Time for Dad's Army to put up a fight

13 April 2012

Don't panic, Mr Mainwairing - we're only 1-0 down with those big horrible Aussies coming over the top at us again! That's what it looked like at Edgbaston - PANIC - during a Test match that was played at a million miles an hour and therefore suited Steve Waugh's men down to the ground.

What a difference a couple of months can make. England were cruising along with a settled side, winning series after series, then all of a sudden, allegedly, the wheels are starting to fall off.

Injuries to key players, injuries to replacements, the captain out with another breakage (I've told you Nass, take a step away and carve it over point for six - the Tufnell way!). It must have been a couple of interesting days for the selectors, not knowing who was available.

Hang about, that was what has just happened with the Lions as well Down Under. What's going on?Are we Brits not built like we should be? Do we not drink enough milk or something? We seem to be falling apart.

Anyway, looking ahead to Thursday's Second Test at Lord's, I am sure the Aussies will again play their biggest card - intimidation, with both bat and ball. Michael Slater can dish it out from ball one (opening batsmen aren't supposed to do that) and then, when you've got them five down (after Mr Waugh has scored another hundred - that must have been worth a flutter), Adam Gilchrist comes in and smashes 150 at a run a ball.

Then, with the ball, they are relentlessly accurate and bloody quick. Everyone looks at Glenn McGrath for the magic, but let us not forget that Jason Gillespie regularly bowls at over 90 mph with plenty of movement and Brett Lee just bowls bloody quick.

Oh, and then there's Mr Warne, the man who has 'lost it'.

Well, at least England know what they are up against, but at Lord's we need to make a stand and show how we can play.

We have Graham Thorpe coming back, and even though he seems to have barely lifted a bat since the Pakistanis were here, it will be a tonic and bring some much-needed experience to the middle order. And, of course, I have everything crossed for my old mate Ramps. Show them your stuff, mate. We all know you can do it. Also, we see the return of Chris Silverwood, yet another Yorkshire quickie.

I am really pleased for him as I have always reckoned he has what it takes. Let's see you put it up them and give them back some of their own pace medicine. Of course, it will also be the return of Mike Atherton, captaining yet again, despite, I think, rather enjoying his time as one of the lads. However, who would bet against Athers coming in and scoring a hundred during a determined captain's innings - no pressure, old boy, but I reckon it could be on the cards.

Apart from one or two performances last time out, we were never really on top of our game, and in order to take on these guys, the whole side needs to be firing as a team.

It's going to be a bloody long summer if we don't pull something off at Lord's, whether it is a truly memorable result or just one that fills the side with confidence, it is a must that we perform to our capabilities and really make the Aussies work hard.

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Brett Lee

Cricket

Glenn Mcgrath

Graham Thorpe

Time for Dad's Army to put up a fight

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