Ashes Diary: Collingwood is dead wood

Ashes Diary / James Masters / 21 December 2010 / 1

" class="free_bet_btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">

Paul Collingwood has, as is so often the case, struggled against both swing and bounce

"At 35, Collingwood's time at the top is likely to be coming to an end with the next generation of players ready to step in. Certainly, with just one score of note in this series so far, his position at number five in the batting line-up is under threat."

England haven't become a bad Test side overnight but the poor form of Paul Collingwood is a real concern and it's Australia who are carrying all the momentum into the Fourth Test.

Two weeks ago this Ashes series was over. England were rampant, Australian were decimated and life looked pretty good for the Poms.

This was after all, an Australia side who were labelled as 'clueless' and 'spineless' following their meek capitulation in Adelaide.

Fast-forward to Perth and Mitchell Johnson's outstanding spell of swing bowling has suddenly got England on the ropes. The whacking at the WACA will hurt England for many different reasons - not least because they choked when they were very much in the driving seat at the end of day one. And it's not the first time they've done that in recent times.

Headingley, The Wanderers, Jamaica, the list can go on and on when you think about England's disastrous performances in recent years.

Here, in Perth, they simply folded in the face of an Australian side driven on by the fear of failure and the desire to prove they are not a spent force in world cricket. Michael Hussey's determination to defy both his age and critics has helped give the freescoring batsman a new lease of life.

Johnson's magical spell and the six-wicket contribution of Ryan Harris in the second innings has given Australia reason to believe again.

Yet, perversely for England, this painul defeat has not really altered the situation. One victory from the remaining two Test matches will still enable them to retain the Ashes. The problem they face now is how to deal with Steven Finn's failure to maintain a low economy rate and Paul Collingwood's lack of runs.

At 21, Finn is an England star in the making. In this series alone, he has already shown his ability to take wickets and will surely be a long-term fixture in the side. But his inconsistency has cost England and with the Middlesex man struggling with a calf injury, Tim Bresnan is likely to get the nod for the Boxing Day clash.

Bresnan would also provide England with an extra boost in the batting department - no mean feat given Collingwood's poor run of form. At 35, Collingwood's time at the top is likely to be coming to an end with the next generation of players ready to step in. Certainly, with just one score of note in this series so far, his position at number five in the batting line-up is under threat.

England can no longer afford to leave Ian Bell down the order and force him to bat with a tail which has so far failed to wag. The Warwickshire man, who has looked England's most accomplished batsman on tour so far alongside Alastair Cook, needs to be given the chance to build an innings at the top of the order. At 28, Bell is ready to be the glue which England can build around - something which they did not do in Perth.

While Collingwood looks scratchy at best, Bell looks to have stepped up a gear and is surely ready to prove he is becoming the world class batsman that we all so badly crave.

If as predicted, the MCG is a green wicket full of pace and bounce, Collingwood will again struggle as he finds it hard to negotiate any sort of ball above the waist. While it's unlikely that Collingwood will be axed for the fourth Test, he will need to show a vast improvement with the bat if England are going to return home with the Ashes safely packed in their luggage. Well, figuratively speaking.

Victory is not beyond the tourists - one bad defeat does not make you a bad team and anyone writing England off at this stage should do so at their peril.

But the ease and manner of Australia's victory does ask questions over England's ability to fight back in the face of adversity.

This is an England team who have been accustomed to winning over the past 18 months and so defeat will test the character of a team who appeared destined for Ashes victory.

How they react in Melbourne will give us a far greater indication of the resilience and determination possessed by this England side.

But with the wind in their sails and a whole nation back onside, Australia will go into this game as justifiable favourites and if Johnson can pull off a repeat performance then England will be on the backfoot.

Back the Aussies at [2.66] to pull off a memorable Christmas victory with Mike Hussey claiming yet another half-century at around [2.4] when the market goes up.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

(1)

Rolli | 21 December 2010

What a short memory!

Im no great Colly fan but try to be rational. Were you suggesting Cook should have been dropped during his lean spell prior to this series and what about KP. One substantial score in what seems like years for KP is hardly what makes a test great, give me consistency anytime.

No-one seriously suggests KP should go because he is class, but Colly is a motivator, a great catcher and fielder and a pretty sound in fill bowler to boot. He will be a long time retired in the near future and his grit and fight will be sorely missed when he has gone, so lets not usher on this retirement ahead of time just because almost the entire team failed to fire on the type of pitch Poms very, very rarely encounter.