HAVING been thoroughly outplayed for the duration of the match, England managed to hold on for a draw in the first Test, leaving the Australians with what will feel like a loss in some edge of the seat action.
With all the pre-match hype focussing on the Cardiff pitch and its potential to deteriorate, creating something more akin to Karachi, the scores tell a different story. In all 1,361 runs were scored and 25 wickets fell, only seven of which were to the spinners. Of greater concern to the England camp is the fact that only one of these was to an English spinner and only six wickets to English bowlers in total - a definite cause for concern.
The scorecards made very interesting reading at the end of the game and highlighted one very real difference between the two sides at this stage. Where the Australians amassed four centurions during their innings, England managed none despite seven batsman getting scores of 30 plus. This clearly emphasises the gulf in mental toughness between the teams and individuals. Why is it that the English are notoriously bad starters to a sporting event where other teams seem to hit the ground running?
Certainly the England batsman will need to take a leaf out of Ricky Ponting’s book and become much more ruthless if they are to amass the sort of scores needed to put the Australian batsman under enough pressure to create uncertainty. This in turn will allow the bowlers the freedom to express themselves and hopefully take the 20 wickets needed to win a test match.
However, it is essential that the selectors pick the right bowlers capable of taking 20 wickets. There is no point picking a bowler like Monty Panesar, who is averaging over 86 in first class cricket. It is imperative that the form bowlers are selected and at present these are the Durham duo of Graham Onions and Steve Harmison. One or both of these must play to give the attack a cutting edge at Lord’s, which should be more seamer friendly than Cardiff.
Closer to home, Gloucestershire have begun the magnificent Cheltenham festival. Set against a back drop of the prestigious Cheltenham College, this festival creates a special atmosphere and one in which the players love to play and has traditionally been a successful, albeit tiring, fortnight. For those lucky enough to have some free time there is no better place to go and enjoy some cricket and a tipple (or coffee for the non-drinkers).
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