Aussie fans marvel at another Ashes loss

Article Published: Monday 24 August 2009
Written by: Administrator
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Australian cricket fans were scratching their heads Monday after a series loss to England sent the former superpower to fourth in the rankings behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.

Needing just a draw from the final game in the best-of-five series, the visitors lost by 197 runs to surrender the precious Ashes trophy and settle just ahead of England in the International Cricket Council's chart.

Ricky Ponting, becoming the first Australian in 100 years to captain two losing Ashes tours, joined the faithful in bemusement at having to hand back the coveted Old Urn trophy just like he did four years ago.

"England have won some really crucial moments during the series," he said after the 2-1 victory was sealed at London's The Oval, following a game each and two drawn matches. "You look through all the stats and you don't know how it turned out like it has."

Ponting, run-out at The Oval while on 66 by retiring England hero Andrew Flintoff, admitted that a second failure in England might cost him his captaincy.

"I've got all that waiting for me when I get back to Australia," he said. "That's all part and parcel of being captain." For the record, the statistics were in the visitors' favour.

Australia scored eight 100s and the English only two, and the bowler with the best figures was an Australian.

Even diehard English fans have not demurred at the notion that only captain Andrew Strauss would be assured of a place in a team made up of players from both sides.

Australia, the team with the best players, lost to an English side without injury-sidelined star batsman Kevin Pietersen.

Because a draw was all that was needed in the final match, Australian fans fully expected to win the series. Newspaper headlines trumpeted a side "Poised for Ashes triumph."

But Ponting's team managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory through a batting collapse in the first innings.

Former captain Ian Chappell is calling for scalps - but not the petulant and unloved Ponting's. Chappell, writing in London's The Times, wants the selectors sacked.

"Not only did they handcuff Ponting at The Oval with four pacemen on a palpably dry pitch, but they also, once again, resorted to the failed ploy of expecting part-time spinners to do a specialist task," he wrote.

"This is a crime punishable by demotion." But there is undoubtedly pressure on Ponting, whose churlishness on the field and refusal to brook criticism after lost games has not endeared him to his fellow Australians.