England took a significant stride towards retaining the Ashes with a whopping victory over a poor Australia in Adelaide.
Andrew Strauss' side won by an innings and 71 runs as an expected downpour failed to save the Aussies on the final morning. The tone was set in the very first over on the first morning when, after Simon Katich had been run out without facing a ball, skipper Ricky Ponting was then caught at slip by Graeme Swann off James Anderson for a first ball duck.
Only two runs were on the board when the duo hooked up again to remove the struggling Michael Clarke, leaving the home side bewildered and beleagured on 2-3. A partnership of 94 between Shane Watson and Michael Hussey steadied things a little for Ponting's side, but Anderson then struck again, having Watson caught in the gully by Kevin Pietersen for 51, and leaving Australia on 96-4.
Much like in the first test match it was Hussey and Brad Haddin who provided most of the resistance with the bat. After Marcus North was removed by Steven Finn for 26 the pair put on 51 to guide Australia to 201-6. However, the remaining four Aussie wickets fell for just 38 runs as the hosts were bowled out for 245 on what looked a more than decent batting track.
There was only time for one over at England's openers, much to the disgust of Ponting for whom clearly the strain was beginning to show. In a petulant display of whining and finger-wagging he accused Strauss and Alistair Cook of time-wasting as they saw out the final over of an eventful first day.
If Australia had had a bady day at the office on day one their troubles really started to mount when England batted. Strauss went cheaply for the second time in the series, but by the time Michael Clarke caught Jonathan Trott off Ryan Harris for 78 England had moved on to 176-2. With eight wickets in hand they were only 69 runs behind the Australians' first innings total. Worse was to come for the Aussie bowling attack as Pietersen entered the fray alongside Cook. The pair put on a walloping 275 for the third wicket, with Cook finally caught behind by Haddin off Harris just two runs short of 150.
Pietersen just went on and on, putting on another 101 alongside Paul Collingwood who was out lbw to Watson for 42. That left England 452-4, holding a lead of 207 as Ian Bell came to the crease. The Warwickshire batsman looked just as comfortable as those who had gone before him, helping Pietersen past his double century as England cruised serenely past 500. Pietersen eventually found Katich off the bowling of Xavier Doherty (left arm spinner, anyone?) for 227 yet still Strauss chose not to declare. Instead Matt Prior came in for some much needed practice, and was able to add 27 off just 21 balls before England finally folded their cards in on a barely conceivable 620-5.
All of which left Australia needing 376 in their second innnings just to make England bat for a second time. They were praying for rain on the final day. It had been forecast, but in the event came too late to save Ponting's side from a humiliating defeat. Despite offering credible resistance second time around, Australia could only find 304 in their second knock, with Swann claiming 5-91. The England spinner reminded everyone why he was being touted as England's key man before the series began, putting an ordinary performance in Brisbane in the first test well and truly behind him in this one.
There were also second innings wickets for Anderson (2-92), Finn (2-60) and even Pietersen whose dismissal of Clarke for 80 proved vital. The Australian vice-captain was caught by Cook, and with him went any realistic hopes the Aussies had of saving the match and going to Perth for the third test all-square. Instead, Ponting knows that his side must now win at least two of the three remaining tests to regain the Ashes from English clutches.
A lack of consistency in selection probably won't help Ponting. He is on the verge of becoming the first Australian captain to lose three Ashes series and has been thrown a few curve-balls by the selectors ahead of the Perth clash. Phil Hughes has had to come in to replace the injured Katich, but out by choice have gone Doug Bollinger, Doherty and North to be replaced by Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Steve Smith. Michael Beer is a real left-field selection as a left-arm spin option, sparking a fair bit of chat in the Australian press that the selectors might not be entirely sure what they are doing. Beer surely won't make the final 11, and so of the others only Smith seems likely to provide any genuine spark. Johnson toiled horribly in Brisbane and was dropped for the Adelaide clash, while Hilfenhaus was also deemed not good enough following his performance at the Gabba. Quite what has happened since to change the minds of the Australian selectors is a mystery as baffling as the inclusion of Beer. There's clearly a fair bit of desperation creeping into the decision-making processes.
By contrast England's only real problem is the injury to Stuart Broad. The Nottinghamshire quick has a side strain that will rule him out of the rest of the series (cue gags about the state of Ponting's side) and so England will need to find a replacement. Chris Tremlett was a front-runner before a creaky performance in the tour match against Victoria, so the selectors may yet opt to go for the more experienced Tim Bresnan. Anderson flew home to attend the birth of his child but should be back in time to play, while again Swann will provide the spin option as England look to put the series beyond their old rivals.
It is very difficult to see how Australia can take the 20 wickets they would need to win this one and get back into the series. Four of England's top seven are averaging over 100 in the series so far, while Prior's century in Victoria served notice that he too is well capable of piling on the runs if called upon. Expect England to be celebrating by the end of the fifth day's play at the WACA.
Monday 13 December 2010
Tuesday 7 December 2010
TV Hell - A Question Of Sport
Another Great British institution has been mercilessly destroyed with the new series of the BBC's long running sports quiz A Question Of Sport.
It's been inane drivel for some time now, but the new series has stooped to new depths. It's been moved to the later time slot of 10.35pm on a Monday night from it's former Friday slot at 7.30pm, and I'd suggest it has done so with ever more disastrous results.
