5 December, 2014, and the sun had come down on the WACA Ground in Perth with the Australian Team celebrating a gutsy victory over rivals England with a 5-wicket victory.
Fast forward almost eight years, and Australia have not celebrated like that since that evening. England are on the verge of recording a seventh straight 'Ashes' victory, while Australia will be looking to win a game against the Poms.
England won the 2014/15 Ashes series in Australia 2-1. Since then, the 2017 home series saw a 4-0 victory, 2018/19 series on Australian soil a 2-0 win, while the last series, played in the English summer was also a winless test series for the Aussies, a 4-0 result.
The last 17 Ashes tests have boasted a England 11 wins and 6 draws. Australia are keen to make a good start and throw something back. It is going to be a tough job though.
England continue to have the strongest test side possibly of all-time. They are hard to beat, and have some serious record holders in as good form as they have ever been.
Skipper James Taylor will lead his side once more on a Australia tour. He may not be defined as the best batsman, or bowler, in the history of the game...but he has already been claimed by greats as the greatest the game will see behind Bradman. His all-round record is outstanding, and he has some mates too.
Charles Weir, who has hit seven hundreds in his last nine tests, is in prime form, while Anthony Howarth comeback from a shoulder injury mid-year to claim player of the series against West Indies, despite missing the opening match.
Add to that the consistency of wicket-keeper Ian Steele, a super lower-order batsman, as well as late debutant run machine, and brother of opener Charles, Carl Weir.
English Squad
1 Adler, Phil
2 Blakely, Vic
3 Brabin, Christopher
4 Buller, Lawrence
5 Howarth, Anthony
6 Jacob, James
7 Lyman, Kevin
8 Mercer, Aaron
9 Morgan, Mike
10 Steele, Ian
11 Taylor, James (c)
12 Tunnicliff, Stanley
13 Weir, Carl
14 Weir, Charles
15 Welch, Alex
A superior pace bowler who gets the job done quickly. Adler is noted for his ability to strike early whether it be with the new ball or into a new spell. A right-armer who gets good movement, he has proven to be a match winner, a leader and will be around for plenty of time yet. Only 25 years old.
The 27-year old fast bowler from Essex has been a feature of the national side for the last 12 months after an impressive tour of Bangladesh last year in the shorter version of the game. Made his test debut with little luck back in the 2017 Ashes series, and despite a mediocre record, he is in great form to back-up the pace attack.
BRABIN, Christopher
Age: 21 Role: Middle-order Batsman
The youngest on the squad, Brabin made headlines as a 19-year old scoring an unbeaten hundred on test debut two years ago. He has since struggled to capitalise on his opportunity, coming in and out of the best XI but has earnt a selection with a solid one-day series against the Windies.
BULLER, Lawrence
Age: 23 Role: Middle-order Batsman
Tests: 8
579 runs @ 57.90 (HS: 99; 5 50's)
The 23-year old came into the selectors minds mid-way through last years tours of Bangladesh and West Indies, and they never looked back. He has been consistent and shown as a genuine stroke maker, but has already been attacked by the 90's curse, bowled out an amazing three consecutive innings closing in a century, including a 99. Watch out for the kid this series.
HOWARTH, Anthony
Age: 32 Role: Spin Bowling All-Rounder
One of the all-time greats, you can only marvel at Howarth's international record and be amazed. Closing in on 400 test wickets, the incredible thing is his average of 19.88 (he has taken 211 ODI wickets @ 15.50). Add to that his ability to make runs batting at number eight, where he has kissed his helmet six times.
Touted as a key player for the upcoming series after finally breaking back into the side everyone so desperately wanted to see him in. When he gets going, he can be a terror to bowling attacks, and in recent times, he has done just that. He averaged 103.33 in five tests against the West Indies a few months ago.
The critics said it wouldn't work...bringing another all-rounder into the English test team. Fast-forward 16 months, and Lyman has become a sensation since a stunning Ashes campaign in 2021. He has already taken 102 wickets, and is doing it at an average of only 18.73. He doesn't need to perform with the bat, but he is on the verge of scoring plenty of runs at number nine.
The right-arm fast bowler has become the pace attacks leader, opening with the new ball and performing at the same time. The spearhead had a rough patch, coming in and out of the side in his first years, but has since established his spot, claiming wickets with the new ball.
A veteran of the game at only 31, Morgan may just break the 10,000 run barrier during the Ashes series. Holds an immaculate batting record, normally coming in at number three, averaging almost 57 runs, and has a tendency to go on and make a big hundred when needed. Very good batsman away from home, he scored three centuries last Australian tour.
Adam Gilchrist may be recognised as the greatest keeper of all-time, but Ian Steele when finished might just overtake him. He may not have the flair or the ability to rip teams apart like 'Gilly', but in the last decade, Steele is a hard man to get out. He holds an innings together with solid lower-order batting, and with an average of more than 70 and over 8,000 runs, it is brilliant.
TAYLOR, James (c)
Age: 32 Role: Middle-order Batting All-Rounder
Hailed the greatest English player of all-time, and he is still only 32. He has atleast another five years to go, and the skipper is still in ripe form. 13,000 runs is an almighty effort to achieve, and will soon top Alistair Cook (14,166 runs), and to top that, an average of close to sixty. That record alone is amazing, but what about his leg-spin bowling? He has broken 600 test wickets (the only Englishman to do so), and taken 35 5-wicket hauls. And we thought he was just a batsman.
