Moeen holds the key

After watching the first two days of the first Ashes test in Cardiff, it looks to this writer that the most important player in the England side this summer could well be batting all-rounder Moeen Ali.

His occupation of the crease on the first night and the second morning helped England get past the benchmark of 400 and a personal score of 77. These were valuable runs for a batsman who despite one Test century already has only an average of nearly 28. There was undoubtedly pressure on Ali coming in at 8 in the order where he will have to firstly shepherd the tail and face the new ball versus the left handed pace of Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc.

The reason Ali needs the runs is to validate his inclusion in the side as our front line spinner until England come across a pitch that warrants the inclusion of both he and Adil Rashid, whose prominence in the one day series versus New Zealand.

England's positioning of Ali so low in the order is because of his security and responsibility with tail enders, but there is a distinct possibility that Ali may well be elevated up the order should the continued drought of runs for Ian Bell persist.

Bell, currently at four, has struggled to get into double figures of late and looks most likely to be dropped should England go behind in the series. Ali would likely go to five with first innings centurion Joe Root going to four in Bell's place, hence the need for runs for Ali before a promotion up the order.  This would allow England to position Rashid at eight or a fast bowling alternative like Chris Jordan or Chris Woakes, an individual who can score vital lower order runs against the Australian attack.

Ali also needs to take wickets and his dismissal of Steve Smith has warranted inclusion yet much like Australia destroyed the end of Graeme Swann's career by attacking him out of he test side, Ali has also been targeted by Smith and Chris Rogers on the second day. This has always been a negative of Ali as he does not yet have the control to stop the flow of runs at one end of the innings like Swann was capable of, perhaps Rashid with his greater experience of bowling may provide the resolution but who is to say the Australians will not treat his leg spin with the same disdain.

Whilst captain Alastair Cook cited Ben Stokes as the possible difference maker for this Ashes series with his gusto and fiery brand of play reminiscent of Botham and Flintoff past, perhaps it will be the mild-mannered unassuming professional from Birmingham who will hold the key to the urn.

Moeen with his lower order runs and wicket taking knack could change various innings in this series this summer.

Cycling to the Ashes

Oli Broom was a chartered surveyor, but he found the idea of making money for other people whilst failing to save money for himself was disheartening.  He was the right side of 30 still and wanted one more adventure before he finally settled down with a family and a full time job.

The idea for an adventure came to him from his friend Becca one night, why not cycle to the Ashes and especially the first test in Brisbane in November 2010.  Cycling had been a passion of his since his year in Spain when he dreamed of cycling down to the southern border and across the Northern part of Africa.  The idea of doing this trek would be an adventure and rekindle his fitness which had long been lost under some city desk.

With little or no money in his savings, and little or no sponsors it seemed like he had no hope of gaining the necessary funds.  However, light came in the form of main sponsors Betfair and Mongoose cricket coupled with the support of the Lords Taverners.

The book which has been released during another intense Ashes summer yet the greatest cricketing rivalry ia a light at the end of the journey, a reason to get to where he is going. Cricket is paramount to his journey and yet it is as much a book about cycling, traversing and encountering people who have little or no knowledge of the sport, yet respect his passion and desire in this seemingly impossible journey

Cycling to the Ashes is that rare book that is part memoir, part satire and part travelogue, helped by the cynical Englishman lost abroad facet we have seen from Michael Palin or Alan Whicker before him.  When he encounters an Australian backpacker in South East Asia, Oli finds out that he is travelling around for one year and does not know where he will end up, Broom makes the observation that he could not do that sort of journey without a sense of purpose or direction.  Broom's resilience and stubbornness are apparent in equal abundance; the tenacity to get to Brisbane in time is a marvel.

What becomes apparent is how fortuitous Broom has been or how willing he has been to trust strangers when he is more of a stranger in these strange lands; at one point going to Goa for a few days and leaving his bike unattended with a man who owns a dhaba, a roadside cafe. He comes back to a bike cleaner than ever before, this is just one of many episodes where people offer lodgings and food just because he looks tired. Broom is amazed at the Samaritan he finds in passing strangers.

