Podcast - Sprinkling Towards The Ashes

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Australia have named their 13 man squad for the First Test; and there's no Nathan Hauritz. England have warmed up against an Aussie A side, and have danced their way to victory. And it was runs ahoy in the subcontinent, as Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum filled their boots.



Don't forget to keep your computer switched on because during the Ashes I'm going daily! Starting on Wednesday, there will be a daily dose of all things Short Midwicket. Emails to shortmidwicket@hotmail.co.uk, tweets to @shortmidwicket, and keep reading the blogs at theshortmidwicket.blogspot.com



Sprinkle on!

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Podcast - Chris Martin Got to Work

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Contrasting fortunes for a couple of New Zealand quicks this week. One went mental all over the Indian top order, but sadly one isn't allowed to play next year. (Boo ECB!). In other mental related news, everyone's favourite Facebook friend Zulqarnain Haider ran off, and England warmed up against the Waussies and the Saussies.



Emails to shortmidwicketpodcast@hotmail.co.uk, tweets to @shortmidwicket, and the world's greatest cricket blogs* are at theshortmidwicket.blogspot.com



*Probably

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Ashes Build Up Bingo

We have now entered November - the month the Ashes starts. Unofficially Ashes build-up (such as the "war of words" and "gaining of momentum") has been going on since last August (when Ashes 2009 finished), but now we're into overdrive.

So here's your handy cut out and keep Ashes bingo game. You get one point every time someone comes out and says something here, and when you get enough points, you win a prize. Or something.


Ricky Ponting saying "aw mate" before every answer
An ex Aussie captain claiming England aren't good enough
An ex English captain claiming Australia aren't good enough
KP claiming he's ready and back in form
Shane Watson saying something stupid
An Aussie player writing off an English player
An English player refusing to write off an Aussie player
An English player slagging off John Buchanan
An Aussie player slagging off John Buchanan
John Buchanan slagging off an English or Aussie player
Talk of Michael Clarke taking over as Aussie captain
Talk of Cameron White taking over as Aussie captain
Talk of how well Monty Panesar is bowling in the nets
A stupid injury caused to a key English player talked down by Flower / Strauss
A stupid injury caused to a key English player talked up by associated press
Single figure scores in state cricket being just cause for someone being dropped
Somebody in form touted from nowhere to start in Brisbane
Calls from everywhere for Marcus North to be dropped
Support from Ricky Ponting for Marcus North
Michael Clarke writing something uninteresting on Twitter
Tim Bresnan insulting someone on Twitter
Monty Panesar coming out and saying how well he's "hitting his areas"
Doug Bollinger to feature in an Advanced Hair Studio advert with Shane Warne and Michael Vaughan
English media calling England under prepared
Aussie media calling England over prepared
Steve Finn touted as new Glenn McGrath
Calls for Steve Finn to be dropped for Chris Tremlett
Eoin Morgan getting sunburn
Ex-players / pundits / bloggers / current players calling for Nathan Hauritz to be dropped
Ex-players / pundits / bloggers / current players calling for Marcus North to be dropped
Talk of how a meaningless T20 game v Sri Lanka can affect the outcome of the Ashes
Glenn McGrath to predict a 5-0 Aussie win


To keep up to date with who has the all-important Ashes Momenutum, check out the very handy Ashes Momentum Tracker


Update: 3rd November - Meant to be a facetious list (with the final prediction being the most ridiculous of all), Glenn McGrath predicting a 5-0 whitewash actually happened. Weird.

Podcast - Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga?

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Cricket’s biggest question is answered, as well as some India v Australia stuff, and a look at Pakistan’s new captain. Not an England mention in sight. Other than that one. And that one.

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Message to Agent North

Dear Agent North.

Not out at the close of play. Not bad. You've obviously taken my previous message on board.

A nice 70 or 80 should guarentee your place for Brisbane, but try not to get more than that. We don't want you winning any games for Australia!

Once you feel you've scored enough runs, try edging a few behind, or taking stupid runs. Be careful, we have reason to believe MS Dhoni is an Australian double-agent, so he will drop any chances of you. Make sure this game is an Indian win; we don't want the Aussies getting any much-needed confidence ahead of the Ashes, do we?

Anyway, speak later. I'm currently on an espionage mission in Russia. Moscow.


