Ashes 2006/07

Time for England to start learning

2006-12-28T10:37:00.000Z

England's Ashes campaign descended into complete farce with a humiliating innings defeat in the fourth Test at Melbourne.

But England have learned some important lessons that, if heeded, will help them improve in the future.

Kevin Pietersen must be promoted to number four. Although this didn't work out in England's second innings, it is clearly the way ahead.

Pietersen has been England's only truly successful player with the bat in Australia and should therefore be given the opportunity to bat for as long as possible. Which is not something he can do when batting with the tail and trying to prop up a faltering innings.

Paul Collingwood should bat at number five. There, his grit can complement the flamboyant stroke-making of Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who comes in at number six.

Chris Read should continue to keep wicket for the foreseeable future. At Melbourne, the Nottinghamshire glove man's six catches confirmed what any impartial observer has said all along: he is an infinitely better wicketkeeper than Geraint Jones.

And if he knows his place in the side is secure, he can then work on his batting. His unbeaten 26 in the second innings proved he can contribute.

Andrew Strauss must replace Andrew Flintoff as skipper. It has been obvious throughout that Flintoff is struggling to cope with the huge demands of playing the pivotal all-rounder role and captaining the side.

I believe Strauss is a more shrewd skipper and he should be allowed to build on the excellent start he made against Pakistan in the summer. If Michael Vaughan is not available come next summer, Strauss should be given the job on a long-term basis.

England must somehow learn not to waste excellent situations. In the first innings, they slumped from 101-2 to 159 all out.

They then had Australia 84-5, only for the home side to rally and post 419 all out. And even in their second innings, England made a decent start, reaching 41 for the first wicket before collapsing to 161 all out.

Finally, England must stop dining out on the success of 2005 and realise that one narrow series victory does not entitle them to world domination.

Inconsistency the cause of England's failure

2006-12-18T11:32:00.000Z

If only England could bat well twice in the same Test match, this Ashes series would still be alive.

As it is, their rank inconsistency with the bat has helped Australia take an unassailable 3-0 lead.

England's dreams of retaining the urn have been shattered, but England must rally for the last two Tests, at Melbourne and Sydney.

They owe it to themselves, the thousands of travelling fans and the bleary-eyed TV spectators at home to restore some pride and avoid a 5-0 drubbing.

There is no doubting Australia's status as the world's premier Test nation.

Even so, England's inability to reproduce the form and resilience of 2005 has been extremely frustrating.

At Adelaide and Perth, they were in a commanding position after the first innings of the match before losing the plot.

England were simply unable to match Australia's skill, intensity and self-belief in the crucial sessions of each match.

There have been some fine individual performances from England players, most notably Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar.

However, England have not fired as a team and only the exceptional Kevin Pietersen has truly enjoyed a good series, averaging almost 80.

The Hampshire batsman is the only England player selected for all three matches to have justified his own and England's heady reputation.

*Rob Wightman is co-writer of Match of My Life - The Ashes (Know The Score Books, £16.99), in which 12 Ashes legends, including Geoff Boycott, David Gower and Glenn McGrath, reveal their favourite Tests. Call 01527 454482 now to order at the special price of £15 (p&p free).

Jones must justify his place

2006-12-15T11:41:00.000Z

I am at an utter loss to explain Geraint Jones's continued presence in the England team after another abject failure with the bat today at Perth.

Jones was dismissed for a duck off the innocuous bowling of Andrew Symonds, yet again thrashing at a wide delivery.

The Kent wicketkeeper has a reputation for being an affable, honest cricketer. But you do not select a player for the heat of Ashes battle simply because he is a good bloke.

Given Jones's woeful batting form, England's tail effectively begins at number seven - or six, as Andrew Flintoff has made just 0, 16, 38 not out, 2 and 13.

For Jones, it seems to be harder to get out of the team than it was to get in it.

Jones is clearly not a better wicketkeeper than Chris Read, so the selectors have picked him because of his supposedly superior batting.

But Jones has scored just 259 runs in his last 20 innings, including today's effort.

