It really does feel like a horrible dose of déjà vu doesn’t it? 2-0 down, staring down the barrel, and on our way to Perth with a monumental mountain to climb, if we are to even think about getting back into the series.
 
Well, we have been here before. Several times in fact. And unfortunately parallels from the horror 13/14 tour under Cook and Flower, and of course the Flintoff-led debacle in 2006/7, will inevitably be drawn. The reality here is that history tells us that England going into Perth 2-0 down, typically equals a 5-0 whitewash on an Ashes tour.
 
Now if we rewind to an article that I wrote, almost exactly four years ago (link below), I went in still all guns blazing in championing a fairy tale comeback and 3-2 England triumph, after a defiant 2nd innings effort with the bat at Adelaide (ring any bells…?).  Looking back now, it was based almost entirely on emotion, desperation and maybe one half-decent innings. Despite the two losses on this tour, we have been far more competitive than four years ago, which is the main foundation on which our hopes still remain.
 
Whilst Lenny Kravitz still lives on, we must believe that it really ain’t over ‘til it’s over, but on the same token, it also potentially ain’t that far away.  People who know me, would describe me as ‘ever the optimist’, about England’s chances and sometimes unrealistically buoyant.  But I’m now four years older, uglier and wiser, than the gung-ho writer of December 2013, which in turn has opened up my appreciation that at some stage the head should be listened to, and the heart pushed aside. This unfortunately, is that moment. Getting back into this series with a win at Perth, seems a seriously long way away.  
 
But does that mean we will all lose belief that a comeback could happen? Of course it doesn't! Will we continue to support the boys and keep signing loud and proud all the way to the SCG? Too right we will!
 
So we now come to the question of how can England win at Perth and what changes, if any, should they make?
 
If England are going to have any chance of winning at Perth, and getting back into the series, they must play to their strengths. We don’t have a Pat Cummins or a Tymal Mills available that we can throw the ball to bowl at 90mph on a consistent basis. With the ball, we have to trust our high quality bowlers to bowl at their best. And let’s face it; they have just rolled the Aussies for 138 last time around. We don’t have huge pace or mystery spin, so let’s not look for something that isn’t available. That’s an argument for another day.
 
The batting, is where the issues lie. We must look to history. Our only real success in Australia, at least in my living memory, was based around huge first innings runs. Cook, Strauss, Trott, Pietersen, Bell and Prior all scored hundreds. To succeed in Australia you simply must be getting 400 on the board in the first innings as an absolute minimum. There are no two ways about it. Had we got 400 on the board in the first innings at Brisbane and at Adelaide, as we maybe should have done. We would not be two games down right now, I can assure you of that.
 
So we’ve ultimately got what we have got. Are Shaun Marsh and Tim Paine better cricketers than Bairstow and Malan? I’d say not. They have just played better cricket in the conditions so far. If I was in the shoes of Trevor Bayliss, I would not be looking at too many changes in personel, but the batting order in particular must be tinkered with. How can we score 400 at Perth? 
 
 
How can England improve for Perth:
 
Top order runs must come and must come now!
You don’t win Test matches with a top score of 82 or 67. England need to find hundreds from somewhere and it must start at Perth. Based on scores of 227, 233, 302 and 195, there simply must be a change. We cannot continue to bat in a similar manner and expect differing results!
 
This should start with Jonny Bairstow.  He is currently England’s second best batsman in these conditions, due to the inability of Alastair Cook to lay a bat on Lyon. Jonny has the ability and skill to score hundreds in Australia, but at number 7, he cannot. With England’s 8-11, consistently being ‘bombed’ away within half an hour, Bairstow has been and will continue to be left stranded if he doesn’t move up the order.
 
It’s a very simple equation in my eyes, the batters most likely to score big hundreds must bat in the top order. Vince and Malan have shown positive signs, but nowhere near enough.  Ballance wouldn’t improve the side, and bringing in another left-hander for Lyon to spin into his web, is the opposite of clear thinking.
 
We need our best batsman to be able to affect the game higher up, it’s our only chance of winning the Test match. For that reason I would move James Vince down the order and Root and Bairstow up it.
 
Cook
Stoneman
Root
Bairstow
Malan
Vince
 
What to do about Mo?

The struggle of Moeen Ali is a huge problem. Without Stokes, Mo is the balancing act England so desperately need, and without his consistency with the ball and with bat that we are so used to, England are always one step behind.
 
