Final Test Preview

Ok...regrouped by now, the England team should bounce back. They won't of course. Freddie's boys will go down in history as the first Ashes side to lose 5-0 since the 1920's. At best they can hope for a draw.

Statistically the odds are not good. In 52 tests played at the SCG Australia have won 26 and England only 19. However, on our last visit there we won by 225 runs. On that occasion England were also 4-0 down. The visitors batted first and put on 362 with a partnership of 166 between Hussain & Butcher. The Aussies hit back and made it to 363 which included centuries from Steve Waugh & Adam Gilchrest. Hoggard, Caddick & Harmison shared the scalps. In the 2nd innings England stepped up the pace declaring on 452 for 9 with Vaughan top scoring on 183 on a flat track. Now, at this point it was heading for a draw but for Caddick's 7 for 94. None of the homeside made above 50.

If England could reproduce that kind of form then, whilst they won't come home heroes, they will have at least wiped the wry smile from the face of Ponting. But England have no Trescothick; no Vaughan; no Butcher & no Hussain. They have men that could be all the aforementioned. Strauss could be Tressy and Cook has got a touch of Vaughan. Ian Bell is in the same class as Hussain and KP is certainly as powerful as Butcher on his day.

What needs to happen is simple. Not the clutching at straws type of cricket we have seen but a belligerence when batting that says I am not giving up this wicket. If you want it come and get it.

And when we bowl, we must bowl like Monty; we must believe that each and every ball could take a wicket.

I'd like to see the same team as Melbourne. Change the batting line up. Collingwood down to 6 and KP up to 3 or 4. More use should be made of Mahmood. I'd give him the new ball for 5 overs just to see what happens. Him and Harmy at either end should be lethal.

Whatever the result, this tour has shown that we lack imagination; we underestimated the way Australia would bounce back & the management of the team needs sorting out. Never again should we take players on tour who are not fit. We should not gamble like this. It would have been better to have lost using inexperienced players than this humiliation with unfit top players. We shouldn't take young rising stars on tour if we don't intend to use them. I feel for Joyce & Darlymple who have spent the whole tour carrying drinks for unfit players. Stuart Broad should have been given a run as a change bowler. How else will he ever gain the experience he needs?

It is a time for reflection. The end of each year brings such contemplation for all of us. The ECB need the same introspection &, indeed, catharsis.