We can make Vincemeat out of them!!! — Ian Bell on day 1 at the Gabba
Welcome back to my cricket column! As mentioned previously I’ll be writing down all my thoughts on the Ashes here in association with the Bell Inn in Coventry, unless I get a late call up to the squad, in which case Red Bull are waiting in the wings for a video blog — provided I am happy to drink that muck on camera! Which I am.
The cricket is finally upon us, and didn’t England do well on their first day! Before the cricket started, I said the Australian side had too many question marks — five in total. And though it’s still early days in the Test, those question marks came back to haunt them, with Tim Paine dropping a relatively simple chance behind the stumps, and Shaun Marsh not really doing anything in particular.
I try not to wear hats, but if I was wearing one I’d take it off out of respect for James Vince, who before the series I tipped to be England’s own question mark. When I heard the selectors had taken a gamble on a flashy player (!) who hadn’t had the best of county seasons (!) but had an exquisite cover drive (!) I must admit to thinking it was Belly time!
But he’s done well, and he’ll be kicking himself for not kicking on and scoring a century. There is nothing more exciting than scoring a century in an Ashes series, except for scoring multiple centuries in an Ashes series. I really hope James — a mate of mine — can keep free from any freak injuries and really make Vincemeat of the Aussies.
Australia bowled well after some early nerves. Nathan Lyon made some silly comments before the series, but he was anything but silly with the ball in hand. How England play him will be crucial, and it was great to see Moeen clatter him for a six as I munched on my cornflakes. If England can get after Lyon, while still treating him with respect, then half the battle will be won.
Like I said, it’s early days, and i don’t want to be held hostage by words. But England have a real chance of winning the match, which would really put the cat among the metaphorical pigeons!
