Observations from the Perth Ashes Test

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The Ashes have been won and now equilibrium is restored…hoorah. The Australian cricket team has been able to do what many people thought was not possible at this point in time and bring the Ashes Urn back to Australia. (well…metaphorically speaking anyway)

But just imagine if the English had been able to successfully defend the Ashes, it would have been a national disaster of epic proportions and there may have been a need to sacrifice the first born child of every family to the God of Cricket in the hope of obtaining a turnaround of fortunes.

Well, we can all rest now that danger and “mass sacrifice” has been averted with the series win. Another way of saying it could be “On the 15^th day Australia reclaimed the Ashes”.

So with equilibrium restored, what were the takeaways from the Perth Test?

• The Australian fielding continues to shine – there have very few mistakes made by the Australians in the field this summer and the difference between them and the England team is striking. Some of the catches that are being taken are simply amazing. Mitchell Johnson catch to dismiss Kevin Pietersen in England’s first innings was first class as was Ryan Harris’s catch to dismiss Kevin Pietersen in the second innings.
• England look shattered – it would not be completely wrong to think that the English batsmen are beaten before they take their guard at the crease. Australia’s bowling attack has implemented their bowling plans for the English to perfection and the lower order looks very timid against the short pitched bowling being offered. This has then transferred to the field where many catching chances have been dropped and when they have had the ascendancy against Australia, they have not been able to take their chances.
• A tale of two wicketkeepers – there is a stark difference in the performance of the two wicketkeepers during the summer. As mentioned in previous posts Brad Haddin is very much in form and has not missed a beat behind the stumps. Haddin has scored 325 runs at 65 in the series with one century and three fifties, this effort has been crucial in allowing Australia to post large scores. On the counter side, Matt Prior has had a torrid time with the bat scoring 107 runs at an average of 17.83 over the six innings. Prior’s keeping had remained solid up until the Perth Test but it started to drop off during the second innings where a couple of missed chances were costly for England.
• Welcome to the Grand Canyon….. (Oops) the Perth Pitch – the very hot weather and the clay composition both combined to produce a pitch that was very hot and the cracking was very plain to see by the third day. Shane Warne almost lost his mobile phone in one of them and there were regular shots of people shoving their hands in them. If the ball hit a crack well you have no hope of knowing what it would do. Nathan Lyon bowled a wide after hitting a crack as it almost turned at right angles towards leg slip. Chris Rogers was lucky that he was wearing a chest guard as he would have probably broken a rib or two from another ball that surprisingly kicked up

• Australia’s improved attitude – this can be basically put down to the change in coaching staff over the last six months. The appointment of Darren Lehmann has brought about a more relaxed atmosphere in the Australian camp and the results are starting to show on the field. After a sluggish start under Lehmann, where it could be said that Lehmann was gathering information on what needed improving, the Australians are a settled team with the same line up being used in the three tests so far (and again in Melbourne). Lehmann has adopted an attitude of hard work but allows his players to reap the rewards off the field. The team environment is far healthier than it was under Mickey Arthur and it was just the injection that the Australian team needed.

Now that the Ashes have been decided it will interesting to see if England make wholesale changes to the team for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests. Stuart Broad is in doubt after receiving a yorker on his right foot from Mitchell Johnson in Perth and England are intending to send some of its star players back to England before the One-Day Series starts. These players may be sent home early as the schedule for England is fairly busy over the next 12 months.