Derek Pringle looks at the Lord’s pitch for the inaugural Test against Ireland and fears the worst for the England batsman in the Ashes
Joe Root, England’s captain, was quick to condemn the pitch at Lord’s for the Ireland Test, suggesting that his team do not want to play on surfaces that offer the bowlers so much. If that is the case, how does he propose to win the Ashes? If pitches are flat, flat, flat there is surely only one winner, unless Archer plays all five Tests and takes 30 wickets. Only then is it likely to be England.
That is because the Aussie pace bowlers pack more heft than England’s in benign conditions. Aside from Archer, their main trident of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins has more pace and aggression than their opponents. They also possess a better spinner than England in Nathan Lyon, but for the purposes of this piece it is the pace men and their likelihood of succeeding in conditions where their forebears have failed for the past 18 years, that will be discussed.
Yes, that’s right, Australia have not won an Ashes series in England since 2001 so why should their pace and aggression succeed now when predecessors plying something similar did not?
Denne historien er fra July 28, 2019-utgaven av The Cricket Paper.
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Denne historien er fra July 28, 2019-utgaven av The Cricket Paper.
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Kohli leads RCB to much-needed win
VIRAT KOHLI returned to top form with 72 not out to lead RCB to an eight-wicket victory over the Royals in Abu Dhabi.
TEWATIA HAS SPARKED MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE IPL
James Wallace admits he has been surprisingly taken in by the IPL so far – and, in particular, the performance of a new Royal renegade
Whitewash victory is just the T20 tonic for Keightley
A SERIES that few thought would come to fruition ended in triumph for England who completed a 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies in Derby.
TEN OUT OF TEN! RYAN IS BASKING IN MORE GLORY
Chris Stocks catches up with Ryan ten Doeschate, who has plotted Essex’s recent county domination every step of the way
Surrey have the Will to end hoodoo
WILL Jacks may be a hot batting prospect but he’s relished the added responsibility with the ball in Surrey’s charge to T20 Finals Day.
NOW IT'S OUR TIME TO HELP OTHERS
Chris Stocks catches up with England’s director of cricket and discusses the need for the ECB to help boards around the world
IT'S OFTEN DOWN TO A THROW OF THE DICE
Garfield Robinson explains just how big a part luck plays in determining success or failure in sport
FINDING TALENTS LIKE TOM IS A GAIN IN ITSELF
One of the unexpected highlights to emerge from English cricket’s Covid-attenuated season was the chance given to young players to strut their stuff. With many overseas players and Kolpaks affected by travel restrictions many counties looked instead to the young talent on their staffs with gratifying results.
Future looks bright for the Ohio Slinger
ALI Khan is earning his stars and stripes in the Indian Premier League, with the first American to play in the tournament breaking down barriers in every sense.
Spin trio put squeeze on after Glenn shows off skill with the bat
SARAH GLENN helped England spin it to win it after proving she can make an all-round contribution.
