As unconventional as it was, Andrew Flintoff''s morning warm up routine always seemed to hold him in good stead for the events of the day
Andrew Flintoff is finished
Andrew is a broken man, full of injuries
Flintoff only has one knee
He was just an average player according to the statistics
Flintoff is retiring at the end of this series
In my head, I know all of these statements are true. I know this.
Why then do I get worried every time he takes the ball ? Why does the crowd roar, why does the pitch start bouncing and seaming, why do brave fighters start turning their heads as the ball screams at them ? Why do I try so hard to dislike him yet fail to ?
I think there are probably two main reasons why Flintoff never got the numbers that his talent seemed to demand
1. He was a victim of England often not being at their strongest: He was usually the best bowler in the side and I feel England got caught between using him as a wicket taker, a defensive tactic and an intimidator. He probably ended up bowling too many overs and lost his impact a little at times when wearing the first hat, whilst also being forced to bowl lines and lengths that weren't necessarily most conducive to wicket taking with the second and third hats atop his head
2. It is difficult, this fast bowling all rounder stuff: Aside from acts with goats that are probably best left for another discussion or one of those ultra supple female buskers that packs themselves completely into a clear plastic square box about 30cm X 30cm X 30cm, right near the entrance to my office, fast bowling is one of the most unnatural acts the body can be forced to perform. Around 8 times your body weight lands on your front leg each delivery and striving for pace is actually known as "bending your back", hardly what your local Chiropractor would recommend. Add batting, slip fielding, pedalo racing and the previous point into the mix and it is little wonder he never quite consistently produced his absolute best.
For all that, I followed him closely in the lead up to the 2005 series and have kept up to date ever since (when he wasn't injured !). Most Australians will remember 2005 and 2009, ignore 2006 / 07 and always have Fred in the very top shelf of cricketers. To us, he was, and still is, an inmoveable collosus; someone to fear and aspire to at the same time.
Make no mistake though, this Flintoff inspired win is a major turning point in the series. Just as England losing in Adelaide during the 2006 / 07 tour, after scoring over 500 in the first innings, destroyed them for the rest of the tour, Australia losing so badly at Lords after dominating the first Test strongly will almost certainly have a similar effect. Australia will continue to battle but it will be extremely difficult to come back from this.
In years to come, Flintoff bowling his team to victory on the last day of the 2nd Test in 2009 on one leg, needled up, unable to warm up, washed up and with his desk packed up, will be spoken of in the same breath as Botham at Headingly in 1981 or Steve Waugh's last ball of the day century at the SCG in 2002 / 03 (Dave, Lou and I were there !). These are moments to treasure, stories to pass on from generation to generation. Flintoff deserves his place amongst the greats, regardless of what the statistics say.
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One thing I do think needs to stop quick smart is the way Flintoff has started to turn 90 degrees to the wicket with arms raised in the air, waiting to be mobbed, each time he takes a wicket. I saw it described tonight in the free newspaper given out at most train stops around Sydney each evening as alternatively "The Elvis", "The Jesus", "The Travolta" and "The Nixon" but I think I will go with "The Gesture".
Once or twice at crucial moments and The Gesture is iconic, series defining. Dismissing Hughes in the first innings of the first test was one of those moments. After all the talk of whether Freddie could still cut it at this level, coupled with all the talk of Hughes being the New Bradman (completely mad though it was), breaking down Hughes so quickly was a sign that Fred was back, bigger and badder than ever. The Gesture hammered it home and marked the moment as a very special one. It was Freddie saying "I told you I still had it... now come over here and give me some man love" (NB. the actual Lancastrian translation may have been slightly different). The Gesture means something because it is so arrogant yet so appropriate.
However, pull out The Gesture after taking each of your 5 wickets in the second innings at Lords and the spontaneity starts to wear off. It appears, and almost certainly is, highly rehearsed and an obvious ploy for the front page of tomorrow's paper. Even worse, it cheapens the previous times The Gesture has appeared, makes them much less special than they seemed at the time. It makes me feel a bit embarrassed that I got suckered in with The Gesture the first few times as it is so clearly an act. A bit like when Metallica put out their 6th studio album Load in 1996. It was such an obvious grab for cash that .... well, that's another story and another Blog I guess. I am liable to go completely over the top if I start typing those particular thoughts up.
Anyway, come on Fred, pack The Gesture away for a while. Make it's unveiling a little special again. Better still, stop smashing us to bits and you won't need to use it !
He's not the Messiah, just an occasional very naughty boy
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Where to now for Australia ?
The batting is almost there as proved in the first Test. Hughes remains a real concern for me. I don't think his twisting and shouting will get one off the square for the rest of the series. Unless he gets a very big score in the next county game or in the third Test, he should be dropped. For whom though ? We haven't brought another opener. I hear whispers of Shane Watson opening the batting but surely this is the ramblings of a Shane's Dad only. Chris Rogers possibly ? Unlikely. This is a real problem with no obvious answer. Hussey continues to be a worry but I feel he will make his way back into the runs, courtesy of his solid technique. Aside from that, everyone has made runs, everyone is in form. We just need to use our heads when batting again. Not losing 5 batsmen to hook shots would be a wonderful start.
Keeping wise, I don't like Haddin's form at all. The keeper is like the Drummer in the Band, when they are out of time, the rest of the team follow. It is no surprise to see keeping fumbles and byes coincide with overthrows and missed dives in the outfield. The keeper sets the tone, Haddin needs to tune up or drop out.
Bowling wise, the most glaringly obvious problem is that of Mitchell Johnson. Bowling too fast ? Trying to swing it ? Upset about his Mum's comments about his WAG ? Never really that good in the first place ? All of the above ? Whatever it is needs to be fixed. For mine, he either takes 8 wickets for zip in the next county game or he doesn't play the third Test. This match was lost on the first morning, we can't do that again.
A huge positive on the bowling front is Peter Siddle's ability to vomit on the Lords grass on the same day that the Queen, the Stones and Michael Parkinson were all in attendance. If Pete has the courage to do this, then he can do anything ! Hifenhaus is going well and fulfilling my prediction of becoming The New Terry Alderman and ... umm.... who did I miss ... oh yes .... Hauritz has gone better than expected.
Third Test, here we come !
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