No Sledging Required as England Stare at Whitewash

Second Ashes Test Review
Australia beat England by 218 runs.

When Australia wrapped up the second Ashes test in Adelaide by securing England’s four remaining wickets within an hour of play on day five, it all seemed too easy for the hosts.

It has been a breeze for Darren Lehmann’s side so far as they sit just one win away from reclaiming the coveted urn. 

The head coach replaced the unpopular Mickey Arthur just 18 days before Australia began their campaign in England and, though his side lost 3-0; ‘Boof’ provided the down to earth and old school mantra which made the Baggy Greens competitive.

Just six months down the line and it’s the English who are “facing a whitewash” according to former skipper Michael Vaughan who labelled the current crop’s attempts as “feeble”.

From day one in Brisbane to day four in Adelaide, he wasn’t wrong. The tourists have been battered and bruised and look completely broken.

Lehmann’s philosophy, opposed to Andy Flower’s scientific methods, has worked wonders for the hosts. Aside from the transformation of Mitchell Johnson – the butt of many English barbs not so long ago – from wild to wicked, Michael Clarke, his captain, stands as the best player in world cricket right now.

Clarke has shown his opposite number Alistair Cook not only how to captain a side, but how to bat at the same time.

Cook seems burdened by the responsibility and expectation and, as exemplified by his second innings dismissal where he failed miserably at attacking Johnson, the harder he tries the worse things get.

If there can be one player who typifies England’s failings it’s wicketkeeper Matt Prior. The 31 year old was far and away the best in his position just twelve months ago but, after narrowly scraping through the series in England, looks like he has never held a bat before!

His shakiness with the willow has been alarming to say the least after he recorded just four runs in three innings before another bite at the cherry when England were down and out. Even though his second innings knock started with him in a horrific muddle trying to sort his footwork out, he did make 69 runs – valuable to him, if not in vain for the team.

Physically England move to Perth from here. Mentally where they go though, is anyone’s guess.

Crumbs of comfort have been hard to come by for Captain Cook. While Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Prior offered some much needed resistance, it is not much to cling to.

It is not a question of if England loses the Ashes, more a case of when and how severely.