Ashes Poetry

When Panesar came out to bat at Cardiff less than a month ago, did anyone either side of the Antipodes reckon that Australia would face being two-nil down in the series? To prevent this, their task or test is a mirror image of England’s in the first Test – to bat out just over a day to ensure safety.

Whether they will is the morrow. Yesterday was a great day’s cricket played by two less than great sides. For the first time in the series Australia let England’s batsmen get away from them. 376 was probably fifty too many, and 74 of them was scored by Freddie Flintoff in 79 balls. A magnificent innings, a true all-rounder’s innings, providing the fire-power in lieu of Pietersen. You must forgive a dropped slip-catch, and less than standard-bearing performance with the ball - not found that killer line on and just outside off-stump -  yesterday you saw the Flintoff of old at the crease, a colossus whose bat looks a spatula in his maw.

The Maker’s Name

I shall show them their maker’s name.
I shall not hide, nor angle nor feint,
But smite might with unholy power
The utmost of deliveries
Till their hope extinguishes,
exiled from the crease,
incarcerated for transgression,
denied deferred redemption
while I broad-blade all morrow into shape.
I am more than the Gods,
I am hero, I choose their fate
By the wreaking of havoc
When I show the maker’s name.

Edgbaston 3rd Test, 4th Day, England 376 all out, Flintoff A, ct Clarke b Horitz 74 from 79 balls

Flintoff was dismissed by a brute of a ball from offie Horitz which lifted from just short of a length. Unplayable. It’s that sort of a wicket, you need to graft as well as attack. Horitz came on after three overs from Watson which went for twenty-six, just helping England’s cause. Interestingly, when it came to Australia’s innings, Strauss fast-tracked his offie, Swann, ahead of Broad, 3/4th seamer. The reward for adventure? A pearler of a delivery which did opposing skipper Ponting all ends up. A ball which made all the frustration of no play yesterday a minor irritant, which made the £60 ticket a bargain at twice the price, a privilege to watch, not least the stunned delighted look on Graham Swann’s face which said ‘I’ve just done exactly what I set out to do, deceive arguably the best batsman in the world today all ends up. It doesn’t get better than this.’

The Ball

no great drama, simply done,
perfectly flighted, and spun.
flight to draw the bat towards the ball,
without the ball being where the bat is drawn,
that is the guile of the craft.

to beat the stroke through thin air
thins the air though the air
itself turns as one in the deception
twirled twixt fingers and thumb,
end of story, the rest perfunction.

once past the bat the bat is gone,
spin predictable, wicket inevitable
in the span between apogee and descent
when the very air seemed bent

to undo their best   created ahead
in the mind for the body
to heed and find the ideal ball,
no great drama, simply done,
set up by those before

 Ponting R T b Swann 5

Monty Panesar, please note, watch the video of your colleague’s over to Punter over and over again. That is why he’s in the team and you’re not. Unless you add guile to undoubted technical prowess and enthusiasm, saving the game at Cardiff may be your last achievement in an England shirt.

Will Australia save themselves, or will the weather? See tomorrow’s blog

Tweet by Tweet Commentary

five minutes to noon, and start of play Bad news Sean Ruane didn’t drown yesterday but back to murder Blake’s Jerusalem as well as our ears

141-3 Strauss, Lord High Protector, slashes Amish Ben Hilfenhaus when it gets big and CAMRA approved keeper Manou takes the edge unhurriedly

143-3 Johnson for Siddle ‘Brings on the Pies’ clowns the crowd. Bell bounced then off-drives four. Collingwood drives and edges 2 more 4s.

159-4 Collingwood drives two balls ahead of lunch, edges to slip. Poor shot selection, humble pie may be on menu, Hilfenhaus for a five-for.

166-4 Bell and Prior; classic technique vs box of spanners and at last Rudi gives Bell LB, for Flintoff to enter at 168-5 a collosus in pads

187-5 Aussies unlucky number. Super Centaur leans on the drive, four runs, as Fred gets bigger, Punter smalller, mutatis mutandis vice-versa

267-6 Fred Flintoff swipes Horwitz for six to level scores, then sweeps four for his fifty, “With my bat I shall present the maker’s name.”

290-6 Ponting micro-manages fillibustering field-changes to time two new ball bursts each side of tea, in the hypocritical spirit of cricket

309-6 England continue to blat fours before the new ball arrival, another fifty partnership before Centaur gloves one that spits from Horitz

323-7 if Sean Ruane’s a decent opera singer, Bumble’s an asteroid. New ball taken, sadly not one of Sean’s which’d help with the high notes

348-8 Two streaked fours through slips ‘We’ll get them in edges’ Johnson bounces Swan sledges swopped, classy four pop-up catch duckless Jim

355-8 The Sledging Tapes Mitchell: ‘I’ll set my girlfriend on you, she’s a black belt karate’ Stuart ‘Ooooooo -my dad’s a match adjudicator’

355-9 Duckless Jimmy edges ct Manou for one. Still not enough sledging to suit old time Aussies. Green Baggies to grow soup-strainer taches.

376-10 Broad blasts past fifty with two successive fours straight from the meat and Onions sneaks cheeky single. Broad c&b Siddle Oz 113 shy

0-46 Australia need to bat till after tea tomorrow to be stone-wall safe but could win if out beforehand and England do a fifth day Adelaide

0-47 Darth Vader appears between Barmy Army and Fantatics. Katich edges a pearler from Onions. Enter Ewok Punter Leader to save Princess Urn

2-52 Exit Ewok Punter Leader light-sabred by perfect off-break beaten in its flight of pure poetry – Will Mr Cricket save the Princess Urn?

2-87 Australia’s bogey number. Mr Cricket Hussey looks unfussed. Dr Watson solid and all Edgbaston glistens in the taut stillness of contest

2-88 Rudi strolls over to remove bails, too slow, fine half match fee for retarding over rate