A long winter for England
Michael Henderson
Perth ENGLAND's cricketers lost a Test match in Adelaide but, viewed from a wider perspective, it was a wonderful week. The 'city of churches' (and sex scandals) is a bit like Edinburgh. There is a high life and a low life, and most outsiders take easily to the place. It is an attractive spot, the locals are friendly, the food is good and the wine is magnificent. On top of that there is the Oval, behind the Torrens river, the most beautiful cricket ground in the world.
One's spirits soar simply on walking to the ground, with its view (near) of St Peter's Cathedral and (far) of the Adelaide Hills. At both ends of the ground there are unprotected grassy banks where the spectators can perch, although, in the fierce heat of south Australia, hats are compulsory. The Barmy Army, the highly vocal assembly of cricket-lovers who follow the England team overseas, were out in force but they were unusually quiet. The exposure to the sun had something to do with it; that, and England's poor showing.
But there were compensations! The wine brings out wine-quaffers and winemakers, one of whom, Geoff Merrill, is a cricket follower to boot. Merrill has befriended English cricketers down the years and he was in fine form at this Test. Ian Botham once described him as 'a man put on this earth to make the rest of us feel happier' — a tribute that not many people would disown — and his mood was lightened even more at this Test by Australia's thumping victory, which gave them a 2-0 lead in the series.
There isn't much that England can do to prevent the Aussies winning all five Tests. The chasm in class and application between the sides is so vast that, however hard the tourists try, they are never going to be good enough. There is one exception to this general rule: Michael Vaughan. The Yorkshire opening batsman has enjoyed a productive run since the summer, and he added another cubit to his reputation by making a century his fifth this year — in Adelaide. But that could not prevent his team losing inside four days (a Test is scheduled to run for five) after Nasser Hussain, the England captain, had won the toss and opted to bat first.
The English visitors had a much better time of it than the players. Socially, there is nothing to touch the Adelaide Test, Lord's is magnificent, of course, but it is exclusive. You cannot walk round the ground, as you can at Adelaide, and, other than MCC members, nobody has easy access to the eating and drinking facilities that make the Oval so appealing. There is an informality about the ground that makes it unique, and when the sun glints off the sand-coloured roofs it makes a most beguiling sight.
The evenings are no less happy. The weakwilled among the journalistic fraternity (in other words, everybody) could be found each night wandering down Rundle Street in search of grub and the noble grape. The Universal, at the bottom end of the street, features in your correspondent's list of ten best bars in the world, and it offered great hospitality this time. It doesn't go big on Grenache, alas, which the Aussies do particularly well, but there is enough there for all tastes.
All this will have been lost on England's cricketers, who cannot get to grips with this powerful Australian team. They are not alone. No one can card the Aussies in their own den, so there is no disgrace in losing, only in the manner of defeat. England lost feebly, batting without gumption, and their winter seems a long one. There are worse places to be, though.
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