It's been a superb summer of international cricket. The drama and general high quality of play in the World Cup and that outrageously entertaining final; Leach making his Test debut in the Ireland match, where he showed his mettle for occupying the crease; the inclusion of Archer in the England squad; and then The Ashes. It was a curious series in the end, both teams showing great bowling and poor batting, with a notable exception. Thinking caps will have to be donned across the world's Test playing nations to figure how to get Smith out. But it also featured the most remarkable innings I've seen, or could have imagined. That performance at Headingley by Stokes (with Leach playing a significant role too) will go down in the history of the game.
England should not be too complacent about getting a draw from the series, and need to commence planning for the next Ashes encounter now. The experiment of using a one-day opener in the Test arena was worth a punt, but failed and should not be revisited. The problem with the openers got a useful sticking plaster fix at The Oval, but it's a deep seated problem that the fractured Championship structure will not improve upon. Denly is the same age as Alistair Cook when he retired, so he cannot be considered seriously as being around in a couple of years. Archer is an important addition around which a pacy attack should be built now that Anderson is winding down. Pace is needed down-under. Root's captaincy is inadequate, he does not ginger things up enough when the advantage starts to drift. A seminar with the likes of Vaughn and that brilliant psychologist Brearley (who could psych out the opposition from a position of weakness) might be an afternoon well spent.
Now that the elegant, urbane, sane (and never boring) David Gower has left Sky, TMS should snap him up. It would be a crime to waste his wisdom and wit.
But it's been a great summer of cricket I won't forget.
England should not be too complacent about getting a draw from the series, and need to commence planning for the next Ashes encounter now. The experiment of using a one-day opener in the Test arena was worth a punt, but failed and should not be revisited. The problem with the openers got a useful sticking plaster fix at The Oval, but it's a deep seated problem that the fractured Championship structure will not improve upon. Denly is the same age as Alistair Cook when he retired, so he cannot be considered seriously as being around in a couple of years. Archer is an important addition around which a pacy attack should be built now that Anderson is winding down. Pace is needed down-under. Root's captaincy is inadequate, he does not ginger things up enough when the advantage starts to drift. A seminar with the likes of Vaughn and that brilliant psychologist Brearley (who could psych out the opposition from a position of weakness) might be an afternoon well spent.
Now that the elegant, urbane, sane (and never boring) David Gower has left Sky, TMS should snap him up. It would be a crime to waste his wisdom and wit.
But it's been a great summer of cricket I won't forget.
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