A False Dawn

[fredfertang]

A False Dawn

Being an England supporter has never been easy. There have always been ups and downs, often difficult to foresee, and the Ashes summer of 1997 is a classic example. In this feature Martin remembers the early part of that series.

[vic_orthdox]

Fixing link.

[fredfertang]

Fixing link.

Thanks Jack - I've had a difficult afternoon as that idiot benchmark has been agitating my former spouses

[Jager]

[stumpski]

Oh yes, I remember it well.

Vivid memory, in fact, of watching the 40 minutes or so up to lunch in the Devereux - near the Law Courts in London where I was working then. At least most of the people I was with were interested. Slight parallel with 1988 wasn't there, England bossed the one-dayers, drew the first Test, then it all went well and truly pear-shaped.

And yet, if Thorpe had hung on to that edge from Elliott off Mike Smith ...

[LongHopCassidy]

I was 7 at the time of that Edgbaston Test. Though too young to comprehend our national emasculation, looking back it did give Taylor some urgently needed confidence (before his ton he'd gone 26 innings without a single fifty) and the collective team a kick up the arse they not only needed, but deserved.

Taylor showed huge cojones at Manchester by batting first on what was basically a garden patch, assuming it would break up enough for Warnie to run amok in the last innings. Big call at the time and I think it cemented his own cred as one of the great tactical captains when he squared the series.

Though Tugga in the form of his life didn't hurt either.

[Dazinho]

It was a very strange series, in that England's two victories for a 2-3 series defeat both had something of the freak result about them. The weather saved us in the second after we'd been blasted out for 77, but then two of the three Australian victories seemed to be defined by one or two sessions where it could have gone either way.

This was no massacre a la 1993, which was easily the most depressing series I've ever watched as an England fan (Gus/Watkin/Malcolm combo at the Oval excepted).

Australia were the better team and deserved the win, but I'd argue they mullered us twice (one of which was actually drawn), England were clearly the better side in the first match and the other three were competitive - not necessarily close in the final outcome, but compeitive...