This is another simple selection quandary for me. If Mo is fully fit to bowl, then does so and bats 7. But if he still cannot bowl properly due to his finger injury, it just has to be a debut for Mason Crane. The pitches so far have turned, which is no surprise considering how good Nathan Lyon has been in 2017, and England would be shooting themselves in the foot if they didn’t go into the Test without a frontline spinner, no matter how inexperienced Crane may be. Fingers crossed Ali is back to his spinning best by Perth.
 
 
Can Wood improve our attack?
 
A 100% fit Mark Wood is an asset to any side.  If Wood comes through the two-day game fully fit, and I mean FULLY fit, then he might just be worth a gamble. But if he isn’t bowling full-speed and pushing 90 mph, forget it. Remember, the bowling is not the main issue, so changes for the sake of changes is not what we require. I’m more than happy with the seamers we had playing at Adelaide. I hope for Mark’s sake he can come in and make a major impact be it at Perth, or more likely at the MCG.
 
 - - - - - - - - - 
 
To summarise, the key is to stay calm, stay positive, stay consistent and avoid flipping the whole thing on its head. These guys playing are much better than they have shown. Yes, we know we need big hundreds, but don’t forget Cook has 31 of the bad boys, Root 13, Ali 5 and Bairstow 3.
 
Yes, if we do not up our game quickly, we might well be starring down the barrel of a Glenn McGrath special, but we have got some world-class players in that setup and the series can be turned on its head, if England start playing to their best.  I’m looking forward to Perth and joining up with the magnificent Barmy Army. And with a little re-jiggle, I’ll actually be more confident about winning the test than this article may suggest.
 
Cook, Stoneman, Root, Bairstow, Malan, Vince, Ali, Woakes, Crane, Broad, Anderson.
 
I’m hoping to see this side at the WACA, but whatever the XI entrusted, be sure to hear us loud and proud. Maybe we can see something very special. Cricket is a very funny game...
 

*Crane only is Ali not 100% to bowl. Overton or Wood to replace if he is.

With only just over ten weeks until the 2017/18 Ashes kicks off at the Gabbatoir in Brisbane, the powers that be will now be well and truly in squad selection mode and very soon their list of around 25 possible tourists will have to be dwindled down to sixteen. While there are eight absolute bankers for the squad announced in a few weeks time, there are question marks over the heads of several batters, a back-up seamer or two and maybe the second spinner. Anyone who watched the Sky selection special on the verdict would have seen how subjective an England touring party really is, so really nothing is guaranteed. Here is my squad (with a bit of reasoning behind them) that I have picked to go out to Australia and retain the Ashes...




​












​
​We'll start with the no brainers:

Joe Root (c) - say no more, gun.

Ben Stokes (vc) - a summer to remember for the vice-captain, it seems he has come a real long way since the last tour of Australia..

Alastair Cook - ex-captain, rock at the top of the order. Inked in.

Jonny Bairstow (wk) - gloves or no gloves, Jonny is in the side for his consistent run making.

Jimmy Anderson - latest member of the 500 club will take the new ball with his partner in crime.

Stuart Broad - overshadowed by Anderson this summer, but make no mistake, Broad is a world-class bowler these days. Unfinished business in Australia.

Moeen Ali - a class act with bat and ball, Mo has come into his own of late. Like JB, the argument is he should be batting one higher than he currently is.

Chris Woakes - hardly involved with England this summer due to injury, but before then, one of England's outstanding performers in Test cricket. Eighteen Test matches into his career, he's more than ready to take on the Australia's.

Ben Foakes (wk) - won't be a 'no brainer' for most, but will be a Test cricketer for England very soon and every sixteen-man tour squad will need two wicket keepers. Foakes the best gloveman in the country currently, and would give a very viable option of releasing Bairstow of the gloves to bat at number three or five in the long-term top order maybe.

-  - - - - - - 


Now for the remaining seven members:

Back up seamers:
Of the remaining selections for me, this is the most straightforward. As good as Broad and Anderson are, the options for a third seamer to add to the outstanding Ben Stokes, quite simply have include some variety.

With no real left-arm options standing out (too early for Sam Curran), we are looking at right-arm medium-fast options, or in the case of Mark Wood, right-arm thunderbolts. He's on the plane for his pace alone. History tells us England will likely use five frontline seamers (forgetting Stokes for a second) throughout the series, and two or three Test matches from Wood would give England the extra firepower they may well need. Injury permitting expect Woakes to start at Brisbane, but don't be surprised if we see Wood somewhere nearer Perth.

