cricket grounds prior to the team’s arrival are now an essential part of the broadcaster’s preparation. (As an example, we commentated throughout the Durban Test from a concrete step, sitting on pillows taken from our hotel rooms and entirely open to the elements). Now married to an Australian lass, Peter spends half his time in Brisbane these days, and was the ideal person to fly around Australia making sure that the BBC’s sizeable investment in the form of broadcast rights fees includes basics like commentary boxes.
DAY 3: 5 November 2010
England’s first day of cricket on the tour coincides with another Australian ODI defeat by Sri Lanka at the SCG giving Sri Lanka their first series win on Australian soil. Problems are certainly mounting in the Aussie camp, although realistically these are more about team morale than anything else. Their build-up to the Ashes is not nearly as organised as England’s, and Ricky Ponting has been despatched to Hobart to make his first appearance for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield for three years, rather than play for Australia in the last ODI against Sri Lanka. I am looking forward to reading the newspapers tomorrow.
Meanwhile England have had a reasonable opening day against Western Australia, spoiled only by the dismissal of Alastair Cook for 5 just before the end of play. It is very refreshing to watch three-day cricket for a change rather than the four-day variety used in England’s county game, because it requires much more innovation and imagination by the captains. Western Australia declare on 242 for 8 to leave the England’s openers six awkward overs to face, a declaration no captain would ever make in the four-day game. Cook, who is in desperate need of runs after a poor summer, manages to deflect the ball on to his wicket attempting a pull shot. Bearing in mind that Cook only saved his selectorial skin with a hundred during the Oval Test against Pakistan, it won’t take many more failures for his place in the team to come under the spotlight again. The trouble is that there aren’t many other options – Jonathan Trott or Ian Bell would have to be promoted up the order.
Happily, James Anderson is passed fit to play, putting a stop to the endless talk of his boxing injury. To begin with he looked rather ring rusty and tentative, but improves as the day goes on. Stephen Finn is thoroughly out of sorts and can never have bowled so many full tosses. Finn’s falling flat requires some explaining to my colleagues in the ABC box who have been looking forward to seeing the new English fast bowling find in action. They can’t help but be disappointed by what they have seen so far. Stuart Broad is comfortably the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets in his first over. He also dismisses Marcus North – the only Test batsman in a weak batting line up – and is successful by pitching the ball up. I am still concerned that England will want him to be more aggressive and bowl too short in the absence of any genuine pace in the attack, but he is not that type of bowler. Hopefully, having taken three wickets early on, England will resist the temptation and encourage him – and Finn – to follow Glenn McGrath’s methodical and metronomic example.
With the day done, a lively session in the hotel bar includes a discussion with a young lad from the bush who is getting married the next day and me issuing an invitation through Twitter to the people of Perth to accompany me on my early morning run. I don’t suppose anyone will turn up. Tomorrow will be a KP story, whatever happens.
DAY 4: 6 November 2010
At 7.30 a.m I anxiously approach the park behind the hotel to find a very athletic chap, neatly turned out in full training kit waiting for me. He introduces himself as Brett, my running partner for the morning. I feel I have to explain to him that I am gently feeling my way back into training and cannot be described, by any measure, as being at the absolute peak of fitness. Off we go at quite a rate over the Causeway and on to Heirisson Island. Thankfully I am able to make the most of photographing some amiable kangaroos who happen to be hopping by and, catching enough breath, stagger back to the hotel. Lesson learned – but I should mention that Brett’s father Brian was a leading administrator employed by Kerry Packer to run World Series Cricket. Consequently it was a very interesting chat indeed, even if I ache for the rest of the day.
At least it is a KP day for all the right reasons. He scores a half-century in what was overall a poor batting performance by England despite a true if rather sluggish pitch. England are 159/8 before Broad and Swann fling the bat and put on 64 with Pietersen’s 58 from 90 balls the highlight. He is dropped at slip on 25 and has several rushes of blood, but KP also plays some fine strokes until a loose drive ends his innings. Pietersen can be an awkward customer to interview sometimes, offering up very short answers to keep you on your toes; today he certainly plays down the significance of scoring runs early on the tour even though I press him. I’ll bet privately he is very relieved indeed.
Of the others, Trott looks comfortable for his 24, Collingwood scores 4, Bell 21 and Prior a duck – all responsible for their own dismissals, which, given the importance of these three practice matches, is very disappointing. Broad’s confidence is sky high at present, and he launches himself at the Western Australian bowling to hit 53 from 48 balls, while Swann’s 37 comes off only 25 deliveries. With England 19 runs behind, Strauss declares in order to move the game along and increase the chance of his batsmen having a second innings, some of whom need to redeem themselves. Having seen Broad and Swann tuck into their bowling, Western Australia start their second innings at a tremendous rate, getting stuck into Finn again, although he eventually traps Liam Davis lbw. At the close, Western Australia lead by 128 with 9 wickets in hand – thus setting up the prospect of a run chase on the final afternoon.
Later I see Andy Flower and batting coach Graham Gooch locked in conversation in the bar for an hour. They certainly have a lot to talk about. The West Australian newspaper causes a bit of a stir by printing all over its back page a photograph of Ricky Ponting, diving full length to his left where – just out of reach of his outstretched fingers – is a superimposed Ashes urn. The headline reads: ‘Out of Reach’. A poll of the newspaper’s readers reveals that the majority believe England will win the Ashes this time.
Coincidentally, this is the second day of a strike by BBC journalists who belong to the National Union of Journalists in a dispute over pensions. General programming is affected, but neither being a member of the BBC staff nor part of its pension scheme, or a member of the NUJ come to that, I continue to report from the WACA, contributing to the much-reduced sports desks throughout the night. As I see it, my duty is to work for those who are paying for me to be here – the license payers. Unfortunately I, and others in a similar position, have now become the focus of a rather nasty campaign in the course of which I have been publicly labelled, on the Internet, as a scab. Not only is this inaccurate, but it is offensive. For those wishing to criticise my stance it demonstrates a careless lack of research on their part because, although I have not said so publicly, the Agnew household budget will be affected as much as anyone else’s at the BBC. Emma’s pension will be cut under the current plan. More strikes are scheduled for next week and while those who are planning to walk out again are perfectly entitled to do so, I hope they leave me alone this time. Twitter, when used properly, is a wonderful modern communications tool, but it also gives people an opportunity to be most unpleasant when they choose to be.
DAY 5: 7 November 2010
England win their opening match pretty comfortably in the end. In the morning the bowlers demonstrate an improved performance and this is followed by a spirited run chase, which is led by Strauss. Finn’s first two balls of the day are hit for 4 – a bit of a worry – but he fights back splendidly, confirming that he is a young man of great heart and discipline. Marcus North fails a second time when Eoin Morgan, popping up as substitute fielder, runs him out from square leg. Swann, although he takes a little more tap than he will have liked, is soon wearing his familiar chirpy smile, finishing with figures of 4 for 101. Western Australia lose 9 wickets for 114, setting England 243 to win in 52 overs.
Cook strikes two firm fours, but is then comprehensively bowled for 9. Inevitably this gets everyone talking because England have brought only two full-time opening batsmen and the loss of form of Strauss or Cook will necessitate
