After romping their way through the tournament, en route to winning the Cricket World Cup on home soil with only one minor blemish to their record, and in the wake of a successful summer campaign that saw them handily dispatch of a highly regarded Indian test lineup, the Australian Cricket Team are now setting their sights on a mid-year campaign that will culminate in a complete tour of England, and the most revered series in test cricket – The Ashes.
And our boys more than fancy their chances.
Given the way the team finally bonded together after years of turmoil, and the red hot form of both the batting and pace bowling attack, and given the way the English side was meekly brushed aside in a humiliating group stage exit from the CWC, the Australian side will enter the series full of confidence, and have expressed their expectation that the Poms will not “come close.“
Raging hot batsman and heir apparent to the captaincy throne Steve Smith is full of confidence in his side’s recent string of form, which began in convincing fashion the last time the Ashes were contested – the 2013-14 series on Australian soil where the locals annihilated the visiting Englishmen 5 test victories to nil.
“I can’t wait to get over there and play another Ashes against England in their conditions after beating them so convincingly in Australia. It’s going to be nice to go in their backyard. If we continue to play the way we have been playing over the last 12 to 18 months, I don’t think that they’ll come close to us to be honest.”
All-rounder, test number three, and man who’s bafflingly been on the receiving end of more chances than a Monopoly set, Shane Watson echoed Smith’s sentiments.
“We’ve got a very strong squad that’s going over to England,” said Watson, who kept his spot in the Test line-up with impressive play during Australia’s victorious World Cup campaign. We’ve got good depth and the best part is everyone is in nearly career-best form right now which is most important as well.”
But an Ashes win on foreign soil presents itself as something of a white whale for the modern-era Australian side, who have endured three unsuccessful overseas campaigns in succession. In fact, the Australians have not claimed the Ashes urn on English soil since Steve Waugh lead his side to a 4-1 series victory 14 years ago in 2001. In the years since, which covers the entire Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke eras, the national side has managed just two victories from the past fifteen tests contested on English soil.
The Australian test team’s mid-year campaign consists of a two match series in the West Indies, followed by the five test Ashes series against England from late June through ’til August. Key dates are as follows.
FRANK WORRELL TROPHY TOUR OF WEST INDIES
May 29-31: Tour Match, Antigua
June 5-9: First Test vs West Indies, Dominica
June 13-17: Second Test vs West Indies, Jamaica
ASHES TOUR OF ENGLAND
June 25-28: Four day Tour Match vs Kent, Canterbury
July 1-4: Four day Tour Match vs Essex, Chelmsford
July 8-12: First Ashes Test vs England, Sophia Gardens
July 16-20: Second Ashes Test vs England, Lord’s
July 23-25: Three day Tour Match vs Derbyshire, County Ground
July 29-August 2: Third Ashes Test vs England, Edgbaston
August 6-10: Fourth Ashes Test vs England, Trent Bridge
August 14-16: Three day Tour Match vs Northants, Northampton
August 20-24: Fifth Ashes Test vs England, The Oval
The test squad for both tours was announced a few weeks back, and reads as such.
Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith (vc), Fawad Ahmed, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, Chris Rodgers, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson.
CRICKET!
Photo: Cameron Spencer via Getty Images.
