Andy Flower: The England Hero

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Link: http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/inside.aspx ... 4337&cat=5

Andy Flower: The England hero

By Mehluli Sibanda

ZIMBABWEAN Andrew Flower emulated his fellow countryman Duncan Fletcher when he won the famous Ashes Test cricket series with England last Saturday against Australia.


Captained by Andrew Strauss, England defeated their old enemy Australia by 197 runs in the fifth and final Test cricket match at the Brit Oval in London last Saturday to record a 2-1 series win.

It was a huge achievement for the 41-year-old former Zimbabwean batsman to win the coveted Ashes five match series a few months after being appointed England coach and that is sure to earn him a lot of respect from the powerful British media.

The media attributed the win to the good relationship between Flower and Strauss.

Former Zimbabwe captain Fletcher won the Ashes in 2005 with a 2-1 victory over Australia.

It was England’s first Ashes win in nearly two decades. Fletcher received a lot of applauds for that triumph and was finally granted British citizenship a month later after 15 years of trying.

England were however drubbed 5-0 in the reverse series in Australia in 2007. Fletcher was forced to step down as England coach following the team’s dismal show at the 2007 Cricket World Cup held in West Indies.

Flower was appointed England assistant coach in April 2007 and because of his batting background assumed the role of England batting coach. At the beginning of this year, Flower took over as England coach during their tour of West Indies after the sacking of coach Peter Moores.

Flower was appointed England coach in April this year and had a few months to prepare for the Ashes.

England did not get off to a good start in the Ashes and had to fight for a draw in the first Test played at Cardiff in Wales.

In the second Test at the home of cricket at Lords in London, England hammered Australia by 115 runs to record their first Test win over Australia at Lords since 1934.

The third Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham ended in a draw.

Australia triumphed by an innings and 80 runs in the fourth Test at Headingley in Leeds.

With the series tied 1-1 going into the last match, England had to win the last match otherwise Australia would have returned home with the little, but highly coveted urn.

England produced a fine all-round performance to wrap up the match inside four days to win the Ashes. South Africa born Jonathan Trott impressed on his Test debut with scores of 41 and 119 in the match.

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff retired from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes and England’s win was a befitting honour for the prolific all-rounder.

England had to do for the better part of the series without their star batsman Kevin Pietersen who was ruled off the last three matches because of injury.

The Ashes series is the oldest cricket contest and played with such fierce rivalry by England and Australia.

Its history dates back to 1882 when Australia recorded their first victory on English soil. This inspired a British journalist to write a mock obituary of English cricket and that is when the Ashes was born.

For Flower to win the Ashes is certainly no mean achievement.