Warm-ups for the Ashes

By Bagpuss
December 3 2006

Bagpuss is in Oz and the reports on a series that some of us are awaiting in trpidation start with a really bad performance!! Can we get better before the big day...not a lot of time but Nicky will keep us abreast of it all.

PRIME MINISTER'S XI v ENGLAND XI

MANUKA OVAL, CANBERRA 10 NOVEMBER 2006

Lets face it, England's one-day record over the last 6/12/24/360 (delete as applicable) months hasn't been much to write home about. So a 50-over match against some of Australia's up and coming players probably wouyldnt be first choice to kick off this Ashes tour. But traditions and corporate hospitality rule so here we are in Australia's purpose-built capital city Canberra. The Manuka Oval has been sold out for some weeks and with only a couple of dozen or so England supporters spotted the 13,000-strong support will be distinctly home team biased. A sunny day with only a light breeze, a few clouds in the sky and a perfect 26 degrees forecast.

At 9.30 captain Flintoff introduces Prime Minister Howard to the England side. Maybe a few surprises in the line up - Bell is the batter to miss out today, Jones gets the gloves (did he win a decisive scissors/stone/paper against read last night for the privilege?). England have chosen to keep their powder, in the forms of Hoggard and Harmison, dry and it is Anderson and Mahmood who will share the bowling with Flintoff along with twin spin attack, Panesar and Giles both included. Australia's Prime Minister always seems a cheerful type - always smiling. Not sure whether or not this is a trait I like in my politicians . . .

First job successfully done when Flintoff wins the toss. I'm not entirely sure why he invites PM's XI captain Cameron White to bat, but it must be a planned team decision. I hope. Have seen a lot of this pitch over the last 48 hours and I dont think its going to do much.

Anderson opens the bowling from the Manuka end to Jaques. One wide in the over otherwise tidy enough, a coule off the bat. Flintoff takes the new ball from the Northern end and goes for a single in his first over. So far so good. Anderson and Flintoff keep Jaques and Paine (a keeper-batsman) pretty quiet for the first 5 overs, only 15 runs. Anderson gets the wicket of Paine in the 6th, a fine diving catch by Jones going low to his left when seemingly wrong footed. 15-1 and Cosgrove joins Jaques.

Mahmood replaces Anderson from the Manuka end for the 9th over, with Anderson then switching to the other end to replace Flintoff in the 12th. This second change should have brought a wicket as Jaques, on 21 a the time, edges but Jones misses the fairly regulation chance. Australia reach 50 in the next over, with the Jaques-Cosgrove 50 partnership following in the 14th over. These two batters are taking up where they left off at the end of the County season, watching Englishmen chase leather as they take a liking in particular to Mahmood's offerings. He goes for 23 off his first 3 overs.

Monty Panesar gets his chance in the 16th over when he replaces Anderson - Flintoff decided to hold off the second powerplay after the 15 overs. Drinks are taken at the end of the 16th with Australia beginning to pick up the pace on 74-1. After drinks we see the long-awaited return of Ashley Giles, out for a year and stamping his return with a wicket in his first over when Cosgrove hits to midwickwet where Strauss takes an excellent catch. 75-2.

Travis Birt, who did well last summer for both Derbyshire and my Telegraph team, joins Jaques. Flintoff, who has gone for a miserly 11 off his first five overs, comes back on from the northern end to have a go at Birt. The second powerplay is taken. The Australians have settled into a 5-an-over groove in these middle overs as they reach 100 in the 20th over and their 50 partnership in the 24th. Panesar gets a couple more overs then is sent back to his band of supporters down on the boundary who cheer every time he fields the ball. The run rate is creeping closer to 6 an over and in an attempt to slow the flow of runs Collingwood is brought on from the Manuka end. it certainly seems to put the brakes on a bit but unfortunately any pressure is not maintained at the other end as the double change brings Mahmood back, this time from the Northern end. At least he has some success from this end, getting one through to bowl Birt in the 30th over. 162-3, Marsh joins Jaques and Mahmood gets rewarded for his wicket by being taken off for Anderson in the 32nd.

Jaques reaches the 100 that has seemed inevitable ever since that missed catch, at exactly a run a ball with eight fours and two sixes. Collingwood finally gets his man in the 37th over, Jaques hitting firmly into the midriff of mid off Cook who hangs on to the catch. 214-4 but if  England breathed a sigh of relief they should beware as the new batsman is Voges, who hold the record at 62 balls for the fastest domestic ton in these parts. He and Marsh push the total past 250 and there is still over 7 overs to go. A total around the 300 mark looks likely

Flintoff finishes his 10 overs - 1-55. Only looked to be bowling at about 80% but at least he seemed to come home sound. Collingwood finishes having bowled through his ten overs with figures of 1-58. Voges holes out on the boundaryhaving scored 39 off 32 balls, leaving Cameron White to come in with the total on 292-5 and three and a bit overs to go. Not much time to impress the powers that be or so I thought but he manages 30 off 14 balls, with one four and three sixes as he and Marsh pulverise Anderson and particulary Mahmood in their final overs. Marsh is not out 79 off 56 and the Prime Minister's XI have reached a record total of 347-5 off their 50 overs.

