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	Brett Lee: “The way he’s [Ashley Noffke] played over the past couple of seasons, he’s a great find for Australian cricket, not only with the ball, but also with the bat” © Getty Images

Brett Lee believes Australia’s strong bowling depth will ensure they can cope without the fiery pace of Shaun Tait throughout the CB Series. Tait became a one-day regular over the past year when Australia boasted two potent weapons, but he has taken an indefinite break from all forms of the game.Australia unveiled a fresh fast-bowling attack on a sporting pitch in Brisbane and it succeeded in reducing India to 194 in the rain-ruined contest. Lee made sure Tait and Clark, who was absent for family reasons, were not severely missed with an exceptional haul of 5 for 27 from nine overs.”It’s not nice that we haven’t got Shaun to pick from,” Lee said. “But we have got a great bowling squad including Clark and Ashley Noffke, who bowled very well. The talent is around and we’ve got heaps of depth.”Usually at this time of year Lee would be expecting a short break, but his extra responsibilities as the attack leader mean he will probably be needed until Australia move closer to securing a safe passage to the finals. He will wait on the advice of the team coaches and wants to appear in his home-ground game against Sri Lanka on Friday.”I have bowled a lot of balls this summer and my workload has increased a fair bit,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see [about a rest]. I’m looking forward to playing in Sydney and we’ll see what happens after that.”

	I have bowled a lot of balls this summer and my workload has increased a fair bitBrett Lee

Mitchell Johnson performed strongly, taking 1 for 33, while Nathan Bracken was loose in steamy conditions that should have suited him more. Noffke, the debutant, was nervous during his first four overs but came back well in his final two spells to finish with 1 for 47 off nine.Lee was confident Noffke, who came in for Clark, would be a useful addition to the squad in Tait’s absence. “It’s always hard in your first game,” Lee said. “After his first couple of overs he was rushing through a little bit and we had a chat and a laugh and he was fine.”The way he’s played over the past couple of seasons, he’s a great find for Australian cricket, not only with the ball, but also with the bat. He’s a fantastic allrounder and can do some great things for Australia.”The match ended early due to the rain with Australia 3 for 51 in the eighth over, 89 short of the revised target. “It would have been a good fight from us to get home from there,” Lee said. “With our batting we would have had a good chance, but it was disappointing the rain came.”Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the India captain, was also frustrated by the no result. “It was evenly poised,” he said, “but the momentum was with us, especially in the second session when our bowlers bowled really well.”

With just 50 days to go until the World Cup starts in the Caribbean there is concern over dwindling ticket sales. The problems with some nationalities needing to obtain visas is believed to be playing a major part.Applicants who require visas must either reach their nearest office or mail their passports along with $100 and join a long waiting list.”This is the worst public-relations nightmare that the Caribbean has ever created for itself,” said Josef Forstmayr, managing director of Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica.George Goodwin, chief executive officer of the local organizing committee in Antigua and Barbudam, added: “Ticket sales are not going as robust as people had originally hoped.”However, Chris Dehring, the chief executive of the World Cup organising committee, was more upbeat: “This event has faced so many challenges that at this stage, everything is full steam ahead,” he told , “the little hiccups are simply rolled out.”

Cricket Australia has targeted more female spectators ahead of the Boxing Day Test © Getty Images

In a move targeted at wooing female fans, Cricket Australia has declared that one day of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and South Africa in Melbourne is to be dedicated to women. Cricket Australia and Melbourne Cricket Club officials have been concerned about the decline in attendances after Boxing Day.”Ladies Day” will fall on the second day of the Melbourne Test and women will be educated on field placings and cricket tactics as well as being invited to sip champagne in an enclosure of the new northern stand. The move is seen as an attempt to acknowledge the role of women in everyday life.”At last year’s Test the crowd was around 135,000 and of those about 8000 were children under 16,” Ken Jacobs, Cricket Victoria’s chief executive, told . “The crowd normally falls away by about 50% a day [after Boxing Day]. You’re building up to the result of the match and yet the crowd is falling away.”Cricket Australia even announced that the boundary enclosure would feature a big screen – much like the popular marquees at racing spectacles – a children’s playing area, and a brunch hosted by Cricket Victoria and the MCG. Officials have also invited Belinda Clark, the former Australian captain, to make an appearance. The third day’s play of future Tests over the course of the Australian summer have also been designated as family days, during which children will be admitted free.Jacobs said the idea was inspired from other Australian sports events, such as horse racing, the Australian Open tennis and the Adelaide Test. “We want to ensure the crowd is still strong over days two, three and four, and five if necessary, but also to ensure that the Boxing Day Test is an event for everyone,” he said. “It’s not just about what goes on in the centre of the ground.”

