Many will tell you that Test cricket is in trouble and its chances of surviving the next ten years is in danger.
So why has Test cricket survived for almost 150 years?
History will show you that as humans we like unfolding stories drawn out over a long period of time. If you look back to the time Test Cricket started in 1877 the public of teh day were used to daily stories in the paper written by the likes of Charles Dickens and in many cases they would get the paper purely for these stories.
With the dawn of television how many of us have been drawn into watching long running series? In England Coronation Street and Eastenders have pulled in fans for 65 and 40 years respectively. In Australia there has been Neighbours which finally came to an end after 40 years, and Home and Away which is still going after 37 years. There are others too, look how Game of Thrones captured fans around the world.
As people we love an unfolding story. We love the drama, the twists and turns within the story, as well as the characters.
There are many who will argue that administrators have killed many of the characters within the game today, by clamping down on what were perceived as behavourial issues. Television has sadly contrinuted to this with on-field microphones, but there was nothing better than seeing a bowler try and intimidate a batter verbally and with the ball. That is now not allowed.
There was a famous incident when a fast bowler clean-bowled an international team mate in a county game and ran past his team mates who came forward to celebrate with him, jogged down to the boundary and opened the gate to the pavilion for the dismissed batsman. Today they would be fined. While the batsman may have found it humiliating, many found it amusing. What it did reveal was the competitive nature between the two.
Knowing that the public likes drawn out stories why have those marketing the game struggled to keep the public engaged? There are so many contributing factors that all play their part in making the game so appealing.
Could one major factor be the use of recently retired players as commentators? While some make the transition with ease, the late Shane Warne being an obvious example. While many are clearly not up to it and downright dull. The constant shouting when something happens to inject excitement would have the great Richie Benaud turning in his grave. The banality of much of it is definitely doing the game huge disservice.
The biggest insult to viewers would have to be during the pink-ball, day/night Brisbane Test a batsman who was banned for 12 months in one of the most publicised ball-tampering incidents explaining how to get the best out of the pink ball!
Ironically in Australia Channel Nine lost the broadcast rights because their coverage was just a ‘mate’s club’ peppered with nicknames and little insight. This would appear to now be the norm whichever station you tune into. Thankfully there is radio, and the wonderful blend of knowledge and insight from those employed by the ABC who know how to tell a story and build drama.
Another contributing factor to the demise, which has been an issue for the past decade are the wickets that are prepared for Test matches. Many prepared to favour the batting side. Although in Australia we have seen the opposite happen and two test matches finished inside two days. This was the first time in Ashes cricket since 1921, and teh first time ever in teh same series between two teams!
Then there are the players themselves, as has been clear in the current Ashes series in Australia.
England’s players and management came to Australia full of braggadocio, and how they were going to take the Ashes home.
The statistics however were against them. England’s last win in Australia having come in 2010/11. They had not won a test match in Australia since that tour.
As someone pointed out recently, it is interesting to note the form of England in Australia since the side stopped wearing the colours of the MCC when on tour in 1997. In seven tours down-under that 2010/11 series has been their only victory. In 35 tests prior to this series since 1997 the two teams had met 35 times, Australia had won 26 of those matches and England had won just five. They had lost three series without winning a test match.
England Cricket stopped being directly run by the MCC on overseas tours when the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) took over management in 1977. The MCC only organising tours until its final tour in 1976-77. However the England team would wear the colours of the MCC on tour up until 1997.
There is in elite sport a thin line between arrogance and self confidence. Yet despite the talent that this England squad clearly has there was a feeling that this was a team high on arrogance and low on humility. Was the arrogance in fact a mask for a lack of self confidence?
There were many who were claiming before they landed in Australia that the England Cricket team had become a closed shop. That centralised contracts had created an elite club at the top of the game. Certainly the selections of Woakes and Anderson for so long, and especially the latter on the last tour of Australia, a country in which he had struggled to take wickets was baffling.
