One of the most hotly anticipated Ashes series of recent times is close at hand, with plenty of issues to debate on both sides of the divide.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the most pressing matters in the run-up to the Edgbaston opener next week.
How much of a loss is Leach?
While Somerset spinner Jack Leach is hardly one of the biggest stars in English cricket, he has performed a crucial role in the team’s dramatic upturn in form over the past year. Enjoying the unvarnished support of captain and coach for the first time, he has been an ever-present and assumed the role of tireless grafter. A 10-wicket match haul at Headingley last summer proved he could take a turn in the limelight too. Whoever replaces him will have to find their own way to play the part, but they will lack the 12-month bedding in period that England have invested in Leach.
All eyes of Stokes’ fitness
It is hard to over-estimate the magnetic, talismanic qualities Ben Stokes has brought to the England captaincy. Alongside a like-minded head coach in Brendon McCullum, he has re-energised the team and instilled them with a feeling of optimism and enjoyment. Will that still exist without him in place as ringmaster? England will hope they don’t find out, but his chronic left knee injury is a big problem. He has already had a cortisone injection this year and whether his body will allow him to perform to his best with the ball is an open question. Expect a few scares along the way, but Stokes is desperately hoping to see the job through.
Warner’s last ride
When it comes to opposition players England fans love to hate, few sit higher on the list than David Warner. His spiky, combative nature have long marked him out as an obvious target and his role in the sandpaper scandal only heightened the ill-feeling. Having announced his forthcoming retirement, 2023 will be his last tour behind enemy lines and his final Ashes. It seems a long shot to imagine he will bow out to standing ovations and he will be up for the challenge. His long rivalry with Stuart Broad is due to be an exciting sub-plot, after the Englishman routed the left-hander in 2019.
How will ‘Bazball’ bear up against the Australian attack?
Stokes’ England have resolutely refused to take a backward step since laying out their new ultra-aggressive philosophy at the start of last summer. After blitzing New Zealand with some stunning batting, they swatted away the doubters who said they would not be able to replicate it against India by reeling off a record chase at Edgbaston. Transplanted to unfamiliar climes in Pakistan, they simply went harder and faster. Now comes their latest – and arguably biggest – challenge yet. Australia have arguably the most formidable bowling attack in the world, with Pat Cummins leading a troop of elite seamers alongside the prolific spin of Nathan Lyon. England have promised they will not hold back, while Australia will back themselves to have too much. Whose skills will prove most compelling and whose nerve will last longest? It should be box office entertainment either way.
Can Crawley come good?
The England selectors have stuck hard and fast to their guns when it comes to Zak Crawley. After 34 Tests he averages just 28.26, while his first-class numbers are only marginally better. Supporters of the 25-year-old see a tone-setter and a sporadic match-winner – someone whose bare statistics do not fully reflect his ability to lay the platform for others and land early blows on opposition bowlers. Critics take a less charitable view, painting Crawley as a flighty performer who has all the shots but lacks the requisite judgement of when to deploy them. A home Ashes feels like proving ground for each theory. By the end of the series, England’s hunch will have been thoroughly examined and the answer could be a big factor in the final analysis.
England complete World Cup preparations with rain-affected win over Bangladesh
England completed their World Cup preparation with a rain-affected victory against Bangladesh at Guwahati.
Joe Root and Mooen Ali guided England to a four-wicket win under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method with a bludgeoning partnership of 79 in 10 overs.
After Saturday’s clash with India was washed out, England suffered further weather frustration as they geared up to get their World Cup defence under way against New Zealand on Thursday.
England were set a revised target of 197 in 37 overs after Bangladesh’s innings had been disrupted by a three-hour rain delay.
Dawid Malan nicked to slip with just four to his name, but England raced to 50 inside five overs as Jonny Bairstow struck 34 from 21 balls.
There was concern for England as Bairstow needed medical attention on his back while out in the middle, and the batter suffered more discomfort as Mustafizur Rahman soon dislodged his leg-stump bail.
Harry Brook was also castled for 17 but Jos Buttler maintained England’s impetus, smashing five fours and a six in a 15-ball 30.