Special Agent Strauss

Ashes Momentum

For me, this India - Australia series is all about momentum. For the Aussies, it's the much vaunted Ashes momentum, and according to Lord's Twitter, India are hoping to get momentum for when they play England next year.

First the momentum was with Australia, then with India, then back to Australia, then returning to India, and now it could be argued is back to Australia. It will probably end up with the umpires.

So what's the importance of momentum. Australia obviously can't believe in it, as they picked the hardest team to face ahead of the Ashes (and probably ending momentum), whereas England often pick the simplest of games before Ashes series.

Does momentum play any part in Ashes clashes? Yes, it does. If England win the first two games, chances are they'll find the next two, as they'll have the belief and confidence created by their great performances. As seen with Australia's whitewash in 2006/7. How different could the series have been had England won in the 2nd test? Momentum does play a part - a huge part in fact. But India-Australia is not momentum. Come November 23rd in Brisbane, chances are Andrew Strauss won't be thinking of Mohali. Even if Marcus North is thinking of it, while sitting at home.

MI North

Top Secret ECB email to Marcus North

Agent North. Good going. Yet another duck to halt the Australian charge. Our sources tell us you were totally clueless against the Indian attack, and helped contribute to an Aussie collapse.

However, as well as your doing to bring the convicts down from the inside, you're going to need to sort yourself out. While you've done a stirling job in integrating yourself into the Australian set-up, there are growing rumours that you are a double agent - or even worse; not a very good batsman. We're going to need to see runs in the second innings otherwise you're going to be out of the team faster than you can say "Steve Smith", and four years of planning are down the drain. If not runs, take another six wicket haul, that should ease the pressure a touch.

Of course, don't forget, keep doing what you're doing. Score no runs, offer ridiculous fields to Ponting, drop easy catches. But don't make it too obvious, Ijaz Butt is sniffing around for someone to pass the buck to, and we need you in place for the Ashes.

Remember, we only need you for the first two tests in Australia before you get dropped, and you can defect back to us. We'll provide you with shelter, diplomatic immunity, and you can have Paul Collingwood's OBE. But don't forget your briefing; we need you to be in the team if you can successfully throw the Ashes.

Keep up the good work. Roger and out.

Special Agent Strauss

Boot-Camp

So our England Ashes team have returned from their trip away. Some have called it boot-camp, others team-building, and worryingly, the ECB Website calls it a bonding exercise.

The camp, which was held in Bavaria close to Nuremburg, involved players undertaking mental and physical challenges designed to better prepare them for the challenges of playing international cricket.

As well as overcoming a series of physical challenges, the team also learned more about leadership, how to make difficult decisions under pressure and the factors that make teams successful.

Their visit concluded earlier today with a trip to the memorial site at Dachau, the first of Hitler’s concentration camps where more than 40,000 people died during the 12 years of its existence from 1933-1945

By all accounts the players got to know each other better, had a bit of team-building, a bit of a laugh, and basically had a week away from cricket which will help the squad bond.

Some people (mainly "old school" ex-cricketers) have been bad-mouthing the boot-camp, but I honestly see no disadvantages to the trip. The players will have become closer both as people and as team-mates, and that can only be good. While abseiling or hiking may not help while facing Bollinger or Johnson, it will help team-spirit on a trip where famously English sides have fallen out. It's all about being totally prepared, an element which was clearly lacking in England's terrible 2006/7 defence of the urn. The fact that Tredwell, Kieswetter and Shahzad went out also shows that England see them as part of the "squad at large" even if they didn't make it into the Ashes 16. But that's by the by.

Here's the real reason for this post - some pictures of boot-camp.


















Steve Finn v Monty Panesar? Hardly seems a fair fight...

Podcast - Eoin Morgan's Chest Hair

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England announced their Ashes squad, so I recorded it live. The powerpoint presentation made for great listening. I also discuss the PCA Awards, and the Champions League.

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Ashes Squad Sweepstake

So everyone in the world has named an Ashes squad. Much of the expected 16 pick themselves, but because this is the Ashes, speculation, rumour and gossip still leaves a certain element of intrigue. The main questions lay in who will be reserve wicket-keeper (almost certain to be Steve Davies), who will be the second spinner (Tredwell, Panesar or Rashid) and who will be the two sub seamers (Bresnan, Shahzad or Chris Tremlett).

