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The Ashes Day 1: Longing and neglect

The Ashes Day 1: Longing and neglect

The Ashes is one of the few Test series that holds any cricket fan’s attention, no matter where in the world they might be. But it comes with a few caveats, including the hollow feeling of neglect and longing for a five-match Test series of our own. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

After the Day One: England 343-7: Joe Root 134 (166), Gary Ballance 61 (149); Mitchell Starc 19-4-84-3, Josh Hazlewood 22-8-70-3

Behold, the Ashes have arrived! For many South African cricket fans, it’s a source of dread. It leaves many of us wondering how it is possible that England and Australia time and time again play five Tests against each other despite the fact that the actual cricket isn’t that good. The answer is, simply, money and history. Once you resign yourself to the fact that South Africa probably won’t see a five-match series for over a year, more dread follows.

The cornerstone of enjoyable sport watching is picking a side (unless you are a journalist, then you can never pick a side and you must remain so neutral you’d make Finland blush). There is just something much more pleasurable in watching a sporting contest when you are backing somebody. Their highs make you feel immortal, while the lows make you feel fragile. It’s a glorious love-hate relationship that has no logical explanation.

But, when it comes to the Ashes, it becomes a little bit complicated for South Africans to pick a team. Most South Africans simply pick England because everyone in the world seem to hate Australia, except for most Australians. This is likely a result of years of dominance on the sporting field and the subsequent trauma that has not yet evolved to Stockholm syndrome. Other South Africans used to pick England because the team was filled with South Africans. But even some of those South Africans weren’t always entirely likable; in fact, they were so unlikable that they didn’t even like each other. Still, sticking with your own kind seemed easier than supporting a team that has caused some much sporting pain that to this day not a single South African cricket fan has any memory of the year 1999 even existing.

With such infinitely complex narratives to navigate, it’s best to just shut up and watch. And oh, what a day of watching cricket the first day was.

Yorkshire’s Joe Root helped propel England stability after Alastair Cook had won the toss and opted to bat, only for the openers to fail to even see off the new ball. Cook and opening partner Adam Lyth lasted just 50 balls between them. In stepped Zimbabwe’s Gary Ballance and Root who combined for a 153-run partnership to steady the ship. After Ballance was dismissed, Ian Bell failed to make much of an impact, but Root soldiered on, now joined by Ben Stokes, who channelled his inner Viv Richards to offer a little bit of pizzazz to what had otherwise been a fairly ordinary day.

Root was eventually dismissed for 134, having been dropped when he was on zero, but England had been stabilised and the lower order had their chance to dig in and eke as much as possible out of the Aussie attack. That attack had been lacklustre all day and was the most disappointing for all on day one. Although there were a few lip smacking moments, it was far too often wayward and unconvincing, to the tune of “he bowls to the left, he bowls to the right, that Mitchell Johnson, he’s bowling is shite”.

England finished on 343-7, with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood finishing with three wickets apiece, but the T-Rex impersonator Johnson going wicketless for 87 runs. Towards the end of the day, though, with Stuart Broad at the crease, MiJo had seemingly found some of his mojo and bounced Broad relentlessly with Hazlewood providing some fuel from the other end.

The problem with series like the Ashes is that it is immensely hyped and while day one provided some decent cricket, unless Australia’s bowlers do cartwheels to start their run up and England’s batsmen fend them off by doing an A Capella version of Waltzing Matilda, the first day will almost always feel like a bit of a letdown.

Still, it is telling that so early on in the series England have already had to rely on Root, undoubtedly their best player of the last 18 months, to bail them out. There is plenty of time left in this series and indeed this Test, but Blighty’s one-hit wonders might need some introspection before the first match is even over. DM

Photo: Australia’s Mitchell Starc reacts after bowling England’s Ben Stokes (Reuters /Philip Brown)

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