Buttler’s blitzkrieg ended when he pulled Shoriful Islam to offer Towhid Hridoy a simple catch on the deep square boundary.
England were 114 for five after Liam Livingstone drove Taskin Ahmed to mid-off and Najmul Hossain Shanto managed to wrap his fingers under the ball diving forward.
At that point Bangladesh were sensing a surprise victory but Root, with precious runs following a recent run of sticky form, and Moeen were commanding.
Moeen hammered 56 from 39 balls before falling four runs short of victory, England eventually easing home in 24.1 overs and with 77 deliveries to spare.
Bangladesh made 188 for nine after rain reduced their innings to 37 overs.
Only Mehidy Hasan Miraz (74) and Tanzid Hasan (45) went past 20 as Buttler used nine bowlers and rotated his attack in hot and humid conditions.
Bangladesh won the toss but Buttler indicated he was content to field and give his bowlers a workout amid the prospect of rain.
Mark Wood was back in action for the first time since the Ashes and bowled with plenty of pace and accuracy.
Wood knocked out Tanzid’s middle stump, while Reece Topley took three for 23 from five and Adil Rashid and David Willey picked up two wickets apiece.
Matthews masterclass 132 powers Windies Women to record-setting seven-wicket victory over Australia at Sydney
A magnificent record-breaking century from Hayley Matthews powered West Indies Women to a historic seven-wicket victory over Australia at Sydney on Monday.
The West Indies Women’s captain smashed 132 from just 64 balls as the West Indies Women, needing 213 for victory, scored 213-3 from 19.5 overs to level the series at a game apiece. Matthews got help from former captain Stafanie Taylor, whose half-century proved crucial in a 174-run second-wicket partnership that put the Caribbean women on course to what seemed an unlikely victory.
No team had ever successfully chased a score over 200 runs against Australia at home.
The 425 runs scored in the match was a world-record for a women’s T20 international.
Coming off an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the West Indies on Sunday, Australia seemed on course for another victory after Ellyse Perry scored 70 from 46 balls and Phoebe Litchfield plundered an unbeaten 52 from just 19, the joint fastest 50 in a T20 international, as the hosts piled up 212-6 from their 20 overs. Georgia Wareham was not out on 32 from 13 as she and Litchfield shared in an Australia T20 record seventh-wicket stand of 66 that propelled the hosts to their challenging total.
Matthews was the best of the West Indies bowlers taking 3-36 from her four overs. She took the wickets of Beth Mooney for 29, the dangerous Tahlia McGrath for four and Annabell Sutherland for 13. Shamilia Connell took 2-35 to support her captain, whose best was yet to come.
West Indies Women lost Shabikia Gajnabi for just one in the third over, paving the way for Stafanie Taylor and Matthews to mount the a stand of 174, the highest partnership for any wicket for the West Indies Women, breaking the previous record of 162 between Matthews and Chadean Nation.
Taylor’s contribution of 59 included 11 fours as she recovered from a slow start to blossom as the partnership grew. When Taylor was bowled by Megan Schutt in the 17th over, Matthews was on 114 and the West Indies needed 28 from the last 18 balls to secure victory.
With the match balanced on a knife’s edge after Annabel Sutherland only conceded three runs from in the 18th over, Matthews swung the match heavily towards in the West Indies’ favour when she struck four consecutive boundaries off the first four balls of the 19th bowled by Jess Jonassen.
The spinner got a measure of revenge when she bowled the West Indies captain, going for a sweep, behind her legs with the West Indies still needing nine to win from seven balls. Matthews’ masterclass that included 20 fours and five sixes, is the highest score ever by a West Indian woman surpassing the 112 made by compatriot Deandra Dottin. Her 100 came off just 53 balls.
It was left to Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbell who each scored four to take the West Indies Women to a memorable victory.
Matthews, who was winning her seventh consecutive T20I Player of the Match award, credited learning more about her game for her incredible consistency. In those seven matches she scored 452 runs including three 50s and a century at an average of 90.40 and a strike rate of 138.22.
"I think I've learned more about myself and my batting. The areas I want to access. It's been working really well for me. The leadership of the team has made me take a lot more responsibility,” said Matthews who was unbeaten on 99 during the first T20I.
