AsiaLIFE

From Jul. 8 to Aug. 24 Pomms and Aussies throughout the Penh will be rolling into work bleary eyed, or heading off early to the pub – it’s Ashes time. The oldest conflict, the longest series (potentially 9,000 minutes), the fiercest foes, the smallest trophy, and this time there will be a mini-Ashes in Phnom Penh. Words by Mark Jackson.

Origins of the Ashes

The first test between England and Australia was played in 1877, but the Ashes themselves only date back to the ninth test between the two nations, in 1882. That year the Australians played just one test, at The Oval in London. A low-scoring affair on a difficult wicket, Australia made only 63 runs in its first innings, England replied with 101. In their second innings, the Australians struggled to 122, leaving England a meagre 85 runs to win. When England’s last batsman, Ted Peate, walked out to the crease ten were still needed for victory. Peate managed only two before being bowled by Harry Boyle, leaving Australia victors by seven runs. It was England’s first loss on home soil.

On Sep. 2, the Sporting Times featured a satirical obituary. “In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29th AUGUST, 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R.I.P. N.B. – The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.” The following English tour of Australia (1882–83) was dubbed ‘the quest to regain the Ashes’. A small terracotta urn, reputedly containing the ‘ashes’ of a bail representing the now defunct state of English cricket, was presented as a gift to the England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women.

Since that tour, which England won 2-1, the rivalry although fierce has been dominated by the Australians. Of 64 Ashes series, Australia has won 31 against England’s 28, with the test win-loss ratio standing at 121 to 95 in the southern hemisphere nation’s favour. There have been 84 draws.
Australia is also the current champions, having whitewashed England 5–0 to regain the Ashes in 2006–07. In Sir Donald Bradman, Australia has the highest scoring Ashes batsman (5,028 runs) and leg-spinner Shane Warne is the top wicket taker (195). So what chance England this summer?

The Series Ahead

England’s Barmy Army of fans will take inspiration from the last time the Ashes were held on English soil in 2005. Despite being totally out-played in the first test at Lords, England fought back to take the second test by two runs (the smallest winning margin in Ashes history), and the fourth test by three wickets, after the third test was disrupted by rain. With the final test ending in a draw, England took the series 2-1, their first series victory against the traditional foe in 18 years. Legendary commentator and leg-spinner Richie Benaud rated the series as the most exciting in living memory.

Despite regaining the Ashes at a canter the following year, Australia has been hit by the retirement of legends Shane Warne, Glen McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden. Much will depend on how the relatively inexperienced tourists adapt to playing in English conditions. They go into the series as firm favourites, having recently beaten the mighty South Africans in their own back yard. England, on the other hand, had a humiliating winter. Long-term captain Michael Vaughan stepped down last August after a series loss to the South Africans. Replaced by the swashbuckling Kevin Pietersen a new dawn was promised. Another series loss later – this time in India – and Pietersen was sacked after a public bust-up with coach Peter Moores, who was also dismissed. In stepped Andrew Strauss to be the nation’s third captain in almost as many months. Almost inevitably failure in the West Indies followed.

For England to have any hope of success in the forthcoming series, they will need to recapture the same combination of aggressive ‘body line’ and reverse-swing bowling that upset the Australians four years ago. The key will be the fitness of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and the ability of Stuart Broad, James Anderson and possibly Graham Onions, to get the ball in the face of the Australian upper order.

Fixtures

Jul. 8 to Jul. 12 – First Test, Cardiff
Jul. 16 to Jul. 20 – Second Test, Lords
Jul. 30 to Aug. 3 – Third Test, Edgbaston
Aug. 7 to Aug. 11 – Fourth Test, Headingly
Aug. 20 to Aug. 24 – Fifth Test, Oval
(Each day’s play starts at 5pm Cambodia time.)

Penh’s Pundits

Chris Dring
Phnom Penh England Captain, average all-rounder
It’s probably the worst Australian team to come over to England in decades, but I still fancy them to win. I think the key players to look out for could be Bopara for England, who is bang on form, and Johnson for the Aussies. He bowled really well in South Africa. Also worth keeping an eye out for is Phil Hughes. My prediction, 1-2 to the Aussies unfortunately.