For what it's worth, the squad I'm about to name is not the squad I would actually pick. This is just the side I think will be picked. So here it is.

Strauss (c)
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Morgan
Prior (wk)
Davies (wk)
Swann
Tredwell
Broad
Anderson
Finn
Bresnan
Shahzad

So of my side, Tredwell pips Monty, Davies gets in ahead of Kieswetter, and there's no place for Tremlett, who is beaten to the plane by Shahzad and Bresnan.

I suppose we could have an Ashes sweepstake. I've had a go - how about you? Person who gets the most wins a prize!*

*The prize may be a Follow Thursday on Twitter

Bell's Rise to Top Job

Ian Bell is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum wrapped in a puzzle. Why is he a player who has such undoubted talent, yet at times can look like he doesn't know what end of the bat to hold? Why can he struggle against some of the poorest attacks in the world, yet can score big against some of the best? Ian Bell is certainly a tricky one. I don't know whether to support his being in the side, as he can make great runs in certain situations, or argue for his being dropped, as he can also throw his wicket away when England need him the most.

Part of the IRB debate is what position he should bat. He won't open, isn't solid enough to bat 3, isn't full of runs to bat 4, and isn't gritty enough to bat 5. Yet he seems like the world's best number 6, when he can come in at 350/4, and can score a really pretty hundred. And if England play 6 batsman (not including Prior at 7), then Bell is clearly a much better bet than Morgan to bat at number 6.

Ian Bell is like an insect who just won't die, and no matter how many times he's stamped on, he keeps wriggling back into life and jumping into the coleslaw. Just when all seemed lost in the West Indies 2009, he gets a lucky way back in and keeps his place in the side. And even when injured, he appears to be nailed on to start in Brisbane. He's gone through so many crises of confidence, so many dips in form and so many struggles against certain bowlers. Yet still retains his place.

Ian Bell is 28. He has played 57 test matches. Today he will captain Warwickshire in the CB40 final.

Part of the nature of being an English cricket fan is an ability to look far into the future, irregardless of much more important things in the immediate view. Andrew Strauss is 33. He won't play test cricket forever. And as such, he won't captain England forever. Which means the search for his successor has already begun.

When looking for a captain, Andy Flower will look for a player who has lots of test experience. Has an unassailable place in the side. A good captaincy record. And is young enough to take the job on for a few years.

Collingwood is out - too old. KP won't want another go. Alastair Cook isn't guarenteed of his place in the side in a month, let alone in a couple of years. And England won't really want to pick a bowler as captain. Which leaves former Under-19 captain and test veteran Ian Ronald Bell.

No disrespect to Ian Bell, but when I've watched his England career (which is probably 99% of it) he hasn't displayed an awful lot of tactical nous or obvious leadership qualities. He doesn't look like the sort of bloke who can inspire in the dressing room, or console when times are tough. His record of never scoring the first hundred in the innings (until recently) hardly speaks of a man leading from the front.

All in all, Ian probably won't be a very good captain for England. Which is why I want Somerset to win today's CB40 final, to stop IRB's inexorable rise to the top role in English cricket. So in order to stop Ian, I've dug some dirt, where some people call for him to be banned from cricket.

Sorry Ian. Even in this post I've gone from liking him, to disliking him, to feeling sorry for writing a post where I'm mean about him. I guess that's the inigma that is Ian Bell.

Onions Making Me Cry

I've always liked Graham Onions. Maybe it's the funny name. Maybe it's the fact that he looks a lot like Mark Watson, a comedian I like. Maybe it's because I'm partial to Geordie accents. Maybe it's his defiant blocking batting. More likely it's because I like his swing bowling.

Back a few years ago I also liked Simon Jones. He too had a fun accent (Welsh). He too ripped through the Aussies with lethal swing.

Sadly, just like Onions, Jones was rather injury prone.

Life for a fast bowler has it's ups and downs, and as Iain O'Brien told me in one of my podcasts, injuries are never too far away. Simon Jones picked up a knee injury in the fourth 2005 Ashes test. There was a race against time to get him fit for the fifth test, a week later. Jones hasn't played for England since. Other than this year for Hampshire, Jones hasn't played with any real regularity since that heady win at Trent Bridge.

