Friday, July 22, 2005
1 day in; already tired
Only 1 day in to the Ashes series and I am knackered. Don’t know how I am going to last the full 2 months. I am considering writing a letter to Queensland Premier Peter Beattie to request he puts the clocks back 3 hours, so the cricket starts at 4pm and you can at least get some sleep.

The first day of the first Ashes series that England stand a chance of winning, since 1991, did not crash and burn, like the pre-match hype can sometimes precipitate. 17 wickets on the first day of a Lords test…. Perhaps not that unusual. In 2001 I remember England being bowled out by McGrath for 77, before the test was washed out.

Despite probably losing the day ‘on points’ England probably got more out of the day than Australia. Whilst we knew McGrath, even at 33, is still the world’s premier bowler and is capable of applying himself with unmeasured precision and discipline, we did not know how vulnerable the Australian batting line-up would be to hostile English bowling. With no Steve Waugh or Allan Border in the side, they need to find another ‘sticker’ to shore up the stroke maker’s cavalier attitude.

Katich could fulfil that role eventually, but even he is susceptible to chasing width balls to try to score at over 4 an over.

This is not the Aussie way. They would prefer to go down attempting to win, than to draw a game, even when it comes down to the crux. But the batting must perform better under fire as the bowling attack is distinctly thin.

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