CRICKET THE ASHES:THE STORM broke over the Adelaide Oval shortly after 2pm yesterday afternoon. First came the black anvil tops, then the crackle of lightning and rumble of thunder, and finally the sheets of rain that obliterated the ground from view.
It was around three hours too late to prevent Australia from one of the worst defeats in decades, not just in the simple match statistics but in the total discrepancy in the performances, collective and corporate, between the two sides. By then, the victorious England team were back in their hotel across the river enjoying their celebrations. As it turned out, Australia needed to last only 50 overs or so: they managed 17.
If there were those who felt England might have peaked too early in the warm-ups, then now it can be seen they had not got beyond base camp. The only question is how to sustain it.
They did not emerge unscathed from Adelaide and the loss of Stuart Broad to an abdominal muscle tear deprives England of one of their most abrasive characters, who in the estimation of the bowling coach sends down the most dangerous bouncer in world cricket. That he has taken only two wickets in the series at around 80 apiece in no way tells the story because bowling involves team work. He alone rattles Michael Clarke.
Yet, remembering the words of Andy Flower before the series started, that he did not expect the same bowlers who began it to be there throughout, even this possibility seems to have been pre-empted. The planning for this campaign goes back way beyond the final selection meeting, to numerous conversations between Flower and Andrew Strauss, the coaches and Geoff Miller, the national selector.
From this they decided on the type of player they wanted and instructed Miller to find them. For an Old Trafford Test, with Tim Bresnan injured, they brought in Ajmal Shahzad and watched him reverse swing the ball at pace. In he came to join the party. David Saker was sent to The Oval to monitor Chris Tremlett, ignored the tales of insipid character that have dogged him and, taking as he found, saw only a Test match bowler.
It is one of these three who will now fill Broad’s boots and it will be done seamlessly for each has already shown against Australia A in Hobart they can perform in Australia. Each will play in Friday’s game against Victoria at the MCG and, from that, will come the decision. Likeliest is that England will play the conditions, recognise that although the Waca has long since lost the pace of old, bounce is still a great asset, and bring in Tremlett.
This game, though, will give them a chance to assess the MCG conditions too (although no one knows them more intimately than Saker, who coached there prior to joining England, and for whom it will be a slightly emotive return) and, remembering how Dean Headley bowled England to a rare victory there in 1998 with reverse swing, a chance for Shahzad to lay down a marker.
Australia can go away now, lick the wounds and try to regroup during the 10-day break before the third Test. After the match, Ricky Ponting was generous to the opposition, dignified, and thoroughly honest, concerned not just for his team as a whole but his own performance: Ponting leads from the front but has been unhorsed.
Australia have to start throwing caution to the wind a little, and swallow some pride too: Mitchell Johnson could be back and Hilfenhaus, too. Perhaps not Nathan Hauritz, though, despite the unfortunate time that Xavier Doherty has had: Ponting is believed to have had enough of a reluctance to play on the part of Hauritz, and has lost all confidence.
Of the batsmen, Simon Katich, out for the series with an achilles injury, should be replaced by Phil Hughes, about whom England know plenty, while Marcus North will wait anxiously to see if he too has not been removed for the 21-year-old Steve Smith.
England’s only decision is whom to rest and whom to keep going over the weekend. Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen must have a break (although Pietersen as good as had a holiday watching Cook and Trott bat), as must all the bowlers. Steve Davies should keep wicket, allowing Prior to bat only, and Morgan too can play his first game.
Guardian Service
Scoreboard
FIFTH DAY SECOND ASHES TEST AT THE ADELAIDE OVAL
Australia: first innings 245 (M Hussey 93, B Haddin 56, S Watson 51; J Anderson 4-51); England: first innings 620-5 decl (K Pietersen 227, A Cook 148, J Trott 78, I Bell 68 not out).
Australia: second innings (overnight 238-4).
S Watson c Strauss b Finn 57
S Katich c Prior b Swann 43
R Ponting c Collingwood b Swann 9
M Clarke c Cook b Pietersen 80
M Hussey c Anderson b Finn 52
M North lbw b Swann 22
B Haddin c Prior b Anderson 12
R Harris lbw b Anderson 0
X Doherty b Swann 5
P Siddle b Swann 6
D Bollinger not out 7
Extras(lb-1, w-5, b-5) 11
Total(all out, 99.1 overs) 304
Fall of wickets: 1-84, 2-98, 3-134, 4-238, 5-261, 6-286, 7-286, 8-286, 9-295, 10-304.
Bowling: Anderson 22-4-92-2; Broad 11-3-32-0; Swann 41.1-12-91-5; Finn 18-2-60-2 (w-5); Collingwood 4-0-13-0; Pietersen 3-0-10-1.