If one looks back at the reason why the centralised contracts were introduced it would appear that the game has drifted away from what was intended, and appears to have created a protected environment for those at the top.
The premise was to have a centralised squad that would be paid by the ECB. This would ease the financial burden on the county or equivalent sides who would be without their star players when they were playing international matches. There were also times when these players would return to those sides injured. At that time it was intended that they would continue to play for those county or provincial sides when available, as the Australian players do.
This has not happened. Which begs the question how do those not playing gain form? How do those out of form regain that form? How do bowlers find a rhythm?
It also gives the impression that the England set-up is indeed a closed shop. Some have called it a ‘mates club’ where if you remain in favour with the coach and the captain all is good. It is hard to debunk such a perception when despite little or no experience as a coach the hierarchy appoint former team mate Jimmy Anderson as a fast-bowling mentor/consultant for the England cricket team, In five tours to Australia Anderson only took five wickets in a test match on one occasion, so one wonders how beneficial his input would be in relation to bowling in Australia.
It is interesting to note how many Australian players look to play County cricket leading up to an Ashes tour in England. Such opportunities don’t really exist for English players to test themselves in Sheffield Shield Cricket. This would appear to many a key reason as to why those England players privileged to be selected for an Ashes tour need to get in as much practice in Australian conditions as they possibly can and as quickly as they can on an Ashes Tour.
This team opted not to have any meaningful warm-up games ahead of the first and second test matches in 2025.
When the likes of Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Sir Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan questioned this, they were called “has-beens, something that was understandably perceived as disrespectful.
The narrative from the captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendan McCullum was that this England side had put a lot of “thought and process” into their preparation over a few years, rather than just in the immediate weeks before the first Test. The public were also told that the current cricket calendar was too “jam-packed” to allow for the lengthy, traditional warm-up tours of the past.
While there may be some truth in the latter statement it came across as arrogant. Which in turn had people who believed they knew best saying, ‘well you better back that up with good performances.’
Few would argue that times haven’t changed. There are now three formats of the game. They key is to prioritise which is most important, and as we have seen many in power see T20 as the money-spinner. Yet the Ashes are the pinnacle in World Cricket, you only have to look at how many have made the trip to Australia for this series, and will travel from Australia for the series in England.
Australia no longer plays every county when they tour England, but those games are just as importnat for the players to prepare as they are to help inspire and grow the game. For there will be many who cannot afford the price of a test match ticket, so seeing an international side play a county or state side is important to inspire them.
The England tour of 2010/11 was in fact the last where prior to the first test England played a proper warm up match under normal match conditions.
In 2013/14 they played three three-day matches before the first test match, against the WA Chairman’s XI, Australia A and the Cricket Australia Invitational XI. In 2017 many felt that the warm up games had become farcical when England played a Western Australian XI, but both teams played with 15 players! Their only other game before the first test was a day/night game against a Cricket Australia XI.
In both these cases the change in preparation did not pay dividends with the series lost 5-0 and 4-0.
In 2021/22 they opted for two matches against the England Lions. Then the England Lions played Australia A. The series was again lost 4-0. It would therefore be fair to say that this change in approach had not paid dividends.
Yet at the start of this series what did the coach of England Brendon McCullum do, but have one warm up game against England A in Perth before the first test.
It is hard to know how there can be any benefit having your players trying to learn to adjust to Australian conditions as batsmen and bowlers playing aginst fellow countrymen who are also new to the conditions. Can anyone explain how this could possibly be thought of as ideal preparation especially when history had shown that it wasn’t?
Yet we were told that this was a new approach. That in their long term planning it had been deemed the ideal preparation.
Who signed off on this? Was it Robert Key? Key, the former England batsman is the Managing Director of England Men. Key was part of England’s Ashes side that toured in 2002/03 where they lost 4-1. Key played in four of those tests with a highest score of 52 and an average of just 17.52 in eight innings. Based on that one would believe that he would see the benefit of more game time prior to the first test.
Was it the coach who made that call?
