A great result for England at Edgbaston but I don’t know which was worse: Australia’s capitulation or the longer-term impact on five-day Test cricket.
In terms of the competition between the Ashes adversaries, I’m not sure what this match means. So far this year, England have been on a recent rollercoaster ride in Tests: four wins but none back-to-back. All three in the current series have been one-sided affairs and none have lasted until the fifth day. Australia may have been seriously damaged by the Birmingham defeat but if the sequence continues, they could perk up at Trent Bridge. Unfortunately for them, that would mean England winning at The Oval and taking the urn 3-2!
Jimmy Anderson was supreme on the first day, nabbing 6-47, then the returning Steve Finn ripped the heart out of Australia’s batting on the second. A great achievement for England’s seamers, but the contribution of Ian Bell cannot be forgotten. His selection was derided by many but, like me, the selectors hoped the home pitch would bring out the old Belly. It did. And he did it not by careful consideration but by counter-attacking.
First time out he struck ten boundaries to make 53 from 56 balls, then on day three he scored an unbeaten 65 from 90. In such a low-scoring contest, two half-centuries must be admired. Ian Bell must also have rescued his Test career, at least for this summer.
Adam Lyth failed twice but, without any obvious replacement, could be given another chance. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes (second ball) were despatched by snorters from Mitchell Johnson so Jonny at least can’t be written off just yet, especially after his prolific season for Yorkshire. The Durham all-rounder might be more vulnerable but, with Trent Bridge likely to be prepared for another three-day seam-fest, he may be safe.
But what about Australia? Michael Clarke was honest when admitting his batting woes had left his team playing ten against eleven. However, he is unlikely to be jettisoned mid-series. Adam Voges looked poor once more while Chris Rogers (first innings) and David Warner (second) provided more backbone. Steve Smith had an off-week, but Clarke should be thanking his wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc for at least taking the fight to the third day.
It wasn’t just England’s bowlers outplaying the opposing batsmen; it was the way the Aussies got out. It looked as if they were playing one-day cricket, not five-day stuff. Mind you, that was what England did at Lord’s! In summary, I would be seriously worried had I bought a ticket for a fourth or fifth day in either of the next Tests. It’s a shame because in the past year the world has witnessed some excellent Test matches, including those played between England and New Zealand a few months ago.
I gather that Ricky Ponting has advocated doing away with the toss and allowing the away side to choose whether to bat or field. I think that could be a good way forward without compromising the integrity of Test matches. I don’t want to see a game of two 600-4 declareds but neither do I want two-and-a-half-day affairs. Batsmen also need to remember how to bat, not merely throw the bat. They could do worse than watch and learn from Joe Root! Taking a T20 approach to the fifty-over format is one thing; applying the same attacking ethos to Tests is frankly ridiculous. David Warner, like the Sehwags and Gayles, can get away with it, but he needs Smith, Clarke and co to provide solid support. That didn’t happen at Edgbaston but it needs to happen at Trent Bridge, or the Ashes are lost.