India seems to cost Broom is sanity at one point, odd considering that cricket is a religion in that over-populated country and how small he felt in a country of 1.3 billion people.  The breakdown he suffers at a sign saying Kolkata 997km is very strong, in marked contrast to the elation he feels when he finally sees the first sign of Brisbane 1695km.  A photo of himself with this sign shows him in a new light, it may seem like a lot but it seems so near to him after nearly 13,000km pedalled already.

Broom writes with a real fluency and happiness recalling his experiences, none more so than when he is remembering his encounters with his friends in every country none more so than Laszlo, a Hungarian man who becomes his best friend, filming his times in Eastern Europe setting him up with film-makers in Turkey and Africa, before meeting up with him for the last 1000km or three weeks into Brisbane.

You wonder how Broom would have done the trip had he been truly alone, but sometimes the power of community and friendship can help one man do things he never thought he could do, that were beyond the realms of possibility.  Some people (and those people are probably the Neanderthals who thing that football is the one and only) may think why do this just to see a cricket match.  Myself, being a cricket fan for so long can attest to that, cricket is the sport that taught me about the globe, places to travel to and all for a game that may not end in a result.

Oli Broom has written a wonderful book full of incident and accidents without a hint of allegation or circumstance - the book is funny and touching in equal measure, and the feat all the more astonishing and memorable considering he did not know how far he would go, and so it becomes a tale of one man exceeding himself and going further than he thought.

Cycling to the Ashes is out now from Yellow Jersey Press for £16.99 in Hardback

www.cyclingtotheashes.co.uk
www.olibroom.com

In praise of...Ricky Ponting

Ten years ago, I would not have been able to write this column.  Ponting was the archetypal Australian cricketer - pugnacious, tenacious and a pain.  His natural talent and combative leadership were sometimes blinded to me by the fact of his nationality, and his ability to score run after run and ton after ton.

However, as he retires from first class cricket today he does so on his terms.  Embattled and crucially undefeated as he walked off the Kia Oval on Thursday 11th July for the last time in his whites with a score of 169 not out as the Nottinghamshire bowlers could not make inroads to the Surrey second innings to bring about a low total to chase.

Ponting found himself with his back against the wall, and he responded with the sort of commitment to the cause you would expect from someone who has scored over 13,000 Test runs.  The stage was set at the close of the previous day's play when Ponting was fed a leg side long hop that he dispatched with his trademark pull to end on 41 not out.  He then progressed to complete his 82nd first class century in his last innings.

The change of opinion in my eyes came through not a masterful innings, but more so the character he showed in defeat when Australia lost the Ashes to England in 2005.  A series full of moments and lore for more than one book, the tone was set on the first morning at Lords when Steve Harmison gave Ponting and Justin Langer some chin music; both required on field treatment.  

In the third test at a sold out Old Trafford, England were primed to take a 2-1 series lead with Australia wilting under a seam bombardment from Harmison and Andrew Flintoff. Yet Ponting, captain of the team stood firm and resolute with an astounding 156 that helped save the match as Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath saw out the vital draw.  England would ultimately regain the Ashes, and Ponting slowly morphed from pantomine villain to plucky loser; in spite of him mouthing off to Duncan Fletcher for utilising specialist fielders like Gary Pratt during the series, an episode that led to Ponting's second innings dismissal for 48 at Trent Bridge.  Ponting was booed, Pratt adored yet Ricky endured.  He scored 8 Ashes centuries.

He recovered from knockbacks with his dogged determination, none more so than during a home test series versus Pakistan in January 2010.  Ponting had not scored a test century since the Cardiff test of the 2009 Ashes series in July, with more single digit scores than half centuries.  The Pakistani pace attack by the then reputable Mohammed Amir had seemed to figure him out, with a golden duck in the previous test at Sydney.  Ponting needed a knock, and he found it at his home ground of Hobart for the third test.  Ponting was helped by a mis-timed pull being dropped in the deep when on nought.  Ponting made Pakistan pay by scoring 209 and then 89 in the second innings.  Ponting had his doubters and he proved them wrong time and time again.

