Unbelievable!

The series is level at one-one but England’s final winning margin was not what many would have been tipping at the start of play. I was thinking that if Australia could get the deficit down to double figures, that would be respectable. Who could have imagined 2 runs!! In the end, it was Courtney Walsh v Craig McDermott (Adelaide 1993) all over again. The main difference is that on this occasion, the margin was double and the decision was indisputable.

In a series and a Test match that has lived up to and exceeded all expectations, today continued to deliver. The runs flowed from the bats of Lee and Warne at an amazing rate, with 40 being wiped off in the first 30 minutes. In another bizarre twist, Warne trod on his stumps with Australia still 61 runs short, England seemed home and hosed. Lee and Kasper kept chancing their arms and with a bit of luck and intelligence, the target was down to 30 before you could say “Indiana Jones”. Drinks.

In the end, the thing that may have saved England was that Lee and Kasper started to play more carefully and try to get the runs in ones and twos. Of course, it was the responsible approach but one wonders if Lee should have had a lusty swing at one of the five short balls from Flintoff’s penultimate over. And also of course, if he had have been caught at gully doing so, his castration would have been assured. The point is that the last 20 runs (even with 8 byes and a French cut boundary) are in a way harder to get than the 80 before that. Also note that that two balls before the end, Harmison bowled a juicy, wide, full toss. Lee smashed it but it was fielded by the cover sweeper – that could have gone anywhere including to the rope and victory for Australia.

In a match like this, there are so many “what ifs” for the losers. The Aussies will be kicking themselves for playing below their best for two days. What if Martyn had not been and idiot and scored some more runs in the first innings? What if they could have lost 2-3 less wickets last night – the conditions seemed pretty easy today. What if Gillie had not lost his nerve and holed out to Giles? What if Warne had not trod on his stumps? What if England were not allowed to put on 50 for the final wicket? What if Billy had have given Simon Jones out lbw when he should have? I was not even going to comment on that as it cost “just two runs” so it didn’t matter…. What if, what if.

BTW, 211 remains the highest winning fourth innings at Edgbaston and 279 is the new highest fourth innings total.

In closing, tribute should be paid to the man-of-the-match, Freddie Flintoff. With scores of 68 and 73 (nine sixes for the match) and seven wickets, he turned the match for England with bat and ball. With the bat yesterday, he rescued the innings. If Old England were rolled for 90 (and that was looking a possibility), his team would have been rolled. He innings was a masterpiece. Flintoff tore his left shoulder muscle early in his innings. He was in great pain and could not swing the bat. He showed great restraint and adaptability as he jabbed and worked the ball until lunch and accumulated runs in a way most contradictory to his natural game. He obviously had a pain killing injection at lunch because when the time came to open the shoulders, good Lord, the hitting had to be seen to be believed. I believe his third six was fielded by Graham Gooch in the scaffolding behind the press boxes.

Then of course, Freddie made the crucial double breakthrough in the final session, claiming the first two wickets in the one over, including the skipper for a gozza.

Australia will now take some momentum into the next match. It is a good thing for the series that England has won. England will be relieved and I would think a little shaken that they were well in front for the whole match and yet somehow came perilously close to losing. And for all the pride in fighting to the end and almost getting out of gaol, the Aussies need to have a close self examination.

I’m off to bed early now (but not as early as anticipated). Thank goodness for an extra day to recover before Thursday.

The turning of the tide?

Day one for England may have been a watershed experience for all of England but I think it is the performance on day two that may have turned the series. England certainly had their luck on Thursday and in some ways the performance was not totally convincing. It proved to be effective in this case but one wonders if the approach could be regularly effective. Day two saw England bowl very well. Jones and Flintoff in particular and it pains me to say, that would be journalist, Ashley Giles, bowled well.

After putting himself under all sorts of pressure in his newspaper column, he delivered the goods. As an aside, for those of you who missed the ABC coverage, Henry Lawson and someone else were discussing that at Giles’ recent benefit, the logo on the cups was misprinted “The King of Spain”. Very funny. Henry remarked that there was an errant “S”. Even funnier.