The other seamer on the plane has to be Toby Roland-Jones. He has broken into the side fantastically well this summer and no-one can fault him for anything he's done up until now. There is an argument to say he should be inked in for Brisbane and Woakes left on the bench, which is a possibility for sure. For me Woakes is the more complete Test bowler but TRJ has done more than enough to make the party.

A mention for Jake Ball who will be very close and will surely be included in the Lions squad if he doesn't sneak in ahead of one of these two. An option to come in Tremlett style later in the series if injuries occur. Steve Finn hasn't quite done enough unfortunately. 


Top order batsmen:
I could have left this until the end, but getting stuck into the most tricky part is always a good idea. The men in possession are Mark Stoneman and Tom Westley and both have had their troubles this summer (but remember so have most batters). The question the selectors need to ask themselves is are their significantly better players out there than these two?

Other names that have been mentioned include Ballance, Jennings, Northeast and Hameed. Jennings will I'm sure play Test cricket again, but the timing is not right for him and his game. Are Northeast and Ballance better players than the two in possession? I don't believe they are. So I very much think for that reason, Stoneman and Westley will both be on the plane and given another opportunity to stake their claim.

The intriguing one is Haseeb Hameed. I was lucky enough to see the youngster play two Tests out in India and there is something very special about him. A poor championship summer means he is by no means a guaranteed tourist, but I fully expect England to try and squeeze him in if at all possible and with a few runs in the warm-up games, there is no reason why he can't be in that top three come Brisbane on 23rd November. For me, Hameed, Westley and Stoneman all make the squad.


Middle-order bats:
With the above retaining their places and the addition of Hameed, there is space for one more batting position and again I believe we will stick with the current occupier in Dawid Malan. Again he has had his troubles this Summer, but would Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Sam Billings have had the same troubles against the moving ball on very sporting wickets favouring the bowlers? Yes, they probably would have struggled as well.

I think Duckett will travel with the Lions also to Australia alongside the likes of Ball, Dawson, Northeast, Finn, while Alex Hales & Jos Buttler will end up playing more of a T20 winter for a franchise in either the Big Bash or similar.

​
Finally... the second spinner:
Now Adil Rashid I feel very sorry for. He had a cracking Winter in India and was England's top wicket taker, but for whatever reason he has been pushed aside of late for Mason Crane of Hampshire. I really am not sure why this is as Adil is a fine, fine cricketer and still yet to peak, but we must trust the judgement here that young Mason is going to be the next best leggie in the country. Unlikely this role will get much of a gig during the series anyway, so I'd think Crane would get the nod for the experience of an Ashes tour.


So with the sixteen-man squad finalised, the XI entrusted for Brisbane could be whatever England decide and much will depend on the outcome of the warm-up games. If I was Joe Root right now, I would want one of these two balances:
 

Cook, Stoneman
Bairstow, Root, Westley/Malan 
Stokes, Ali, Woakes, Foakes (wk)
Broad, Anderson


Cook, Stoneman
Hameed, Root, Westley/Malan
Stokes, Bairstow, Ali
Woakes, Broad, Anderson

​

Anything could happen with the batting order if we are honest but I think come November these will be the sixteen on the plane to Australia, only time will tell if I am right!


Predicted squad: Root, Stokes, Ali, Anderson, Bairstow, Broad, Cook, Crane, Foakes, Hameed, Malan, Roland-Jones, Stoneman, Westley, Woakes, Wood.  

When one first takes on the coveted role of club captaincy, whatever their age - one inevitably dreams of silverware, laughter, victory beers, unicorns and the glory of being the man, or  perhaps woman, that has led their team to the top flight.
 
In reality, however, very few of these things actually ever come to fruition, unless of course we are talking about the kind of false reality that can occurs every Saturday in the early hours, from the comfort of your own duvet. That 8.30 alarm, to this day, remains a disappointment.
 
Come September it will all be worth it (or so we are told), but it can be an intriguingly bumpy ride along the way, especially at the first time of asking. If you are taking over the reigns, be it Premier Club 1st XI or Sunday 2’s, here are a few of the scenarios that you may well encounter during your time at the helm:
 
 
 
1) Selection Debates
 
The classic. No cricket season is complete without plenty of these. Can we pick a non-bowling batsman at 8? Who takes the new ball while our 2 best seamers visit the Galapagos Islands for 3 weeks? Will the rules allow our entire 2nd XI to play for the 1’s this week now the vice-captain has re-scheduled his Stag Do for Saturday?
 
