The Hindu : Sport : Can England do better on its favourite ground?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 25, 2006

Sport

Sport

Can England do better on its favourite ground?

Ted Corbett

Second Test against Sri Lanka likely to be affected by the weather

BIRMINGHAM: England arrived at Edgbaston on Wednesday in much the same mental state that afflicted the players on the eve of the second Test a year ago. Last year, it was one down in the Ashes; this morning, as the rain came down in torrents, it had to defend its failure to win the first Test against Sri Lanka.

The last three days of the Lord's Test have been dissected, debated and discussed endlessly for a week but England captain Andrew Flintoff shrugged off suggestions that he was either trying to fulfil too many roles within the team — as leader, hard-hitting batsman and flat out fast bowler — or leading too hectic a celebrity life.

"I am a cricketer, I am not losing my focus," said Flintoff, but there are reasons for thinking he might be.

Will that wear out Freddie, one of the most popular sportsmen in the country at the moment, so much that he cannot perform miracles for England too? I refuse to believe it. He may have bowled 68.3 overs at Lord's but he has bowled only 77 overs all season and had a six-week break since he last played in a one-dayer in India. Besides, just look at the man.

Solid support

What does he care if Geoff Boycott says that England would have won at Lord's if Michael Vaughan had been captain. It has been clear from that debate over the first Test that every one of his players is right behind Flintoff; he has certainly not — to use the soccer parlance — lost the dressing room. Rather, he has 10 admirers in his side, all wishing they could bowl, hit the ball and catch as well as he does.

Ah, catching! England delayed its press briefing to complete its fielding practice on a ground that was obviously too wet for a match and after nine missed chances at Lord's so it should. It will not name the side until just before the toss; Sri Lanka is equally unwilling to show its hand. It will debate the inclusion of Sanath Jayasuriya but it is unlikely that he will play.

All alone

Television stations showed shots of him at the nets on Tuesday but he was always standing on his own. There was a message there. That the team was happy to be seen as an L-plate side, finding its own way and needing no veteran cricketer on the end of a parachute to help its development.

What effect that has on the result of this match, which is sure to be interrupted by rain, remains to be seen. But it is a rule of thumb in cricket that if you fail to turn a big advantage into victory the game would take revenge.

It is not likely that Sri Lanka will win on England's favourite Test ground but after the freak win here last year the sporting gods may feel it is time England had a little bad luck.

The teams (from):

England: Andrew Flintoff (capt.), Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Geraint Jones, Liam Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Jon Lewis and Monty Panesar.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Sanath Jayasuriya, Malinga Bandara, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Parveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Jehan Mubarak, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara and Chaminda Vaas.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Darrell Hair (Australia); TV umpire: Ian Gould; Match referee: Alan Hurst (Australia).