During his playing days for New Zealand Brendon McCullum only played nine test matches against Australia in Australia. In 17 innings he averaged 24.31 with a highest score of 84 not out; which was one of only two scores over 50 in these 17 matches. This average is well down on his career average of 38.64. He only averaged less overseas against South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. One would have presumed with his record that he too would have seen the value of more time adjusting to the conditions, however maybe not.
England’s long term batting coach has been former opener Marcus Trescothick. Here is another player with limited experience in Australia having only travelled on one Ashes tour down under. He played in all five tests on the 2002/03 tour and batted ten times for an average of 26.10 with a highest score of 72. The only country he toured where his average was lower was the West Indies.
As they say statistics show a lot but hide the bare essentials, but judging from the statistics relating to the three people you would think were making the decisions in relation to preparation for the individual test matches, and the tour as a whole, one would think that they above all would see the benefit of time in the middle for England’s batsmen prior to the opening three test matches.
England has just won the fourth test in Melbourne inside two days, and no doubt they will be patting themselves on the back. Yet chasing a fourth innings total of only 175 they still had their fans chewing the tops off their fingers as they went after the runs required in an aggressive, and at times cavalier fashion, losing six wickets along the way.
While happy with the win, the series has already been lost. Added to that, Australia has a habit of losing games once the series has been wrapped up; probably understandable as subconsciously the pressure has eased.
While clearly the shorter formats of the game have had an impact on the way batsmen approach an innings in test cricket, the whole point of the five day format is that it tests the resolve and stamina of the players. As former Australian fast bowler, and now successful coach Jason Gillespie said after that victory on the ABC “basic techniques don’t change, tactics do.”
England’s batting has been found to be technically wanting. It is one thig to want to play in front of your front pad, rather than alongside it, but there are two key issues if you are going to adopt this approach. One is that you do not waft at or follow the wider delivery, and most crucial of all you bring your bat down straight. How many England batsmen have been dismissed because they did not bring their bat down straight?
There used to be an old saying that a batsman should show the bowler the bat manufacturers badge, implying that his delivery is met with a straight bat. This is something desperately lacking. So what are the batting coaches saying to the players? A question that Gillespie also asked. Is there more focus on the tactics rather than technique?
Over the years amongst cricket fans there used to be a question asked which was if you had to chose a batter to remain not out and your life depended on it who would it be? Another variation was a batter to score you a hundred to save your life. It is fair to say that it would be a foolish individual to name one of the current crop of English male players.
While their batting has been reckless and at times suicidal, the bowling has probably been the most disappointing aspect up until this test.
Australian David Saker was brought back into the coaching enclave having been the bowling coach during the 2010-11 (in Australia) and 2013 (in England) Ashes series, both of which England won, and again in the drawn series of 2023 (in England).
This time however Saker’s role was titled Special Skills Consultant, and it was announced that he would be in Australia from the arrival of the England Lions squad at the start of November and will remain with the senior team through all five Tests. Not a lot of time in which to work with the test bowlers.
However, New Zealander Tim Southee who shared a similar title was working with the squad since May up until the end of the first test in Perth. He then left the team to fulfil playing obligations at the International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates.
Of the coaches employed by England David Saker is the only individual that has spent a number of years coaching, and therefore has gained experience and knowledge he can pass on. While ex players can also do that, some are cut out to coach, communicate and help players improve, while others aren’t. For some it takes longer. As the Special Skills Consultant on this tour, one wonders how involved Saker has been in helping the bowlers, as his title appears to be extremely vague.
What has been disappointing from a bowling perspective is how England have been unable to find their line and length until the fourth test match. Why is that the case? Could it possibly be not enough games? These are supposedly full time professional players. The Australian bowlers come in and from the first ball put it in the right area. Why have England’s bowlers struggled to do this?
Some have said a lack of practice and preparation are the problem for England, and that their bowlers have taken time to adjust to the conditions. Yet this has been a problem on virtually every Ashes tour through the 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s. It is the embodiment of the cliche ‘if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.’