Few players will have taken more satisfaction out of South Africa A’s seven-wicket victory over England than Mark Boucher. He was recently dumped from the Test team in favour of Thami Tsolekile, after 75 consecutive Tests as South Africa’s wicketkeeper, but responded to the slight with five comfortable catches and a bloody-minded 26 not out from 74 balls. He spoke to Andrew Miller before the first Test.

Mark Boucher in relaxed mood© Getty Images

The result against England must have been very satisfying for you.
Very much so. I’ve played for South Africa A once before, but this was a new side with a lot of talented guys, and all of us are keen to get into the national team. There was a good vibe throughout, we stuck to our guns, and it was nice to get a win at the end of it.But personally, it must have meant a huge deal. That much was clear from your batting.
Yeah, it was a bit more of a tentative innings than I usually play. I didn’t go out there saying that I was going to block every ball, but the bowlers found good areas, and I was batting at the time with Albie Morkel, a youngster who hits the ball very sweetly and was caning it to all corners of the park. I just had to sit back on my bat, take a few singles, and play a more stable role from the other end. Unfortunately we lost a few wickets later on, but I was just happy to spend time in the middle.Do you think you succeeded in making one or two points to the selectors?
I don’t go out to make points. I go out to play to win, and it was job accomplished.Even so, it must have been a big shock to have been dropped after 75 consecutive Tests?
Yes, it was a big disappointment, one of the biggest of my career. But it’s not the first time I’ve suffered disappointment, there’ve been a couple of occasions like that in the past. I’m a firm believer that you can only really judge a character by what they are like when the chips are down. I believe I’m a fighter, and I’ll be trying my best to get back in that side, by putting in some big performances. I’m not about to give up.I guess it all stems back to South Africa’s terrible tour of Sri Lanka earlier in the year. What happened to the team out there?
A lot of things happened! The bottom line is we lost, but we did come up against a really tough side. Sri Lanka are not the sort of team you just walk all over, especially in those conditions. We were lacking one or two spinners, and our batsmen just didn’t click, but the wickets they prepare were never going to suit our seam-based attack. That’s how sides like that try to beat us. They take away our pace, and back themselves to take 20 wickets with their spinners.Graeme Smith made some comments at the time that you were “no better than club cricketers”. Was that a fair assessment?
I don’t know about club cricketers. But Graeme’s got his theories about how the team went. I just thought we were outplayed.As one of the senior members in a changing side, do you think you were singled out as a scapegoat?
I don’t know. You tell me. I really don’t know. I’m not present at those selection meetings and I don’t get to hear what’s said about me. I just try to control what I can control. I can’t control selection, I can’t control what happens in the media. All I can control is what happens out in the middle. At the end of the day, I’ve been dropped. I’ve just got to pick myself up and get back in the side.Given your record against England, you must have been hopeful of a recall.
If I said no, I’d be lying. Yes, I did expect to be back. I’d had quite a good SuperSport Series back home, and I thought I kept very well as well. So yeah, I had my hopes up for the first Test. It didn’t happen, which was another disappointment, but the sun came up the next morning, and I got selected for SA A side instead. It was a chance to prove my worth, and we won the game, which is great.

