Ashes Drama Dampener, Flintoff’s NASA Experience

There appears a strangely euphemistic mood to the third Test of the Ashes at Edgbaston, even before it has begun.
There are weather forecasts and then there are weather forecasts. The gloom surrounding Edgbaston has to do with the meteorological predictions of rains for two days of the third Test. However, one has forgotten that rain was predicted to wash out play on the fourth day but England went onto apply the pressure and Australia buckled.
There are cautious glances at the pitch as either captain is not sure what to expect. The jelly pitch scenario as already been dismissed by the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, as a case of cry wolf. The reality will only be available when the match gets underway.
The curator has warned Australia not to employ Nathan Hauritz, who is not rated highly because in his opinion, Edgbaston is no place for a spinner not considered particularly world class. However, Ponting is not getting dragged into it.
He already has a headache and it appears people are confused between feelings of anger and sadness about Mitchell Johnson’s performance. The Australians are clearly weighing their risks whether to fall for pressure and bring in Stuart Clark. There is an additional disappointment in the Australian team in that Brett Lee has not been able to make the desired comeback.
Furthermore, the England team have their own problems with Kevin Pietersen now only going to warm the benches with a crutch in tow and Andrew Flintoff is now being likened to a war veteran.
Flintoff is going all out to keep his word that he intends to be there for England right through the Ashes. He is now using a technique employed by NASA for their spacesuit technology. Besides icing his badly damaged knee, Flintoff now sleeps with a machine attached to his knee that alternatively compresses to help him through the pain.
There is an air of battle about this game. But it looks like a grim war yet.

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