Getting Over The Ashes

England's almost routine dismissal of the West Indies was actually much more assertive than their pre-Ashes performances 2005. Often England would achieve parity in the first innings and then Grievous Bodily Harmison would dispatch them in the 2nd. It is also hard for England without the killer instinct of the Australians to be as convincing i.e. in the 3rd and 4th tests did the West Indians let us off the hook or did we let them at times or fight back when challenged - half full half empty.

Taking the positives from the West Indies series. Top of that list has to be Prior. He scored runs and although one wants to see more did not look a complete clown behind the stumps. Indeed even against the weak West Indies England were often grateful to the 5,6,7 batters. As against Pakistan it is hard to argue not having Flintoff at 6 and a 5th bowler is a huge weakness when that happens. Prior's batting will not be totally exposed till he faces Murali or Australia, one would opine giving the paucity of decent bowling in the world - even then Warne and McGrath leave a huge hole.

Monty Panesar continues to take wickets at a rate and cost almost unknown for a finger spinner these days. Quite whether this will continue against India is interesting but he has done well against Pakistan and OK v Australia (well on their first view of him on the hard surface of Perth). It should be recalled in India he was dropped for match winner Shaun Udal. Nonetheless a positive even with the true test to come.

Ryan Sidebottom showed a good English seamer under English conditions can still do a job and we should not hesitate at home to use any of our top seamers. Maybe Ryan did show more than he is one of the run of the mill trundlers who we have forsook but I doubt it. Again India will tell us more. For me it says we have lots of bowlers at home and should rotate to ensure adequate rest periods (not games off but months off and then have people bowl consistently during and between matches - rather than piecemeal rest keeping everyone going all year).

Mike Vaughan came back and got a few runs which is nice as like Harmison and Flintoff he seems set to play whatever his record or form or behaviour or attitude or buffoonery. He also lost the ODI captaincy, mercifully not over his own dead body, which also showed that he will not be as dominant as Fletcher and the giant cartoon buffoon were this winter.

England won their 2nd series without Flintoff 3-0 (OK OK chances are it would have been 2-1 if the Pakistan team had had an ounce of dignity or a smidgeon of decent advice). Which should hopefully be humbling for him. It also shows that, again, 5 bowlers is not the essential some make out - indeed first 2 tests with Harm-less in 'action' I could have sworn we had 3. Indeed someone who judges pitchers in baseball purely by wins and losses would conclude Flintoff was a dud but I don't think like that.....

All the top order bar Strauss scored centuries. 'Nough said.

KP showed that he will not play for his average and must be the least motivated player ever in a dead rubber. However he also showed when motivated he is among the elite.

Negatives. For me the positive comments on Harmison (see 20th June blog) are delusion. If 2/90 odd on the last day are him back I'd drop him. He needs an operation soon apparently does that mean another 8 months of tossery, monopolising the bowling coach, his own bowling coach, sour attitude and self righteousness will have to happen again before he can take wickets at 34.25 a piece against a poor side? The fact that even Geoff Boycott was rattling on about Harmison back and getting Flintoff and Simon Jones back shows that our cricket is in a time warp - never mind what the selectors are thinking given Sir Geoff is generally a year or 3 in front of them - see his prescient comments about Fletcher's shelf life.

Strauss. He got one 50 and apparently all his doubters were wrong. So he got what 90 in 2 knocks... That was his best in a dead rubber??? Like Harmison when someone has some success it is harder to ascertain if they are still good enough. However it is now an awful lot of tests since a really good innings. I think it would do England good to pull the trigger sooner rather than later on these guys. If nothing else a dead rubber could have given someone new an easy in - say Bopara at 6 even. Also English players tend to respond to drops better than praise and shoulder pats as far as I am concerned - call it a kick up the arse leading to glorious comeback and their moron supporters in the press slaughtering us doubters whilst we are actually proved right! go figure.

Difficult to get too excited but England certainly are as good as before the Ashes. Indeed Fletcher and Flintoff are shown up as his decision to thrust Anderson, Gilo, Flintoff, Harmison and Geraint Jones despite fitness and form is shown up. Only Harmison played here and he was by some ways the worst first choice bowler bar Plunkett who was a replacement anyway. More worrying is that analysis in the press is still like the world stopped in 2005 as regards how good players are. Given the malleability of our selectors this is not a good thing.