Travball, indomitable Lyon and all out attack – key stats ahead of Ashes

By Sports Desk June 15, 2023

The 2023 Ashes is set to be one of the most exciting in history, with a resurgent England taking on Test champions Australia.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have led England to 11 victories in 13 matches since their appointments as captain and coach last summer, while Australia cemented their status as the best five-day team in the world by thrashing India by 209 runs in the World Test Championship final.

Here, the PA news agency picks out five key stats ahead of the five-match series.

Travball

Freed up by Stokes’ and McCullum’s ultra-positive mindset, England’s batters account for seven of the eight fastest strike rates among players with more than 500 runs to their name since the New Zealander was installed as coach on May 12, 2022.

Australia batter Travis Head is the only non-Englishman in the list, with his strike rate of 83.75 runs per 100 balls ranking fourth behind Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow.

Stokes described Head as “so hard to bowl to” in the previous Ashes in Australia, in which he scored 357 runs – the most by anyone on either side – from just 415 balls faced.

He has maintained that form ever since, most recently in a trademark counter-attacking innings of 163 from 174 deliveries against India.

Head’s performances have seen him climb to third spot in the Test batting rankings, behind countrymen Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Joe Root is the highest-ranked England batter in sixth.

The last time three batters from the same team were first, second and third in the Test rankings was in December 1984, when Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd, and Larry Gomes from West Indies were at the top.

All out attack

While England’s cavalier batting under Stokes and McCullum has attracted lots of attention, their bowlers have been equally destructive by dismissing the opposition in 25 consecutive innings.

This is their longest run since 1978 and 1979, when England bowled out 26 successive opponents in a sequence that brought series wins against Pakistan and New Zealand, plus a 5-1 Ashes success in Australia.

The wickets have been shared among 14 players during the current run, with veteran seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad – as well as the injured Jack Leach – leading the way on 45 apiece.

Anderson has the best overall figures having claimed his scalps at an average of 17.62, ahead of Ollie Robinson who has 27 wickets at 21.25.

Matthew Potts has chipped in with 23 victims, ahead of captain and Durham team-mate Stokes on 20.

Then comes a bit of a gap to Root on nine wickets and Mark Wood – who has only played two Tests under Stokes and McCullum – on eight.

The overlooked Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks took seven and six wickets in Pakistan respectively, while Josh Tongue claimed a five-for on debut against Ireland at Lord’s.

Jamie Overton (two), Brook (one) and Matt Parkinson (one) have also contributed, while there have been five run-outs and one retirement through injury.

Stokes fitness worries

Stokes’ bowling capability remains somewhat shrouded in mystery ahead of the first Test.

England’s captain has been recovering from a troublesome left knee and – despite insisting he is ready to bowl – has sent down only nine overs in six Test innings so far in 2023.

He also bowled only one over for Chennai Super Kings in this year’s Indian Premier League and was described by coach Stephen Fleming as “batting cover” during the second half of the tournament.

Stokes’ all-round abilities are key to the balance of England’s side, particularly given his preference for fast, flat pitches which could result in bowlers having to get through lots of overs.

Meanwhile, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green – who is playing in an Ashes in England for the first time – has enjoyed a promising start to his Test career.

He has lost only three of the 21 matches he has played in.

Indomitable Lyon

Nathan Lyon has played a remarkable 98 consecutive Tests for Australia, the joint-sixth longest run in history.

The 35-year-old off-spinner – who took four for 41 to help dismiss India in their second innings and clinch the World Test Championship – has not missed a single game since sitting out the opening two Tests of the 2013 Ashes in England.

While Lyon is unlikely to break the record held by former England captain Sir Alastair Cook (159), he is already out on his own among bowlers.

All-rounders Garry Sobers (85), Kapil Dev (66) and Ian Botham (65) have been surpassed, although India’s Dev can consider himself unlucky not to hold the bowlers’ record having missed only one Test in his 131-match career.

Lyon’s omnipresence is in stark contrast with his opposite number Moeen Ali, who is returning to red-ball cricket after nearly two years away as an emergency replacement for the injured Leach.

Moeen admitted this week that he has “never been able to hold an end up” and the stats back this up – his economy rate of 3.61 runs per over is far worse than Lyon’s 2.92.

However, he has a better strike rate than his Australian counterpart, taking a wicket every 60.7 deliveries compared with Lyon’s 63.7.

Absent friend

This will be the first Ashes series since Shane Warne’s sudden death in March 2022.

Warne will be forever synonymous with the urn, having taken more wickets against England than any other player in Test history (195).

The Australian introduced himself to Ashes cricket in 1993 by dismissing Mike Gatting with his very first ball. The delivery – which pitched outside leg and clipped the top of off – was subsequently dubbed the “ball of the century”.

Warne went on to claim 129 Ashes wickets in England at an average of 21.94, compared with 66 scalps at 25.81 in his native Australia.

He won 24 of the 36 Ashes Tests he played in, losing seven and drawing five.

Two of those defeats came in 2005, which was arguably Warne’s greatest Ashes performance despite him finishing on the losing side.

The leg-spinner claimed 40 wickets at an average of 19.92, including six in both innings in the fifth Test at the Oval as Australia tried unsuccessfully to prevent an England series victory.

