An unlikely crossover
Merv Hughes was spotted looking anxious in the stands during Australia's run chase at Edgbaston. Will he be Galvanized at Lord's after their win?
Updated 11 hrs ago • Published 13-Jun-2023
Ashes chatter: First Test breaks TV records
Overview
Keep up with all the news and gossip from around the men's and women's Ashes
First Test breaks Sky records
The gripping finale to the first men's Test at Edgbaston broke records for the highest peak audience for a Test shown on Sky Sports, with 2.12 million viewers recorded in the UK.
Sky said in a media release that an average audience of 1.17 million tuned in on the fifth day, with a combined average of 877,000 across all five days. That made it the most-watched Ashes Test on Sky ever, ahead of the decisive 2009 Oval Test.
Jonathan Licht, Sky's managing director, said it was "great to see such a thrilling start to the Ashes series", adding: “The Women’s Test gets underway tomorrow [Thursday] at Trent Bridge, where we are set and excited to see fans get behind England’s campaign against a fierce Australian team."
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Born To (Hit The Winning) Run
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England football manager Southgate looks to Bazball
It’s not often cricket makes cuts through into football. But fresh from overseeing England’s 4-0 win in their Euro Qualifier away to Malta on Friday night, Gareth Southgate fielded questions on events at Edgbaston after pulsating first day of the Ashes.
Southgate is a big cricket fan. The Official ECB Programme for the first Test against Australia carries an interview with Southgate on his love of cricket. Derek Randall and Ian Botham are two heroes and Alec Stewart has been a close friend for 20 years. He revealed that during his playing days at Aston Villa, Brian Lara would often come down to visit striker and fellow Trinidadian Dwight Yorke.
Southgate spoke on Friday of meetings with ECB managing director Rob Key to discuss their respective ideas and how they might translate across sports. Southgate has previously had similar conversations, most recently with white ball coach Matthew Mott. In 2019, he gave a motivational speech to the England squad ahead of their ODI World Cup opener against South Africa, with Eoin Morgan returning the favour later that year.
“There's definitely been this shift in how they're playing and I imagine it's the first first-team in my lifetime to declare on 393 for eight on day one,” said Southgate on Friday. “That'll be an interesting decision because in the end people will judge that on the outcome, as they do the decisions we make as a coach. But that's a clue as to the mindset they're going into the series with.
“It's hard to align it [to football] because they have a lot more games and time together. Whenever we've done cross-sport things, you're always mindful of, 'OK what are the bits we can pick off, what are the bits that might be unique to the different sport', and in the end you're looking at things that can help you to win.
“There, the alignment between the captain and coach is really strong, the alignment with the head of cricket is really strong which in any sports organisation is really crucial and this summer is going to tell us a hell of a lot.
“They're going to be judged on an Ashes series in the same way we're judged on European Championships and World Cups.”
Football fans have yearned for Southgate to adopt a more attacking approach and will be encouraged to hear he is paying close attention to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. Perhaps they are rubbing off on him after he named full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold as his No.10 against Malta. Gazball, anyone?
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England to wear black armbands
England and Australia will wear black armbands on day one of the Edgbaston Test, as will the players for next week's women's Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, following the incidents in Nottingham this week that left three people dead. There will also be a moment's silence before the start of both matches.
"The deeply distressing scenes witnessed in Nottingham this week have brought immense sorrow to everyone, particularly the cherished friends and families of the victims," England Men's Test captain, Ben Stokes, said. "It is impossible to express how much their lives and futures have been tragically disrupted.
“These events sadden the England cricket teams, and we are thinking about those affected at this harrowing time. As a gesture of respect, we will honour them by wearing black armbands."
England Women's Captain, Heather Knight, said: "It was incredibly saddening to learn about the events that took place in Nottingham, and it felt a bit closer to home to learn that two of the victims had been cricket players. All of our thoughts are with the families and friends of everyone affected by the tragedy, and with the city of Nottingham."
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Ponting: 2023 series has 2005 vibes
Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, believes that this summer's series has a similar feel to the 2005 series that his side lost 2-1 - and says that he cannot remember a Test series with a bigger build-up.
"Anticipation and build-up-wise, this is as big a Test series as I can remember," Ponting told The Times. "That particular series [2005] has got a bit of a feel about this one, to be honest, with maybe the importance of it and what that series ended up doing for Test cricket.
"I really think 2005 reinvigorated the Test game around the world, certainly for a couple of years anyway. 2005 was probably the best series of cricket that I ever played - but we didn’t win."
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MOBEen
Moeen Ali missed England's training session on Wednesday - because he was receiving his OBE at Windsor Castle.
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Grealish in the Hollies?
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A sunny English beer garden
Pat Cummins said that Australia would find "a nice sunny English beer garden" after their victory over India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval, and Steven Smith was asked at Edgbaston on Wednesday if he had delivered on his promise.
