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

 

Ashes winners – Victory reaction from Sydney

England captain Andrew Strauss praises the collective effort that saw his side to a memorable Ashes Series victory with the win over Australia at the SC

Australia in crisis, but also in denial

Michael Clarke does not think Australian cricket is in crisis, but there can be no other description after what has happened over the past seven weeks. The elite game in the country has collapsed on and off the field during a record Ashes thrashing, from coaching and selection to more mundane matters like batting and bowling.

Despite all of this James Sutherland, the chief executive, is happy with the head coach, the selectors and the players – just not the result. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, is not resigning and is pleased with the form of the four decision makers. “I think we’ve done a very good job as a selection panel, but the reality is we were totally out-played,” he said. He was being serious.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Better to have flawed technology than the cynical appeals of old

Image by Rich Jacques via Flickr

You might have thought there could have been nothing more inappropriate and dispiriting at the highest level of sport than the huddle of whiplashed Aussies turning their back on Alastair Cook‘s exit after his latest epic, record-smashing knock.

Unfortunately, there was, at least for those of us who believe that if technology in cricket is never going to impart infallible justice it is an immeasurable improvement on what we had before.

Full story: The Independent

Final day of Ashes humiliation

England is on course to achieve one of its greatest triumphs in Australia by inflicting an unprecedented humiliation.

Never before in almost 134 years of Test cricket has Australia lost three Tests in a series by an innings.

Only a prolonged repeat of yesterday evening’s monsoonal downpour can prevent England from achieving another emphatic victory in the fifth and final Test at the SCG to take the series 3-1.

Australia will resume today on 7-213, still needing 151 simply to make England bat again.

It will be England’s first series success in this country for 24 years.

Shane Watson, who was run-out in a dreadful mix-up with Phil Hughes for 38, conceded the depth of Australia’s despair.

“There’s no doubt with the performances we have shown over the last little while that we have to turn it around and it does come down to the players alone to turn it around,” Watson said.

Full story: The Australian