Mark Boucher has had success against England in the past© Heeger

Do you get the impression that England are glad not to be facing you?
I really don’t know! I haven’t spoken to any of them. But I’ve had a bit of success against them in the past which is always nice. I believe they are a very good side – especially their bowling attack, which will be a handful on these tracks. But Thami’s a good keeper and a good batter as well, so I wish him all the bestHe was your understudy in England last year. Have you given him any advice?
I don’t like to get involved. Ray Jennings is the coach now, and he’s probably the best wicketkeeper we’ve had in this country. So any advice will come from him. I sent Thami a text message before they went to India, wishing him good luck and telling him if there’s anything he needs, give me a shout. But I don’t want to stick my fingers into the national camp at the moment. They’ve got more important things to worry about.The coach has given you his backing though, which must be ncouraging.
Yeah, Ray’s spoken to me once or twice, telling me to keep going. But from his point of view, it’s important that there are guys coming up to challenge the people in the national side. They’ve got to be kept on their toes, and not allowed to rest on their laurels, thinking that there’s no-one behind them. Because there is, and after the result in this game, there’s going to be even more pressure on the national side to perform. That’s not a bad thing at all. It shows the depth in South African cricket.One of the big issues in your cricket is the current lack of fast bowlers. As a keeper, you’re in a good position to judge them.
This pitch at Potchefstroom is one of the quickest I’ve played on all season, and it just goes to show that you don’t need extreme pace to take wickets. Charl [Langeveldt] wasn’t slow, but he swung the ball, and as long as you do that, it’s always going to be difficult to play, never mind how quick and bouncy the wicket. I doubt if St George’s will be like that, having played there before, but as long as you’re doing something with the ball – either running in at 150kph, or swinging it at 135 – it’s going to be tough for the batters.Have you seen much of Dale Steyn?
I’ve played against him once. He’s got some good wheels, he swings the ball nicely and late as well. He’s young and he’s raw, and I believe he could take some time to find his feet, but he’s also the sort of guy who can run in and get you a five-wicket haul. If he puts enough balls in the right area, he’ll be a handful.You’re the underdogs for once in a England v South Africa series. What’s your take on that?
Of the series that I’ve played in, we lost over there in 1998, won over here in 1999-2000, and then in 2003 we were in position to win, but somehow lost the last Test through some poor cricket, despite being 380 for 2 after the first day. Overall we’ve had the upper hand, but I don’t read too much into us being underdogs this time. England in England are a very good side and have had some success, but they haven’t played over here for a few years now, and they haven’t played in Australia for a while either. We have some depth, and with several guys pushing for national selection, I just hope that they don’t take us too lightly.Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Cricinfo. He will be following England’s fortunes throughout their Test series in South Africa.

All Today’s Yesterdays – September 29 down the years

September 28 | September 30

1934
The birth of the first spinner to take 300 Test wickets. With his lissomfigure and unusually long fingers, Lance Gibbs allied pronounced spinand bounce to a fierce accuracy. He took 309 wickets in 79 Tests -including 18 five-fors – all the while conceding his runs at astaggering 1.99 per over. Brave and indefatigable, his best spell camebetween 1960 and 1962. He was left out of the first two Tests inAustralia, but Gibbs took three wickets in four balls at Sydney and ahat-trick in the next Test at Adelaide. The following winter he returnedthe remarkable figures of 53.3-37-38-8 against India in Barbados, alleight wickets coming in a 15- over spell at a cost of just six runs. Itwas a performance he never bettered.

1941
The bank clerk who went to war was born on this day. That’s how David Steele was described when he was called up to make his Test debut at theage of 33 against Lillee and Thomson in 1975. Grey-haired andbespectacled, Steele stood up to all the Australians could throw at himand made 365 runs at 60.83. “Test cricket,” said the Wisden Almanack,”had not enjoyed such a romantic story for decades.” Steele became ahugely popular figure and was even voted BBC Sports Personality of theYear in 1975. It was also his benefit year, and Steele received a meatchop for every first-class run he scored from a local butcher. By theend of the summer, he had 1756 of them.

1957
Why did Chris Broad who was born today, play only 25 Tests? His averageof 39.55 is higher than those of Atherton, Gatting and Lamb but Broadnever got close to establishing himself as they did. An economical lefthander with an ungainly bottom-out stance, Broad came of age inAustralia when England last regained the Ashes in 1986-87. He madehundreds in three consecutive Tests and was made “International Playerof the Season” but disciplinary problems the following winter wouldultimately cost him dear. He refused to walk after being given out atLahore; two months later he smashed down his stumps in the BicentennialTest at Sydney. His poor fielding, abrasive character and persistentback problems did not help either. Despite six hundreds in his previous18 Tests, Broad was dropped during 1988 and played only twice morebefore joining Mike Gatting’s rebel tour to South Africa.

1983
Insomniacs the world over celebrated as Indian Aunshuman Gaekwadcompleted the slowest doublecentury in Tests, against Pakistan atJullundur. He took 652 minutes and 426 balls to reach his milestone – atthe time it was the slowest in firstclass cricket as well – as thesecond Test petered out into a draw.

1934
The chinaman bowler Lindsay Kline was born in Victoria. Herepresented Australia in just 13 Tests, nine of them overseas where hewas notably successful (31 wickets at 15.35). He took a hat-trick in hissecond Test, in Cape Town in 1957-58, but is best remembered for facingthe last ball of the first tied Test, against West Indies at Brisbane inthe classic 1960-61 series. He also denied West Indies for 100 minutesas Australia held on for a draw at Adelaide in the same series. It washis last act in Test cricket.

