Ryan ten Doeschate / Ryan ten doeschate / 15 July 2009 / Leave a comment

The Essex all-rounder on facing Andre Nel, disappointment in the Pro 40 and why the Aussies deserve their favourites tag ahead of the Second Test at Lord's.

I woke up yesterday with a bowler's hangover after Dwayne Smith of Sussex got stuck into me in the Pro40 game at Chelmsford and am still trying to find a convincing answer to the questions that we face on our home ground.

After posting a very good score thanks to Hash (Amla) and James Foster we never managed to put Sussex under any meaningful pressure and our bravest attempts to rediscover our one-day form proved fruitless.

Sussex have a long batting line-up with batters who can come at you from ball one. Ed Joyce, Rory Hamilton-Brown and Smith were in destructive form but we didn't execute our plans well and I could see the frustration in the coach's eyes after the match.

Personally I started well but got drawn in to pitching the ball up on a pitch that demanded back-of-a-length bowling. The wicket appeared to be helpful for the spinners and although Grant [Flower] and Tim 'Pips' Phillips bowled well in stages it was evident that we were missing the class of Danish Kaneria.

The Pro40 is a short competition that allows for few slip-ups and it's always useful to start well. But having missed a trick last night we are again turning our attention to the Championship where we face Surrey at Guildford this week. The pitch is traditionally batter-friendly and this is a good chance to resurrect our batting fortunes and to pick up some much needed bonus points. I'm also looking forward to the challenge of bowling at Ramps (Mark Ramprakash) again whilst Nella's (Andre Nel) aggressive bowling approach will also provide a stern test of batting and character. Remember both teams are on the heels of the leaders.

The first Ashes Test cannot be questioned for providing highly-strung tension and entertainment. The drama was of a scale of the Edgbaston Test of 2005 where England won by two runs. Paul Collingwood, Monty Panesar and James Anderson showed immense fighting qualities on the last day and Cardiff can also be praised for standing up to the test that high-profile cricket matches demand. I thought Nathan Hauritz bowled exceptionally well but he never got the cut-throat backup he needed from his seamers on a docile pitch.

Australia carry the momentum into the Lord's Test but that doesn't count for too much. England's top order will need to fire in the Second Test but I'm not expecting a run-feast in the order of Cardiff. Lord's should offer more hope for the seamers so Stuart Broad and Anderson will definitely be looking to improve on their performances of the first Test. Andy Flintoff looked dangerous at Cardiff and his availability on Thursday could prove to be a big boost or blow for England, although I would personally be pleased to see Steve Harmison get another crack.

I initially gave England the slightest of edges when trying to separate the two teams but after last weeks match I'm inclined to swing towards the Aussies when it comes to identifying the favourites for Lord's. They looked a classy unit at Cardiff and I was particularly impressed by how their bowlers kept coming at England on the fifth day and I'm sure they will be extra determined to take the lead after being unable to get over the line last week. England will be delighted at starting the Second Test on level pegging but the narrowest of escapes at Cardiff will leave them with no doubt as to who holds the psychological advantage going into Thursday's clash.

If the weather stays fair I think there will be a result at Lord's and while Australia are in the driving seat, England can certainly match them in all departments on any given day. This provides the perfect recipe for another fiercely-contested Ashes match and England will be looking for an inspirational Kevin Pietersen innings or a fired-up spell from Flintoff or Anderson to give them their first win against Australia at Lord's since 1934.