Majid Wazir
Pakistan, lethal right-hand fast bowler - people sometimes mistake me for Shoiab Akhtar
Last series, Australia was the stronger side, but this year my money is on England. The English have the home-ground advantage and Australia is missing the openers from the last series (Hayden and Langer), not to mention Warnie and McGrath. Guys to watch out for are Australia’s Mitchell Johnson and Ricky Ponting, and England’s Ravi Bopara and Andrew Strauss.

Callum McCulloch
Australia, right-hand batsman, right hand unorthodox bowler
Australia will win of course – 3-0 with two rain draws. Ponting will be Australia’s rock and Johnson will swing them out of the park.

Randal Laurence
Gym Bar owner, Australia, right-hand batsman and off-spinner
England may sneak the Cardiff test, but they can’t possibly win at Lords, and won’t get much of a look in after that. There’s usually a bit of bad weather about, so a bit of rain could save England from a more embarrassing series defeat. Phillip Hughes is a rare talent, Mitchell Johnson is a workhorse and Ricky Ponting has something to prove.

Rob Huxley
Huxleys Owner, England, right-hand medium fast swing bowler, right-hand batsman
England is going to win by a single test with four rain delays. Chris Broad is going to finally learn how to hit the wicket from two yards. He’ll be one of our saving graces with both bat and ball. I’m not scared of anyone in the Australian team, they’ve all gone. There’s nobody to fear.

AsiaLIFE Guide Pundit’s Prediction
Australia to win at Lords, England to win at Headingly and Edgbaston, to take the series 2-1 with the other two tests ending in a draw. Watch out for spin, with no Warne to face England might groom some pitches that turn square on the first day. Man of the Series – England’s five groundsmen.

The Ashes in Cambodia

This month Phnom Penh will have it’s very own Ashes match when the Australian All-Stars take on England’s Eagles at the school pitch at the corner of Streets 63 and 360 on Jul. 12 at 10.30am. England’s captain Chris Dring, is confident of victory in the shortened twenty over version of the sport. He believes the game will be decided by two factors. “How much alcohol is consumed the night before and during the match and how many Pakistani, Sri Lankan or Indian players, we can pretend have British passports?” With the Australian team famed for it’s beer consumption, and the British Embassy promising to be in attendance to ensure all the necessary paperwork, victory for the Pomms is almost assured. There will be a fee of around US$7 for players, which will include food and soft drinks. AusKhmer, Wing, Modern International School and Saffron Restaurant will sponsor the event along with AsiaLIFE Guide.

To see photos from the match click on the following link:

http://www.asialifeguide.com/component/option,com_joomgallery/Itemid,71/catid,26/func,viewcategory/


The Ins and Outs of Cricket

Cricket is often likened to a game of chess. A game of strategy and technique, the longest form of the game is played over five days, often without a positive result. To the unitiated – especially those on the wrong side of the Atlantic – the rules can be somewhat confusing. Hopefully the following explanation will clear things up.

"You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been given out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!"
Still confused?


Cricket Gaffes
Part of the allure of cricket lies as much in off-field as on-field antics. Spectators find it difficult to focus on the ‘action’, when it is spread over six hours and five days. Champagne and Pimms are traditional distractions. The same applies to the commentators.

Possibly the most famous commentator of recent time appeared on the radio rather than TV. Brian ‘Jonners’ Johnson was as much famed for his gaffes as for his love of the game. His most famous one occurred in a match between England and the West Indies. Legendary West Indian pace bowler Michael Holding was tearing into bowl against English batsman Peter Willey. Jonners’ commentary was precise, “The bowler is Holding the batsman’s Willey.”

Mind you the most famous Jonners’ incident was no gaffe at all, but a set-up. Aired by the BBC when Jonners died in celebration of the spirit of the man, the initial recording occurred in another England, West Indies clash. England’s greatest ever all-rounder Ian Botham was playing an aggressive shot and losing his balance. He started falling towards the wicket. Despite all his efforts to leap over it, he knocked off one of his bails with his leg, thus being dismissed ‘hit wicket’. When Jonners was describing Botham’s unfortunate dismissal at the end of the innings, fellow commentator Jonathan Agnew casually slipped in, “he couldn’t quite get his leg over.” For the next two minutes Johnson carried on his commentary, despite collapsing into a bout of infectious laughter that made him so popular with listeners. It all goes to show, despite what happens on the field over the next two months and in the Penh – it’s only just a game.