From Ashes to Ashes...mighty cricket confidence
The England cricket team's heroic and record-breaking performance in the second half of the 1st Ashes Test in Australia was breathtaking. Even though many thought they faced almost certain defeat after their dismal first innings, they fought back with a courage and resilience that left their otherwise capable opponents shellshocked and fumbling about unsuccessfully.
The courage and the resilience that the three top England batsmen showed in scoring a staggering 517 runs for 1 wicket in the second innings are two key hallmarks of confidence. It was their confidence that strengthened their resolve to avoid defeat and demolish the Australian bowling attack.
The more confident they became, the more capable they were on the field of play and this, in turn, made them believe they could achieve something truly special at The Gabba in Brisbane. And they did.
This was the first time since 1924 that England's top three batsmen have all made a century. Alastair Cook's score of 235 not out was the highest ever individual Test total at the Gabba, while his 329 run stand with Jonathan Trott (135 runs not out) was a record one. This was also the first time England has passed 500 for the loss of only one wicket.
England now goes into the 2nd Ashes Test in Adelaide a genuinely more confident team...and all because they showed resilience and courage when they and many other world class teams would have given up and just tried to reduce the scale of the defeat. Not England.
It may have been a draw. But in the minds of the England cricketers, it was a huge psychological victory for their confidence. And that will make them even more dangerous in the Second Ashes Test.
The courage and the resilience that the three top England batsmen showed in scoring a staggering 517 runs for 1 wicket in the second innings are two key hallmarks of confidence. It was their confidence that strengthened their resolve to avoid defeat and demolish the Australian bowling attack.
The more confident they became, the more capable they were on the field of play and this, in turn, made them believe they could achieve something truly special at The Gabba in Brisbane. And they did.
This was the first time since 1924 that England's top three batsmen have all made a century. Alastair Cook's score of 235 not out was the highest ever individual Test total at the Gabba, while his 329 run stand with Jonathan Trott (135 runs not out) was a record one. This was also the first time England has passed 500 for the loss of only one wicket.
England now goes into the 2nd Ashes Test in Adelaide a genuinely more confident team...and all because they showed resilience and courage when they and many other world class teams would have given up and just tried to reduce the scale of the defeat. Not England.
It may have been a draw. But in the minds of the England cricketers, it was a huge psychological victory for their confidence. And that will make them even more dangerous in the Second Ashes Test.
posted: 30 Nov 10