The painful nature of a 90-minute selection meeting on a Tuesday night, not only means you miss the evening’s televised football or your episode of Holby City, but apparently it means absolutely nothing! Despite going over every possible player balance with the panel of other skippers, the club coach, the director of cricket, the chairman and Prime Minister, every selection will always be wrong! Let’s pick ‘em out a hat next week shall we boys?
 
And another thing. 44 players every week? You’ve got to be joking me. The one thing always in our favour mind you, is no matter how many weeks we captains go without a taking a wicket or passing the dreaded 10 run mark, we can always bank on staying put. Every cloud, eh?
 
 
2) Finding an Umpire
 
Unless your team is good enough to have panel umpires allocated, or lucky enough to already own a club umpire who can see for 22 yards or more, you will need to find an umpire.
 
SO FIND ONE NOW! Yes, July 2016 is the perfect time to start looking in preparation for April 2018. If like me, you can find another club member to do this (or anything like this) for you, and then claim all the credit when it works out, even better.  How did you find a cracking umpire who actually enjoys 2nd XI cricket I hear you ask? A simple advert in the nearest Sainsbury’s worked for me. But if that doesn’t work for you, I won’t be overly surprised.
 
 
3) Difficult Phone calls
 
See ‘Selection Debates’.
 
Not much else to add really. “Yeah hi there James. Just a quick call to say that unfortunately you’ll be in the 3’s this week. It was a really tough decision and although….” Hangs up.
 
 
4) 40 player seasons
 
“Okay, this is the year we stick to our guns, play the same eleven players every week, give guys a run in their given side and avoid the dreaded yo-yo players.” For those non-captains out there, the yo-yo describes the poor lad that jumps from team to team, week by week, until they are so disorientated that they don’t actually know which figure is their phone number and which is their last 11 batting positions. Good idea, isn’t it?
 
On paper, yes. It sounds marvellous! But 9 games in and 25 players later, it seems a distant memory. God, I should have remembered our 22 best players are not all available for 18 games a season, shouldn’t I?
 
 
5) Training nights
 
Believe it or not, most club cricketers will have the option to have a net and maybe flirt with the idea of doing some fielding every so often. Whether they actually take this opportunity up is a completely different question. As with many captain’s, especially those who are in charge of their mighty, mighty 2nd XI’s, I have become used to the glorious sight of turning up to training to see approximately 2 members of my 46-man squad, partaking in the glorious act of ‘training’. 
 
This one time, we amazingly had a full turnout of nine 2nd XI cricketers keen for a hit. I couldn’t believe my eyes. After 5 of the 1st team lads had had a nice long bat (1’s priority night), the heavens decided to open and we all went home. 76 all out on Saturday – thanks for coming.
 
 
6) Dropouts.
 
I don’t want to talk about dropouts ever. EVER. AGAIN.
 
 
7) Oh and of course you need to still get the runs and wickets..
 
Yeah… about that.
 
Let’s just say the strain of captaincy and its demands have taken their toll. We’ll play the skippering has consumed all my energy and concentration, resulting in a severe temporary/permanent loss of cricketing ability card. Runs will soon come, they all say. “Half way through the season already lads!” I say half chuckling, half crying.
 
And for any first-year skippers who have taken it on with aplomb and have the hundreds and 5-fers on their play cricket stats to complement it… don’t lie to me.
 
I guess there might be one out there. Good on ya mate. You’re a better man than I.

Quick and simple prediction for the upcoming World T20 in India. Can England win it? Yes. Will they win it? With this team I think there's a good chance. 

Adil Rashid can dominate after his spell at the Big Bash and should he do so, massive credit must go to the decision making team (Bayliss for me) who kept him away from the Test touring party in SA.  Parry in as a 3rd spin option if required and the rest I think picks itself. For me if England do take the glory and lift the trophy, a significant part of that will be Rashid's doing.  Flexibility in batting and a care free, hit from ball one approach, is something we have seen plenty of in recent one day formats and will also stand us in good stead.  I expect that to continue.  

Squad announced tomorrow (10th Feb) and this could well be it:


Jason Roy
Alex Hales
Joe Root
Eoin Morgan (c)
Jos Buttler
Ben Stokes
Moeen Ali
David Willey
Chris Jordan
Adil Rashid
Reece Topley


Chris Woakes, Sam Billings, James Vince, Stephen Parry.