"Yep, delivered. Yep," Smith replied deadpan, prompting laughter at his press conference. "They were alright," he laughed. "We obviously know how big this week is but yeah, we're all ready to go for this week."
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Langer: Australia must get on top of Stokes
Justin Langer, Andrew McDonald's predecessor as Australia coach, believes that his old side must limit Ben Stokes' influence in the Ashes and thereby create "a ripple effect right through" the rest of the England team.
“It’s a battle of two intriguing captains,” Langer told the Telegraph's Vaughany and Tuffers podcast. “As Aussies, for as long as I’ve been playing the game the philosophy has been that you have to target the opposition captain. You have to get on top of the opposition captain as early as you can and keep him down. If you get on top of him, it has a ripple effect right through.
“I’m not talking about the theatre, the hype and the talking, that’s all crap. I’m talking about getting on top through skill. He is so important to the balance of England’s attack with his overs, especially without what you might call a specialist spinner in Moeen Ali, and I say that respectfully.
"The same with his batting. They have to get on top of Stokes with skill. You have to keep him out of the game, with runs and wickets."
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First Test drawn? Edgbaston gets Special Olympics treatment
There might not be many draws during the upcoming Ashes, but a member of the Special Olympics Great Britain team has got into the swing by drawing Edgbaston, venue for the opening men's Test of the summer.
Niall Guite, who started drawing sports stadiums in his distinctive style during the Covid-19 lockdown, will compete as part of the cycling team at the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games later this week.
Guite uses his illustrations to raise money for Special Olympics GB and has seen his work showcased at the Royal Academy of Arts.
“I’ve been working very hard in training in recent weeks to prepare for my second Special Olympics World Games, but my drawing has been a great way to take time out," Guite said.
“Edgbaston was the perfect venue to focus on, with the Ashes coming up, and I’ll be following events from there very closely from Berlin on Friday, in the hope that England can take an early lead in the series.
“Given the recent form of both teams, this year’s Ashes could be one of the most entertaining ever and Edgbaston is a great place to open the series, given the brilliant atmosphere and support that England always get from the fans in attendance.”
To watch full coverage of the Special Olympics, sign up to ESPN Player.
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Hazlewood 'surprised' by pitch directive
Josh Hazlewood says he was "surprised" to see Ben Stokes' request "fast, flat wickets" for the Ashes, suggesting that England would be better served asking for green tops.
"It surprised me," Hazlewood told AAP. "It might have been a furphy, who knows. But if I am England, I am probably going the opposite way.
"You are probably going green wickets that are doing a fair bit, and then back yourself to make more runs than us on those types of wickets.
"They come to Australia and the wickets are harder, flatter and faster. And we've seen the results."
But the man responsible for preparing the pitch for Friday's first Test at Edgbaston, Warwickshire groundsman Gary Barwell, says that he has not had any specific requests beyond Stokes' comments.
“I was on holiday in Miami and I got sent the clip,” Barwell told the Observer. "I can 100% tell you I have never been told that. I know they want good pitches, that’s all I’ve heard, and I don’t think that’s unusual.
"I’ve never been asked to produce a pitch for England in all the time I’ve been here. I get asked to produce a good cricket wicket and that’s it.”
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Australia greats back Boland
Former Australia captains Allan Border and Steve Waugh are backing Scott Boland to have a major impact on the Ashes summer.
Boland's spot is not quite guaranteed with Josh Hazlewood returning to fitness, but Border believes he should be an automatic selection. “Boland has to stay," Border told News Corp. "He was threatening all the time against India.
“Boland’s style of bowling and his general accuracy makes him the prototype English bowler," he added. "In those conditions Boland is just about first picked. They have to keep the same team that beat India."
"He is a great Test match bowler," Waugh said, quoted by AAP. "He can be the most successful of our attack in this Ashes series. I just love the way he bowls. He is always at the batsman and hits the pitch really hard."
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Bairstow not concerned by gruelling schedule
Jonny Bairstow only returned from his career-threatening leg injury last month and now faces the prospect of keeping wicket in five Tests before the end of July.
He told Sky Sports News that he was not overly concerned by the gruelling Ashes schedule. "To be honest with you, I've not really looked at it that way," he said.
"You just prepare and you play the games. It's something that doesn't really even cross your mind. It's a series that you just crack on with, and take each day as it comes."
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Anderson: 'No reason' I couldn't play Ashes in 2025/26
James Anderson will feature in his tenth Ashes series this summer - but sees no reason why he shouldn't play an 11th in Australia in 2025/26.
"We’ve got about six months off after this series, so there’s a huge gap to be able to recover and get fit," he said in an interview for the Sunday Times magazine. "There’s no reason I couldn’t get to the next Ashes.”
Anderson has also spoken to the Daily Telegraph in the build-up to Friday's first Test, telling the newspaper that he revels in "not being mates" with the Australia squad. Unlike most of his team-mates, Anderson has never played in either the Big Bash or the IPL.
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