Three of his innings have ended unbeaten, so that gives a mightily unimpressive average of 15.23 since the second innings of the second Test against Pakistan in November last year.

When Read finally got his chance against Pakistan in the summer, after two and a half years in the wilderness, he made scores of 38, 55 and 33.

And he proved himself to be a high-class performer with the gloves.

England have made so many errors in this series that I lack the space - or energy - to catalogue them all here.

But one of the worst has been changing the team that beat Pakistan so comprehensively just a few months ago.

Ashley Giles and James Anderson have rightly made way for Monty Panesar and Sajid Mahmood at Perth.

So how can the selectors explain choosing Jones over Read?

Going into an Ashes series as holders for the first time since 1989 was a wonderful feeling.

Sadly, by the time I write again, the famous urn will be back in Australia's grasp.

www.robwightman.co.uk

Monty makes his point

2006-12-14T10:57:00.000Z

Monty Panesar's five-star display on day one of the Perth Test made his previous absence look crazier than ever.

Not picking the left-arm spinner for the first two Ashes matches was like turkeys voting to take goose off the Christmas menu.

Today's 5-92 took his Test tally to 37 wickets in just his 11th match.

So Panesar's record compares favourably with that of the legendary Derek Underwood, who many regard as England's finest post-war spinner.

After his 11th Test, Underwood, also a left-armer, had taken two wickets fewer than Panesar.

The Luton-born spinner was simply magnificent on his Ashes debut and his performance should be placed in its full context.

No English spinner has ever taken five wickets at the WACA in its 36-year history as a Test venue.

The Perth pitch offered pace and bounce on day one, but no great spin. Yet Panesar fully exploited the conditions, with control and bounce his main weapons.

Panesar has played very little cricket on the tour and any rustiness would have been understandable.

Three of his victims - Justin Langer, Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist - are top international batsmen. So it was not just a case of mopping up the tail.

The Northamptonshire spinner had to carry a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders and must have felt under some pressure to justify his selection.

That he responded with such assurance and determination shows exactly why he should have been in the side from the outset.

It is criminal that England waited until they were 2-0 down in the series before picking Panesar.

I've had my say, now you have yours by posting comments to this website.

Match of My Life - The Ashes (Know The Score Books, £16.99), edited by Sam Pilger and Rob Wightman, is available now from all good bookshops and online retailers. Call 01527 454482 to order at the special price of £15 (p&p free).

www.robwightman.co.uk

A quick word on sorry England

2006-12-05T18:22:00.000Z

If you are still shellshocked by England's horrific capitulation in Adelaide, spare a thought for how Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Matthew Hoggard.

They are three players who really did not deserve to lose this Test match.

Collingwood (206) and Pietersen (158) were outstanding with the bat in England's first innings, one Hoggard's seven wickets in Australia's first knock were a triumph.

But therein lies the reason for England's defeat. They have players capable of outstanding Test performances, while others look out of their depth.

By contrast, every member of the Australian side has made at least one major contribution in either or both of the two Tests.

The only exception is perhaps Matthew Hayden. But he can be let off since he has already scored over 7,400 Test runs and will doubtless have his day during this series.

I'll be back with more thoughts before the Perth Test next week.

Hoggard shines with traditional values

2006-12-04T09:52:00.000Z

Only bowlers who have stuck to the old-fashioned virtues of line and length have prospered in the Adelaide Test.

England's bowling hero yesterday and today was Matthew Hoggard, with seven wickets.

And Stuart Clark has been the pick of Australia's bowlers, taking four wickets so far in the match.

Both have bowled with great control, putting batsmen under pressure by denying them scoring opportunities.

Most of their wickets have therefore come from frustrated batsmen being tempted to push at a ball they should leave or strike it to the boundary instead of playing defensively.

This trend is emphasised by the fact that eight of Hoggard and Clark's 11 victims have been caught.

But the second Test has been a batsman's match so far, which is why it appeared to be heading for a draw.

England must not be negative tomorrow, but they should remember that avoiding defeat is their first objective.

