The Ashes return Down Under- England wilt in the baking Australian sun.

The Ashes return Down Under- England's cricketers wilt in the baking Australian sun.


So that's it then. English cricket once again crumbled in the hot dust of an Australian heatwave. We've all been here before and none of us are even remotely surprised even though we'd prefer to be surprised for the right reasons. It seems many a moon ago since England were last triumphant on Australian soil so it may be time to return to the drawing board although it may not be the end of the world. Of course England were trampled underfoot, crushed into obscurity and not a little humiliated. Australia simply had England for breakfast, lunch and tea. This did not make for easy viewing and for those with healthy English appetites it was neither palatable nor digestible - maybe almost unacceptable.

This is not to suggest that the hierarchy at Lord's, the home of England cricket, should burn their metaphorical bails nor should English cricket ask itself searching questions about its immediate future. Besides if we wait for long enough England may find that sweet revenge in English shores may provide England with what seems at the moment scant consolation. But the damage has been done and England suffered and sweated heavily, wondering at the sheer futility of their fruitless voyage Down Under.

We've all heard about the traditional excuses but this is not the time for doling out blame or hurling slanderous accusations at the English batting and bowling attack. The class of 2018 though have not lived up to overblown, wildly inflated expectations and for those on the outside it just seems like a meek capitulation and surrender.

In recent years though England- Australia contests on the lush green fields of Lord's, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford and the Oval, victory for England has almost become second nature. Here, England have won the Ashes almost presumptuously and impeccably, a team of bold and enterprising souls guided by the magnificent exploits of captain Michael Vaughan and charismatic, lightning fast bowler Andrew 'Freddie Flintoff whose high spirited celebrations in 2005 will live on in the memory. But it all seems a long time ago and 13 years later English cricket has been forced back on its haunches and left to lick its bloodied wounds in a cowering corner.

English cricket fell on its rather painful sword, limping and hobbling towards conclusive defeat in the final Test. Australia, for their part. could only bask in the glare of their stupendous first innings total of 649-7 declared, bathing gloriously in their metaphorical deckchairs, slipping on the sunglasses, smearing on the 50 sun factor lotion before delightedly swallowing several cans of Foster's lager and  then showing England exactly what they thought of them.

Suddenly my memory took me right back to that golden year of 1970 when as a child you remembered your first English cricketing victory in the sweltering heat of an Australian day. When Ray Illingworth, England's captain, brought back the Ashes back to England, it seemed that nothing could possibly stand in our way, nothing that could ever stop England from achieving the impossible.

The mind lingered fondly on the bright as a button, sharp and decisively destructive bowling of John Snow, swinging the ball all over the place, deceiving the Aussies and creating havoc with the Australian mindset. Snow would gingerly trot in from the longest of all run ups before lengthening his stride, holding onto the ball protectively before hurling his rocket at a flailing, flummoxed green baggy cap.

Then there was Geoff Boycott, the model of patience, care, discretion and discipline. A day in the company of Boycott was rather like watching a potter at their wheel moulding and manipulating a vase or plate. Boycott could always be relied to produce a masterclass and way back in that unforgettable 1970 Ashes victory for England, Boycott was an emperor, a cricketing dignitary and wholly instrumental in the defeat of our fiercely Antipodean rivals.

Now though of course in the infant month of 2018, the highly regarded Mark Stoneman and James Vince have failed their testing examinations. Both Stoneman and Vince are hard, powerful batsmen who are still wet behind the ears. Only time will tell if  either or both batsman can step up to the plate and if all goes according to any plans for the future then this may be just the most temporary of setbacks for both men. We all know about the exuberance of youth and this could be the moment to reserve judgment.

But for England captain Joe Root this may not have been in the script because after a vivaciously victorious last summer against South Africa, Root has been severely knocked back on his feet, twiddling his thumbs and unfairly asking himself unnecessary questions to which there can be no answer. Root is an honest to goodness, dedicated to the cause, shrewd professional who will not be scared, nor will he be daunted by any task.

Alistair Cook, once England captain will also indulge in some lengthy soul searching knowing fully well that he can still bat like a dream, still pull, hook and cut with the best of them, still clobber the ball into the pavilion for a mighty four or six, spraying the ball all over a cricketing field with a carefree manner and then snarling back at his critics with a sadistic pleasure. Cook will have his day again and maybe then we'll acclaim this buccaneering Essex hero.

We'll also recognise the emerging class of Johnny Bairstow, the burning, blistering pace of England's devil may care quickies Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, the spinning beauty of Moeen Ali, full of wild variation, cunning flight and bamboozling trickery rather like Ray Illingworth in 1970. We mustn't forget the blossoming talent of Dawid Malan whose century in Perth almost tilted the balance back in England's favour this winter. Malan can certainly hit the ball, scoring both freely and uninhibitedly with a full range of versatile strokes.

So there's no need to panic everybody. Here in deep winter the English bruises may be sore, pride perhaps briefly wounded and morale slightly battered. But fear not it's time to look at the wider picture. The harsh reality is that England have rarely prospered in Australia and besides we'll always have our World Cup Final victory over the Aussies in rugby union's biggest prize of all. We'll always have our Jonny Wilkinson with that lovely winning drop goal and the final kick of the game. So the Aussies should be warned that England are far from beaten and fallen. There will always be an England and all such rousing anthems.

At the moment of course this may not be the most satisfactory of moments for English cricket but if Ray Illingworth can do it and then Mike Gatting during the 1980s, then who knows what may be within the capabilities of the England cricket team now? In England we must keep the faith. We can almost smell the defiance.