1995
A remarkable performance from Salim Elahi led Pakistan to a nine-wicketvictory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Gujranwala.Only 19, Elahi stroked an unbeaten 102 on his ODI debut at a time whenhe had not even played a first-class match. And he reached three figuresin the grand manner with a straight six off Pramodya Wickramasinghe,thus becoming the fourth person, after Dennis Amiss, Des Haynes and AndyFlower, to score a hundred on his ODI debut.

1950
But for his namesake Deryck, the West Indian David Murray, whowas born today, would surely have played many more than 19 Tests. He wasa talented wicketkeeper and a capable batsman who made three Testfifties and a first-class double hundred, at Jamshedpur on the 1978-79tour of India. He took over from Deryck Murray – they were not related -in 1980-81 and was briefly No. 1. But he was banned from cricket in theWest Indies after playing in South Africa, and his last Test appearancecame at Sydney in 1981-82.

1997
At Bulawayo, the second Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand ended in adraw, with the series ending 0-0. But this was no bore draw. Set 286 towin after a sporting declaration from Zimbabwean captain AlistairCampbell, New Zealand closed on 275 for 8, having looked set for victoryat 207 for 3. The match was notable for Guy Whittall’s unbeaten firstinnings 203 and legspinner Adam Huckle’s unlikely match figures of 11for 255.

Other birthdays
1930 Ramnath Kenny (India)

Tamil Nadu, looking to build a large first-innings total and then bowlKarnataka out quickly, were thwarted by Vijay Bharadwaj in their RanjiTrophy league match at Bangalore on Tuesday.The visitors’ innings ended on 468, with Robin Singh (58) and AshishKapoor (44) making quick runs and boosting their side’s overnightscore. For Karnataka, Mansur Ali Khan Ludi picked 5-81, including adeadly spell of 6.5-0-19-4.Karnataka started badly, losing both openers for just 16 runs.Barrington Rowland, the first-innings centurion, and Bharadwaj thencame together for a 202-run stand for the third wicket. Rowland made69 off 150 balls and was dismissed with the score on 218.The day ended with Karnataka on 233/3 and Bharadwaj unbeaten on 125off 160 balls, with 22 fours. He was accompanied by Thilak Naidu oneight.

Durham seamer Chris Rushworth has been named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year, and hopes further success can push him towards England honours.Rushworth, 29, claimed 83 wickets at 20.61 in the County Championship, which set a new Durham record, and 100 across all formats. Significantly, 46 of his Championship wickets were taken away from the favourable home conditions of Chester-le-Street.His prolific season follows a 2014 campaign where he bagged 65 wickets in the Championship – during which he went teetotal for the year to raise money for charity – and he hopes that he still has the chance of forcing the selectors’ hand and earning an international call-up.”I am over the moon, it is a massive achievement,” Rushworth said. “To be voted for by fellow players and your peers is a very privileged moment and one I’m very proud of.”Personally this year couldn’t have gone any better, 83 wickets to go past a club record, it’s just a shame we didn’t win anything as a team. Personally, I couldn’t be more pleased and to finish off with this award wraps up a brilliant season.

PCA awards

Reg Hayter Cup for the PCA Player of the Year
Chris Rushworth (Durham)
Overall PCA County MVP
Chris Rushworth
John Arlott Cup for the PCA Young Player of the Year
Tom Curran (Surrey)
Investec Test Player of the Summer
Stuart Broad
Waitrose Women’s Player of the Summer
Anya Shrubsole
PCA Team of the Year
Alastair Cook (capt) (Essex and England)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire and England)
Joe Root (Yorkshire and England)
Sam Northeast (Kent)
Luke Wright (Sussex)
Ben Stokes (Durham and England)
Alex Davies (Lancashire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire and England)
Matt Coles (Kent)
Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)
Chris Rushworth (Durham)