That is a shame because paradoxically their best chance of victory lies in offering Australia a chance of winning the game.

If England could set up an Australian run chase, they could hope to take wickets because the Aussies would need to keep a high scoring rate.

But the one thing England cannot afford to do is go two down in the series, so a pragmatic approach is likely.

The batsmen who have yet to make a half-century in the series - Andrew Strauss, Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones - should see tomorrow as an opportunity to get some welcome practice.

They can expect Shane Warne to prove a far more potent weapon on a wearing pitch, but a good innings against him would set them up well for the rest of the series.

www.robwightman.co.uk

The Panesar debate

2006-12-01T13:24:00.000Z

I was as surprised and disappointed as anyone not to see Monty Panesar selected for the second Test, which began today in Adelaide with England posting a solid 266-3 by the close.

England are desperately short of match-winning bowlers, so the left-arm spinner's continued absence is hard to understand.

I don't want to be an apologist for England's selection policy, but several factors may have influenced the decision not to pick Panesar.

When Duncan Fletcher, the coach, and skipper Andrew Flintoff sat down to discuss team selection, they must have wanted to avoid a knee-jerk reaction to the humbling at Brisbane.

And by changing the team dramatically, they would have been admitting they got it wrong to start with.

If they genuinely believe they selected the right team at Brisbane, it follows that that is the best side to continue England's defence of the Ashes.

Let's not forget they adopted the same policy after Australia comfortably won the first Test of 2005 at Lord's.

However, Australia's omission of Stuart MacGill, the experienced leg-break bowler who remains two short of 200 Test wickets, may have persuaded Fletcher and Flintoff further.

If the Australians, with their local knowledge, believed Adelaide would not prove the spinners' paradise expected, perhaps England are right not to go in with two spinners.

Of course Shane Warne made the ball spin on day one, but he could make a snowball turn on a sheet of ice, so his performance gives little indication as to whether or not Panesar should have played.

Warne ended day one with no wicket for 85 runs from 27 overs and it is highly unlikely Panesar - or MacGill, for that matter - would have fared better than the great man.

Given the lack of batting talent among England's bowlers, it is also hardly surprising Ashley Giles kept his place, especially after performing well with the bat at Brisbane.

Despite the selection debate, England have made an excellent start to the second Test, one which suggests we might just get a real Ashes contest after all.

Let's hope the outstanding Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen can continue their fine form on day two.

In the meantime, I would be interested to hear readers' opinions on the Panesar debate.

You can post your comments by clicking on the link below.

Time to move on for England

2006-11-27T11:23:00.000Z

It seems strange to finally be writing the post-mortem of England's defeat in Brisbane after picking over the bones of their capitulation since the first session of day one.

Unfortunately almost every concern about England's selection and preparation proved justified.

But Duncan Fletcher, the coach, and captain Andrew Flintoff must now erase Brisbane from the minds of England's shell-shocked players.

England are fortunate that they have a chance to make amends so soon, when the second Test begins in Adelaide on Friday.

Despite the trauma of the last few days, there are a few glimmers of hope.

For starters, they surely can't bat and bowl as badly as they did in Australia's and their own first innings.

And there were signs at Brisbane that England were beginning to find their way with the bat.

Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood caught the eye in England's second innings, although both wasted the opportunity to make a really big score by getting themselves out in the 90s.

Another positive is that Andrew Strauss will surely have learned his lesson about hooking and pulling recklessly on Australian pitches.

And then there is the bowling department. It is now unthinkable that England will repeat the error of not selecting Monty Panesar, who has brought control and wickets throughout the past year.

England are likely to play two spinners at Adelaide, so Ashley Giles keeps his place.

Giles represents one of England's few selection successes, having contributed with the bat in both innings.

However, it would be nice if England could one day find a number eight batsman for whom scoring 20 runs isn't regarded as a success.

The man to make way for Panesar will be James Anderson, who finished with woeful match figures of 1-195 on his return to the Test arena.