Joe Root. The cheeky Yorkshire chappy taking to international cricket like you won't believe. Ever since a fresh-faced Root took guard on the South Island against a New Zealand XI, with the beautiful Queenstown Oval backdrop behind him in February 2013, the boy has been prolific in pretty much everything he's done. Twenty20, Test Cricket, ODIs? Don't worry about it.
 
Unless you've spent the last few months hiding under a stone or competing in the latest series of Channel 4's 'The Hunted', you are bound to know just what this lad is capable of.  As Michael Holding hinted, Root's new ODI shirt number of 66 may, for many, fuel flashbacks to a 40s jazz record or a long-stretching highway through the heart of the United States.  "Chicago to Santa Monica," Holding exclaimed in his usual rhythmical fashion, "he doesn't want that tag! It's a long road starting North and only heading South!" Oh the irony.
 
Root's domination in the longer format is now well-documented, with England's classy number 4 on course to usurp the run records set by the great Sachin Tendulkar. But less of a threat in the current blue and black of England in the ODI format, you say? I would say not. Not worth spending the time to plan the demise of an accumulator in the six-hitting and tattoo-wearing, macho era of modern one-day cricket? Certainly.  A recent feature heard Root himself downplaying some of his skills: "No levers like Alex Hales, less power than Stokes and Jos (Buttler)," he explained. "I'm working on that part of my game to help improve the team further."  The original Bobby Troup lyric goes, 'Down through Missouri,’ but Root's game is doing just the opposite, taking the wrong side of the highway and dodging the traffic all the way to the top. At the time of writing, he has been busy planting 5 of his 25 career sixes onto the green grassy banks of SuperSport Park, while completing a magnificent 7th ODI hundred in the process.  Working on your range-hitting eh Joe? I'm looking forward to seeing the improved results of that one.
 
Now standing at a fabulously convenient 66 completed ODIs (thank you and goodnight!), it’s unlikely the Sheffield-born batter will ever turn himself into a Chris Gayle or a MS Dhoni calibre of ball striker, despite the altitude-inspired power hitting we just witnessed at Centurion.  So surely in the age of the ever-increasing run rate and the soon-to-be par score of 400, this style of player will soon be made extinct?  Surely power hitters from 1 to 10 or 11, looking to clear the ropes at every opportunity, and from the off, is the way forward for batsman in the limited overs format, right? Wrong.
 
England have got the ingredients of their 50 over side spot-on.  Filling the side with powerful guys easily able to hit 6s in the two openers followed by Morgan to David Willey (at 4-10), is of course the modern key to success in ODI cricket, but without the crucial cog of little Rooty at number 3, the success of the side would be limited. I won't downplay the importance of Roy, Morgan and Buttler, but without the insurance of a world-class number 3 in Root, they wouldn't quite have the freedom they currently enjoy.
 
Just like a fresh Victoria Sponge cake, Root glues England's middle order together beautifully. He is the cream in their deliciously attractive batting line-up. We are looking at a collapsed cake without him.  His exceptional skill level through the middle overs allows the other batsmen to throw absolute caution to the wind, knowing there is a very good chance he will bat for a large chunk of the innings.  And not at too a bad lick either. A Joe Root ODI hundred comes at better than a run a ball (barring the first of those seven), and with the promised improvement of his six hitting capabilities, we can only expect his strike rate to get healthier.
 
Ironically, during previous set-ups, Root would have held the title of the most aggressive strokemaker. While now he looks to bat through at his own pace, which just illustrates the positive evolution this side has managed through Morgan and Bayliss.  
 
The road to the next World Cup is still a long and winding one, but ultimately a road on which England will want to focus the majority of their 50-over attention on.  However many batting options England look at in the coming years, ultimately all roads will end up leading to Joe.  Unlike the American version of Route 66, this Root is heading well and truly North, and that constant schoolboy smile on his face suggests me that secretly, he is well aware of the comic irony that this splendid name and number combination bring with it.


Jamie Mann

With the news that Kevin Pietersen has played his last game for England, we've got a better idea of how the future of this England team is going to map out.  Although there are still important long-term questions over many more players and most importantly the head coach, there is still plenty to be discovered over the coming months.

