Australia to try and retain the famous Ashes, as well as key battles and new players to look out for.

With last summer's Ashes triumph still fresh in the memory, England's cricket stars head into the first test of the Ashes 06/07 down-under with the usual media buzz and speculation around them. Having won in such spectacular manner last year, England start this winter's contest with a feeling more of expectation than hope. The last 14 months have seen changes in personnel in both camps and action on and off the field dominating the headlines.

The Australians, visibly angered by the defeat to England, have enjoyed something of a revival. Having been touted as 'over-thehill', they have defied all critics by winning eleven of their twelve tests since last summer. A player under considerable pressure following a poor return in the Ashes series was Matthew Hayden. He has smashed himself back into form, at his brutal best in scoring 1287 runs and 5 centuries in 12 tests. The Aussies will be boosted by the recent return of their talisman Glenn McGrath. McGrath has had a tough time over the last year, taking a number of months away from the game to look after his ill wife, whilst injury has disrupted his return to action. The break does not seem to have harmed his tongue, however, as he has yet again been at the forefront of the traditional 'pom-bashing' in the newspapers of late. The Australians have,

The Australians have, despite the return to form of their ageing stars, integrated a few new faces into their squad. Promising left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson has impressed in recent months, whilst Mike Hussey has finally been given an extended run in the side, repaying the selectors with some heavy run scoring.

The Australians will, however, be looking for big performances from their experienced stars in what, for many of them, will be their final Ashes series on home soil. With McGrath, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden now in their midthirties, they will be hoping for one last hurrah against the old enemy. Warne also has the added incentive of being just 15 wickets away from becoming the first bowler in history to pass 700 career test wickets, a feat no-one would begrudge the eccentric spin-king.

England's form over the past year has been patchy and unpredictable. Following the Ashes, there was huge expectation on them as they set off for the sub-continent. A series defeat in Pakistan, preceded and followed by a string of injuries to key players brought the squad back down to earth. Optimism, however, was re-installed as England secured a rare tied-series in India, which also introduced young Alastair Cook to world cricket. He responded magnificently, scoring an unbeaten century on debut. The emergence of Paul Collingwood as a test match player was also an encouraging result of the tour. The solid Durham batsman scored runs aplenty as England produced some good performances in India. Along with Cook, debuts were also handed to spinner Monty Panesar and gifted Middlesex batsman Owais Shah.

England's summer brought continued injury problems with Michael Vaughan, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones failing to feature against either Sri Lanka or Pakistan. The drawn series against a young Sri Lanka side brought much criticism, but England responded well with a 3-0 beating of Pakistan. The series also brought about the revival of Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell. Bell struggled in the Ashes but came back into the side to great effect, scoring centuries in three consecutive matches. The series was unfortunately, however, marred by the accusations of ball tampering by umpire Darrell Hair. Hair's accusations of the Pakistan team, and in particular captain Inzaman-ul-Haq, saw the forfeiting of the fourth test.

The summer also saw the emergence of Monty Panesar as a real talent in world cricket. The slow-left-arm spinner enjoyed success against both Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and developed a reputation as something of a cult hero amongst England fans.

This winter's Ashes series promises to be another sporting spectacle. Despite their injury problems, and Marcus Trescothick's recent departure from the tour through stressrelated issues, England are still a very good test team. The form of Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Monty Panesar is cause for optimism. Australia, however, will be looking to exact their revenge on England. Their aging stars, Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer and Gilchrist, will be keen for one last hurrah, one final victory over the 'old enemy'. If it contains even half of the entertainment of the last Ashes, it will be a fascinating series.

Tom Mooney