Steve Harmison will keep his place only because there is no viable replacement since Sajid Mahmood has looked desperately short of confidence and consistency of late.

My England team for Adelaide: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar.

www.robwightman.co.uk

Poor shot selection is Strauss's undoing

2006-11-24T09:59:00.000Z

I was hoping to offer some crumbs of comfort, however meagre, this morning.

But I am really struggling to find them after another terrible day for England in Brisbane.

The England management is already attracting criticism for an apparent lack of preparation, with only one first-class match before this first Test.

But that is not an observation you can make with any certainty until the Test match is over, so I'll limit myself today to two remarks about England's batting.

England must have discussed which shots to play and which to eradicate on Australian pitches.

So it was disappointing to see the normally dependable Andrew Strauss get out pulling a ball from Glenn McGrath that was angled across him.

The pull is a difficult shot to execute well on bouncy Australian surfaces unless, as Ricky Ponting demonstrated so ably, the ball is coming straight on to the body.

That allows the batsman to manoeuvre himself inside the line of the ball and on top of the bounce.

Since Strauss had to fetch the delivery from McGrath from outside off stump, he was never in full control and the ball flew in the air.

It was an example of why many Australians favour the cut shot, either getting right on top of the bounce or deliberately getting underneath it so the ball flies safely over the slip cordon.

But Strauss's stroke, with two men placed in catching positions deep on the leg side, was criminal, even if Australia's fielders did their best to collide before Michael Hussey clung on to an excellent catch.

Tomorrow is a massive day for the England selectors, when those of us with doubts about their batting and selection policy can be proved wrong.

Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles need to make runs to justify their inclusion in the side.

That may seem a harsh situation for a wicketkeeper and spin bowler, but Duncan Fletcher's belief in their capability with the bat is precisely why they were chosen ahead of Chris Read and Monty Panesar respectively.

My Ashes blog is also published here: http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/ashes/

Please send me comments for aspects of the series you would like to debate.

England concede early psychological advantage

2006-11-23T10:11:00.000Z

In his interview after a long, hot day in the field, Ashley Giles said England need to come out fighting on day two of the first Test as Australia look set for a huge first-innings total.

But come out fighting is exactly what England should have done on day one.

It is vital to send out a statement of intent to the opposition in the opening session of an Ashes series.

This England did brilliantly at Lord's in 2005, with Steve Harmison bowling particularly aggressively as he struck Australia captain Ricky Ponting on the cheekbone.

There is no doubt England were unlucky to lose the toss and have to bowl first on what looks like a tremendous batting surface.

But their wayward bowling early on and, in some notable cases, hangdog expression suggested they were suffering a combination of nerves and gloomy resignation.

England's lack of preparation and reliance on bowlers who have played very little cricket through injury in the last 12 months was always open to criticism.

These weaknesses were ruthlessly exposed in those crucial first two hours of the day.

Aussie opener Justin Langer was determined to hit his way into form, an approach that might have been his downfall had England bowled with greater control.

As it was, Australia got off to a flyer. Now, as Giles says, begins the task of reining them in.

Please leave me messages

2006-11-21T14:05:00.000Z

We've had a major PR blitz with the book these last few days. Please check out the following for extracts and serialisation:

www.Daily Mail.co.uk - go to the sports section, click on 'Ashes' and then the 'Must Read' section on the right-hand side

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,23069-2445360,00.html

www.ntlworld.com - click on Sport, then Ashes 2006/07, then Features, then Anecdotes.

Check out the Previews section at the above site for my interviews with Jeff Thomson and Ray Illingworth.

I also have an interview with Ray Illingworth in this month's Wisden Cricketer.

And finally, check out my blog and links to the book at www.getreading.co.uk - I'm in their Ashes section. Surprisingly.

Please feel free to leave messages there and on this blog - it's nice to know there are people out there reading what I've got to say.

Cook can emulate Broad heroics

2006-11-20T14:04:00.000Z

Marcus Trescothick's headline-making return from Australia last week has dramatically improved England's chances of retaining the Ashes.

