England Crumble But Durham Are Flourishing
England's hopes of regaining the Ashes may have nose-dived following a dreadful opening day's play at Headingley, but the fourth Test of the series will be a successful one for Durham whatever happens.
For those unaware of events at Chester-le-Street this season, Durham are currently top of the Liverpool Victoria County Championship and have a wonderful chance of retaining the title they won for the first time last year.
And their position as the dominant force in County Cricket has been underlined by the fact they have three of their players starring - if that's the right word - for England against Australia in this match.
It is a fantastic achievement and long overdue. For many of us, Steve Harmison should have been in the team a long time ago at the expense of Stuart Broad, but his presence in the dressing room alongside Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions deserves to be applauded.
Let's not forget it is only five years ago that Durham were laughed at as the whipping boys of English cricket and at a time when two of the region's biggest football clubs - Newcastle and Middlesbrough - are preparing for the start of a Championship campaign we should all be proud of their success.
As for the Ashes, I believe we will look back at the end of the summer and realise this was the day we lost the Ashes once again. To go into the game with just five specialist batsman following yet another injury to Andrew Flintoff looked suicidal and so it has proved.
With Kevin Pietersen out, England's middle order has looked vulnerable all series with Ravi Bopara and Ian Bell at three and four and the English crowing which has characterised the last two Tests looks as though it will come back to bite us and bite us hard.
A dreadful piece of selection with Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott available to bolster the batting, which would have allowed Harmison to come in for Broad, a bowler who can bat a bit but no all rounder in the Flintoff mould.
Oh well. Come on, we should be used to it. Andy Murray losing in the semi-final at Wimbledon, no winner in the Open, little chance of any gold medals at the World Championship in Athletics and yet another Ashes defeat. So much for the Met Office's BBQ summer and so much for a golden summer for British sport!
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
The difference between the cricket and football clubs is obvious...one is well run, the others aren't.
Newcastle had a marvellous opportunity to follow Durham's lead, jettison the old nags (as Durham has to following their first few seasons in first class cricket), and develop a team of good young players. Sadly it was not to be - I believe the re-building out of the firing line, could have meant they could have come back stronger than if they'd stopped up.
As for England - the players lack the mental resolve to be a successful sportsman - for Bopara / Bell compare it to the attitude of Steve Waugh (read a couple of books he's written - the attitude is resolute).
Unfortunately in cricket / football we have a glut of skillful, talented people without the mental resolve. Compare it with other sports, cycling stands out this summer, where we have tough, single minded people who can be world beaters.