It felt depressingly familiar last night, watching Ponting and Katich strangle gritty centuries out of England’s bowling. But on balance, the first two days suggest these two sides are fairly evenly matched for a change. 2009 doesn’t look a vintage year for Australia – effective rather than menacing, with identifiable weaknesses in their bowling. England have provided the flamboyance so far, with two of the finest of “good blokes” calling the tune.
You'll not see a breezier knock from a Test number 10 than Graeme Swann's yesterday morning. He was gobbling up boundaries with proper shots, and making the Aussies look a touch silly. Psychologically it will have told, making the Australian bowlers question themselves early in the series - the tail wagging in your face isn’t pleasant on day 2. Swann’s good humour is infectious – by his own admission, he can’t contain his excitement.
He’s been a real find for England, but he’s bowled terribly so far - which he was again ready to admit. His straight talking makes a refreshing change from the endless twaddle about “taking positives” from completely negative situations that we were subjected to in 2006/7.
Then there was Freddie, the folk hero of English cricket coming over all 2005. Flintoff can still take hold of a game like no other England player – everything became so much more interesting when he took the ball yesterday. In contrast to his batting, he’s a smart thinker with the ball, softening up Phillip Hughes with some savage lifters and then drawing the edge when he shifted his angles and came over the wicket. It came on the back of a cavalier innings in tandem with Matt Prior earlier in the day, and I was falling in love with Freddie all over again.
2005 was magical not just because we won but because it was a hoot. If Swanny and Freddie can continue to in this spirit whilst delivering the goods, then it’s going to be a glorious summer and my dissertation is going right out the window.
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