Trescothick's batting has been one of the key factors behind England's resurgence in Test cricket, but to succeed in Australia you have to be in great condition physically and emotionally. Which is clearly not the case with the Somerset opener right now.

In his absence, England need not face the difficult decision of which batsman to drop from Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood and Alastair Cook.

That is good news because those three have earned their place in the team through runs scored in the last 12 months, not mere reputation.

And for England to mount a successful campaign, one of those less experienced batsmen must have an outstanding series.

The situation bears comparison with the last time England won in Australia, in 1986/87.

Then the experienced trio of Mike Gatting, David Gower and Ian Botham made runs when the pressure was on.

But it was the emergence of left-handed opener Chris Broad that ultimately proved the difference between the sides.

England are expected to promote Alastair Cook to open alongside Andrew Strauss for the first Test, which starts late on Wednesday night.

This affords Cook the opportunity to thrive, as Broad did, in the environment that suits him most.

Cook has excelled against seam and generally coped well with spin since making his debut in India last March.

But in the summer he was twice dismissed by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, and Shane Warne would be likely to cause him even greater problems.

As an opener, however, Cook should see less of Warne. And when the great Australian leg-spinner comes into the attack, Cook should already be playing with confidence and runs under his belt.

Former Test captain Ray Illingworth, who masterminded England's 1970/71 Ashes victory in Australia, believes Cook's inexperience against top-class spin bowling might have been his downfall at number three.

"Cook looks pretty good against seam bowling, but he might struggle against the spinners a bit, particularly if Australia bat first and get a bit of rough outside his off stump," Illingworth told me before Trescothick 's departure.

Despite being eight years younger than Broad was in 1986/87, 21-year-old Cook is arguably better prepared for an Ashes series Down Under.

He has hit 761 runs in 16 Test innings, at an average of almost 55, with three hundreds.

Broad had not played Test cricket since a handful of unspectacular appearances two years earlier and had yet to make a Test hundreds.

Still, he became one of England's key performers, hitting centuries in three consecutive Tests.

If Cook can do something similar, England will enjoy a very special winter.

* The blog is now also going to be appearing at www.getreading.co.uk

Radio star

2006-11-17T12:59:00.000Z

"G’Day" has been the first thing said to me on several mornings recently when I've been interviewed on Australian radio as part of the drive to promote the book.

The Australians all seemed very excited about Match of My Life - The Ashes, which is great.

The good news has continued today with my appearance in glorious colour on page 2 of the Fleet News, as well as the publication in the Wisden Cricketer of my interview with Ray Illingworth about the 1971/71 series.

Unfortunately, however, The Daily Mail have postponed publication of our serialisation until Monday. It's a bit irritating but there's nothing we can do about it and they've promised to do a good job.

Still, there will be extracts in The Guardian and The Times tomorrow (Saturday) and as many as 40 regional newspapers in the coming week or so.

The blog will be appearing at www.getreading.co.uk as well as here from Monday, November 20. They've asked me to present a few thoughts on the Ashes series and are very helpfully promoting the book in return.

I'm also going to be using some exclusive material gathered from interviews I've conducted in recent weeks, so it should make an interesting read.

Distribution-wise, Amazon are beginning to get their act together and you can now take a peep inside the book on the product page. They should actually start delivering copies soon.

By contrast, WH Smith have stocked the book from the outset, even in the Fleet branch.

Sorting out book availability

2006-11-14T10:36:00.000Z

Unfortunately we've had one or two problems with the book being supplied through Amazon. I have now been assured, however, that the books have arrived at Amazon's warehouse and will be shipped out shortly.

Needless to say this has caused a lot of anxiety but it looks like the problem has now been rectified. It's a good job because the publicity is about to go into overdrive.

I did an interview with Radio 2SM Sydney's Talkin' Sport show this morning. It went really well, with none of the expected Pom-bashing, and the show's presenter, Graeme Hughes, absolutely loves the book.

On Thursday The Daily Mail is running its serialisation and The Times will publish an extract of Justin Langer's chapter in its Ashes Handbook on Saturday. We are also hoping The Guardian will use a section of John Emburey's chapter in its retrospective feature on page 2 of the sports section.

