Jaded England return home

At least the sun was shining, because there wasn’t much else to be cheerful about as England’s cricketers arrived back at Heathrow Airport, more than 100 days after their departure for Australia back in late October. In between their journeys through customs, the team found a perfect pitch around the 60-day mark of their tour, as the Ashes were sealed with a pair of thumping victories at Melbourne and Sydney, but thereafter it descended into tedium and acrimony, with Eoin Morgan‘s World Cup fate providing the perfect bum note on which to end a peculiar odyssey.

When Allan Border‘s men regained the Ashes after a four-year hiatus in 1989, they were treated to a tickertape parade through the streets of Sydney, and as for England’s own exploits, the events of 2005 remain engrained on the retinas of fans of a certain age, with open-top buses and packed receptions in Trafalgar Square marking the end of a remarkable summer’s contest.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Trott heroics keep England alive

Jonathan Trott’s calculating century ensured England stayed in the series with a 21-run victory that upset Australia’s national holiday in Adelaide. The tourists began the game needing to win and the scenario won’t change when they head to Brisbane for Sunday’s fifth ODI, but they have been boosted by an end to four consecutive limited-overs losses.

Trott’s perfectly timed 102 off 126 balls stood tall on a day that was meant to be a celebration of all things Australia, but the home supporters left unhappy as the series score-line in the seven-game contest settled at 3-1. Trott, bowling his steady medium pace, even managed the valuable breakthroughs of Cameron White (44) and David Hussey (28) to end the pair’s rescue act.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Dropped Collingwood forced to fight back

Andy Flower and the England selectors have not been afraid to make big calls. James Anderson didn’t play in the World Twenty20, Kevin Pietersen was dropped last summer and Steven Finn left out during the Ashes after taking 14 wickets. They made another in Melbourne on Sunday when Paul Collingwood, England’s most capped one-day player, was omitted for the first match against Australia.

Although Andrew Strauss said Collingwood remained firmly in their plans for the World Cup – the final 15-man squad will be named on Wednesday – he added that there would be no quick return. This omission wasn’t dressed up as rotation or resting, this was a clinical dropping because Collingwood isn’t currently part of England’s best one-day side.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Woakes slots straight in to England’s winning unit

Image by megara_rp via Flickr

Paul Collingwood, the England captain, had never seen Chris Woakes bat before his match-winning innings against Australia in the opening Twenty20 and went on the advice of coach Andy Flower as to which position the debutant should take. It proved another perfect decision from Flower as Woakes hit an unbeaten 19 from No. 9 to secure a one-wicket victory at Adelaide.

Woakes, 21, earned his chance in the Twenty20 and one-day squads after Stuart Broad‘s stomach injury picked up during the second Ashes Test ruled him out of action until at least the World Cup. It wasn’t expected that Woakes would play a major role but he was given an outing against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra then preferred to Chris Tremlett in the Twenty20 side. Now he could yet be making a late bid for World Cup selection.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

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England captain Paul Collingwood wants Twenty20 record

England captain Paul Collingwood has targeted an international Twenty20 record when his side meet Australia.

The world champions can seal an eighth consecutive win in the format when they face Cameron White’s team in Adelaide on Wednesday, the first of two matches.

“We’ve won seven on the trot and will set a new record if we make it eight,” said Collingwood. “It’s not easy to win that many on the trot in Twenty20.

“The guys are focused and ambitious and these are two huge games for us.”

Full story: BBC Sport