Onions got injured in training out in Bangladesh ahead of the tests. His injury was also first thought to be minor, but it soon became obvious that wasn't to be the case.

Like Jones in the intervening years since 2005, Onions has set himself targets of getting back playing. He's missed all of those targets. And today the news was announced that he's having a back operation which rules him out for 9 months. Officially ruling him out of an Ashes tour he still held increasingly faint hopes of making.

When Jones first got injured, people started to fill in for him, but as time went on, made the position their own. Onions' third seamer position went to Steven Finn, who appears to have it nailed down for the foreseeable future. He's seemingly slipped down the pecking order behind Bresnan and Shahzad.

Like Jones, Onions could well recover from his serious injury to play at a good level. However, like Jones, the cut throat nature of international cricket means Onions may have played his last for England. This makes me sad. You could say that Onions is making me cry.

Down Under

Like many cricket fans, I want to go to Australia this winter and watch the Ashes. Back in January, I had it all planned. I'd phoned the tour operators, arranged a schedule and looked at flights. I'd even taken a gap year.

But what with credit crunches and double dips, financially I wasn't able to book anything.

I still want to go to Australia. I have even less money now then I did then (hence the shop).

So I'm trying to win my way in.

I've entered numerous competitions on numerous websites. The Telegraph, the Times. Even the Daily Mail. Obviously, we've all seen the Barmy Army competition (as it's operators have spent the last month spamming blogs), and of course I've entered that. You name it, I'm in it to win it.

My trump card is an app. Basically, every day two new questions are asked. One at 12am, one at 12pm. Each question is worth varying points based on it's difficulty. Once someone gets to 100 points, they win a trip. If a question is answered wrongly, the score gets reset to zero.

I don't know how many people use this app. I shouldn't have thought it's exceptionally popular; maybe a few hundred. Many of those won't be good at cricket trivia, or will forget to do it regularly. This is where my stash of useless cricket knowledge and OCD obsessiveness comes in. (Note - I'm not really OCD but just really want to go to the Ashes). I reckon I'm in with a big chance of winning it.

I don't know how big a chance I have. I don't know if someone's already won. But I don't want to further reduce my chances by namechecking the app (and encouraging potential rivals).

While this is partly a blog about Ashes competitions, it's also a plea. If you have tickets you want to donate, or pay me to go and report, I'd be happy to accept. You'd be my favourite blog reader ever. I'd even change my picture of Andrew Strauss on the header to a picture of you. I'm only saying.

However, I am writing this blog on the way to Lord's for the England v Pakistan test. So its not all bad.

SMN: Ian Bell - "I don't really want to go to Australia"

While continuing his rehabilitation from his foot injury which has seen him miss out on the current England-Pakistan test series, Ian Bell has surprisingly revealed that he "doesn't really want to" go Down Under for this winter's Ashes tour.


Another ball bounces off Bell during last years Ashes


Bell, who still carries the scars (both mentally and physically) of previous Ashes humiliations, announced to Short Midwicket News that he would prefer to miss out on the tour in order to "have a nice Christmas with the family; play a bit of golf, have a bit of me-time".

Warwickshire batsman Bell, 28, boasts an overall test average of 43 , but this is boosted by his average of 378 against Bangladesh. However, against the fearsome Australians, he averages a measly 8.2. "I still have nightmares" confesses Bell, who is visibly shaken at the mention of Warne and McGrath. "The Aussies have ruined American Pie for me", continued the Sherminator lookalike, who had begun to rock in his chair.

England chairman of selectors Geoff Miller seemed upset that Bell appears set to miss out on his fourth Ashes, but revealed that Bell was only in the team for ethnic reasons. "Belly used to fill the quotas for us; he was our only ginger. But now with Collingwood and Morgan in the side, I see no reason for us to pick him. He really isn't that good", before adding "but what a cover drive".

Last Week's Poll - Who should be England's bowlers for the First Ashes Test?

