The advent of another Ashes series brings with it the predictable claimsfrom the English camp that this series will be different to those which havetaken place since 1989

David Wiseman01-Nov-2002The advent of another Ashes series brings with it the predictable claimsfrom the English camp that this series will be different to those which havetaken place since 1989.For the English to be successful, they will need to do more than talk. Theywill need to provide cricket of the highest quality just to compete with theAustralians. Not just for a session, or a day, or even a Test, but for allfive Tests.They must never give in or feel that hope is lost. If ever on top, they cannot relax their grip on the Australians for even a second.Basically to succeed, they must play like Australians which means producingpositive cricket. Their treatment of Shane Warne is a case in point.Initially, when they played Warne, their main aim wasn’t to score runs butnot to get out. So when he inevitably dismissed them, they had no runs toshow for their innings.Last year, Stephen Fleming and his men in black showed that cricket is acerebral game. If you are willing to think about what you are doing, you canmaximise meagre resources. Intelligent batting, bowling and field placementscan make up for apparent disparity between two teams.Man for man, England are at an incredible disadvantage.Australia possess two bowlers who between them can lay claim to over 850Test wickets.Their batting line-up are tested and tried. In the field, they are dynamite,snapping up everything which comes their way.England have a no-name squad who will be pulling off close to the greatestupset in the history of cricket, if they re-capture the Ashes.Maybe England’s only plus is that they don’t know how hard their requiredtask is.Breaking down the facets of the game will show what England’s needs toreclaim the Ashes.BattingPast Ashes series have seen English batsmen contribute to their owndismissal via poor shot selection or intimidation. The Australian bowlershave not been used to having the gauntlet thrown down at them and the onlychance the English batsmen have is if they dictate terms to the bowlers.If this happens, the Australians may lose their line and length. An example of the effect that can be achieved was seen at Perth in 1998 when Graeme Hick played an untypically aggressive innings.Since 1986, there have been 57 Australian centuries in Ashes Tests toEngland’s 28. The English have to aim to make big innings and have strongpartnerships. Too often in the past, collapses have undone all their hardwork. Scoring 400 has to be the rule and not the exception.The English batsmen cannot be satisfied with 40s or 70s. Or even for thatmatter, a hundred. They need big partnerships and big hundreds. At Melbournein the last Ashes game, Alec Stewart did all the hard work in making acentury only to fall shortly after for 107.They need to go on with it like Nasser Hussain did at Egbaston in 1997 when posting 207.The lower part of the order have to value their wickets more highly. In the1998/99 series, Alan Mullally averaged 2.86 with the bat, yet it was his16 runs at Melbourne which ultimately proved the difference between the twoteams.Too many times, a side has Australia five wickets down and on the ropes,only for the tail to rally. Adam Gilchrist adds another dimension to this ashe is more dangerous than most batsmen via his explosive ability to score quickly.In the first Test of the 2001 Ashes series, England had Australia 5/336.Australia ended with 576. If you take the last five wickets of the inningsin the 2001 series, besides the 240, Australia scored 171, 96 and 92.England’s provided 135,14, 61, 39, 43, 36,135,177,129.The few times, Australia’s top batsmen have been in trouble, the tail hasrescued them. In the third Test last year against New Zealand, Australianeeded 335 to avoid the follow-on. At 7/270, Australia were in trouble butShane Warne and Brett Lee fought back. Thanks to Warne’s 99, Australiamanaged to escape the follow-on mark.In the past, England has relaxed when Australia has brought on changebowlers like Mark Waugh or Ricky Ponting and more often than not, theseplayers have made the breakthrough.At the Gabba in 1998, Mark Butcher was set for a big score after making ahundred. He gently holed out to Mark Waugh for 118.In running between the wickets, the English also have to be aggressive. Theyshould take every run on offer. Shane Warne benefits from bowling over afterover to the same batsmen. If the batsmen are alternating strike, it meansthat Warne can’t use the whole over to set the victim up.BowlingThe English bowling has been stronger than the batting in recent Ashesbattles. Unfortunately for the English, the Australian bowling looks betteras they have been bowling to the weaker English batting line-up. Since 1986,Australia has captured 46 five-wicket bags to England’s 23.England always has to give in and suffocate the Australians with their lineand length. Last year, New Zealand showed that Australia was fallible ifexploited, but England only has a remote chance of winning if they arebacked up in the field.To win Test matches, you have to be able to bowl out the opposition. In thelast three Ashes series (16 Tests), Australia have bowled out England 27times while only being bowled out 18 times by England.FieldingThis has been the Achilles heel of the English. Against Australia you haveto convert the half chances, let alone the ones presented on a plate. Toooften, chances have been dropped and run-outs botched.No more infamous examples exist than Graham Thorpe’s grassing of Matthew Elliott in 1997. Level going into the fourth of six Tests, England were sent in on a tough Headlingley wicket and were rolled for 172.At 4/50 Australia were in trouble and would have been in more had Graham Thorpe caught Elliott’s edge. Elliott went on to make 199 and England’sminiscule hold on the Ashes was gone.There have been other examples; Devon Malcolm dropping Tim May at Sydney in1994/5 or Mullally screwing up a gilt-edged run-out chance to dismiss SteveWaugh at the Gabba in 1994/5.England must save every run in the field they can. They need positive fieldplacements and must harass the Australian batsmen.Positive cricketIn sport as in life, one’s strength can be one’s weakness and vice versa. Soto is it with the Australians. The belief they can win at all times meansthey can be suckered in, if the price is right. One such time was the secondTest at Eden Gardens in 2001 when Australia should have batted out for thedraw but went down swinging, thinking they could chase 380 on the finalday!In the past, England has gone onto the field hoping not to lose. In theireyes, five draws would have been a great result. This needs to change. Todefeat the Australians you must think like an Australian.This means positive, aggressive cricket at all times. Always thinking aboutthe game and dictating terms to the opposition. They must be relentless andalways striving for ways to gain the ascendancy over the opponent.Errors must be kept to a minimum and they can’t afford to allow gamesmanshipto get the better of them. The Australians will play hard cricket – that istheir bag. The English must not let it get to them.From the opening ball at the Gabba to the final one in Sydney, they mustgo for the jugular. The second they start playing conservative,defensive cricket, the series is as good as over.