The Ashes just got spicy
This was all a bit rum since England had just been using as a consultant a Kiwi coach called Gilbert Enoka, who had worked with the All Blacks for years and was the guy behind the famous 'no dickheads' approach. But none of this has gone unnoticed Down Under, where the kraken is waking and the Aussies are ramping up Ashes tension ahead of England's upcoming visit. Brad Haddin, the famously confrontational former Test keeper, said: 'I think they are going to start the Ashes on nice terms but when push comes to shove, we are going to see some real combative Test cricket.'
Mitchell Johnson, the terrifyingly fast left-armer from the 2013-14 series, was suitably scary: 'Sledging only works when you're dominating. Right now, England aren't. They haven't won an Ashes series in Australia since 2010-11. Their Bazball model has some punch, but it's flimsy when conditions swing. Maybe talking tough is a cover.' But he admitted: 'Let's not pretend Australia are choirboys. I had plenty to say when I played – and copped plenty back.'
Well, who would have thought it? A spicy Ashes series: can't wait.
They're a tough bunch those Lionesses. Ashes tough indeed. Not to be messed with. Watch Chloe Kelly sardonically thanking everyone who wrote her off, shortly after winning that thrilling final with her stupendous, prancing penalty. They played hard football, they didn't shirk a tackle or a collision, but they played with a joy in the game (and its rewards) that is markedly absent from much of the men's game. Instead of Marcus Rashford or Casemiro picking up hundreds of thousands a week to play football but looking as if they would rather do community service in a sewage farm, the women's tournament saw Kelly, the unknown teenager Michelle Agyemang, Leah Williamson, the match-saving goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Alessia Russo and all the rest living the best days of their lives. You hear a load of guff about sports people being role models, but these Lionesses really are: talented, hard-working, supportive, energetic and never giving up. Proper England, you could say.
Now what, though? The brilliant Sarina Wiegman, after two major titles with England and one World Cup final, will pick up the honorary damehood she so deserves. Though what else will happen if they go on to win the World Cup in two years in Brazil (and they certainly could) is anybody's guess. She could be made an honorary queen, I suppose. You rather hope that Thomas Tuchel is picking her brain once in a while.
Fond farewells to the Tour de France on terrestrial TV. This last edition was the end of ITV4's involvement, and a damn pity too. Ned Boulting and David Millar are one of the great commentary double-acts in any sport. Sure, times change and commercial interests win out, but we should be careful if terrestrial TV loses all its jewels. And the Tour de France is the brightest jewel of all.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
England's new ‘bad boy' persona against India leaves us with one question
It is a confusing time to be an England player. The year started with head coach Brendon McCullum speaking about the need for his players to show more 'humility'. Then, before the Lord's Test, McCullum instructed his players that they had been guilty of being too nice. And then it emerged that while balancing McCullum's desires for England to be humbly unpleasant, they had also hired Gilbert Enoka, the mental performance coach credited with the All Blacks famous 'no d***heads' policy. So, in conclusion, don't be a d***head, but don't be nice, and do be humble when sledging your opponent. Cut to the final throes of day five at Old Trafford and as Harry Brook was caught on the stump mic imploring Washington Sundar to, 'f**king hell Washy, get on with it', and then mock extending his hand to offer a draw when Ravindra Jadeja reached his century, the whole thing irked, but tracked. Is the new fiery England one just for now, or is it here to stay? 'No regrets,' Ben Stokes summarised before the fifth and final Test, even after he and England had had a few days to cool off. 'I think it's one of those where if you've been in the field for 250 overs, you'd have a bit more understanding towards both sides. 'We're over it. And I think India are over it too.' First things first. Hypocrisy is a human right. God forbid anyone checked for consistency in your every move. England are performing in a high-pressure environment at the culmination of a three-year project which will define legacies for many. Slip-ups are inevitable. And while England have got rougher around the edges in personality, they have become more refined in their cricket. Their innings at Lord's was the second slowest of the Bazball era. Which, rather than a contradiction of their previous lunacy, was an acknowledgement of the stakes going up. Bazball was a creation of Ben Stokes to unlock the potential of a failing batting unit. In Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and, at that point, Jonny Bairstow, they had a talented, but timid batting line-up fearful of failure. The point was to push the boat out, prove to them what's possible, and then rein it back in. Ben Stokes' batting itself is the perfect example. At the start, he was a maniac. In matches, he charged at seamers at every opportunity and in training he would look to hit as many boundaries as possible. The purpose was to prove to his troops that nothing was too extreme. Cut to a week ago, and Stokes' century came off a measured 164 balls. But the Old Trafford fallout was unpleasant. England have prided themselves on being the entertainers and playing cricket with a smile on their face, but instead they finished the Test mocking a bloke who had outplayed them for the day. At one stage earlier in the match, Brook removed his chewing gum and lobbed it at the spidercam that whizzes above the ground. It was all just a bit weird. Your mate who doesn't smoke pulling out a cigarette at the pub. This isn't you. What are you doing? The question is whether we're likely to see more, or less, of such behaviour as we head into the Ashes. The spark for this series came when Crawley and Duckett dragged out a single over at the end of the day three at Lord's across seven minutes, with the resulting to-and-fro raucous theatre. All 11 Indians piling into England, and in return, England, when it was their turn to field, decided to give it back. 