Last week I asked you to play the role of Geoff Miller, Ashley Giles and the other one (Whitaker???) and pick your bowlers for the first Ashes test in Brisbane. Unsurprisingly, 100% of you wanted Anderson, Broad and Swann as your bowlers. However, there was some debate as to who should be the fourth bowler (assuming England will play four bowlers). The man in possession, Steven Finn, has 75% of your support, with injury hit Graham Onions still having the support of 37% of you. There was a ripple of support for Sidebottom, Shahzad and Bresnan, with the three men of Yorkshire picking up 12% each. Harmison, Woakes (left field...), Tredwell, Panesar and Rashid were the ignored men who didn't get any votes. Interesting stuff. I'll ask again a few times to see how the opinions of the cricketing public change over the forthcoming months.

This week, as the football World Cup has started, I ask which cricketer would make the best footballer. Why not, it's fairly topical.

Pecking Orders

Yesterday I wrote a serious post. It was a post where I had to do research, and be reasonable. The England / Bangladesh test was drawing to a close, and Ajmal Shahzad was bowling. If all was equal, Shahzad would not have been bowling. In the England pecking order, Shahzad is well down.the list, nestling between Steve Harmison and a light breeze. Shahzad, as useful a bowler as he is, will struggle to make the plane for the Ashes tour; let alone the reckoning. Batting at five for England was one of my favourite players, Eoin Morgan. But as much as I see Morgs obvious awesomeness, he is not a test batsman. Last year, he averaged about 23 for Middlesex, and before the tests he'd only played one FC game in the past 9 months. As world-class a 20 and 50 over player as he is, he is not a test player. Ravi Bopara and Michael Carberry (who probably are) must be sitting at home wondering where they stand. As must Steve Davies, Tim Ambrose and James Foster (who have all played for England in the past two years), who appear to have been usurped by Craig Kieswetter as Matt Prior's successor. This rotation policy has probably also confused Geoff Miller.

So, in the order of public service, I've decided to handily create the pecking order list, for future reference for the Pakistan tests and beyond.

Batsmen
Strauss
Pietersen
Collingwood
Cook
Bell
Trott
Morgan
Bopara
Carberry
Vaughan
Boycott
Ramprakash

Bowlers
Swann
Anderson
Broad
Finn
Onions
Bresnan
Shahzad
Sidebottom
Woakes
Harmison
Leventhal

Wicket-Keepers
Prior
Davies
Kieswetter
Foster
Jones
Ambrose
Atkins

No need to thank me Geoff...

You can be Geoff Miller or Ashley Giles by voting on the Short Third Man's latest poll - "Who should be England's bowlers for the first Ashes test in Brisbane?"

New Ball Blues

Tim Bresnan's been called many things in his time. Portly. Roly-poly. Tubby. Fat. Carrying some timber. But England's new ball bowler shouldn't be one of them.

Steven Finn has been picked for this test ahead of Stuart Broad in order to give the young Watfordian some test match experience, ahead of the Ashes this winter. Fair enough. But surely England see Finn as an opening bowler, with his pace and height being perfect for when the ball's at it's hardest. So why isn't Finn bowling first up against the Desh?

The powers that be are trying to be nice to Jimmy Anderson after not playing him in the World T20; making sure he bowls the most, and gets to choose what end he would like. And as England's leader of the attack, Anderson is well within his right to pick the Pavilion End to have his first hurl from. Much has been made of Finn's reluctance to bowl from the Nursery End, but Andrew Strauss should have given him two words if he complained. Man up.

If the selectors want to give Finn test match experience, the best experience for him will be bowling from an 'unfamiliar' end (or as unfamiliar as an end can be at one's own ground). Evidently, it was decided that Finn shouldn't have the new-ball from the Nursery End, so Bresnan got to have his go.

While Bresnan's stock has risen in the England team on the back of a successful tour of Bangladesh, and winning the World T20, he won't be England's new ball bowler on the first morning at Brisbane. Put simply, he is not an international new ball bowler. Despite experimentation, it's been decided that Broad is not either. Barring an incredibly unlikely return for Steve Harmison, the honour of sharing the cherry with Anderson will be a straight shoot-out between Finn and Graham Onions. A Graham Onions who won't have played much cricket. And a Steven Finn who won't have done much new ball bowling for England.

Surely it would make sense for Finn to take the new ball, regardless of end until the end of the summer, so his discovery of experience is extended further. If England are using this Bangladesh series as a way of formulating plans for this winter, (which the resting of Broad and Collingwood certainly suggests), it would certainly make sense Strauss to throw Finn the ball first. And if Finn bowls as well as he did in the first innings, he's going to earn his place on merit (and not just because others have been rested).

