Section:GDN 1N PaGe:42 Edition Date:190730 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 29/7/2019 20:18 cYanmaGentaYellowb
- The Guardian Tuesday 30 July 2019
(^42) Sport
Cricket Ashes countdown
For tres s
Edgbaston
England’s answer to the Gabba
is an intimidating bear pit and
Australia face a harsh opening
Test on Thursday when they
return to the scene of their
World Cup humiliation
Ali Martin
A
couple of miles south
of Birmingham’s
bustling Bullring sits
the city’s very own
bear pit, at least as far
as visiting Australian
cricketers are concerned. The Ashes
begin on Thursday at Edgbaston, a
ground where none of the current
tourists have tasted victory bar their
mentor Steve Waugh, who captainedthe last team to do so in 2001, and
their coach, Justin Langer, who was
running the drinks.
Some 15 visits since have been
a case of pain or rain across all
formats, with a draw and nine
defeats. Just three weeks ago their
one-day side were hit by Chris
Woakes, Jofra Archer and a wall of
Brummie noise when handed a fi rst
defeat in a World Cup semi-fi nal.
The atmosphere that heady day
was nothing out of the ordinary.
Warwickshire’s home may have
changed over time – moving from
traditional English cricket ground
towards the stadium end of the
spectrum in 2011 with its multistorey
pavilion end and looming “e”
fl oodlights – but if anything this
has simply amplifi ed an already
raucous character.
Add the fact that England’s
men have claimed victory in their
past 11 internationals there and it
is little wonder Ian Bell, the fi ve-times Ashes winner and lifelong
Bear, feels his home ground would
be talked up like one of Australia’s
strongholds if we were not so
English about these things.
“The atmosphere is intimidating
for opposition players and that’s
probably something we don’t talk
enough about in England,” Bell
said. “It’s a Gabba-style cauldron- Edgbaston is our equivalent. The
Aussies love starting a series in
Brisbane and, as a touring side, if
you don’t perform you simply can’t
live with them there. Edgbaston has
that same dynamic for us.
“It’s the one ground where
Australia know they will get stick - a place where you have to be able
to laugh it off or you are in for a
seriously tough time.”
England , while slightly vexed
by their batting during the victory
against Ireland at Lord’s last week
and still coming down from their
World Cup high, will be comforted
▲ Steve
Harmison
celebrates taking
the wicket that
earned England
victory at
Edgbaston in the
2005 Ashes
PHILIP BROWN/
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