Ponting retires with a test average of 51.85 and 41 test centuries, a mark only surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar a player who is most likely the equal of him.  Yet in One Day Internationals, Ponting was just as adept scoring 13704 runs in 375 games with 30 hundreds, none were better than his knock of 140* in the 2003 World Cup Final in Johannesburg versus India, a knock of power, precision and poise that made it too much for India too chase and started Australia's nine year dominance of the format with three World Cup victories.

Ponting was that mixture of a leader who fittingly led, yet bounced back from knockdowns earlier in his career when his wayward drinking could have cost him his career.  He became the model professional something Andrew Symonds refused to adhere to and which cost him.

Ricky Ponting can enjoy his farewell tour now, ending in the West Indies 20/20 tournament as an overseas and marquee player.  A player of our time - in your face but who could back it up, he deserves his retirement as he can happily rest on his laurels.

Thanks to ESPNcricinfo whose Statsguru was indispensable for this article.

A Colly Tribute

It was no surprise to hear the news about Paul Collingwood's retirement from Test cricket following the Sydney test - the timing was a bit odd but as always with Colly, a selfless act to do the announcement now before the celebrations begin when the Ashes victory is cemented and he slides into the background.

Collingwood will be remembered as a player who enhanced the little ability he had but thanks to a great work ethic and utter determination, he retires with over 4000 test runs an average above 40 (always the benchmark), 17 test wickets (fittingly, his last may be Mike Hussey's on Tuesday which stopped Australia posting a bigger total) and 96 catches - most of which can be seen online.

Colly made his debut in December 2003, his first century came in March 2006 in Nagpur on the Ring of Fire tour under Freddie Flintoff's captaincy - this is indicative of his career.  Over two years for a test batsmen to get his maiden century, so often Colly had his back against the wall and came up with the goods.  From becoming a bits and pieces player to a player who was mocked for being awarded an MBE for one test appearance to a man respected for his heart and resilience - his 206 at Adelaide was the highlight of the 5-0 whitewash in 2006, as Shane Warne sledged him, Colly let his bat do the talking.

However, his most valuable innings where when he didnt reach three figures - his 74 & 64 in Cardiff in July 2009, that helped draw the first test match and maintain a momentum for England before the Lords test where they became rampant and took a 1-0 lead in that victorious series.  Following the Ashes victory, England went to S.Africa where his battling rearguard in two tests helped draw two tests that without him England would have lost the series 3-1, instead of drawing 1-1, most notably a five hour vigil for just 40; selfless batting for the cause not the individual.

A man you would always want in your corner, for a number of years one of the first names on the teamsheet because of the vibrancy he would bring to the fielding, his leadership (which ultimately led to him gaining the T20 captaincy and World Cup triumph) and a man who looked like he knew how to laugh and lend bonhomie next to Kevin Pietersen's egotism.  In past years, he would be a soldier, a Lieutenant who would fight to the death; in another life, a film might have been made with Pete Postelthwaite playing him (okay, they don't look alike - but Mr.Postelthwaite was also a man who made the most of his chances).

Lessons to be learnt from Colly's career are that it takes time to make a test career, knee-jerkism can lead to regrets and Australia should persist with Steve Smith whose vigour and belief in himself is somewhat reminscient of the ginger nugget - Smith is a bits and pieces player, but give him time and he can only dream of hitting 4000 test runs.

Paul Collingwood was a man who did more than he should, but we are sure glad he was around - and this is not the end, his slow off cutters and pace off the ball will be invaluable on the sub-continent for the World Cup finals, where an in form England may well be the dark horse that no one will now underestimate.  A failure on some people's part in relation to the career of Paul Collingwood - never judge the book by its cover.