3 minute read

Cricket’s holiest of grails awaits as Australia and England battle once again for the most treasured prize in all of the sport – ok then cricket.

Racing and Sports will cover all five tests which are hoped to be played in varying cities across the wide brown land although these days, flux is the default position in sports timetabling. We'll also put in a few gambles which might add to the viewing pleasure.

AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND

Second Test

16-20 December @ Adelaide Oval (D/N)

Peter Allen's showstopper "Everything Old is New Again" probably best sums up the first clashes at the Gabba.

How many times have we seen the first ball of the Series cause such consternation!

From Harmison's radar sending the opening salvo to Flintoff at second slip, through Slater carving DeFreitas past point for four and now the most recent instalment.

When Starc charged in one can only imagine how both sides of the equation were feeling. Burns, with his technique all aquiver versus Starc, with his being questioned by the former blonde leg spinner at every call.

As the crowd roared and expectations were highest, the late outswinger that started outside leg peg cannoned into the opener's stumps around his front pad.

Sure it wasn't the greatest delivery and every chance it wasn't the plan but its effectiveness set the tone for the session, the day and ultimately much of the First Test.

And yet still that aforementioned leggie was unable to provide any sort of credit in commentary. Even if it wasn't the quality of Cummins to Root at Manchester last time or Harris to Cook in Perth, hold some fire please man.

From that time on, England were behind the eight ball and playing that far behind in the game meant something Herculean would be required.

Small moments, big moments – they all count and the vast majority of them counted against England at the Gabba.

Sadly for their sake, much of the angst about those incidents were self-inflicted wounds.

From 4-59 at Lunch they were all out by Tea. Incidentally at one stage they were 8-122 when the wicket fell. That was exactly the same scenario Australia faced in the opening gambit at Edgbaston just over two years prior. This one did not have such a significant turn of events.

When the rain came on Day 1 it meant the openers were able to avoid the initial retort from the English seamers under heavily laden skies and a green pitch Kermit would seek camouflage on.

Low and behold the following morning dawned bright, clear and hot – enough to cook anyone but more so unsuspecting foreigners coming from the colder northern climes.

When faced with that development, you must see those in the inferior position doing everything within their powers to be on the positive side of the ledger.

Stokes then bowls a series of no-balls (most not called) then knocks over Warner's castle but has him recalled as he was closer to the batsman than his own crease. Burns follows suit shelling a sitter at third slip and Hameed misses the simplest of runouts from 3m away. Warner had the lucky beads out that morning.

Even then, despite getting into the superb game situation of leading by 19 with 9 wickets still in the shed, Australia proceeded to lose the small measure of 4 for 29 leaving it vulnerable and definitely it was game on.

But the Head counter attack began and with willing allies in firstly Carey to a small degree, then the skipper, Starc and the followers, the lead became substantial.

Travis Head had his own doubters leading into this match. He'd even been subjected to a line ball decision with Usman Khawaja for the Number Five slot. To be fair that was as flip a coin as one could believe.

Having been favoured he repaid that immediately and with interest. Not only did he score 152, it came off a ridiculous 148 balls. 14 x 4s and 4 x 6s cannot be sneezed at. While he too has had previous technical imperfections, he gets the fullest of kudos for not only what he did but when he did it and how he did it.

That counter attack, taking the game from an opponent, and in ultra-slick time can be a killer. An 85 ball hundred is rare. Not everyone plays like Gilly once did but this had the same result. Credit is absolutely due for what he achieved – especially from one doubter right here.

Once England was forced back in and then two for not many, it was not hard to see a total collapse. However Joe Root, based off a 2021 foundation of excellence and Dawid Malan holding firm, may have put some shakiness into an opponent that twice last summer failed to finish India off.

Primarily Starc and Lyon had suffered much of the ignominy from not polishing off those very Indians leading to a home series defeat against a highly understrength group. Could they restore faith?

While Starc wasn't able to swing it with much style in the second dig, at least Lyon got not only team success but an individual one as well. His 400th was so timely.

An early Day 4 seeing off of the first bowling partnerships would have brought the tourists to very near knocking off that treasured lead. But once Malan was that critical intervention by Lyon to Labuschagne at bat pad, the train track was heading in one direction and fast.

