Strauss made something different

If anybody deserved to claim the coveted Ashes trophy at The Oval on August 23 it was Andrew Strauss. The England captain had only led from the front but he also contributed the most significantly to the success of his team.

Although there was a Man of the Series from either side, I have little doubt in my mind that Strauss would have edged out Michael Clarke if there were a single award. So awesome was the contribution of the England skipper who gave a perfect exhibition of leading by example.

Strauss was rewarded for his persistence and leadership qualities. He changed gear at will at top of the order to provide a stable platform for his teammates who must have felt motivated by the consistency of their captain.

Strauss was able to execute his plans nearly to perfection primarily because he was scoring runs in nearly every outing in the middle. Conversely it certainly becomes a different ball game when the captain of a team is unable to perform.

He scored close to 500 runs in the five-match series at an average of over 50. The second highest scorer in the series from England, Matt Prior, was way behind the skipper. Prior made 261 while Strauss aggregated 474.

England would have been in deep trouble without the contributions from Strauss, let alone coming anywhere close to Australia and they could have been in danger of facing another massive series defeat.

Strauss held the key to England’s fortunes in their bid to regain the Ashes and he rose to the occasion splendidly to engineer the most famous win of his career yet.

"For me, I suppose it is better than 2005, because I've captained the side. But we've moved forward from then, there are different personalities involved, and a different management team as well," Strauss observed.

"It's one of those situations that you can't prepare yourself for, and you don't let yourself think about that moment in case it never comes. We were all just running around like idiots, to be honest. That's as special a moment as you'll get on a cricket field - 2005 will live long in my memory, and these two moments are as special as anything I'll go through," he added.

“We went through so many emotions today. "Hope, frustration, worry... despair at times when we didn't look like taking a wicket. You don't realise how hard it is to get over the line until you do actually get over that line," he said while recalling the tension and excitement of the day when the Ashes came into his grabs.

"It feels pretty special to be standing here right now. It feels like a lot more than seven or eight months ago when I took over. There's been a lot of water under the bridge, because we were in a pretty bad state, to be honest with you. But it's an amazing day, and one that seemed a long way off after Headingley. But all credit to the guys, because they had to dig deep. An Ashes series forces a player to dig deep, and the guys have done that and come out fighting. It's a special moment for all of us," the England captain reckoned.

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2:49 AM

England captain Andrew Strauss upholds the spirit of cricket

IN one noble gesture Andrew Strauss has wiped away the uncomfortable moments of the first two Tests.

By allowing Australia to replace its injured wicket-keeper Brad Haddin after the toss to finally begin the long-delayed third Test at Edgbaston, Strauss could not have done more to uphold the spirit of cricket.

The England captain gave Australia permission to select reserve wicket-keeper Graham Manou for an extra-ordinary last minute Test debut.

He came in moments before play started after Australia discovered the seriousness of a finger injury to Haddin suffered during warm-ups and sent him to hospital for x-rays.

England’s relatively new skipper was severely criticised for his ham-fisted delaying tactics in the first Test and disputed slips catch off Phil Hughes in the second.

But he would have been quite within his rights to say no to Australia’s wicket-keeping request.

Law 2 of cricket states: “Each captain shall nominate his players in writing to one of the umpires before the toss. No player may be changed after the nomination without the consent of the opposing captain.”

Australian team manager Steve Bernard spoke to match referee Jeff Crowe about the late change and was directed to meet with Strauss, who readily agreed.

The preamble to the Laws of Cricket says: “The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws.”

In Cardiff England sent the team physio and acting 12th man onto the ground in the dying minutes of the match to waste time when last pair Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar were hanging on grimly for a draw.

It was amateur hour and did not please Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

Strauss later talked of confusion but the only confusion was who sent the support staff onto the ground at such a critical time.

If it was Strauss directly he should be ashamed of himself and if it was coach Andy Flower or other members of the support staff then it paints Strauss as a weak leader for allowing it to happen. And as captain, he takes the rap for it anyway.

At Lord’s Strauss claimed a catch at first slip which television replays suggested had hit the grass first.

Strauss insists that he caught it and had the bruised fingers to prove it.

But if umpires Rudi Koertzen and Billy Doctrove had referred the catch to the video umpire, as they had the previous day with a low dive Nathan Hauritz catch off Ravi Bopara, then Hughes would certainly have survived.

With his grace on the opening day there can be no doubt that Strauss is a gentleman of the game.

It allowed Manou a remarkable step up to the international arena.

So anonymous is the South Australian captain and gloveman that he was introduced as “Garry” by the ground announcer during Australia’s recent tour match at Northampton.

He lasted just one ball, out leg before wicket in the first innings, before scoring an increasingly polished half-century in the second.

No one could have predicted that Manou would become Australia’s first stand in wicket-keeper since Phil Emery 15 years ago, when he played one Test in Pakistan as a replacement for the injured Ian Healy.

Manou can thank Strauss for his brand new baggy green cap.

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12:18 PM