The Guardian is definitely running sections of the Ashley Giles and Glenn McGrath chapters, which look back at the fantastic 2005 series, on Monday. And there's plenty going on in Australia, too.

I'm pretty pushed for time at the moment but should be able to start posting my eclectic mix of Ashes facts and quotes again before the series starts a week on Thursday.

The book’s out

2006-11-09T10:39:00.000Z

I'm afraid I wasn't able to update the blog yesterday because I was promoting the Ashes book at a lunch hosted by the National Sporting Club in London. The guest speakers were Michael Vaughan and England selector Geoff Miller. As you'll have read in today's papers, Vaughan is hoping to be available for selection for the third Test in Perth, which starts on December 14.

The book was officially published yesterday and got a mention in Charles Sale's Sports Agenda column in the Daily Mail. That was the first piece of media coverage the book has received, but there will be a lot more in the coming weeks.

This afternoon a photographer from my local paper, the Fleet News, is coming to take my picture with the book. I knew I should have had my hair cut.

Quote of the day

"At the moment, England aren't playing as good as they would like but at the end of the day, it's all about how they play during this series. They've got some matchwinners there and I'm sure they'll be looking to entertain and play well." Shane Warne.

Random Ashes fact

There have been 311 Ashes Tests since 1876/77. Australia have won 126 matches and England 97, with 88 draws.

Magic numbers

14 days to go. Colin Cowdrey stands 14th in the list of all-time Ashes run-scorers. He made 2,433 at 34.26 from 43 Tests. His top score was 113 at Melbourne in December 1962/January 1963.

We're in The Guardian

2006-11-07T10:40:00.000Z

There is further good news with my new Ashes book, Match of My Life - The Ashes, co-written with Sam Pilger. The Guardian is to run a major extract from the book in its Ashes Handbook, which will appear shortly before the series. The book is officially published tomorrow, Wednesday, November 8, and is available from major bookstores and www.Amazon.co.uk.

Quote of the day

"Unless people have been to Australia, they don't realise how difficult it is to win a series down there. There's the climate for one thing - it can be 100 degrees or more. The crowds are massive and hostile, with 90% of them against you, and the pitches are different. So winning back the Ashes in Australia was the absolute highlight of my cricket career." England's 1970/71 Ashes-winning captain Ray Illingworth reveals the enormity of the task facing Andrew Flintoff's men.

Random Ashes fact

Marcus Trescothick has never made a Test century against Australia. The left-handed opener has scored 1,013 runs in 15 Ashes Tests, including seven half-centuries and 90 at Edgbaston in 2005. He is the only current English batsman with experience of Test cricket in Australia.

Magic numbers

16 days to go and 16 is the number of Test centuries scored by Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist. The 35-year-old has made a whopping 5,124 Test runs at 48.80. Gilchrist has also taken 320 catches and 35 stumpings in his 85 Tests. By contrast, England appear to have such little confidence in their wicket-keepers, Chris Read and Geraint Jones, that neither was granted a central contract.

It's here at last

2006-11-06T11:01:00.000Z

On Saturday morning I received the first copy of my new Ashes book, Match of My Life - The Ashes. Everything is now set for official publication this Wednesday - November 8.

Match of My Life - The Ashes features exclusive first-hand accounts of classic Ashes encounters from 2005 winner Ashley Giles, Geoff Boycott, David Gower, Bob Willis, Ray Illingworth, John Emburey, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Mark Taylor, Jeff Thomson, Merv Hughes and Neil Harvey.

Match of My Life - The Ashes is published in England and Australia on November 8 to coincide with the Ashes series, which starts in Brisbane on November 23.

It is available from all major bookshops and you can order a copy today from www.amazon.co.uk (just do a search on 'Rob Wightman').

As well as being a great accompaniment to the forthcoming Ashes series, the book will make a great Christmas present.

