|
CRICKET ROADSHOWS
 |
Week 6 Review - 16 Jun, Durham
Ashes issues starting to loom large |
As the rain lashed down at Chester-le-Street the focus on Saturday's Channel 4 Cricket Roadshow turned away from the current NatWest Series and looked further ahead to the impending Ashes contest.
Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, who joined Mark Nicholas and Michael Slater for an impromptu chat, said he expected a tough series but admitted that Thursday's demolition job at Old Trafford could have opened up some "old scars".
Ominously, he added: "Something we set out to do when we came here was to play very positive, aggressive cricket in the one-dayers and I think it can sometimes set the tone."
If that's the case then England are in for a long hard summer, a view shared by most of the Australian cricketers not considered good enough to make their Test squad but currently over here playing county cricket.
Yorkshire's Darren Lehman reckons it will be a case of 'close but no cigar' for Nasser and the boys. He said England had "a chance" but didn't anticipate anything but a win for his Aussie compatriots.
"Obviously England are not playing as well as they can at the moment but they're a good side. They didn't win against Pakistan but they played quite well so I think it will be a good series but being an Aussie I think Australia will still win."
Somerset's Jamie Cox was like-minded and said how each team coped with the new ball would be a decisive factor.
"Having had a look at the Test match pitches in the last couple of years I would say the opening bowlers and opening batters are probably going to be the crucial battles, but I think if Australia can assemble an arsenal of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie then they'll be tough to stop."
And any notions that Australia have lost their aura of invincibility following their winter defeat in India were quickly dispelled by Mike Hussey, currently starring for Northants.
"The Aussies will be pretty fuming after their defeat in India and they'll be keen to do well, so I don't think there's going to be any complacency there. I think England have also played some excellent cricket over the last year so I'm really looking forward to the series. It's going to be tough and it's going to be tight all the way."
As if to back that up Essex's Stuart Law added typical Australian confidence when he was asked who the green caps feared in the England camp.
"None of the Aussies are going to be fearing anyone," he said, "but the players they're going to have to look out for this year are obviously Darren Gough and Andy Caddick. They've been brilliant with the new ball in the Test matches they've played, while Graham Thorpe is the bloke who I think is going to score a lot of runs."
But perhaps the final word should go to Glamorgan's Jimmy Maher who confidently predicted a series victory. "I've been telling all the boys in the Glamorgan team exactly the same thing - that the Aussies will win the Ashes."
Former England captain Graham Gooch was also on the show, talking about the international prospects of young Essex and England 'A' wicketkeeper James Foster, who is still a student at nearby Durham University.
"I think he's a very promising cricketer and Essex have got great hopes for him. What I really like about him is he's a proper batsman as well as a wicketkeeper, someone who could probably bat at six, so I think at his age – and with Alec Stewart at an advanced age – Jamie Foster could be in the right place at the right time. Timing is everything in life and he's making good progress where Alec is obviously in the last phase of his career."
Elsewhere on the programme Sybil Ruscoe spoke to John Findlay – chairman of the Eden Village League – about the devastating impact Foot and Mouth disease has had on local club cricket.
Deaf wicketkeeper Ben Young – who plays for Sunderland – was also featured, while Durham CCC chairman Bill Midgely spoke optimistically about the county getting Test match status in the near future.
"We've got a sell-out crowd today, we had a sell-out crowd last year and we're very much pushing our case for five day Test cricket. There's a decision being made at the end of July which is very important for us. I think there's quite a good chance, but how often remains to be seen."
Mail the Cricket Show team at cricketshow@cricket4.com
Click to return to C4 cricket shows
|