Back-up keeper to Ian Steele, who has made inroads to playing in the XI alongside Steele. Made an impressive 197 run stand opening the batting against the West Indies, but has failed on many of occassions. More consistency and he will be a beauty. A good back-up to have at 23 years old.
Made his test debut at 31 years of age after being close to selection for many years, before replacing Alistair Cook. He is a run machine, like his brother, Charles, scoring more than a hundred runs a test match. Has made nine test hundreds, with his most emphatic at The Oval against Australia last year, scoring 360 runs, just short of Len Hutton's record of 364.
WEIR, Charles
Age: 33 Role: Opening Batting part-time Wicket Keeper
The closest to the great Don Bradman that has played the game, Weir has done it as an opening batsman. More than 12,000 runs at an amazing average of almost 72, he is a run machine like his brother. Made his debut as a wicket-keeper, and has even played a role with his off-spin. In sublime form, cracking 6 hundreds in 9 innings at the start of the year vs West Indies.
The Yorkshire spinner is waiting in line as the next full-time spinner, but has Howarth in front of him as the front line spinner, as well as James Taylor. Has won matches on the final day with impressive economy rates. Already taken two 6-wicket hauls...any spin friendly wicket may see him in the side. Great depth to have.
England batting attack slogged by injury
19th November 2022
England's final training session ahead of the first test has seen the tour suffer a major setback with inform duo Carl Weir and James Jacob ruled out of the first test by injury.
Jacob, coming off a career defining season, has sufferred a knee injury and will miss the first test, but should be fine to play from next week onwards. "It's only a precaution we leave him out. He has aggrevated his knee in a fielding drill and the swelling has come up straight away".
"He is moving okay and scans revealed no major damage so we should see him in action shortly".
Not so much good news for Carl Weir, who sufferred a broken middle finger, but has refused to have surgery.
"It is a finger, and a small fracture, but surgery is not necessary. If he had the surgery, then his tour would be over, but he, aswell as us, believe the best to do is let it heal naturally".
"The healing process may cause him to miss the second test also, but as a batsman, the issue isn't a major concern".
Stanley Tunnicliff and Christopher Brabin will fill in the shoes for the missing pair.
Australia are going in with captain Hughes and fellow opener Usman Khawaja at the top, but will be inexperienced through the middle order. Ian Lowe, Martin Lingham, Thomas Burrows and Nathan Delaney have very little test cricket between them
Australia: *Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Richard Sharpe, Ian Lowe, Julian Hunt, Martin Lingham, Thomas Burrows, Nathan Delaney, William Oxton, Robert Jacklin, David Madden
England: Stanley Tunnicliff, Charles Weir, Mike Morgan, *James Taylor, Christopher Brabin, Lawrence Buller, +Ian Steele, Anthony Howarth, Kevin Lyman, Phil Adler, Aaron Mercer[/b]
Buller clubs his way to give England slight edge
20th November 2022
When Tunnicliff and Weir were back in the pavilion early on the first morning of a fierce Ashes series, the sun could not be shining any more for Australia on the Gabba pitch.
England won the toss and elected to bat, but failure by Tunnicliff and Weir early, both lbw, proved the Aussies may have found something early on day one. Mike Morgan soon would follow cheaply.
Skipper James Taylor helped recover a top-order collapse, but would fall short of a fifty, with Richard Sharpe claiming two vital wickets in between spells.
However, a good stint at the pitch by Christopher Brabin ensured a strong approach to the tea break, with Lawrence Buller stating his intentions with sixes off his second and fifth balls.
Buller would continue on, celebrating a half-century with his third six, while Ian Steele chipped away at the other end. By stumps, Buller is looking at his first century in tests, but he has been stranded in the 90's three times in his short career so far.
Steele battled to a slow but steady 53 by stumps. Richard Sharpe claiming three to be the pick of the bowlers.
Solid Steele puts England on front foot
23rd November 2022
The day started with all eyes on Lawrence Buller, but would soon dart to the attention of sensation keeper Ian Steele who single handedly took the game from Australia.
Buller was not out on 92 at stumps after the first day, looking towards a maiden hundred after three 90's to start his test career. He managed to fall in the dreaded nineties once more, this time adding three more to his overnight score, and giving Richard Sharpe a fourth wicket.
At 6-292, all the Aussies had to do was keep the momentum and attack the lower order, but the resistance of Ian Steele was too hard to beat. He steadied the middle order last night, and today showed poise early when getting to his hundred just before lunch.
It was after his triple figures that saw the true form of a warrior. He not only dominated in a 154-run partnership with Anthony Howarth (who contributed an ever-so-valuable 50), but he did it quickly.
Steele scored his highest test innings, dismissed for 172 from 328 balls. His 100 came from 233 balls, the next 72 runs from only 95.
Phil Hughes looks in good knick at the crease at stumps, but the loss of Khawaja for a slow-scoring 12, lbw to Howarth's spin, was what England desperately wanted in the final session.
A lead of 419 runs, lets see what day 3 will bring along.
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