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Living With The Lions Sports Travel

Players’ representatives have been complaining that their clients are playing too much cricket and that as a result international fixtures are in jeopardy. This comes on the back off Kevin Pietersen’s Achilles tendon injury and Andrew Flintoff’s impending retirement from the Test arena.

Cricket tours are arduous and can take their toll on the players’ bodies, but with the correct preparation, many players remain injury free. This is not to cast doubts on KP or Flintoff’s preparations - it merely highlights the fact that players have to choose where and for whom they want to play.

The representatives have said that the top stars will leave international cricket to stay fit to play for lucrative contracts in the IPL. Too much cricket will lead to injury and to an overexposure of the game in the media, which in turn leads to the public looking for something else - something ‘new’.

Twenty20 has revitalised the game of cricket, especially at county level, where four day matches were being watched by very few spectators. The question is whether cricket is becoming like football to the extent where teams become squads in order to cover all the competitions and all the injury worries.

Whatever you think of international cricket and ‘overexposure’ you have to say that the Ashes series creates a tension and interest like no other competition in sport - but then again, they used to say that about the FA cup.

Amazing, absolutely amazing, how can someone step up the mark so confidently and produce what was a magnificent spell of bowling on their last ever test match at Lords?

Needless to say it’s the stuff of legends and boyhood dreams. If you were to write a script like the last day here at Lords people would walk out of the theatre claiming it all too fictional to suspend belief but Freddie Flintoff produced a display that will go down in Ashes history as one of the best.

Let’s not forget Anderson’s four wickets in the first innings or Strauss’ 161 either. Graeme Swann’s variation in pace and direction too; many heroic performances but surely Freddies will be the one remembered.

The Aussies fought hard making the last couple of days a thrilling Test match. That fighting spirit endears the Australians to so many sportsmen and women. Freddie loves playing them because they’re the best in the world. The way they play leaves everyone in awe and it was most noticeable that some thought Australia could win this match in the last two days chasing 522.

It’s been a wonderful cricket tour so far with England putting to bed the 75 year wait to beat Australia at Lords. What next for this Ashes series?

It’s great to see England steaming in and giving the Aussies some ‘chin music’ to consider on this cricket tour. Watching Freddie Flintoff’s determination, line and length and shear persistence just gives everyone a lift and he will be sorely missed.

Flintoff’s dismissal of Mike Hussey was a typical example of the aggression he has shown. The off stump smashed into the middle and leg stumps and then Freddie stood there on the pitch soaking up the admiration. He’s one of those performers in the mould of Botham and Ponting, Wasim Akram and Sir Clive Lloyd. They inspire others and lead by example.

Selecting individuals is perhaps a little unkind to England as it really has been a team effort here and indeed throughout the series. Onions got a couple when it looked like the tail end might hang around embarrassingly.

Strauss led by example in the first innings (not that anyone other than Alastair Cook followed it) with a magnificent 161. Add to that Anderson’s form with bat and ball (an all rounder now?) and things are looking good.

What will happen next is anyone’s guess and that is what’s great about this game, a session, a ball, a bad shot can totally change the momentum at the moment it lies with England but for how long?

Well, it would seem that the England selectors have chosen to go for a seam attack at Lords. Harmison and Onions have been drafted into the squad and it looks as though Monty will be dropped. It’s a shame for the hero of the last Test to be dropped for this one but he just isn’t taking wickets and Lords isn’t exactly a spinner’s paradise.

One spinner should be sufficient at the home of cricket but the main talking point for many will be Flintoff’s fitness. He looked stiff in Cardiff on day three and perhaps his knee isn’t up to an Ashes series, something the selectors must dred. Knowing Freddie though he’ll do everything in his power to be playing at Lords as England hope to capitalise on their stoic and heroic effort in Cardiff.

The timing of an English win couldn’t be better as they’ve not beaten Australia at Lords for 75years. To beat them this time might just dishearten them enough to leave the next three tests easier to win but, there’s a lot of work to be done first.

Winkling out batsmen should be easier at Lords but Australia’s attack looked the more consistent at Cardiff with only Flintoff turning the screw a bit for England. This cricket tour is looking like a classic-if Cardiff is anything to go by and we need the likes of Flintoff, Swann and Pieterson to really show what they can do.

England bowlers Monty Panesar and Jimmy Anderson saw out the final forty minutes of a tense exhilarating match against Australia. It was ‘The Great Escape’ as Collingwood looked to have been shot just before the job was done, brought down by a flick towards gully that was totally out of character with his disciplined innings.

That word ‘discipline’ might apply to many of the top order who seemed at times to be in Twenty20 mode but with the vision of somebody with considerably less than perfect sight. All too often their technique let them down. It’s only because he can be such a great player that Kevin Pieterson gets so much attention and nobody would want to see his flair dampened by public trials but to ‘I won’t change’ is different to ‘I can’t change.’

England batsmen quite rightly need to walk to the crease with a sense of ego, with a positive attitude and a desire to make runs but to be truly considered amongst the ‘greats’ in the game you must be able to change your approach when the situation calls for a different kind of positive attitude. The attitude of Collingwood who stood ‘Gandalfesque’ until 11 overs from the end saying ‘you shall not pass!’