With the test side well in the background, Giles and Broad must do their upmost to start the rebuilding process in the colours and do everything they possibly can to mount a challenge in the World T20 next month.  With the 15 man squad due to be announced later today, I have had a look at the side I would put out in the first group game, best suited to aid our chances of a surprise win like we managed in 2010 under Collingwood.

Hales
Wright
Ballance
Morgan
Bopara
Buttler
Patel
Borthwick
Jordan
Broad (c)
Tredwell

On the subs bench: Briggs, Bresnan, Lumb, Woakes

Spectators, players and fans alike are all heading towards Perth, and the 3rd Ashes test.  But the question that everyone is desperately asking themselves, the pundits and each other, is whether England can actually turn this series around, and somehow pull off a remarkable recovery and retain that precious urn.  The most straightforward answer to this question is no, probably not.  But it is also the easy route, the obvious answer. And for most of us, we desperately hope and pray, that it's not the correct one.

Looking at this series as a whole, part-way through the Adelaide thumping, before our second innings effort with the bat, I was not confident.  I'm an optimist when it comes to sport. But on the back of another early morning capitulation, that saw the Aussies remove our entire middle order for less than the Days of Christmas, I was as pessimistic as I could get about our chance of getting back into the series.  Prior couldn't score a run, Pietersen looked as uninterested and de-motivated as I've ever seen him, Swann horribly out of form and unable to remotely tie the Aussies down, Cook looked vulnerable against any type of pitched up delivery and most of the other batters still struggling with anything that wasn't in their half.  It looked like a team that quite simply couldn't compete with the super powers of Mitchell Johnson and his army of aggressive, in your face cricketers, trying to bring back the the old-fashioned Aussie style of playing, and bullying their way towards success.

Anyone looking on, and following this series from afar, couldn't be blamed for taking this view whatsoever.  And to be honest, if you have watched as many days, sessions, overs and advert breaks as I have over the course of these first two matches, and haven't been so fed up of the one-sided contest, you have decided to throw in the preverbal towel, then you are doing exceptionally well. And I hasten to say you are in the small minority.  I will admit, that I came very close to something along these lines, sometime before the start of our 2nd hit at Adelaide.  But the way in which we approached that innings, the fight and concentration that Joe Root displayed, the desire for batting KP showed and the return of the Matt Prior we all know and love with bat in hand, changed something in my mind.  The fact that for the first time in 4 goes, we actually showed that we could bat against this attack, and at times, look comfortable against Johnson and co, gave me real hope, and should give all England fans hope, that we can indeed turn this series around.

In reality, it all boils down to what happens in the next couple of days, and more precisely, England's first innings efforts with the bat.  Bat well and bat long and we are right back in with a chance in the game, and with it the series. Bat poorly for what would be the fourth time in five attempts, and we can wave goodbye to the little urn for at least another 4 years.  A slither of hope is still there for England, but if we are too keep that hope, it must be now that we wrestle ourselves back into the contest and grab some momentum back from the hosts.

With time running short to finish this piece, we have already witnessed the first day at Perth, which obviously was another frustrating one for the Cook and the lads.  However, quick wickets on day 2 and a strong day of batting will leave England in a good position and that is all we can do and this stage.  The pitch looks a belter.  More of our batters are in form than any other stage of this series.  We now just need to do the work and score some big runs.  Long overdue big runs.  If we can do that, maybe the third innings of this game may be the turning point in this series. The Aussies are due one bad innings surely?

The fact that this game is already into day 2 doesn't weaken this debate much at all.  The fact of the matter is that England restricted Australia to a par score on a good wicket, which means we are in no wiser position than we were Wednesday night.  The real test comes now, with the batters trying to take on this attack and get a good first innings score, or dare I say even a lead.  Early days I know, but if we can do just that and put them under pressure sometime on the evening of the 3rd day then who knows? This comeback could well be back on the cards.


Jamie Mann

After the unfortunate loss of Jonathan Trott, one of England's finest batsmen of the modern era, Cook, Flower and co must look to one of of our young, untested, inexperienced cricketers to take his place. Who is ready to step up to the plate and deliver the goods for England?


It is almost a certainty that either Root or recently SPOTY nominated Bell will slot in at number 3 in Trotty's absence, meaning that with the top 5 all but sorted, that elusive number 6 slot is yet again up for grabs. For so long since Collingwood hung up the best hands in England, we have struggled to find a consistent batter that could solve the problem number 6 position. Morgan was inked in, until his exaggerated trigger crouch took him from world beater to county mediocrity. Bopara never really grabbed his chance, or his second chance with both hands like he should have done, and now has in the one-day arena. And everyone knows that Samit Patel only ever gets a game in the sub-continent, despite being a fantastically talented batsmen.  