There is no doubt that England has some top class bowlers. Yet one feels that they thought that Mark Wood and Jofra Archer’s pace was simply going to blow the Australians away. It may have, had Archer been pitching the ball in the right spot, rather than like many before bowling too short and trying to bounce the Australians out. Wood as has sadly been the case throughout his career, once again broke down.
Carse again fell into the trap of bowling too short and showed in the most recent test that when he pitches it up and has his line right he can cause problems. Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson one feels could have had a far greater impact on the series had they been given proper warm up games to get used to the conditions. Games to help them ind their rhythm in Australia as well as their line and length.
While captain Ben Stokes has been one of England’s better and more consistent bowlers, he too at times has simply bowled too short.
One thing that has the older fans baffled is why England’s bowlers persist in coming around the wicket to Australia’s left handers. This is a modern trend, but surely immediately hands the supremacy to the batter? Historically the ball angled across the left hander, along with the one that nips back into them has caused problems early in their innings, so why bowl around the wicket? After all Australia at present usually has five left handers in their side, a number that can rise to six.
While the players have copped a great deal of flak, and rightly so for the way that they have played, after all they are professionals and are paid handsomely for that living. Not surprisingly, the issue of the England team being a club of its own has come up time and again on this tour, but should more attention be given to those behind the scenes, those pulling the strings? Were these individuals the right ones to guide this team in Australia, did they have the required experience?
Brendon McCullum only retired from all forms of cricket in 2019 after playing in the Global T20 Canada league. Marcus Trescothick retired the same year, at the end of 2019. Robert Key called it a day in April 2016, at the age of 36, citing his desire to make way for younger players at Kent and transition to punditry and coaching. As already mentioned Southee is still playing.
If we look at their record in Australia Marcus Trescothick and Rob Key both played in one England Test victory in the 5th test in 2002/03 when the series had already been lost. Brendan McCullum and Tim Southee also only played in one Test victory in Australia when the Black Caps won the second test to tie up the series in 2011/12. Otherwise home or away they never beat Australia. So did these individuals have the knowledge of what it takes to win in Australia? Did they really know how best to prepare the team, or were they just rolling the dice and hoping they had it right?
Everyone will recall the famous quote by the late Shane Warne about coaches, “The coach is something you get on to travel to and from the ground.” Did he have a point? Yes, the game has changed, and now there are almost as many support staff as there are players, but how much difference do they make?
Mickey Stewart was the first official England cricket coach appointed in 1986. England came to Australia in 1986/87 with Mike Gatting as captain In their opening warm up game they lost to Queensland, beat South Australia and then drew with Western Australia. However, the won the first test at the Gabba, drew the next two and won the fourth and retained the Ashes. Allan Border’s Australia won the final test.
Since then there have been 20 Ashes series. Australia has won 13 series, England has won five, and there have been two drawn series which have seen Australia retain the urn.
Prior to the series in 1986/87 when England appointed Stewart as coach there were 53 test series. England had won 26 and Australia had won 22 and five series were drawn.
In Australia there have been 37 Ashes series played including the current one. Australia has won 21 of these series and England 14 with two drawn. The current series is the 11th since and including 1986/87 when England first appointed a coach, and Australia has won nine and England two.
This means that prior to 1986/87 there were 26 Ashes series played in Australia of which the home nation won 12, England won 12 and there were two drawn.
Could the dawn of the coach be England’s downfall? Could it be that Australia has a far better coaching structure? Is it as simple as in Australia the players are not allowed to get ahead of themselves because there are plenty of players knocking on the door waiting for their chance? Does the current English system stifle that changeover of players?
Certainly one would have to say that on this tour the players have let themselves down in terms of fulfilling their ability, and it would appear that the coaching staff have not been able to bring out the best in those players, and much of that has to be down to the preparation. Did the coaches appointed have the required knowledge to win in Australia?
In 175 Test matches in Australia England has only won 56 to Australia’s 93. In series in Australia has now won 21 of the 37 series while England has won 14.
