IT’S the Ashes and it begins on Friday. From then until July 31, the England men’s team will face off against our antipodean rivals in five Test matches, the winner of which will receive a comically small urn that matters far more than the World Test Championship (WTC) that Australia have just won or lost. Who is good? Who will win? Let’s find out.
England, in Test cricket, are on fire. They have won 11 of their past 13 games, against India, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan. In their most recent victory against Ireland, they hit 500 in 80 overs, which was only dwarfed by the 506 they scored in 75 overs against Pakistan. As previously written, they have chucked out the rule book, the sense of patient decorum, and decided to attack their opposition from the first ball to the last, which has provided astonishing results. Stuart ‘the Nighthawk’ Broad may have been being facetious when he described the last tour to Australia as a ‘void series’, but, as far as Australia are concerned, they are playing a totally different team. Coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have completely revitalised not only an abject England, but an entire format. Of course, to the discerning English Test-cricket watcher, none of that past success will matter unless the Australians are defeated, but, considering where they were two years ago, England have given themselves the best possible chance of victory.
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