Quote of the day

"There's more questions being asked of them and their team and their fitness than there is of us. Our record this year has been very good, theirs has not been so good. They've won five of their 13 Tests [since the 2005 Ashes] and we've won 11 of our 12." Australia skipper Ricky Ponting forgets the pressure he is under to reclaim the Ashes.

Random Ashes fact

When Mike Gatting's England won the opening match at Brisbane in November 1986, it was their first Test victory for 14 months. They went on to retain the Ashes 2-1.

Magic numbers

17 days to go and 17 is the number of wickets taken by England's Monty Panesar against Pakistan this summer. The left-arm spinner claimed his wickets over four Tests at an average of 30.29, including a Test career-best 5-72 at Old Trafford.

Less than three weeks to go

2006-11-03T12:05:00.000Z

Quote of the day

"We'll have to play well to succeed, probably even better than we did in 2005. But we have lads who can perform at the highest level. I believe we have a good chance." England captain Andrew Flintoff.

Random Ashes fact

England's trip to Australia in 1970/71 became the only ever seven-Test series. The third Test at Melbourne was a complete washout, so a seventh match was arranged at Sydney later in the tour. Ray Illingworth's England won a controversial series 2-0 to bring the Ashes home for the first time in 15 years.

Magic numbers

20 days to go and 20 not out is England bowler Steve Harmison's top score against Australia. He has twice made that score: as England won at Sydney in 2003 and in the first innings at The Oval in 2005, when The Ashes were finally regained. If Harmison's batting is a barometer of England's success, let's hope he makes an unbeaten 20 at Brisbane later this month.

Ashes book publicity gathers pace

2006-11-02T14:19:00.000Z

Extracts from Justin Langer's chapter in Match of My Life - The Ashes will be published in The Times Ashes Handbook on Saturday, November 18.

The Daily Mail plans to run a spread with extracts from six chapters, including Bob Willis, Jeff Thomson and Geoffrey Boycott, on or around Thursday, November 16.

An abridged version of Jeff Thomson's chapter will also be appearing in the Herald Sun, Melbourne, on either Saturday, November 4 or Saturday, November 11.

Extracts from other chapters will be appearing in newspapers around the country, including the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Leicester Mercury and the Birmingham Post.

Finally, excerpts from the book will appear in the sports section of NTL's website from Friday, November 10.

Match of My Life - The Ashes, edited by Rob Wightman and Sam Pilger, is published by Know the Score Books on November 8, 2006. It is available from all major bookshops and www.amazon.co.uk, priced £16.99. ISBN: 1905449631.

Quote of the Day

"The verbal hostility you sometimes got from fast bowlers never bothered me because I never listened. I had the ability to switch off, so whatever they said to me was a waste of time. It was like talking to a brick wall." Sledger's nemesis Geoffrey Boycott.

Random Ashes fact

Despite being England's most prolific Test run-getter, with 8,900, Graham Gooch took 10 years and 39 innings to make a century against Australia. That was his 196 at Old Trafford in 1985.

Magic numbers

21 days to go before The Ashes. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has played in 21 Tests against England, winning 13, losing five and drawing three. Although he has scored 1,402 runs against England, his Ashes average of 41.23 is significantly lower than his Test average of 58.22.

"It would have killed me if I had drunk like Freddie Flintoff."

2006-11-01T10:41:00.000Z

Quote of the day
"There was never any talk of an open top bus parade or a trip to Downing Street. Yes, I suppose I was envious of the celebrations Michael Vaughan’s team enjoyed in central London, but we never expected anything like that. Anyway, it would have killed me if I had drunk like Freddie Flintoff." England's 1985 Ashes-winning captain David Gower.

Random Ashes fact

Sir Len Hutton's 364 at The Oval in 1938 remains the highest individual score in Ashes history. The England opener's marathon innings lasted 797 minutes and included 35 fours as the home side posted a formidable first-innings total of 903-7 declared. England won the match by the massive margin of an innings and 579 runs.