Once upon a time, back in the good old days of David Coleman and the idiotic Emlyn Hughes, this used to be a sports quiz. A selection of sports personalities past and present would answer questions about sport. A very simple format, but one which worked perfectly well. Now, as I watch the annoyingly camp and ridiculous Matt Dawson take on the absurd Phil Tuffnell in games of charades and 'Stick The Tail On Gail Emms' arse' I long for the days when big but friendly beer-belly Bill Beaumont faced off with uber-mulleted cricketing legend Ian Botham. Now Sir Ian, if you don't mind. Which my mother does. Enormously.
The closest you came to forced humour in those days was the classic 'What Happened Next?' round. A tennis ball hitting some poor, unsuspecting line judge in the face or a miffed horse throwing some toff off it's back and into a stream seemed far more amusing than anything the current lot can come up with. Otherwise the comedy was much more natural. Hughes' legendary failure to identify the correct gender of Princess Anne springs immediateley to mind.
When there is a genuine sports question it is hopeleslly dumbed down so as not to embarrass any of the guests, lest they refuse to come back at a later date. You'll go a long way now to see any repeat of the staggering ineptitude of Jonathan Davies' performance on one particular occasion, while Ellery Hanley seemed equally incapable of answering simple questions on his own sport. Quite why it was always rugby league players who fluffed their lines I can't explain. Perhaps they're just the ones I remember most as I would most likely have been shouting the correct and obvious answer manically at the television set at the time. Only the team captains are denied protection now, with the old 'humiliate the skipper' gag just about the only thing to avoid the cull during the re-structure of the format. The only problem is that the contemporary captains are only too willing to play along with looking stupid and so the joke falls flat.
Fast forward to the present day and you don't even need to be a sports star to get on the show. Pointlessly, they've opened it up to any old celebrity with a spare hour who might just be trying to build or rebuild his or her career. Last night (December 6) we had the otherwise amusing Patrick McGuinness, with the real naffness provided by X-Factor warbler Olly Murs. What either knows about sport could be written on the back of one of Tuffnell's roll-up wacky-backy papers. All of which sends the whole thing into 'They Think It's All Over' or 'League Of Their Own' territory. Where once there was a sports quiz, now there is a 'knock-about' comedy show with a few party games thrown in. It's a tragic piece of television making, and doesn't even have the distinction of being original.
A Question Of Sport is one of the BBC's longest running shows, but on current form it can't be long before it is laid to rest and replaced by another God-awful reality show.
It's been inane drivel for some time now, but the new series has stooped to new depths. It's been moved to the later time slot of 10.35pm on a Monday night from it's former Friday slot at 7.30pm, and I'd suggest it has done so with ever more disastrous results.
Once upon a time, back in the good old days of David Coleman and the idiotic Emlyn Hughes, this used to be a sports quiz. A selection of sports personalities past and present would answer questions about sport. A very simple format, but one which worked perfectly well. Now, as I watch the annoyingly camp and ridiculous Matt Dawson take on the absurd Phil Tuffnell in games of charades and 'Stick The Tail On Gail Emms' arse' I long for the days when big but friendly beer-belly Bill Beaumont faced off with uber-mulleted cricketing legend Ian Botham. Now Sir Ian, if you don't mind. Which my mother does. Enormously.
The closest you came to forced humour in those days was the classic 'What Happened Next?' round. A tennis ball hitting some poor, unsuspecting line judge in the face or a miffed horse throwing some toff off it's back and into a stream seemed far more amusing than anything the current lot can come up with. Otherwise the comedy was much more natural. Hughes' legendary failure to identify the correct gender of Princess Anne springs immediateley to mind.
When there is a genuine sports question it is hopeleslly dumbed down so as not to embarrass any of the guests, lest they refuse to come back at a later date. You'll go a long way now to see any repeat of the staggering ineptitude of Jonathan Davies' performance on one particular occasion, while Ellery Hanley seemed equally incapable of answering simple questions on his own sport. Quite why it was always rugby league players who fluffed their lines I can't explain. Perhaps they're just the ones I remember most as I would most likely have been shouting the correct and obvious answer manically at the television set at the time. Only the team captains are denied protection now, with the old 'humiliate the skipper' gag just about the only thing to avoid the cull during the re-structure of the format. The only problem is that the contemporary captains are only too willing to play along with looking stupid and so the joke falls flat.
Fast forward to the present day and you don't even need to be a sports star to get on the show. Pointlessly, they've opened it up to any old celebrity with a spare hour who might just be trying to build or rebuild his or her career. Last night (December 6) we had the otherwise amusing Patrick McGuinness, with the real naffness provided by X-Factor warbler Olly Murs. What either knows about sport could be written on the back of one of Tuffnell's roll-up wacky-backy papers. All of which sends the whole thing into 'They Think It's All Over' or 'League Of Their Own' territory. Where once there was a sports quiz, now there is a 'knock-about' comedy show with a few party games thrown in. It's a tragic piece of television making, and doesn't even have the distinction of being original.
A Question Of Sport is one of the BBC's longest running shows, but on current form it can't be long before it is laid to rest and replaced by another God-awful reality show.
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