Flower wants more from Ashes-holders England

Image
AFP Chester-le-Street (England)
Last Updated : Aug 08 2013 | 9:15 AM IST
England will bid to complete the second half of their Ashes mission when they face arch-rivals Australia in the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street starting tomorrow.
The drawn third Test at Old Trafford left England an unassailable 2-0 up in the series with two to play and meant they'd retained the Ashes.
But it left open the possibility of a shared series, something that hasn't happened in an Ashes campaign since 1972.
It took England just 14 days to hold on to the urn this time around -- the quickest they've settled an Ashes series in their favour since the end of the Second World War.
However, England coach Andy Flower was far from satisfied.
"I suppose it is (a great achievement). But for me it's all about winning this series, so it is still alive with two Tests to go," he said.
In Manchester, Australia produced a much-improved performance with England collapsing to 27 for three on Monday's final day before rain ensured a draw.
The result meant Australia had ended a run of six successive Test defeats -- their worst for 29 years -- and avoided equalling their all-time record losing streak of seven straight Tests set by the 19th century teams of 1885-88.
Former Australia captain Allan Border said it looked like the tourists had "drawn their own line in the sand", in much the same way his side did during the 1986/87 series, where, having lost the Ashes, they won the final Test in Sydney before starting 16 years of unbroken series dominance against England in 1989.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 08 2013 | 9:15 AM IST

Next Story