Root was pouched as part of a record for Carey on debut behind the stumps but perhaps more importantly as part of Cam Green's contribution. An all-rounder has that luxury that if you fail with the bat you can always have an impact in the field with or without the ball.

A beautiful legcutter took Root's outside edge and he got a late one as well to finish them off. Lyon, Hazlewood and Cummins were all part of that clean-up and 20 was all that was needed.

We shouldn't pass over Cummins effort. It's natural that he'd make an impression as he is a brilliant player and great competitor. But he was also willing to listen and learn from the senior leaders like Smith plus take advice. It will be a requirement for however long he holds the armband.

Root is the 'big wicket' but Stokes is the man they fear the most. Leeds has a place in Australian memory banks that they'd love erased by a computer expert capable of deleting that corrupted chip. Most would hope that disturbance in the force never sees light of day again.

Cummins got him twice – fending and tightened around middle and leg. On both occasions that lack of freedom to clear his front leg saw Stokes edge to wide areas of the cordon.

What is a bit lost though is that England had chances and for all that went on, can quickly improve. The toss, selection and in play seemingly were lost opportunities.

You should almost always bat first in Brisbane so that can't be criticised. However conditions were as English as you could get. The 22 yards was green and the overhead was black.

Once they'd decided to put all the eggs in the Adelaide day-nighter basket, by picking Leach they were almost consigned to bat. You play the spinner hoping to build a lead and bowl last?

It doesn't really show it on the scoreboard but England were not hopeless with ball in hand. Robinson was more than adequate but best as a third seamer. He kept trying through pain as well.

Wood charged in the whole time. Easily the only bowler looking at breaching the 150kph all match, he made batsmen squirm. It was lucky the accidental beamer to Head was cushioned by his hand before hitting him. Relations, at least to this stage of five tests in seven weeks, appear good between the teams and mollified any chance of a drama.

Woakes and Stokes (they're just missing Foakes) didn't have that same influence though the talisman looked very likely on Day 2 through that no-ball spree. A bad knee was a massive aggravation.

Jack Leach's contribution is one of the biggest headaches. The spinner simply can't go for 8rpo. Even if you're not taking scalps, keeping pressure on for the quickies is almost as valuable. You bowl in partnerships as much as you bat in them.

So they head to a completely different Test match now and even if some don't want to believe, this Series is not over in the slightest.

England will bring in two fresh, highly experienced and perfectly suited old hard heads for a day night test in Adelaide. Australia will lose one of their premier assets and potentially two should Warner be a late out.

Whether it is Richardson or Neser for Hazlewood, they are good players but not as good as the injured. The upside for England is considerable.

The challengers will have a long tail but the whole series depends on them winning here and the selection in Brisbane was predicated on that.

There is still a shakiness to the Australian order and the conditions next time have a huge potential to bear that out. Warner made 94 but in three separate digs and really only Labuschagne plus the command of Head had confidence that they were not to go cheaply.

Four years prior it was another Test which looked to be going all one way but when England had their chance, they couldn't sustain.

An Aussie second innings collapse, caught starting in the night conditions to Anderson and Woakes, saw the English chasing 354 but that should have been so much more.

Then they were half way home at 4-176 on the last day only to be scuttled by some fast straight bowling from Starc and Hazlewood.

It's all or nothing this time. An England win and they move to Melbourne as if it's a 3-test series including now a D/N to end in Hobart. They will fancy their chances there and could easily rest the same pair for Sydney.

But if the hosts prevail at the Adelaide Oval then it's effectively over and might be 5-Nil once again.

Suggesting Mitch Starc might enjoy the conditions. He'll miss Hazlewood at one end metronomically keeping it tight but could still pick up a series of late swinging poles. He averages 18 with the ball here.

Was impressed that Haseeb Hameed was prepared to get in behind the ball and hold tight against the fury when others weren't. He had missed some straight ones at home but showed some poise in Brisbane. He might score a few again.

If the Broadway musical started with "Everything Old is New Again" then it may well end with "I Still Call Australia Home." At least the Ashes might anyway.

The home team will face a couple of old nemeses in Broad and Anderson this time and 'somehow this feeling just grows and grows' that they hold the fate of their team's Ashes hopes.

Enjoy the lights in Adelaide.

Suggested Bets: Mitchell Starc 3+ wickets @ $2.50

Suggested Bets: Haseeb Hameed 30+ 1st Innings @ $2.95