And so it came to pass. The rain wasn’t persistent enough to save Australia and, well though Siddle and Smith batted, their resistance was never going to be enough to delay England’s inevitable victory for too long. This was another magnificent performance by a superbly prepared and led side who seem to genuinely enjoy each other’s company and who have outplayed their opponents in every facet of the game.
To be picky, England didn’t bowl that well this morning, or at least not by the high standards that they have set themselves, and Smith and Siddle were able to enjoy themselves. It’s a shame for Peter Siddle that this is the second test in a row where he has found himself scoring futile, if entertaining, runs on the final morning for he deserves better for his efforts in this series. He is one of few Australians who can look back with any sort of pleasure at his performance in this series, for he is one of the few to show the character and application to make the most of his ability.
When the end came, though, it came quickly. Once Siddle had been caught trying a big shot off Swann (further echoes of Melbourne), Hilfenhaus and Beer lingered just long enough to see Smith to his maiden Ashes half century before falling to the new ball. It would have been fitting had any of the bowlers taken the final wicket but Chris Tremlett will have enjoyed his moment of history immensely. A year ago it would have been impossible to imagine him being on this tour, let alone playing such an important role in the series, but he finally looks what he promised to be six years ago, a highly skilled test match bowler.
Paul Collingwood will have enjoyed his final couple of hours as a test cricketer immensely. He had little to do beyond the customary smart stops and a chase to the boundary that brought a standing ovation from the Barmy Army, but it is fitting that a man who always put the team before his own success has finished his test career in a team that functions so well as a unit. It is also the right time to go, for the runs have dried up and it is time for England to move on, but even though he has had little impact with the bat he has taken a remarkable nine catches including, of course, the blinder to get rid of Ponting. He can look back on his career with immense pride.
Alastair Cook, unsurprisingly, was Man of the Series for his staggering tally of runs, which amounted to more than Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Marcus North and Mitchell Johnson made between them. To highlight the difference between England’s openers and Australia’s, Cook’s highest single score of two hundred and thirty five was more than Katich and Hughes contributed between them in the series. Although Cook will, rightly, take the plaudits, this was a colossal team effort. Only Paul Collingwood of the top seven didn’t make a hundred while Anderson, Tremlett and Bresnan all average twenty-six or less with the ball. The England economy rates are also worth a look: Swann didn’t have the most penetrative series but his economy rate of 2.72 gave Andrew Strauss a level of control that Ponting and Clarke could only dream of.
Australia will, I suspect, be quietly relieved that the series is over and that they can now re-group. They have to address their shortcomings, however, and the initial sound bites suggest that too many people are still burying their heads in the sand. Andrew Hilditch feels that the selectors did a pretty good job, in spite of their belief that Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer are worthier test cricketers than Nathan Hauritz, while James Sutherland, the Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, also doesn’t seem to think that there is much wrong. While this attitude persists then I fear that Australia will continue to struggle. Cricket Australia would be well advised to place less emphasis on marketing and the sort of embarrassing event that surrounded the announcement of the bloated uber squad before the start of the series and spend a bit more time concentrating on cricket. The events of the last few weeks suggest that the best marketing for Australian cricket is a successful side, not unnecessary glitz.
We should be concentrating on England, however. Six hours after the close of play Andrew Strauss led his men, some on rather wobbly legs, out to the middle where they sat and had a few more beers, a united group who have more than earned their hangovers. We, like them, should savour this moment – they don’t come along that often.
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