The Ashes

Let’s roll out some tired clichés shall we. Everybody else is doing it.

*clears throat*

The Ashes series begins tomorrow at Lords.

This is going to be a tough one. Australia like nothing better than to beat England and to do it here means more to them than anything. After a poor start their players have found form in the last few weeks and have been playing well. And we haven’t seen Shane Warne yet either.

England have picked a young side, many making their Ashes debuts. Eyebrows were raised at the selection of Kevin Pieterson, who will make his test debut, over Graham Thorpe who has played 100 tests and held the middle order together more times than I care to remember. Should England be 50-4 when Pieterson walks out tomorrow we will soon know how strong a character he is. Australia have already said they think he is weak on the off-side and he will need to keep his bat tight to his pads and defend his off stump, not be tempted to waft at anything going wide.

England’s problem in test series’ has traditionally been inconsistency. Some players will perform in one test and fail in the next. What we need is for all 11 players to be lions on each day of each test. Freddie may be the key, but he cannot win alone. He plays an aggressive game and must be given the room to do so. He will rely on the top order to make the runs that will allow him to play his natural game.

Australia are not invincible...... I think I’ll be sick if I write another cliché – you get the message though right?

In conclusion, let's remember the words of Churchill when England previously stood alone against a mighty foe;

I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to win The Ashes at home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of Australia, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of Her Majesty's team, every man of them. We shall go on to the Oval; we shall fight at Lords, we shall fight at Edgbaston and Old Trafford, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength at Trent Bridge, we shall defend the Ashes, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight in the slips, we shall fight in the covers, we shall fight at mid on and mid off, we shall fight at point and deep fine leg; we shall never surrender.