Related items

  • One brings two: Scorpions build on victory over Academy with 19-run DLS method win over Volcanoes One brings two: Scorpions build on victory over Academy with 19-run DLS method win over Volcanoes

    The Jamaica Scorpions entered this year’s CG United Super50 Cup after a winless season last year and lost their first game to the Barbados Pride to increase that streak to eight.

    They broke that streak in their last game with an 80-run DLS method win over the West Indies Academy on Saturday.

    On Tuesday, they got their second win in a row, another DLS method victory, this time by 19 runs over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Queen's Park Oval.

    The Scorpions, after winning the toss and batting first, reached 155-4 in the 31st over before rain brought their innings to a close.

    Kirk McKenzie, on the back of 90 against the West Indies Academy on Saturday, was 59* off 75 balls at the time of the stoppage while captain John Campbell made a 49-ball 41.

    Darel Cyrus had figures of 2-21 off 5.1 overs.

    The Volcanoes, chasing a revised total of 205 off 30 overs for victory, were dismissed for 186 off 29.3 overs.

    Captain Sunil Ambris led the way with the bat for the Volcanoes with 59 while Shamar Springer and Kavem Hodge hit 37 and 36, respectively.

    Marquino Mindley was the pick of the Jamaican bowlers with 4-33 from six overs while Tamarie Redwood and Odean Smith each had figures of 2-31 from six overs and 5.3 overs, respectively.

    Full Scores:

    Jamaica Scorpions 155-4 off 30.1 overs (Kirk McKenzie 59*, John Campbell 41, Darel Cyrus 2-21)

    Windward Islands Volcanoes 186 off 29.3 overs (Sunil Ambris 59, Shamar Springer 37, Kavem Hodge 36, Marquino Mindley 4-33, Tamarie Redwood 2-31, Odean Smith 2-31).

    The win moves the Scorpions into fourth on the points table with 20 behind the Barbados Pride (31), Leeward Islands Hurricanes (26) and the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force (25).

  • Hope says Windies women's return to Test cricket a step in the right direction; Graves hopes Hayley Matthews gets to play format at home Hope says Windies women's return to Test cricket a step in the right direction; Graves hopes Hayley Matthews gets to play format at home

    With West Indies women set to make a return to Test cricket after a 20-year hiatus from the sport’s longest format, men’s ODI captain Shai Hope welcomed the move as a step in the right direction.

    Hope’s comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its line-up for the Blockbuster Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2025-2029.

    The Maroon women reignite the region’s Test status when they play host to Australia for one match in 2026, 50 years after the Caribbean team made its Test debut against the Australians in 1976.

    England women play against the West Indies in 2027, and this will be the first meeting between the two teams in this format since 1979. It was also confirmed that the West Indies women will travel to South Africa for an away Test in 2028.

    Shai Hope.

    WI women have not played a Test match since 2004. Their short record from four Test series stands at three draws and one loss to England.

    The Maroon team played Australia (0-0) in 1976, India in 1977 (1-1), lost to England (2-0) in 1979, and drew against Pakistan (0-0) in 2004. The 1976 match against Australia was the last time West Indies played a Test match at home.

    “It is always a step in the right direction. Anytime you get opportunities to excel and improve,” Hope said on Tuesday ahead of his team’s decisive ODI clash against England in Barbados.

    “I think it is going to be great for the women’s game because anytime you’re playing the longer format, it tests your skills in a different way, and you can always use what you learnt from that format into the other formats. So I think it is a step in the right direction, and I wish them all the best,” he added.

    Johnny Grave, whose tenure as Cricket West Indies CEO ended last week, raised the prospect of the Windies playing a Test at the iconic Kensington Oval, Barbados.

    “When you have an iconic player who will go down in history of our game, in Hayley Mathews (Barbados), it seems right she will have the opportunity to wear a maroon Test cap and lead her team out, hopefully at her home ground of the Kensington Oval at some point in a Test,” Graves told the Stumped podcast.

    “Our philosophy has been that red-ball cricket is where you can build your technique, hone your defence and look to score all around the wicket. If that is what we believe for the men, then it has to be the case for the women,” he added.

  • Borthwick names unchanged starting England team for Australia clash Borthwick names unchanged starting England team for Australia clash

    Steve Borthwick has named an unchanged starting team for England's match against Australia on Saturday with two changes on the bench.

    England enter their second November Test looking to bounce back from their narrow 24-22 defeat to New Zealand last weekend. 

    Borthwick, however has elected to name the same group that started against the All Blacks, though Henry Slade will shift to inside centre, while Ollie Lawrence moves to outside centre.

    Marcus Smith retains his place at fly-half while Jamie George continues to lead the side at hooker, but there is no place for Theo Dan or Ben Curry. 

    The pair are replaced by Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ollie Sleightholme as England move from a six-two split between forwards and backs to a five-three combination.

    Hooker Cowan-Dickie will make his first England appearance since November 2022 if he is introduced off the bench.

    “Facing Australia is always a massive challenge, and we’ll work diligently this week to ensure we’re physically and tactically prepared to take on the Wallabies,” said Borthwick.

    “The passion and energy from the crowd at Allianz Stadium last weekend was absolutely brilliant, from the opening whistle to the final moments, and we can't wait to be back at home this Saturday."

    England squad in full:

    George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Tommy Freeman, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (captain), Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Ben Earl.

    Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall, George Ford, Ollie Sleightholme

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.