The Ashes – First Test, Days 4 and 5: If

 

 

Quite possibly apart from chess, there is no other game like Test cricket. The five-day format is an examination of a player’s mental and physical prowess; the nature of the game’s scrutiny and attrition is surely unrivalled. Yes, some matches can be a bore-fest, meandering like treacle over five slow-moving days, and other matches can be over within a dis-satisfyingly rapid three-day period. But to me, nothing comes close to Test match cricket.

 

It is a game of many “Ifs” – the momentum shifts ever so slightly on “sliding-doors” moments; a crack appears, possibly unnoticed at first, which allows the whole wall (let alone that small sliding-door) to be breached. The just-finished Test match in Brisbane was a match full of “Ifs”.

 

If Alistair Cook was still the player that he once was…

If Nathan Lyon had not thrown down James Vince’s stumps from point…

If Dawid Malan had not gifted his first innings wicket to Mitch Starc…

If Nathan Lyon had not bowled so well…

If England’s slow scoring rate plan did not leave them vulnerable upon losing a number of wickets…

If England had included another bowler more threatening than either Woakes or Ball…

If Ben Stokes had not had a brain-fade in Bristol…

If Steven Smith was not such a fine player…

If Australia had selected Maxwell rather than S Marsh…

If Pat Cummins, batting at 9, had not scored such a crucial 42…

If Steven Smith was not such a fine player…

If Moeen Ali did not have a cut on his finger…

If Josh Hazlewood had not rediscovered his groove in the second innings…

If Joe Root had cashed in on his promising start, as the opposing skipper had done…

If Steven Smith was not such a fine fielder…

If the third umpire had not seen fit to dismiss Moeen Ali…

If Nathan Lyon had not bowled so superbly…

If England had set Australia a chase of 230+…

If Phil Hughes were alive today, he would be in the Gabba dressing rooms celebrating with his team-mates…

There is life still in this Ashes series, if England can use the conditions in Adelaide to their advantage. If not, the Ashes may well be Australia’s.

 

 

 

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About Darren Dawson

Always North.

Comments

  1. If the Dutch had settled Australia before the Poms?

    The win by the Aussies was not as comprehensive as the result suggests, in my view. Take Smith out of the equation and the sides are pretty even. Surely Smith can’t bat like that for the whole series? His inning was one of sublime commonsense and incredible application to the task at hand.

  2. G’day Smokie

    I watched the part of the Day 4 at Coolabah. England got the last two wickets so quick (only around ten minutes apart, I think). Probably if they didn’t get wickets in such a short time would be added your ifs.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  3. Yep, not many of those ifs would need to happen for a very different result, Smokie (are you taking Damien Barrett’s job next year?) If it’s anything like the last Ashes the result of the most recent test between two reasonably matched teams threw people’s perspectives around wildly. A few thoughts though: Pat Cummins (avg 22) is an immensely superior No. 9 to Stuart Broad (avg 21). Over the last two years Broad has averaged just 12 with the bat after looking almost a genuine all-rounder five years ago when he averaged 29. Mitch Johnson and the head knock he took from Varun Aaron seems to mean he is not interested in hanging about against fast bowling, therefore is of limited value. And Nathan Lyon can talk as big as he wants when he performs like that. Bring on Saturday arvo!

  4. Dunno if Maxwell could have hung around for 3 hours to support Smith on a soft pitch where the ball was not coming onto the bat. North Sydney runs are like Zimbabwean dollars.
    Australia v England is like 6th versus 10th in the AFL. The game can be interesting to 3/4 time, but outside of Smith, Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood, Root, Broad it lacked serious A Graders. Batting looks frail and thin for both sides.

  5. Luke Reynolds says

    Smokie, liked that you mentioned Smith’s fielding. While his batting is getting all the plaudits it deserves, he is a magnificent all-round fielder. Right up there with RT Ponting as the best Australian fielder I’ve seen.

    Often wonder where Phil Hughes would be at with his career. Sadly, we’ll never know.

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