“For myself this award is massive and the biggest individual award in county cricket. You play against these guys quite a few times a year so to be voted to win this award is a huge achievement and I’m very grateful and proud.”Hopefully it’s the next step to progressing towards further honours. To receive this from guys who have also had fantastic seasons and to pip them to the post is fantastic moment.”The guys that have won it in recent years have gone on to play Test cricket like Adam Lyth, Moeen Ali and Nick Compton, so that is definitely in my sights. Hopefully I have another good season next year and I can put my name in the hat for Test selection.”The Young Player of the Year award went to Tom Curran who claimed 105 wickets across all formats, helping Surrey to promotion in the Championship and the to final of the Royal London Cup. Having been confirmed that his qualification period to become eligible for England is completed at the end of October, Curran has been added to the England Performance Programme Squad for the training camps in South Africa and Dubai.”We have had a great season as a side this year,” Curran said. “Losing in the Royal London Cup final was a huge disappointment but it was still a good achievement and we won the second division of the LV=County Championship which was a special day as well. I’m very pleased for our side and it’s great to be able to contribute to our success.”At the start of the season I was just trying to do the simple things well and then I started taking a few wickets and, as long as the summer is for us cricketers, it has actually gone really quickly and a little surreal if I’m honest.”He also paid tribute to his younger brother, Sam, after the 17-year-old made a considerable impact in his first season. He claimed 22 Championship wickets, 15 in the Royal London Cup and seven in the T20 Blast, while also showing his talent with the bat in almost carrying Surrey to victory in the final at Lord’s and then making an unbeaten 61 in the last Championship match against Northamptonshire.”It has been a very special summer for Sammy as well,” Tom said. “He came in half way through the season when we went down with a couple of injuries and he has shown everyone he has got what it takes. It’s great to be bowling with him and I am so pleased for him this year.”Playing for England would be the ultimate for any young cricketer and that is my goal but I am concentrating on Surrey first and hopefully the rest will take care of itself and I know that is how Sam feels too.”Stuart Broad won the Test Player award after his outstanding Ashes series including the iconic 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge, fellow opening bowler Anya Shrubsole won the Women’s Player of the Year award and Gloucestershire’s Michael Klinger took the double of NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London Player of the Year after his prolific white-ball season.Shrubsole said: “I am absolutely honoured to have won this award and it makes it more special that it is selected by your team-mates, so it is a nice end to what has been a difficult year. Despite not achieving what we wanted as a team, I am pleased with the way I bowled. A special mention must go to Katherine Brunt who was brilliant with bat and ball this summer, she received my vote. It’s nice to do well personally but it was just a shame we didn’t quite regain the Ashes.”Jim Cumbes, the former Lancashire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Worcestershire player and Lancashire chief executive, was given the Special Merit Award to mark his 50 years of service to the game. He was CEO at Old Trafford from 1998 and 2012 and oversaw the major redevelopment of the ground which involved extensive legal battles.

Manchester United are monitoring young Bayern Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender.

The 23-year-old has put together a string of impressive performances for his club which has helped him brake into the German national side.

Bayern Munich tried to buy Bender in the summer but Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller is keen to keep hold of his star players.

United scouts have taken an interest and have watched him represent both his club and his country where he plays in midfield or at right back.

United look to continue to add to their youthful transfer policy and Bender who joined Leverkusen from 1860 Munich in 2009 will certainly fit the bill for Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

The midfielder has begun to attract interest from clubs around Europe and has impressed during his three seasons at the BayArena and more recently, under Joachim Low’s national side.

Bender is a box-to-box midfielder and has been integral to the tireless German side, which is why it’s no surprise that Europe’s ‘Elite’ have begun to take notice of the Bavarian born player.

Ferguson has had an eye on the future for some time and has put a lot of faith into the younger generation of late. He has brought in the likes of David de Gea, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez in recent seasons, English youngster Nick Powell and Chilean forward Angelo Henriquez have also been picked up during the Premier League transfer window.

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Lars’s twin brother Sven, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, is also sought after and likewise could make a big money move in the near future.