She revealed that the team took the lessons learned from the last game that the West Indies lost by eight wickets to their opponents, stating, “Last game we spoke about learning. We came in with the exact same team for that exact reason. Obviously the last game was a bit tough for us with the ball but we backed the bowlers to come back today and we saw from the start they were right on the mark.”
Matthews also welcomed Taylor’s return to form which helped set up the record chase.
“Batting with Stafanie helps a lot and I think she really got into her groove today. To chase down over 200 is something we've never been able to do let alone against the best team in the world. I'm incredibly proud of this squad and hopefully we can keep moving forward."
The teams meet again in the third T20I on Thursday.
Jos Buttler will let England’s white-ball legacy be decided by others
Jos Buttler will leave it to others to define the legacy of this England white-ball generation as they gear up for what could be one final ODI hurrah.
Buttler, plus Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, were integral in turning England from also-rans to the first men’s side to hold both limited-overs World Cups simultaneously.
Eight members from the class of 2019 are in England’s 15-strong squad for the defence of their 50-over crown in India, which starts this week, in what could be an ODI swansong for several in the set-up.
Retaining their crown would put this England side on a pedestal as one of the greatest limited-overs sides ever, but Buttler insisted leaving a long-lasting footprint is not uppermost in their minds.
“I feel like legacy is defined by others,” England’s white-ball captain told the PA news agency. “The guys in the team are all excited just about this World Cup.
“A lot of us have played a lot of cricket together for a long period of time, being part of a really successful side for a long time and we’ve had some really good memories along the way already.
“Now it’s something new in my eyes, it’s a new World Cup, a chance to try and do something else and win a tournament and have a great time doing it.
“I don’t feel like we go out there with any added pressure of trying to cement a legacy, we’re just looking forward to the tournament and what will come of that.”
England played 88 ODIs between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, revolutionising their approach as the format took centre stage on their priority list and culminated in their unforgettable Lord’s triumph.
Since that heady July day four years ago, England have had just 43 ODIs and frequently been without their best players as the Test and T20 teams took precedence.
Joe Root – England’s rock at number three – and Stokes, who has reversed his ODI retirement and will be used as a specialist middle-order batter due to longstanding left knee issues restricting his bowling, have taken part in just 19 and 13 50-over matches respectively since the 2019 World Cup final.
“Four years ago felt very different,” Buttler said. “We’d obviously had a big change of style of play and personnel in the team – all building towards that World Cup for four years.
“There was nothing in the way of that and being a home World Cup, I think there were different pressures of being the favourites which we embraced.
“Whereas going into this World Cup, it’s been a bit different, I think it’s probably fair to say we’re probably not favourites going into this one.”
Buttler, who succeeded Eoin Morgan as England’s limited-overs captain last year, doubts England’s status as holders of both white-ball World Cups puts a target on their backs.
“We’ve been a really good white-ball team for a long time now – teams want to beat you, we want to beat other teams as well,” he said.
“Whether that adds any extra difference to the results, I don’t believe so because we’re just as determined to try and win games of cricket as teams that are trying to beat us.”
England start their campaign against New Zealand at Ahmedabad on Thursday, the first of nine group-stage fixtures in eight cities that will stretch them physically and mentally.
Their decision to swap out Jason Roy, so crucial to their 2019 success, and plump for Harry Brook garnered scrutiny, but was based on the Yorkshireman’s flexibility to bat anywhere in the top six.
Having broken into and established himself in the Test and T20 sides, Brook has been backed by Buttler to make a splash in the ODI team if selected.
“Harry’s ceiling is so high,” Buttler added. “I think we’ve seen it in international cricket in the way he’s taken to Test cricket, especially. We all know the trajectory his career is on.
“He was obviously fantastic in the T20s in Pakistan last year ahead of the T20 World Cup and forced his way into that team and he’s one of the bright young stars of world cricket.”
:: Jos Buttler was speaking to promote Castore, the official kit suppliers of the England cricket team, investing in an extension to its national brand marketing campaign. For more information, visit https://castore.com
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