Flintoff looks to have the best figures with 1-55, but I think Collingwood did a good job bowling through when Jaques was well set.Can't really compare and contrast the spinners as Panesar only bowled threee overs before he was put out to pasture - maybe trying to maintain his air of mystery for the Australians. Of most concern was the bowling of Anderson and Mahmood - one of these is probably going to make up the seam attack in the Tests with Harmison, Hoggard and Flintoff. Neither on this performance would come close to being a Simon Jones replacement.

England have a target of 348 to chase at a run rate 7 an over or thereabouts. I meanwhile have a target of trying to get lunch - the catering outlets, despite knowing the ground was sold out, seem to have been caught on the hop by the number of people actually wanting to buy food and have sold out. I return after a pretty fruitless (and pie-less) quest to the sight of Cook marking his guard. Yes, Trescothick out in the first over, edging Tait to White at second slip, and I missed it. England are 3-1 in the first over.

Hilfenhaus opens the bowling from the Manuka end, but White decides that Tait is at the wrong end and replaces him with Dorey for the 3rd over, switching Tait to the Manuka end for the 4th and Hilfenhaus then from the Northern end in the 5th. Hope you are all following this. . .

Not sure that Cook did as in the 7th he tries to pull a ball from Hilfenhaus, gets a top edge and it lobs up into the air before being taken by the keeper. Cook out for just 4 and England 24-2.

Collingwood joins Strauss, who is looking in pretty good nick. Cameron White has done his homework, with three men in the arc from backward point to extra cover but some of those favourite cut shots are getting through the gaps for boundaries. Tait is still proving a handful, his fairly slingy action propelling the ball through in the low 90's, faster than any other bowler today. There is a little respite when Dorey and then local Canberra boy Ritchard take over. Strauss reaches his 50 in the 15th over, at the end of this over England are 77-2, actually better by four runs than the PM's XI were at the same stage in their innings, though way behind on the Duckworth Lewis reckoning. In respect of this developing partnership the second powerplay is postponed for now. White comes on from the Manuka end in the 18th over with Voges on at the other end next over it is a double change to spin. England reach three figures in the 19th. Just as the boat seemed to have been steadied Collingwood picks out Jaques on the midwicket boundary and is out for 35. England 107-3 and a wicket for White.

The wicket heralds the arrivals of Kevin Pietersen, the second powerplay and the return of Tait. He does for Strauss, the extra pace and bounce resulting in a top-edged hook which is taken by Hilfenhaus. Strauss has made 67 off 92 balls with 12 fours and until he was out had looked in sublime form. Hilfenhaus picks up on the tactic and lands one at an enticing length for Pietersen who becomes the third batter out with a top edged hook shot this one falling eventually to the keeper. 123-5 which becomes 125-6 when Tait, by way of variation, pitches one full, straight and fast to Flintoff. He is way back in his crease and the ball is through to hit the stumps.

Jones and Giles get the chance to prove their superior batting credentials over their rivals for a place in the team for the first test. Giles has to survive a huge shout for lbw first ball. All thought of victory in this game is long gone (if it ever was a serious thought) but there is pride at stake and these two seem to have halted the collapse. Then in the 31st a sharp single gives the King of Spain's newly rebuilt hip its first serious test of the match against the sharp fielding of White. The third umpire takes a while to consider before deciding he hadn't quite made his ground. 146-7.

Mahmood has a bit of fun, hitting the only two sixes of England's innings, maybe as revenge for the harsh treatment meted out to his own bowling. The second, off the bowling of White, is huge, out of the ground and over the hospitality tent. There is a delay whilst the ball is retrieved. Not sure if this disturbed his concentration but next ball he is stumped off a legs side wide. Another one that the third umpire took his time over but the result is England 177-8. Ritchard gets the biggest cheer of the day from his home-town crowd when he gets Anderson lbw for a duck and follows up by picking up the last wicket, that of Panesar caught by White. England have only just made it past the halfway point at 181 all out in the 39th over. The Prime Minister's XI win by 166 runs.

Tait is the pick of the bowlers with 3-21 off his eight overs. He surely has pushed himself up the pecking order for that third seamer spot for Brisbane. He would be more of a handful on the pitches over here than he was in the couple of tests he played in the 2005 Ashes series. Cameron White maybe gave the selectors a nudge for the future one-day series and maybe for the World Cup with a good all round performance - 30 off 14 balls, two wickets, two catches and a sharp run out. Jaques surely is waiting for the time when Langer or Hayden jump, or are pushed, to become Australia's next opener.

As for England where do I start. The less said about the bowling the better - at least no-one broke down. Geraint Jones proved yet again he can take a brilliant catch but just as likely can drop an easy one. Fielding was pretty shabby at times.The batters can expect quite a bit of short stuff if this match is anything to go by - the shots played by Cook and Pietersen in particular will have been noted. The only pluses seem to be Strauss, pity it didn't last longer, and another solid performance from Collingwood to remind the selectors that he is Mr Reliable.

Lets just say this Remembrance Day that yesterday was a day to forget