England removed the Aussies for 308 – a lead of 99. England can win or lose from here – the choice is theirs. The Aussies can only win if England throws it away. The Aussies can come back and Warne showed in the last over last night that he is the key. He spun one three feet past the front pad of Strauss and into middle and leg. It gives more cause to wonder why Warne was not given last use of the pitch by his skipper.

I think that there are some worrying signs for the future for Australia. Several things have happened in this Test that leave me wondering of the right person is leading the side. The mental edge seems not to be there.

1. Why on earth would Ponting bowl?

2. Hayden. Hits his very first ball straight to his very own special field position – short cover. What’s that about? My theory is that Hayden wants not to be dominated and wants to be able to play his own game, regardless of the opposition’s tactics. It is not working and has not been for 12 months. I was surprised that a third opened was not brought on tour and I think one might be need before the end of it.

3. The running between wickets has not been as sharp as usual. Perhaps I should say that it has been too sharp. This Test and at Lords there would be at least half a dozen occasions where a direct hit would have had Hayden, Langer or Ponting cold. Australian running is usually better than that.

4. Martyn’s run out was not a case of a badly judged run – there was a run in it if he had cared to run hard. “No-Smoking-Mo” Matthews said it well for SBS. Rough quote: “It was the height of arrogance – you put your head down and run as fast as you can to the other end. You don’t look at the fielder.” Well said. My theory is that Martyn was trying to time his run to perfection – to run only as fast as he needed to just get there. He had assessed that he was running to the safe end, as Vaughan was running away from the end that Martyn was running to. It was a brilliant peace of fielding and I thought it was priceless to see Martyn step on the gas when he realised he was in trouble – but too late!! Australia could not afford to sacrifice a wicket through soft headedness.

5. Warne’s dismissal. Warne took three steps down the pitch to his first ball from Giles, had the biggest windy woof imaginable and was saved only by getting the slightest amount of bat on the ball. He repeated the performance next over from Giles and was bowled. It’s hard to fathom. Why would the number eight do that when one of the best batsmen in the world is at the other end and your team is on the canvas? I can’t imagine that Gillie (ultimately stranded on 49) was happy.

The guys who have it together are Langer and Gilchrist (and McGrath). Langer was admirable with his 82 after taking sickening blows to the head and chest early in the innings. Gilchrist is a leader of men. He has one thing that I think Ponting lacks – stature. Make that several things. He has presence, integrity and humility and I think he should lead the Aussies – he seems a far more natural leader than Ponting. There seems to be a line of thinking in Australian cricket that the wicket keeper will not be long term captain. This was evidenced with Marsh and then Healy. Was it not Gilchrist that finally lead the team to victory over India, in India? I noticed last night that both Clarke and Katich walked after fine edges to the keeper (yes Go Jones pouched a couple). It was good to see and they are following the lead of the most revered cricketer in world cricket today.

The Ponting era has seen business as usual for Australia. Since the departure of Steve Waugh, the Aussies have swept all aside. I would say Ponting should be slow to take the credit. When Greg Chappell took over from brother Ian against the West Indies in 1975-76, and Australia handed out a thrashing, Greg was complimented on the smooth transition and the success. Greg’s response was that it would take a real idiot to stuff up what Ian had built.

So hand’s up who’s for the revolution?

As for Australia’s prospects from here, note that Australia trailed Sri Lanka by 161 and then 91 on the first in innings last year and prevailed. Also note that they batted first! The last time they recovered from such a situation was the celebrated 2nd Test in South Africa in 1996-97 – Mark Waugh’s test. Australia trailed by 101 on the first innings (batting second) and it was Gillespie, Bevan and Warne who ran through South Africa on that occasion. As you would all know, Australia squeaked home by 2 wickets, chasing 270.

England has not come back to level terms in a series after trailing since 1981. That was Botham’s series and England went on to win 3-1. If England gets to 150, they will be in good shape. Anything over 200 will mean almost certain victory and just 250 will put the match beyond doubt. Australia twice dismissed England for below 180 in the first Test. If they can do so here, they are in with a chance. And that final over from Warne will have made a few of the English lads a bit nervous.