In the midst of the summer-haze, amongst the neatly aligned rows of broad-brimmed cricket hats, sun-cream-smothered shoulders and glorious surroundings of Australia’s natural beauty; everyone is waiting in eager anticipation for the finale.
Sea-blue skies reign over the ground and a few cotton-like clouds that circle overhead paint the only hints of imperfection on an otherwise perfect day.
Sea-blue skies reign over the ground and a few cotton-like clouds that circle overhead paint the only hints of imperfection on an otherwise perfect day.
The freshly-cut blades of the delicate green grass create a magnificent stage upon which an incredible spectacle of sporting triumph is about to take place... for one team at least.
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4.23pm in Sydney.
The end.
An eerie stillness surrounds the England team as all eyes become transfixed on something in the distance. The huge scoreboard directly opposite the stand displays in a glaring pink font: Australia win the Ashes series 5-0.
Less than an hour after tea and the conclusion of weeks of utter humiliation, England finally suffer the shattering defeat that long awaited them as the final wicket of the Ashes fell.
‘Relief’ would be an understatement in describing the torment that Alastair Cook must have endured during this Ashes series, which began in Brisbane as poorly as it ended in Sydney. Shame? Disgrace? Incompetence? All of the above?
Less than an hour after tea and the conclusion of weeks of utter humiliation, England finally suffer the shattering defeat that long awaited them as the final wicket of the Ashes fell.
‘Relief’ would be an understatement in describing the torment that Alastair Cook must have endured during this Ashes series, which began in Brisbane as poorly as it ended in Sydney. Shame? Disgrace? Incompetence? All of the above?
There is no doubt that under the chiselled jaw lines and trusting eyes of England’s captain there is a mental demon that he has been carrying on his shoulders ever since the squad first touched down in Perth.
When England boarded their flight to Australia in October they were still riding high after victory over Michael Clarke’s side. Albeit not an emphatic win, it was a win nevertheless. Their lengthy journey across the Indian Ocean proved not only to be a journey in the physical sense, but one that inevitably led the visitor’s from glory to disaster.
Humiliation on the field is demoralising in itself, but for a man who led England to victory only last summer to now receive such heavy criticism from cricket’s most informed it must be a bitter pill to swallow.
On the third day of the final Test in Sydney, the loss of the last wicket inevitably saw the loss of the little pride that remained within this dejected England team. Euphoria filled the stadium in Sydney when Australia's Ryan Harris claimed the honour of sealing the visitors’ embarrassment by taking his fifth wicket of the innings.
Clarke also lent a hand in the final bowl which showcased England at their poorest. It seemed fitting that it should be Australia’s captain, who many doubted six months ago when his team suffered a 3-0 series defeat to England, to lead Australia to commit a brutal whitewash over Cook’s misguided team.
It really was a tale of two captains.
Sunday 5th January will be one of those days that Australia will bask in the glory of for years to come, and one that England would rather forget. Was it the physical endurance or aggressiveness of the home side that bullied England into an extended period of poor performance?
Clarke also lent a hand in the final bowl which showcased England at their poorest. It seemed fitting that it should be Australia’s captain, who many doubted six months ago when his team suffered a 3-0 series defeat to England, to lead Australia to commit a brutal whitewash over Cook’s misguided team.
It really was a tale of two captains.
Sunday 5th January will be one of those days that Australia will bask in the glory of for years to come, and one that England would rather forget. Was it the physical endurance or aggressiveness of the home side that bullied England into an extended period of poor performance?
Australia have been beaten by England before, thus it is the mental breakdown and tactical inability of a team that appeared to be chasing the Ashes before the series had even begun that is the likely conclusion.
It would take a true sportsman to take a step back from their craft and identify the positives after suffering a crushing defeat in the worst sense. Tom Landry, one of the most innovative coaches in NFL history once professed: “I've learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.”
It is certainly a philosophy that Alastair Cook and his England side might want to adopt in order to cushion the blow and move forward.
