All signs suggest England will win the current Ashes series. Australia failed to win a very one sided game in Cardiff and the momentum swung firmly England's way. Andrew Flintoff then destroyed he Aussies with the ball at Lords, leading the Poms to a win at the home of cricket in an Ashes game since 1934.
The odds of Australia staging a fighting comeback to draw the series are now fading with every run scored at Edgbaston by the English tail enders. The English batsmen have shown how to make runs in the conditions, aided by an Australian attack that seems to be baffled by how to bowl on a proper English pudding of a pitch. Unlike 2005 when Shane Warne and Brett Lee had enough skill between them, with bat and ball, to keep Australia in the hunt, the current attack lack the necessary experience and leadership to turn around their performance.
While rain tomorrow will mean that the current game is drawn, this time it will be the Australians taking comfort from the luck of nature. As the next test is up norf and more rain will fall, it's likely the players will return to London for the final test at the Oval with Australia needing to win to retain the Ashes. Normally England do well at this venue, though most of their tests are dead rubbers that they seem to shine in and prove they're capable of beating a team mentally preparing to board the plane home.
This puts the Australian captain Ricky Ponting in a fairly tight spot, and he's already shown that he doesn't enjoy being close to the fire. His pre-match response to England captain Andrew Strauss's baiting showed that poor little Ricky's sense of humour has escaped. When Strauss suggested that Australia had lost their aura, Ricky slugged back by pointing at the test match ranking and suggesting England never had an aura. Oh dear, descending to my dad is definitely bigger than yours and he'll come round and sort you out is how it sounded, standard school boy bully stuff, really just highlights that the aura is gone and that the captain doesn't like it up 'im.
Predecessors like Border, Taylor or Waugh might have suggested that given the current situation the observation has merit but that we'll see what happens on the field. They knew how to handle the mind games of the opposition with better grace.
Back on the field, as the Australian bowlers try to come to grips with another English pudding, their captain stands at first slip watching the pies being chucked down. His chewing gum is taking a pounding as his body language shifts between glares of disgust and folded arms of despair. He's not happy with the performances of those around him, yet helpless to understand how to change it. After all, he's the one player in the team who doesn't fall back on others for help, his batting performances since taking over show he's leading from the front and tryin t bring the others with him.
As England towards a lead of one hundred runs, Ricky needs to grab the reins and wheedle and cajole his players to perform at their best. He needs to have one hand on a young shoulder, letting people know what's expected of them and showing them his support. But this is not in his nature and the captaincy may not be his much longer.