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It’s top plays bottom this weekend when leaders New South Wales head to Western Australia for their WNCL double header on Friday and Saturday, followed by a Twenty20 at the WACA on Sunday. But if the Western Fury are hoping to usher in the New Year productively they’re going to need stern resolution: New South Wales have won every match so far and can secure a home final if they win both.The Fury’s head coach Steve Philippe is aiming high. “The girls are under no illusions as to how big the challenge will be this week,” he said, “but we will be looking to our experienced campaigners to lead from the front and give us a shot at victory.”The likes of Angele Gray, Jenny Wallace and Lauren Ebsary have been on the verge of delivering the goods in recent games and playing the best team in Australia over the past decade could be the catalyst for them to produce something special this week.”The Breakers top the table with 25.5 points, while their captain Lisa Sthalekar has again been the outstanding player in this year’s competition with 265 runs at an average of 53.00 and ten wickets at 13.80. Selectors have named 13 players for the trip, with experienced medium-pacer Sharon Millanta added to the squad which defeated Queensland before Christmas.The Twenty20 will be a curtain-raiser for the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash game between the Warriors and the Queensland Bulls. Previous experiments with the women opening for the men have proved successful and it is hoped that this will be replicated at international level on February 1, when England play Australia, while the men’s team are set to host India.Victoria, meanwhile, host Queensland in the same format of games and days. Their Twenty20 in turn will come before the men’s hosting of New South Wales, and that’s at the MCG.Megan Compston and Elyse Villani will make their WNCL debuts and come into the side at the expense of Jane Franklin and Jessica Cameron. Compston is a lively medium pacer while Villani is a hard-hitting batter and handy change bowler. Teenagers Meg Lanning and Renee Melton will also play in senior Victorian colours for the first time in Sunday’s Twenty20 match.VicSpirit captain Sarah Edwards said the team was looking to bounce back from consecutive losses to NSW prior to Christmas. “We’ve been able to respond strongly to any defeats in recent times and will be looking to do so again,” she said. “It would be terrific to grab maximum points at the Junction Oval and then showcase our skills at the MCG on Sunday ahead of the Bushrangers clash.”New South Wales Breakers squad Lisa Sthalekar (capt), Alex Blackwell, Sarah Aley, Sarah Andrews, Charlotte Anneveld, Kate Blackwell, Leonie Coleman, Rene Farrell, Alyssa Healy, Lisa Kuschert, Sharon Millanta, Ellyse Perry, Leah Poulton.Victoria WNCL squad Sarah Edwards (capt), Rachael Haynes, Clea Smith, Julie Hunter, Kelly Applebee, Emma Inglis, Kristen Beams, Mel Jones, Megan Compston, Annie Rose Maloney, Jodi Dean, Elyse Villani.Victoria Twenty20 squad Sarah Edwards (capt), Rachael Haynes, Julie Hunter, Kelly Applebee, Emma Inglis, Megan Compston, Annie Rose Maloney, Elyse Villani, Meg Lanning, Jessica Cameron, Renee Melton.Western Fury WNCL squad Avril Fahey (capt), Renee Chappell, Emma Biss, Nicole Bolton, Donna Brown, Kate Burns, Lauren Ebsary, Angele Gray, Mel Holmes, Charlotte Horton, Holly Hyder, Peta Merrilees, Lauren Stammers, Jenny Wallace, Amanda Williams and Jaimi Wilson.Western Fury Twenty20 squad Renee Chappell (capt), Jenny Wallace, Emma Biss, Nicole Bolton, Kate Burns, Lauren Ebsary, Avril Fahey, Angele Gray, Peta Merrilees, Lauren Stammers, Gemma Triscari, Amanda Williams and Jaimi Wilson.

Michael Holding: “This was a team with a double-centurion, a player with a big 150 and they still lost at Adelaide” © Getty Images

England’s 5-0 drubbing may have been their first at the hands of the Australians for 86 years, but the last occasion came much more recently than that. In 1984 and 1985-86, England slumped to ten defeats out of ten against the mighty West Indians, and Michael Holding was an integral member of the legendary four-man pace attack that doled out those beatings.But, Holding told Cricinfo, the pride that his men felt in inflicting back-to-back “blackwashes” would be nothing compared to the jubiliation in the Australian dressing-room at present. “I don’t think there’s a serious comparison,” he said. “Australia must feel a lot better about this 5-0 than West Indies about theirs, because the Ashes means so much to Australia, and of course England.”Having lost in 2005 this was a big comeback for them. The embarrassment of losing has spurred them to these great heights. It’s difficult to fight back when you are being overwhelmed on a regular basis,” said Holding, who took 249 wickets in a 60-Test career that included 31 wins and just eight defeats. “After Adelaide I thought it would be 5-0.”This was a team with a double-centurion, a player with a big 150 and a bowler who took seven wickets, and they still lost. What more could they have done to win a Test match? How could they come back from that? When you have been downtrodden it is difficult to lift yourself, and I never expected England to lift themselves.”Holding refused to compare the current Australian team with the great West Indian sides of his day, saying that times have changed and so too has the game. But, he added, he did not believe that Ricky Ponting’s Australians were quite the same force as Steve Waugh’s side of four years ago.”When Waugh was captain, he had Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath at their very best, and Jason Gillespie at his very best,” said Holding. “I think it was a better bowling attack, and bowlers win matches.”