'I've had a lot of compliments," Brook said afterwards. "Everybody said it was awesome to watch and it looked like there was 11 versus two when we were fielding. It was good fun, I have to admit.' That trajectory continued to Old Trafford in a series that has flipped between the vitriolic and the collegiate. Barbs have been thrown in either direction. But friendships are present between the two sides. Joe Root and Yashisav Jaiswal are close from their time at Rajasthan Royals, where Jaiswal was known as 'Joe-swal' given how much he stuck to the England legend's side. Furthermore, when England won at Lord's, the condolences extended at the close to the pantomime villain of the series, Mohammed Siraj, were genuine. England raising the temperature on the field has been a deliberate ploy; whether they feel it's one that suits them or not will decide whether it continues. On day two at The Oval, Ben Duckett's muted reaction to Akash Deep bizarrely putting his arm round his shoulder after dismissing him suggested a taming of emotions, but Root's fiery, and out of character, burst back at Prasidh Krishna in response to a sledge suggested otherwise. For the most part, fans didn't like the carry on at Old Trafford. It was chest puffed out behaviour when the contest was dead. But when it was Crawley vs India at Lord's and the contest was live - it was loved. Like everything in life, it was all about timing. The reaction has been an insight into the media pressures that await. If the telling off in the English press has been a disappointed slap on the wrist, the reaction in Australia has been giddy. Cross-paper coverage of England confirming their place as the bad boys of world cricket. They don't like us; and we don't like them. Tempers, even three months ahead of time, are fraying. 'When you're playing Test cricket,' said Brydon Carse earlier this series, on the topic of sledging, 'with the crowd and the pressure and the emotion, and how much everyone wants to win the game, I think it's great. 'There's always obviously a line, and you don't want to cross that line. But when you're out on that field, and there's 10 other blokes all fighting your corner, it's pretty cool.' Over the last three years England have been fun, they have been different, and now they're dabbling with being nasty. And that could be nice.
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Warner fires Ashes jibe at England's Root
David Warner says Joe Root will need to "take the surfboard off his front leg" if he and England are to succeed in Australia this 38, is in England for a stint with London Spirit in The Hundred and while he is looking forward to calling Lord's home for a month, he could not resist a gentle dig at former Ashes face Australia in the Ashes from late November, when they will attempt to win back the urn for the first time in 10 years."The big anchor there is Rooty [England batter Joe Root], who is yet to score a hundred in Australia," Warner told BBC Sport."Josh Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg."Warner, who retired from international cricket last year, is set to make his Hundred debut in the tournament opener against Oval Invincibles on Tuesday. He could face Root's Trent Rockets at Lord's on 14 is the number one Test batter in the world and crucial to England's hopes of winning the Ashes but has never scored a century in has been dismissed 10 times in 18 Tests by Australia seamer Hazlewood - one fewer than the 11 times he has been dismissed by Australia captain Pat Cummins and India bowler Jasprit Bumrah."It all comes down to the bowlers," Warner said."If the English bowlers can put a dent in the Australia top order then they will come into the contest."Warner could also face another former Ashes rival in The Hundred this year in veteran bowler James Anderson. Anderson was a late pick for Manchester Originals, who the Spirit play on 11 about the prospect of facing England's record wicket-taker again, Warner said: "They are 2025 white cricket balls not 2018 red Dukes."It is going to be a bit different."England asked for the 2018 batch of Dukes balls to be used for the 2019 Ashes because they expected them to move more for Anderson and the hosts' other was injured four overs into the series which was drawn 2-2, yet Warner has not forgotten."He probably won't be able to seam it around corners like they normally do," Warner Warner plays on Tuesday it will be the first time he has taken to the field on English soil since the final day of the Ashes in day, before the ball changes, bail swaps and Stuart Broad's finale, Warner was applauded off by the crowd at The Oval, despite his troubled history with the England-supporting public."I was touched by that," Warner said."It is a credit to the supporters of cricket in England, who love the game."We have always had our challenges and battles as nations but what English supporters do is appreciate players who have played for a long time. That did mean a lot."The Spirit reached the Hundred eliminator 2022 but have finished seventh or eighth in the tournament's other three year Warner will be reunited with another Australian, the former coach and opener Justin Langer who has replaced Trevor Bayliss as coach."I know Spirit haven't gone too well in the past few years," Warner said."For myself to bring some energy and intensity to the group and project that on the field would be awesome."It is about the fans and the young kids that are coming out to see us, not about the player and whether there has been a bit of history or not."It is about supporting the game, making sure we are the ones putting bums on seats and are there for the right reasons."
