Ashes Summer Musings: Vol VII
Fish and Chips on the riverbank.
Fish and Chips on the riverbank.
Wednesday 5th July 2023
It was an overcast if slightly warmer English summer’s afternoon as I strolled alongside the River Severn bubbling with more thoughts than simply the fish and chips I’d be treating myself with as I shared a moment or two of reflection in the shadow of the world’s oldest iron bridge. The toytown of Ironbridge itself was humming to the sweet sound of the bells of St Luke’s Church as always and today, the groups of tourists flocking to this World Heritage accredited site mingled with a party of schoolchildren, pencils and pads of paper at the ready as first they doodled their impressions of the river where an excited pack of hungry ducks had formed (as per usual!) before they were sprawled out in an excited hum of their own at the foot of the “Grand Old Lady”.
Ironbridge beguiles me. She has a space and time all of her own in a land that has thankfully left her alone in a different century, and with an aura and atmosphere all uniquely her own.
Jeremy, the genial owner of the “Old Fashioned Sweet Shop” was present and correct in his little corner of paradise and accompanied (today) by his granddaughter and (always) by his beautiful pug dog named “Bear”. Tall tales were told as usual but for once I left centre-stage to my favourite Welshman born in England, and with far more roots in Ironbridge than I. A tale was told of a ferry crossing to a faraway island to collect a rare motorcycle that was highly prized by our friends in the Czech Republic for more reasons than I truly comprehended, let alone the inner workings of this rare dual-engine beast from the age of the Cold War. I nodded along as though as I knew one end of a motorcycle from another before I quickly crowbarred the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and the still incredible The World at War documentary narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier into the conversation, and before you could say “Ural Mountains” or “The Sudetenland”, I’d left with a quarter of lemon Bon Bons, a quarter of cough candy twist and some wine gums.
There’s a bench right beside the “Grand Old Lady” giving you the most perfect view of a magnificent reminder to a grander age. I’ve long bestowed this simple black bench with the moniker of “Stephen’s Bench” and I’m allowed to and so are you. Just be sure to have a name of Stephen if you are to follow my strict example. It’s a little piece of heaven all right, especially when accompanied by the sweet chimes from St Luke’s Church, as well as a perfect spot for some fish and chips, a chat with passing tourists, and naturally, quiet inner ruminations on the week ahead for English cricket. OK I had other thoughts on my mind too otherwise you’d worry for me and think me an unhinged lunatic who constantly thinks only about Test Match cricket and that my friends is the way to the madhouse, a route I don’t particularly advise you taking. Some thoughts were about cricket I admit, but of my Mum and the smile inducing memory that is explaining to her what and why a “dead ball” is in cricket, thoughts of my lad who indulges me in my constant returns to the river bank here, and why does the outside world simply not exist when you’re here, in other time and space, safe within those bells from the church at the top of the hill.
Why indeed.
Sitting on my bench I mused on the utopia of everywhere being like my spiritual home of Ironbridge, of excited schoolchildren casting envious glances to the ice cream shop and tourists flocking to my friend’s sweet shop or enjoying a pork pie with the sweetest of views. But thoughts returned, as they must, to matters of cricket, and the monumental week ahead for the history of English cricket. Playing later, and a reason for my leaving of this halcyon piece of centuries past, the England ladies team simply had to beat their Australian foes or else The Ashes would be lost for another two years and starting tomorrow at Headingley in Yorkshire, the same can be said for a men’s team still smarting from the furore of the infamous “spirit of cricket” incident at Lords on Sunday, and staring down the barrel of a 0–2 deficit in this best of 5 series. Aussie skipper Pat Cummins gave a firm and smiling answer of “yes” as to whether he’d do the same again in similar circumstances, and so say all of us. No laws were broken and whilst the tabloid Australian press have dubbed England “cry babies” for their over-reaction, captain Ben Stokes gave a taciturn “move on” response when questioned in today’s press conference. It’s over, finished with, let’s move on to tomorrow’s match.
Mantra’s are repeated of “we need to win 3 matches in a row”.
And so say all of us.