So that leaves us with an opportunity.  Who is the next lucky man to take that slot and potentially lose it after a short run of unsuccessful games? Or will we find a talent that is too good to let the opportunity pass. Someone that will develop into a permanent fixture in the side for years and years to come.  A player that is ready to fight the Aussies fire with fire, right here, right now, and show everyone around the world that he can perform at this level. I think Ben Stokes is that man. I think he is ready for the challenge.


Where else could we go, I hear you say. Well, Ballance and Bairstow are the obvious answers to this question.  But both hold as much as a gamble as throwing Stokes into the second test.  Bairstow is struggling for runs and has some clear flaws in his games that need to be eradicated, and Ballance has played less cricket for England than Stokes has.  So there is no obvious replacement for poor Trotty.  In previous years we may have pushed the panic button and sent a first-class ticket to Adelaide through the post box of Ravi Bopara, Marcus Trescothick or even Mark Ramprakash to come and 'save our tour', but those days are in the past and England's 'next cab off the rank' policy won't be ignored just because its an away Ashes series.  And unless you're going to whisk in the recently qualified Sam Robson from just over the great ocean road with the EPP squad, and chuck him into the mixer, then that leaves us a straight shoot out. Its going to be between the two Yorkshire lads and our ginger-haired all-rounder for that final spot.


To be honest, I have no idea, at this stage which path England will take come Thursday morning in Adelaide, but there are without doubt cases for all 3 of these talented youngsters.  Many favour Bairstow with his past experience and runs at international level. A few say go with Ballance for his raw talent, huge potential and as a somewhat unknown quantity to the opposition. This school of thought includes one of my lecturers, a cricket-person with vast knowledge, who when I spoke to yesterday morning exclaimed that, 'We have nothing to lose at number 6, runs are a bonus. Chuck him in for 4 test matches to give it a go and just play.' 

I say, if that is the attitude we have and runs at number 6 really are a bonus, why not choose Stokes? He's a cricketer that fills all the boxes. Like Ballance a powerful left-hander, he can come in when we are under pressure at 60-4 and counter attack in a bid to grab back the momentum from the Aussie bowlers, or at 300-4 when he can really pump the initiative home with Matty Prior and the tail, after the top order have set a solid platform (hopefully this will be the trend for the rest of the series!). Stokes also gives the extra dimension of being able to bowl at close to 90mph, and that's exactly what everyone has been crying out for since Mitchell Johnson started to run through us on day 2 on that bouncy GABBA wicket isn't it?  He really is a fearless cricketer, and at times like this we need players like him in our side.  Australia are coming at us hard this time round, and if we want to win this series and take home the Ashes once again, we are going to have to find a better balance between our conservative, safe (but effective) cricket, and a more aggressive, attacking style of playing when the situation dictates. And I think Stokes' inclusion could be key to making this happen.

Now I hear my lecturers screaming, where's your academia behind this choice? And in truth, there isn't an awful lot of evidence to say that Stokes will be a fantastic international player for England.  My best attempt at evidence to back up the point, would be successful players previously selected on instinct rather than stats alone. Vaughan and Trescothick both had average to poor first-class records when Fletcher gave them the call up.  And look where they ended up! On last season's stats alone, Gary Ballance is the only choice, averaging over 50 last season for Yorkshire, with Stokes not even making the 30 mark.  But it's not all about numbers. Ballance may well have got the hundreds and the runs under his belt for the last couple of seasons, but Stokes has played a big part in pushing his side towards the County title last season and has shown he can bat against Australia's premium quick bowlers and take wickets against their top batsmen abeit all in a one-day scenario. He's a fighting cricketer. He's a winning cricketer. His fast bowling. His 6 hitting, His slip catching. (His bullet throwing arm). Remind you of a old song? Let's not go there.


All these experiences he has gone through, still as a young man, will have made him a stronger character, a tougher cricketer. And this along with all the other small indicators I have been presented with, suggest to me, that from his short international career to date, he has the potential to go very far in this game.  And who knows just how far?  We won't mention the AF comparison just yet, least of all because BS is his own man. But there must come a time where every young talent finally gets given the nod and gets thrown in at the deep end.  I would suggest that, that time for Ben Stokes, is just around the corner.  

Jamie Mann