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Sunbathed optimism pervades English game

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-20 08:08

An air of optimism infuses English cricket after the heady Ashes triumph in Australia, with home series against attractive opponents in World Cup finalists Sri Lanka and India adding to the enjoyment.

Even the weather since India defeated Sri Lanka on a memorable Mumbai night last month has been more akin to the sub-continent than the customary chill and gloom of an English spring.

A prolonged dry spell has parched outfields throughout the country and Sri Lanka completed a four-wicket victory over Middlesex on a warm day and a benign pitch on Monday which would have made it feel thoroughly at home.

Of more significance than the weather at Middlesex's second ground in the pleasant suburban setting of Uxbridge in west London was the performance of England captain Andrew Strauss.

Strauss, rejuvenated after his first proper break since England started its off-season tour in October, scored 151 in ideal conditions for batsmen.

England's failure to advance past the World Cup quarter-finals was partly the result of an exhausting schedule which included seven limited-overs series matches against Australia after the Ashes.

After taking time to consider on his team's return to England, Strauss decided he would concentrate exclusively on Test cricket for the remainder of his international career.

Alastair Cook, who did not make the World Cup squad, will captain the 50 overs side and Stuart Broad has been put in charge of the Twenty20 team.

Success story

Strauss's partnership with team director Andy Flower, who has signed a new contract after guiding the national side to two Ashes triumphs and the Twenty20 World Cup, is one of the great success stories of modern British sport since they teamed up two years ago.

They have now set their sights on taking England to the world No 1 spot, starting with the first Test against Sri Lanka in Cardiff from May 26.

"We've set the bar high in Test cricket and it's important we build on that and don't slip back into bad habits ," Strauss said in Uxbridge.

"Becoming No 1 in the world is the immediate goal and this summer we can go a long way to achieving that. But to be No 1 for any length of time you need to be consistent in different conditions against different sides.

"The great sides I've played against have been able to do that."

Since Strauss and Flower first combined as captain and coach in early 2009, England has risen from sixth in the Test rankings to third behind India and South Africa.

"There is still plenty more we want to achieve in the longer term," Flower said after agreeing a new contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) this month.

"We have made no secret of our determination to become the No 1 side in the world and challenge for global titles and I feel we have been making steady progress.

"I firmly believe we have the talent among the playing squad and management team to help us realize our ambitions and am looking forward to testing ourselves against quality opposition this summer and beyond."

Pace attack

One of the England management team's objectives has been to build strength in depth in the pace attack in order to cover varying conditions and the inevitable injuries.

The policy was triumphantly vindicated in Australia when Chris Tremlett came in for the injured Broad and Tim Bresnan took over from the immensely promising but still raw Steven Finn. They finished first and second respectively in the series averages, taking 28 wickets between them.

With Bresnan likely to miss the three-Test series against Sri Lanka through injury, James Anderson, who came of age last year, Tremlett and Broad are certainties.

Finn and Ajmal Shahzad, another member of the tour party in Australia, will get a chance to press their claims in the England Lions' match against Sri Lanka from Thursday.

Centuries in successive first-class games for Essex make Ravi Bopara the favorite to replace Paul Collingwood, who has retired, in the England batting lineup. Bopara has also bowled plenty of overs this season which will strengthen his claims in a side which has relied on a four-pronged bowling attack over the past 18 months.

England's 2009 Ashes winning campaign started in Cardiff in the first Test ever staged in Wales when Anderson and Monty Panesar batted for 69 balls in an unbeaten last-wicket stand to salvage a draw from a match Australia had dominated from the first day.

Since that unlikely partnership, England has steadily improved, touching new heights in Australia. Strauss and Flower, two intelligent and meticulous planners, will not be satisfied until their side overtakes India in the world rankings.

Reuters

(China Daily 05/20/2011 page22)