2015 Ashes

Thanks for starting this thread Mrs D. I haven't been watching the play but have been following on cricinfo and it does seem to show up some differences between Australian and English attitudes and outcomes.

Against West Indies Australia fought to make breakthroughs with their bowling but once achieved they were relentless and on a helpful pitch they bowled them out for 148. Going in against them they found it hard work, particularly against an able and experienced spinner and at 126-6 West Indies could even have had a small first innings lead.

The difference was that they gave a first cap to a 35 year old journeyman who has been on the circuit for over 15 years and has a high standard of consistency. He not only bided his time until he felt he had mastery of the bowling but also shepherded two of his tailenders until they felt comfortable to hit out. As a result, a maiden Test century on debut, and a first innings lead of 170.

Contrast with England's hesitancy against the same opposition in 2 out of 3 matches, allowing inexperienced batsmen to take the match away from them by scoring big runs when England's fast bowling faltered and our spinning option proved inadequate. Consider how our senior batsmen, the oldest still much younger than Voges, failed to find the application when it was needed and the tail collapsed.

The experienced player waiting his turn for Tests and then making a big impression, usually in the late middle order, has been a feature of Australian cricket since the 90s: Lehmann, Gilchrist, Hussey and Haddin have all had their time in the sun and turned rescue actions into dominant positions, and it looks as if Voges is about to do the same thing. He is at the extreme end of that queue: the oldest batting debutant for Australia since AJ Richardson in 1924/5, with only Bryce McGain, the ungainly legspinner of ignoble memory, being an older cap.

There has been a complete reversal in these things, where English cricket was once full of long-serving players of 35 plus who held down their places and scored their 1000 runs every year, now they are curiosities, and it is common for them to retire or be retired at that age. The beginning of this phenomenon in English cricket was probably 2005, when the in-form and entirely fit Graham Thorpe, aged 35 was told he was no longer required in order that a place be found for a new, vital young talent. The result was that Thorpe took the hint and departed English cricket at the end of the season leaving it very much the poorer.

According to commentary Coles has played every game so far this season and is therefore resting.

Apolgies for being solipsitic, but Borderman's personal Ashes got off to a wonderful start tonight at Rupert Murdoch's splendid new HQ at London Bridge, where we assembled on the 17th floor, offering the most iconic aerial views across the Thames, for the book launch of "The Times On The Ashes" , edited by my long-standing friend and colleague, Richard Whitehead.

It was a pleasure to share drinks and Ashes anecdotes with 60 years worth of Times' cricket correspondents, including Mike Atherton, Pat Gibson , Michael Henderson and a very frail-looking but cheery John Woodcock, who, astonishingly, began reporting cricket for The Times in the year of my birth, 1954 - more than 30 years before I got to know him as a Times colleague.

The late, great CMJ, whose insightful, cultured writing is much in evidence in the book, was represented by his wife Judy and his brother.

It was also good to be reminded by Atherton in an admirable speech that one of the rules of the press box is that you never cheer. Jon Filby please note !!!

Bm,

What a lucky chap you are. It must have been a very special evening.

As to cheering in the press box, I find it incredibly difficult not to when watching Sussex.
I blotted my scorecard at Horsham last year, when Jordan took Trott's wicket and I
automatically cheered. Goodness, the evil eye I got from the Warwickshire media!

Bet you got double rations of tea and cake from JF, though!

I think Athers' comment may have been directed at the splendid Australian writer Gideon Haigh who was also in attendance and is writing on the series for The Times this summer...

Excellent figures for Hunn, 5-99 in an innings of 507 - must be due to his indulging in Hunnish practices. A very well-taken opportunity to show his prowess against a strong side, and the more pity that Coles was rested for this game. If he is so tired that he cannot rouse the impetus needed for a match against this quality of opposition then he is going to find it hard to progress his career, though staying with Kent is unlikely to bring the selectors to watch him. Good luck Kent, it looks as if the Australians, at least, are taking this game seriously.

I womanfully plodded through Haigh's Ashes to Ashes book this spring.  He tried to be unbiased I thought, but having relayed the Broad edge behind, caught at slip, stood his ground incident saying that most batsmen, including Australians, don't walk and it evened out the incorrect decision to give Trott out, for the rest of the book he constantly referred to that moment with increasing hyperbole, such as 'nick to Haddin which almost left a gash in the ball en route to slip. I found it very tiresome.