Magic numbers

22 days to go before The Ashes and 22 is the number of Test centuries scored by Australian opener Justin Langer. Four of his hundreds have been made against England, including a memorable 250 at Melbourne in 2002. In all, the Perth-born left-hander has struck 7,393 Test runs at 45.35.

"If great batsmen like them couldn't handle my bowling, the Poms weren't going to either."

2006-10-31T10:10:00.000Z

Quote of the day

"I had played against Ian and Greg Chappell and if great batsmen like them couldn't handle my bowling, the Poms weren't going to either." Lightning-quick Jeff Thomson describes his Ashes debut at Brisbane in November 1974.

Random Ashes fact

In 1974/75, the deadly duo of Thomson and Dennis Lillee helped Australia rout England 4-1. Thomson claimed 33 wickets in his first Ashes series, consistently bowling at over 95 mph.

Magic numbers

There are 23 more days to go before the Ashes begin. England batsman Ian Bell was 23 (and 101 days) when he made his Ashes debut at Lord's on July 21, 2005. Unfortunately his age was greater than his average in the series, which was just over 17.

2006-10-30T10:16:00.000Z

Quote of the day

"Brett lee was bowling at 95 mph, but I didn't feel any fear. I thought, 'You are going to have to kill me to get me out because I'm not going anywhere.' I wanted the Ashes that much." Ashley Giles, 2005.

Random Ashes fact

The first-ever Test between England and Australia took place at the MCG on March 15, 16, 17 and 19, 1877. Australia won by 45 runs, but England fought back to square the two-Test series.

Magic numbers

There are 24 more days to go before The Ashes series starts in Brisbane. 24 is the number of wickets Andrew Flintoff took in 2005. That haul meant he was England's most prolific bowler in the series, although Simon Jones claimed 18 victims in four Tests. Of course Shane Warne took 40 wickets and ended up on the losing side.

Ashes book launch

2006-10-27T12:49:00.000+01:00

After months of hard work, I'm delighted to say that the Ashes book I have co-written with Sam Pilger is now available to order ahead of publication on November 8.

As Andrew Flintoff's England prepare to defend the Ashes in Australia, Match of My Life - The Ashes relives 12 classic matches from past series through the eyes of the men on the pitch.

The book features exclusive contributions from six English and six Australian greats, including 2005 Ashes winner Ashley Giles, Geoff Boycott, David Gower, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Merv Hughes.

Giles recalls hitting the winning runs at Trent Bridge, scoring a Test-best 59 alongside Kevin Pietersen to help England clinch the Ashes at The Oval and taking 10 wickets in the greatest ever Ashes series.

Each player gives a vivid first-person account of his outstanding match, including memories of the stellar performances, controversy and legendary team-mates and opponents that have shaped Ashes history.

Geoff Boycott relives the dogged century at Trent Bridge that helped win England the 1977 series, Bob Willis recounts his incredible eight-wicket haul in England's seemingly impossible victory at Headingley in 1981 and David Gower remembers captaining England to glory in the 1985 series.

For Australia, Glenn McGrath reveals the ecstasy of taking his 500th Test wicket at Lord's in the first Test of last summer, former Australian skipper Mark Taylor recalls how he helped turn 'the worst team in Ashes history' into 4-0 series winners in 1989 and Justin Langer remembers his match-winning double century at Melbourne in 2002.

England have had few successes in Australia, but Ray Illingworth explains how he masterminded their victory in 1970/71 and John Emburey reminisces about the last time England won Down Under, in 1986/87.

These gripping and often humorous accounts provide an evocative insight into many celebrated Ashes moments as the nation gears up for another enthralling battle with the Aussies.

In Match of My Life - The Ashes, England are represented by Ashley Giles, Geoff Boycott, David Gower, Bob Willis, Ray Illingworth and John Emburey.

The Australian line-up comprises Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Mark Taylor, Jeff Thomson, Merv Hughes and Neil Harvey.

Match of My Life - The Ashes edited by Rob Wightman and Sam Pilger is published by Know the Score Books on November 8, 2006. It is available from all major bookshops and www.amazon.co.uk, priced £16.99. ISBN: 1905449631