Tony Becca
THE ASHES series is over and congratulations to both teams - to England for winning it and to Australia for their part in making it one of the greatest and most exciting contests in the history of the game.
After losing the first Test by 239 runs and looking set for a hiding, England recovered to win the second and fourth Test matches and, with the third and fifth ending in draws, one of which was definitely in their favour, won the series 2-1.
It was a magnificent performance by England. It was a performance in which each and every one of their players contributed. It was a performance in which Andrew Flintoff stamped his class as a truly great all-rounder, and it was one worthy of the celebration that followed.
But for Australia, however, it would not have been as exciting as it was, and cricket fans, particularly those in Australia, should remember that.
Despite winning the toss and electing to field in the second Test and losing the toss in the third, fourth and fifth matches and on the run on each occasion after England had scored 404, 444, 477 and 373 in the first innings of all four matches, Australia, thanks mainly to Shane Warne, fought gallantly.
They went to within a whisker of winning the two matches that England won, and had they won them, instead of victory for England, it would have been victory for Australia.
AUSTRALIA SCARED ENGLAND
Lest it be forgotten, Australia, set 283 to win the second Test and sliding at 175 for 8, scared the daylights out of England as they went to within two runs of victory. Then, after their last pair had batted out the final four overs of the third Test to rob England of victory, after England were left a mere 129 to win the fourth Test, Australia frightened the hell out of them. Then with the scoreboard reading 116 for seven, with only Steve Harmison and the injured Simon Jones to come, they squeezed to victory with Matthew Hoggard as the unlikely hero.
England were brilliant - no question about that.
The victory margin, however, was two to one, and the two that England won could have been won by Australia.
In other words, it was close - so close that in their disappointment, Australia, certainly their selectors and their fans, should remember that.
According to the news coming out of Australia, fans and former players, the same ones who hardly gave England a chance of winning the series, the same ones who, like many West Indians, including myself, believed that England's batting would have been fairly easy pickings for Australia's bowlers, are calling for wholesale changes in the team - for the introduction of some young players.
According to them, they are too many old players in the team and that is why Australia lost.
While there is need for a few young players in the team, including one to replace pacer Jason Gillespie, that is not why Australia lost.
ENGLAND WELL PREPARED
Favourites going into the series, Australia lost because England were better than many believed they were - including the Australians themselves, because England were well prepared, because England believed in themselves, and because England, after the first Test, picked themselves and played brilliantly.
On top of that, and without taking anything away from England's victory, Australia may well have lost because the gods, apparently, favoured England.
For those who do not remember, Glenn McGrath, Australia's champion in the first Test, was injured on the morning of the second Test, and with good pitches at Edgbaston, Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and The Oval, England batted first on each occasion and posted good scores every time. After that, Australia, up against a pace attack of Harmison and Hoggard, Flintoff and Jones, up against four different types of pace bowlers plus left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, were always under pressure.
Looking back at the series, England won it because they played better than Australia. Australia, however, also played well, and although they won the first Test, particularly so in the second, third and fourth matches when they went very close to winning one, when they held on to draw one, and when they went close to winning one.
That is why the series was so close and exciting, why it will be numbered among the best of all time, and although they do need to find a few replacements, why Australia should not panic.
