David Lloyd: We must 'get back on our bike' after Adelaide crash (19 December 1998)

19 December 1998

David Lloyd: We must 'get back on our bike' after Adelaide crash

By David Lloyd

SHATTERED dreams and profound disappointment hang over the touring party. The Ashes stay in Australia.

It is difficult to put into words our feelings after the defeat in Adelaide. Our dressing-room quiet was in stark contrast to our opponents' noisy celebrations just five metres away.

The bitter taste of defeat set against the sweet smell of success. I congratulate the Australian team on retaining the Ashes and the way they have played their cricket.

Up to now they have outplayed us and the remaining Test matches over the Christmas period at Melbourne and Sydney will see us need to up our game significantly in order to win. That is obviously our goal, and it is the job of The Management and coaching staff to pick everyone up and have them ready to go again at the MCG on Boxing Day.

We entered the game in Adelaide in confident mood with all the talk of coming back quickly and squaring the series with two to play.

The main thing occupying the minds of both teams was the weather forecast. There were warnings of severe heat on the first day with temperatures reaching 43 degrees. Regular drinks were imperative. The practice days were hot enough, but anything over 40 degrees puts great demands on the players.

The pitch looked a beauty, with both sides hoping to bat first. Mark Taylor won his third consecutive toss and had no hesitation in batting.

Although very weary at the end of an oppressively hot day, we stuck to our task manfully. We had taken only four wickets, but that was partly our own fault with a couple of chances going begging, and partly down to Justin Langer who showed great powers of concentration after coming in at No 3 and batting through the day.

On the second day, we had Australia at around 350 for nine, which by now was a good performance. But then Glenn McGrath joined Langer and did what our lower order has been unable to - provide support to a higher-order batsman by just occupying the crease. This last pair put on over 30 runs, and took the Australian total to just short of 400.

We needed a good start, but did not get it with Mark Butcher falling to Colin Miller in the 12th over. Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain then began to go really well, until Atherton chopped Stuart MacGill to Taylor at slip. Taylor claimed the catch and then said he wasn't sure if it had carried.

Atherton stood his ground, and the umpires quite rightly referred the matter to the third official, Paul Angley.

The replay appeared inconclusive, and we were disappointed Atherton was given out, but disappointed is all you can be.

The decision cannot be changed and you just have to get on with it. End of story. By the way, Atherton went to the nets and had some practice straight away to get rid of his own frustration, rather than sit in the dressing room bemoaning his luck.

Mark Ramprakash joined Hussain, and at one stage we were very handily placed at 187 for three. Can I just recap at this point. We lost the toss, but had Australia around 350 for nine in very demanding conditions. They frustrated us at the end with a last-wicket partnership, but we still got into a healthy position at 187 for three with two lads playing well. Then - bingo. We collapsed yet again, losing seven wickets for 40.

You can talk about it, analyse it, review it all you like, but it is everyone's responsibility to do the job when the time comes. The game is built around partnerships, whether batting or bowling, and the facts are that we are not putting together enough meaningful stands once we lose a wicket.

Our innings disintegrated to 227 all out, a deficit of 164, which meant another long haul from thereon in, and another ideal situation for Michael Slater to compile a stylish century.

Taylor's declaration left us with upwards of 460 to win, or more realistically, just short of five sessions to bat to save the Test.

The pitch looked rough by now, with massive cracks, and Miller claimed three early scalps to help reduce us to 122 for four when Alec Stewart joined Ramprakash.

Stewart had been woefully short of runs during the series and the inevitable press bandwagon was full to capacity with "too much on his plate", "can't play spin", and "can't bat down the order". To me, he has looked out of form, and the only way to come out of that is to practise, watch videos of yourself playing and then study footage of you playing well to spot the differences, and then spend some time at the crease.

This time the captain looked the part and he and Ramprakash got the innings going. There were times on the last morning when there was a quiet stillness at the Adelaide Oval. People, including me, were contemplating a draw.

Then Damien Fleming made Australia's breakthrough when he uprooted the admirable Ramprakash's leg-stump with an inswinging reverse-swing yorker. The new ball then accounted for the rest of us all too quickly, and Stewart was left high and dry.

Australia rejoiced and we reflected. In the aftermath, there has been some pretty unsavoury and gloating stuff appearing in the press here, and I guess at home, too.

We have done our best, which up to now has not been good enough. We have two games left to come back at Australia, which is exactly what we will be endeavouring to do.

Every sportsman I know has that built-in resolve to 'get back on yer bike' and do it again after a loss, and ours here are no different. As I said earlier, our dreams of winning the Ashes have gone, but we are still representing our country, which is every cricketer's ambition.

Part of that ambition is to do well against the best from another country. There is nothing better in cricket than achieving and enjoying success, but there is nothing worse than failing, with the inevitable avalanche of criticism that follows.

I have reminded the players of Tom Watson's speech at the Ryder Cup presentations, when he quoted Roosevelt's words: "It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause and who, if he fails, at least fails while bearing greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Yes, we will be back on our bike come Boxing Day.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)