The Australians deserve praise too for playing some beautiful shots, hitting the ball with magnificent timing. The start of their cricket tour over here revealed the fact that their batsmen were in good nick. Ricky Ponting thoroughly deserved the Man of the Match award for his quite brilliant 150. All to play for at Lords then where England haven’t beaten Australia since 1934, perhaps they’ll do it this time.

Jamie Heaslip was an inspiration as the Lions routed the Springboks 28-9 making them the highest scoring outfit in the three Test matches. Okay so we sort of knew that the Springboks wouldn’t be as up for it as the previous two bruising encounters, nevertheless avoiding a whitewash was a big ask.

The hosts made ten changes to their team which may have added extra incentive to the visitors’ reasons for wanting to put on a good performance, a poke in the eye perhaps, if you pardon the analogy. Whatever the motivation was the British and Irish Lions rugby tour of South Africa ended on a winning note ensuring a happier haul home and an element of restored pride.

As a team, the Lions can reflect on this tour as being a platform from which to launch great sides in the future. The series raised the bar in many ways and many individuals found strength in depth that perhaps they didn’t know were there.

Winger Monye will reflect on how he redeemed himself and set a high standard after the ‘nearly’ tries. Here in Ellis Park the stand out player may have been Flutey. A monumental display of tackling by Flutey gave others the chance to show how much they had matured on this tour.

Players like Rees the Hooker will feel twice the man he was when he started here, in fact, all of the team can be proud of what they gave to the series and galvanise themselves for another shot at the Boks in four years time.

Well the opening couple of days of the Ashes cricket match is over and, it would seem that honours are fairly even or are they?

Certainly there were frustrations for both cricketing sides with many English batsmen getting ‘in’ and then giving their wickets away cheaply, or rashly shall we say. The prime suspect in this ‘throw away’ society of ours was KP- Kevin Pietersen. Commentators, the public, former players and the like were astonished at how he stretched for a ball which would have been a wide on other day and tried to sweep it, only to dolly it in the air for Kaitch to catch.

What was great was to see was Flintoff smiling, grinning like a cat that knew how to open the can of cream and lap it up. He played a kind of cameo role but some delightful shots which brought the crowds to their feet. He was out eventually rather unluckily ‘playing on’ to his stumps but the attitude, the confidence the ‘Flintoff factor’ was there.

Australia’s attack looks strange without McGrath and Warne but their replacements did a job for the visitors giving the overall feeling that Australia was two wickets better off than they should have been. There’s still a lot to play for though.

There can be little for the Springboks to play for here on Saturday. The British and Irish Lions rugby tour has been derailed and so its mission accomplished as far as they are concerned. So, what should the Lions look to take out of the game? Pride perhaps or just some revenge maybe?

It’s tricky because this game is essentially a dead rubber, a game without any significant meaning and it is precisely this reason that the Lions should go into the game wanting to play the best rugby possible. It is the mark of true champions when they can win, even when there’s little to play for because it shows the opposition that the Lions are always tough to beat.

Over the tour many players have stepped up to the mark and been counted. Flanker Martyn Williams has said that being selected for the Lions in the pinnacle of his career to date so there’s plenty to play for. Apparently training has gone well and the boys are looking forward to the game on Saturday, plenty to play for then.

Of course there’s still a lot to play for! There’s the pride, the passion, the fans, Britain, Ireland and individual duals still waiting to be resolved. Players will give it their all as the coach Ian McGeechen says; they are positive and looking for a convincing victory.

It has bee a tough test for the touring Australian side as they struggle to overcome a determined England cricket team. The stand out performance was veteran Brett Lee who bowled ninety miles an hour balls and regularly cramped the batsmen for room.

Uncharacteristically, the Aussies looked a bit lacklustre in the field. Maybe it was the soaring temperatures, maybe it was the excellent batting by openers Moore (120) and Denly (66), putting on 172 before the first wicket fell, that seemed to irk the Aussie fielders into mistakes, who knows?

Whatever the reason, Lee decided to take matters into his own hands, so to speak, and bowl a sensational spell of mixed up deliveries many of which were unplayable. He seemed to roll back the years as he steamed in full of running. Hopefully this will have tired him out sufficiently for The Ashes coming up in Cardiff!

For England, Moore and Denly were outstanding. A little nervous perhaps at the beginning but as they began to understand the pitch they soon began to get to grips with the Australian deliveries.

Whether Moore and Denly become England openers in the future remains to be seen but what was in evidence here was that two young cricketers will be pushing for full international recognition in the future.

The gouging offences have overshadowed what have been two great Test Matches. Let us not forget that the South African rugby team are the reigning world champions and they played better rugby- in the first Test anyway.

The only thing for The Lions rugby tour to do now is to finish with a flourish, after all, their will be plenty of British and Irish rugby fans there to cheer on a brave and heroic team.

At the beginning of the tour the Lions were sluggish; they got into their stride though and produced some excellent rugby. The first test was exciting and maybe the Lions could have won it if they had got off to a better start but it wasn’t to be.

Seeing the gouging on the television once again it really sickens to the stomach, and a lengthy ban might discourage any further dirty play but, the series is lost now so there’s little actual damage done-to the offender.

What is clear is that the British and Irish rugby team have run the reigning world champions very close indeed; on the champions own soil too.

If we can take anything from the series it is the knowledge that each member of the Lions squad will be a better player for this experience and maybe some of them will become world champions themselves.