To say we’re a little bit excited by the upcoming Ashes here at AOC Towers is understatement of the highest order, on a par with saying Nasser Hussain admires straight-talking. What can we say, we’re gluttons for hype. And, as part of our efforts to goad you into a state of sweat-inducing excitement, we thought we’d take a punt and look at some of the key match-ups that might decide the fate of our favourite little urn. Presented below is Jo Harman’s musings on two gifted strokemakers who find themselves at very different points in their careers. Who will have the bigger say in the coming series? Let us know your thoughts.
IAN BELL
AGE: 27
TESTS: 46
BATTING AVERAGE: 40.59
HUNDREDS: 8
FIFTIES: 19
V
MICHAEL CLARKE
AGE: 28
TESTS: 47
BATTING AVERAGE: 47.82
HUNDREDS: 10
FIFTIES: 13
It was always assumed that Clarke and Bell would become prolific Test batsman. Both brilliant youth players, Bell had played just 13 first-class games when he was drafted into England’s squad during the 2001/02 tour of New Zealand, whist Clarke was fast-tracked into the Australian one-day set-up as a 22-year-old.
Bell was 22 when he made his Test debut, Clarke was 23 and both lived up to the hype. The Warwickshire right-hander made 70 on debut at The Oval against the West Indies, and followed it up with 62* and 152* against Bangladesh. Clarke’s breakthrough was even more impressive, compiling a thrilling 151 on Test debut against India in Bangalore during one of the most dramatic Test series of recent times.
But fast-forward five years and the symmetry between their careers has faded. Clarke suffered a blip after his sensational entrance to international cricket and was briefly dropped from the Test side. But he took stock, tightened up his technique and came back a more mature, if less thrilling, cricketer. His quick feet and flowing cover-drive are now firmly ensconced in the Australian middle-order and have seen him installed as official vice-captain, ready and willing to take the reigns once Ponting finally calls it a day. A moderate loss of form in the one-day game (although he is certainly not the only Australian currently struggling against the white ball) and the odd concern over his dodgy back aside, the future looks little but golden for ‘Pup’.
If you were comparing raw ability, Bell loses nothing to his Australian rival
Meanwhile, the most talented English batsman of his generation has been infuriatingly inconsistent and finds his career at a crossroads. England eventually lost patience and wielded the axe out in the West Indies, but a scintillating start to the 2009 county season has once again put him in contention for the oh so tricky number three slot.
And you can understand why the England selectors preserved for so long. On song, Bell exudes class. No one who can time that disdainful flick down to the fine-leg boundary as well as he does is short of talent. But for too long Bell’s innings at the highest level have started with a flurry of sumptuous boundaries, slowly ground to a halt and then ended with him nicking off to a ball he should have dispatched from whence it came.
Giving away your wicket when set; in cricket there is no bigger crime.
The fact that he has yet to score a Test century without another Englishman also notching one is a statistic often cited by those that feel he lacks the stomach for hard runs, as is his unfortunate reputation as England’ best ‘net batsman’ (rumour has it that his party piece is to bat left-handed yet still repeatedly pump the spinners back over their heads). But if you were comparing raw ability, Bell loses nothing to his Australian rival.
So what of the Ashes? Clarke is a shoo-in at number five, whereas Bell will likely have to duke it out with Owais Shah, Michael Vaughan and Ravi Bopara for that coveted slot at first drop. But having observed the remorseless manner in which he has plundered county attacks thus far this season, you cannot help but feel that the axing could be the making of Warwickshire’s finest. Clarke has stated being dropped from the Australian side made him focus on his game like never before, so maybe, just maybe, we will be saying the same thing about Bell in a couple of years. But as things stand, of the two child prodigies, it is Australia who are holding the aces.
(PREDICTIVE) TALE OF THE TAPE: Clarke is guaranteed to play, and is too good a player not to fashion at least one decisive innings in the series. Bell will come again, but if he does get back in time for the Ashes, he’ll be under enormous pressure to perform.
8 Comments
Bopara’s emergence means that, in my opinion, Bell is unlikely to start in the Ashes. Part of the problem is that he is always able to plunder county attacks, but rarely able to translate that into test runs when the pressure is on.
That he has been overlooked against West Indies despite his county form suggests that Andy Flower and the selectors are looking for something more to change.
Many of the comments made by Bell and those around the team recently hint at an air of complacency – he feels that he is entitled to be in the test side, an attitude that needs to be corrected.
Bell’s not going to play now. Surely Ravi’s got the number three spot for the summer, and Bresnan’s selection shows Flower wants to play five bowlers if at all possible. Bell’s a good player and I agree he’ll come again, probably when Colly retires, but not this summer unless injury intervenes. Clarke’s just class: what a player.
Clarke will score two centuries and murder Swann and Panesar.
Bell will play in the last two tests after Flintoff has broken down. He will not score runs.
Bell should open. Cook has looked horrible for a while now, plus it’s a lefty and a righty. Simples.
cook has looked horrible?! he has, in almost every test match got a half century, but just hasnt converted these into a century. he is a consistent player and knows how to farm runs of the when legside needed, he is key to England’s sucess.
bopara, though, thats a toughie. true, hes a lovely batsman, and his centuries were majestic, but remember, he was facing a west indies side without a desire to win, or to even play. true, they have some good bowlers, but bopara may find it a very different game against a team as well managed as australia.
bell can play the strokes, but he cant get the runs. his 199 was a lovely bit of play, but hes stranded in the 20s and 30s now. he seems to think he’ll get chance after chance to finally get some runs, but in my eyes, at the moment, he is a not good enough player to make the team. he needs to be dropped from the side for a few months and be made to force his way back into the team, like prior.
at the moment, i can see bopara taking number 3, even if its just for the ashes. hes shown not only that he can play, but that he can do it again and again, and in my mind he truly deserves his spot in the team.
adil rashid though, ive only seen him play once in england as, is he any good?
I agree Cook has scored a few runs, but he’s been playing on dead wickets against pretty weak attacks and he has real technical problems with the drive, shutting himself off and/or planting his front foot just inches outside the crease. Bell is probably the more complete player and should be hungry enough after a period out of the team.
Bell may have the better technique and be the more complete player but Cook has the balls for the battle. It doesn’t matter how you get them, it’s about how many you get and Cook averages near on 50 for the last calendar year. He can’t be dropped. Johnson and Lee would be licking their lips if Bell came out to open the batting in the Ashes. Fortunately it won’t happen.
Well JH6, if that is indeed your real name, I sadly reckon that the Aussies will be licking their lips whoever opens: Bell with his suspect temperament or Cook with his huge deficiencies outside of off-stump. Your love of ugly runs intrigues me sir, you are perhaps a man to whom the end justifies the means? Some sort of hunched-over left-hander with a love of the nurdle? The southpaw union strikes again…