Steven Finn - 9/37!

While Middlesex are in trouble against Worcestershire at New Road, the performance of Steven Finn will give a lot of heart to fans, selectors, and Finn alike. 9 wickets in 15 overs; added to 5 wickets picked up yesterday both show that he is becoming of age as a bowler; certainly at county level, and perhaps at higher.

Yes, it was on a pitch and in conditions which offered much to the bowlers, but Finn's performance, where his pace and bounce unsettled the batsmen before he knocked over their stumps was special. And any bowler taking 9 wickets in an innings is always a remarkable feat.

As Finn fired his way into the 7th best bowling figures in Middlesex history, he may also have booked his place on the flight to Australia this winter. On a tour where pace and bounce is crucial, a 6 foot 8 fast bowler is vital for England as they look to defend the Ashes. While Finn did play in England's last two tests in Bangladesh, he and other new bowlers Tredwell and Bresnan were fully expected to leave the team to make way for Anderson and Onions. While Finn did not do anything spectacular on tour, picking up 9 wickets in the prescence of Geoff Miller will put him firmly in the minds of the selectors, and could very easily displace Onions (who is certainly not assured of his place in the team after being dropped for the final test in South Africa). Personally I would put Finn into the team, both to get test match experience, and confidence ahead of an Ashes tour where both will be needed. Finn is clearly in fantastic form (after one county game), but if he continues over the next few months, he could very easily be the dark horse who sneaks into England's Ashes Eleven.

Finn's chance to beat England's bowling curse

With the news today that Ryan Sidebottom is going home from Bangladesh, with Stuart Broad and Graham Onions unlikely to play, England's bowling line up for the tests looks decidedly weak. With Jimmy Anderson also not playing due to a knee injury, England may well be forced into blooding three fast bowlers with only two test appearances between them. In light of the spate of injuries and withdrawals, Middlesex seamer Steven Finn has been added from the Lions squad, with Tim Bresnan joining the squad from the One Day team. Bresnan has only played twice in England whites, with Finn having never played at international level. They are due to be joined by Ajmal Shahzad, veteran of a sole Twenty20 game against Pakistan. With either Luke Wright or James Tredwell (both uncapped) also likely to play in the first Chittagong test, England could quite conceivably play a bowling attack with only one bowler (Graeme Swann) having played more then twice. So surely England will be rolled over against test cricket's weakest team?

In short, no. While England will miss their main three strike bowlers (and Ryan Sidebottom) from their attack, Graeme Swann proved that he is capable to take much of a batting line-up in South Africa, and Bresnan has proved in short form games that he is a perfectly good bowler. If Finn and Shahzad are added to this (or England's forgotten man Liam Plunkett), England should have more then enough to roll over a pretty poor Bangladesh team. The only remaining spot is debatable, between all-rounder Luke Wright, and off-spinner James Tredwell, both of whom will act in a supporting role to the main bowlers. So England should have enough about them (both in terms of wickets, and runs if both Bresnan and Wright play) to easily beat Bangladesh.

While England's bowling problems may appear to be cursed, this tour could turn into a blessing for England ahead of the Ashes. Steven Finn, the 6 foot 8 fast bowler has been lined up to become England's next great fast bowler. England have searched for a 'hit the deck' bowler who will worry batsmen with his bounce, and with the end of Harmison's international career, this search has become more critical. Finn is only 20, but if he gains the international experience in the fast-bowling desert of Bangladesh, he could be an outside shout for the first test in Brisbane. Finn will no doubt become a crucial part of England's team over the next few years, and with some question marks remaining over Graham Onion's ability when the ball isn't swinging, Finn could throw down the gauntlet to the selectors with wickets in Bangladesh. While Finn is certainly not guarenteed to start, it is worth looking at him and Shahzad, as Plunkett has already proved that he is not international quality. Even if Finn doesn't perform particularly well (or at all), being in and around the England squad will set him up for the future, as well as showing that he is very much part of the selectors plans.

I have long supported the rise of Steven Finn, and hopefully he can get the international recognition that he both craves and deserves.