Ashes Lost - Respect Won

Ashes washed away

It was a day like any other in Manchester: gloomy and dull in the morning, sunshine by noon and then rain sweeping in from the Celtic Sea to the south west to dull the afternoon and kill aspirations. Its the way the weather conspires, here in the heart of England, to keep the working class convinced of the dreariness of their life. It suppresses any danger of uprising or at the least thoughts of rising above one's station.

Yesterday, it insisted on reminding Michael Clarke's Australians that they are the inferior team. The weather in these bullish isles is, after all, amongst the most compelling traits of what it is to be English. It slapped them down ... put them back in their place. Nothing is certain in cricket but with three of St George's strongest knights already slain and the rest fumbling with their pad straps and praying that a merciful God would bring them rain and save them from the battle, it looked better to be an Aussie than a Pom.

That rain saved England from at least further embarrassment on the last afternoon is a given. Australia had dominated their opponent for the first four days, with England winning only one session of the previous four days. On Saturday, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell had a thumping middle session but the rest were Australia's, save for a few that were halved. Gone were the incompetent green helmeted batsmen from Lords who handed themselves over to ridicule, the more so among their own media. Beer stained men in sportsmen's bars across Australia had turned away, preferring to watch their footy team lose ... even if they were Parramatta. Led by Clarke at Old Trafford but just as well supported by Chris Rogers, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc, Australia belted an English attack said to be unplayable under all conditions and then bowled with great discipline to bring them to their knees.

Inevitably, there was another umpiring controversy on the last day. Pietersen referred, refusing to accept he had edged Peter Siddle to Haddin and spat expletives all the way to the boundary when the third umpire ignored all but the one piece of evidence that the men in white coats have always had: the sound in their ears. The stump microphone confirmed what Tony Hill's ears had caught in real time and Snicko, not used in DRS but conclusive anyway, allowed TV commentary the rare space to leave well enough alone. Such faint edges have always baffled the observer. The ball had no more than coyly kissed the bat, like a blushing innocent in the first confusions of puppy love might brush the cheek of an older hero and then run to the safety of a caring parent.

Pietersen was out to common sense as much as anything, something missing from the Usman Khawaja travesty in the first innings.

In the washup, England retain the Ashes but those who choose to gloom and doom this Australian team will soon realise they have much less evidence to back them. In Manchester, the batting was as effective as at any time when the folklore heroes Ponting and Hussey were playing. They're not coming back. Accept it.

The bowling was outstanding but not without the need for further tinkering. With a view to the Australian summer, Jackson Bird must be given a role at the expense of Mitchell Starc. Siddle=superb and with Ryan Harris fit it's time to dispense with the hope of random wicket taking balls (Starc) and bring some line and length to bear (Bird). Shane Watson, still woeful with the bat, bowled wonderfully well, holding a knife to England's throat and not allowing them to wriggle free. His pressure was crucial whilst Siddle and Harris recharged for the next assault.

Lyon is still bowling like a shy kid who has been given a few overs at the end of his first senior's match. Despite bowling well in India, he still lacks confidence in his ability to take on the likes of Pietersen and Bell. Frightened of being taken out to the clothes line and flogged with the Pietersen broom, his lack of belief leads to a lack of variation. Perhaps Warne can pump him full of mongrel juice before Chester-le-Street?

Harris ... a welcome
return for Australia

Its time for the Australian public and their masters, the media, to start recognising the changes they have been demanding, as though theirs is the only say in the matter. Its easy to nit pick even this performance and say what could have been better, but to do so, is to miss the elephant in the room. If two declarations, a runs per wicket average of 50 compared to their opponents 31 and domination so great that England won one session out of fourteen isn't enough for the knockers to zoom back and see the big picture, then the wins which will happen in the next seven Tests will make little difference. This "hopeless" Australian side has been flogged once and nearly won the other two.

Fair go.

The performance of the Australians at Manchester showed just how much Lords hurt. When poor players hurt, they just keep hurting. When good players hurt, they want to change things. When champions hurt, they do.

Change. You bet.