But winning 3 matches in a row against the Australian World Champions is still 2 short of the 5 the ladies team need to win, 5 wins from 5 matches, and this evening’s victory, albeit by just 3 runs, was as deserved as it was welcome. Winning the toss, Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy couldn’t wait to insert England into bat and for her World Champion batters to “chase down” whatever total their hosts managed in their 20 overs of this IT20 (International T20). That England posted an impressive 186–9 was due in part to some lacklustre fielding and dropped catches from the Australians, but majorly for the performance of opening batter Danni Wyatt. The 32 year old from Stoke-on-Trent rode her luck a little as she watched from the other end as her team collapsed from an imposing 100–1 to 119–6 in a blur of wickets before upping the tempo after reaching her 50, crashing boundary 4’s for fun before eventually becoming yet another wicket for Aussie Annabel Sutherland for 76 runs from just 46 balls received. Sophie Ecclestone was the final wicket of the innings from the very last ball and her 22 runs would be as valuable as the wickets and catches she’d take later in the evening. Sutherland was the star once more in the field for the Australians, snagging a brilliant diving catch, a rather more simple one and 3 wickets for just 28 runs, but her team had collectively given up far too many runs to an England batting line-up collapsing on 119–6, and 187 for victory was ultimately just 3 too many.
“Chase ’em down” was the battle cry from Alyssa Healy and alongside opening partner Beth Mooney they reached 59–0 rather comfortably before Healy tried to reverse sweep the leg spin bowling of Sarah Glenn, the crashing of the ball into her middle stump signalling a collapse of her batting order to 96–5 and England fully on top of the game, the match and the situation for arguably the first time in the entire series. Annabel Sutherland once more dragged her team back into the contest with 20, Georgia Wareham clubbed 2 huge boundary 6’s on her way to a quick fire 19 and whilst Ellyse Perry remained not out at the wicket, Australia had an outside chance of victory, even with 67 runs needed from just 30 balls, 31 needed from just 12 balls and ultimately, 20 from the final over bowled by England record breaker Sophie Ecclestone. The 24 year old from Chester rang up her 100th wicket in IT20 matches this evening with a sharp “caught and bowled” dismissal of the dangerous Ashleigh Gardner during the Aussie mini batting collapse and although, and faintly ridiculously, Ellyse Perry finished the contest with 2 almighty boundary 6’s that also realised her personal half century from just 27 balls received (27 balls!), her team came up 3 runs short.
So the England ladies remain in the hunt for The Ashes although still trail on the points system 6–2 with 4 matches to play starting on Saturday at Lords, and the home of cricket.
Final thoughts turn to tomorrow, the infamous “Western Terrace” of Headingley, and a men’s Ashes series that is bubbling at boiling point. Nothing less than a victory for England will do as a draw will see Australia retain the smallest trophy in all sport and a victory will see them win it outright. 2 down with 3 to play, it’s hard not to get swept away with Ben Stokes forthright proclamations that his team can win 3 on the bounce as I’ve ridden this wave since last Summer and watched their sporting revolution take shape through the coldest of winter nights as they demolished Pakistan before drawing a winning series in New Zealand.
Drawing a winning series? I’ll explain it to you later.
For we only have time to speculate on a currently un-named Australia team (but I foresee Scott Boland replacing Josh Hazlewood) and the fact that England have named their team early, a team much changed due to injuries, form and more than a little fatigue in this back-to-back matches phase of The Ashes. Only 4 days have elapsed since Sunday’s demoralising, if ultimately expected, 43 run defeat, but Ollie Pope is ruled out for the rest of the series with Harry Brook moving up the batting order to replace him at number 3 and fast bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Josh Tongue are rested, making way for Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. I am especially pleased to see the inclusion of the speedy Wood as England have lacked the alternative of his out and out express pace and the lovable “Woody” gives his heart and sporting soul when he bowls for England. Oh for him to grab a bagful of Australian wickets when he steams in to bowl! I worry for the inclusion of Ollie Robinson. Poor old Ollie always looks exhausted with a face as long as a cowboy’s horse. I’d have replaced him with a still in the team Josh Tongue, but luckily for all concerned, I’m not a selector for the England cricket team.
So to tomorrow, that incredibly tense first session of play and the state of the match come the Tea Break in hopefully the rays of sunshine of an early evening in Yorkshire, and with cricket fans rivalling me on the lunatic scale.
I still think the men’s series ends 3–2.
Time will tell.
It always does.
Thanks for reading. For the previous three volumes in this Summer long diary format, please see the links below:
Ashes Summer Musings: Vol VI
Pyjama Cricket through a Black Mirror.medium.com
Ashes Summer Musings: Vol V
Ash Gardner rips through the Poms!medium.com
Ashes Summer Musings: Vol IV
A Lion. A Bridge, and Sunday Night Baseball.medium.com