- Title: CRICKET-ASHES/ENGLAND England looking forward to third Ashes test match
- Date: 28th July 2015
- Summary: BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) PAN ACROSS GROUND ENGLAND CAPTAIN ALASTAIR COOK (RIGHT) AND BATSMAN JOE ROOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALASTAIR COOK, ENGLAND CAPTAIN, SAYING: "Lord's was obviously a tough four days, especially on the back of Cardiff where we played so well. We talked about backing up a good performance with another and we couldn't manage to do it. That's now gone, we've obviously had a few days off and got away from each other and I think the mood in the camp is fantastic and I think the lads have been talking about the opportunity we've got ahead of ourselves now. One-one in an Ashes series coming to Edgbaston, fantastic ground where if we play some good cricket the crowd really get behind us and we are just, as a group of players, really looking forward to that challenge against a very good side." PLAYERS PLAYING SOCCER BATSMAN JOHNNY BAIRSTOW ENGLAND COACH TREVOR BAYLISS (WITH HAT) BATSMAN IAN BELL (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALASTAIR COOK, ENGLAND CAPTAIN, SAYING: "We've found ourselves over the last six months or so three wickets down for early on too many occasions, so a little bit of a re-jink. Tough call on Gary (Ballance) but he will be back, there's no doubt about that." "Congratulations to Johnny really, he's kind of knocked the door down. His weight of runs for Yorkshire in the first division top of the league, I think he's still averaging over 100 that's fantastic cricket at any level, let alone the first division with Yorkshire, so he's raring to go. The mood in the camp, we just can't wait until tomorrow." SEAM BOWLER STUART BROAD JOE ROOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALASTAIR COOK, ENGLAND CAPTAIN, SAYING: "I think the lads are kind of excited about the challenge now, 1-1 it's a three match series now and we need to win two of these games to do something very special, that's what's getting everyone going." "Lord's was an absolute disaster in one sense, after Cardiff to play as badly as that but that's gone now. In a professional sportsman way you have to keep looking ahead to the next thing rather than dwelling on the past, the guys have got to put that behind them." ALL ROUNDER BEN STOKES AT FIELDING PRACTICE BAYLISS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALASTAIR COOK, ENGLAND CAPTAIN, SAYING: "It's obviously just with his past record a little bit. He's played a huge amount of cricket, for Woody (Mark Wood) the last six or eight months than he has for Durham. We've just got to be careful, we want everyone to be as close to fitness as we can." "We'll make that call in the morning, Finny (Steve Finn) has bowled really well for Middlesex, he's bowled really well in the one dayers, whoever gets the nod is kind of the lucky one." ENGLAND IN INDOOR NETS COOK BATTING IN NETS MOEEN ALI BOWLING MORE OF COOK BATTING ADAM LYTH BATTING NET PRACTICE
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- Topics: General
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- Story Text: England want to bounce back from a disastrous showing at Lord's by playing well enough to get a special Edgbaston crowd on their side in the third Ashes test against Australia, said captain Alastair Cook on Tuesday (July 28).
Cook's team were humiliated by 405 runs in the second test at the home of cricket as Australia levelled the five-match series 1-1.
"Lord's was obviously a tough four days, especially on the back of Cardiff where we played so well," said Cook. "One-one in an Ashes series coming to Edgbaston, fantastic ground where if we play some good cricket the crowd really get behind us and we are just, as a group of players, really looking forward to that challenge against a very good side."
"Lord's was an absolute disaster but that's gone. It's like a three-game series now and we need to win two of them to create something really special," Cook added.
England have made a series of poor batting starts recently and the skipper is hoping the in-form Bairstow's inclusion and Ian Bell's promotion from four to three in the order can spark a turnaround.
"We've found ourselves over the last six months or so three wickets down for early on too many occasions, so a little bit of a re-jink. Tough call on Gary (Ballance) but he will be back, there's no doubt about that," said Cook.
"Congratulations to Johnny really, he's kind of knocked the door down. His weight of runs for Yorkshire in the first division top of the league, I think he's still averaging over 100 that's fantastic cricket at any level, let alone the first division with Yorkshire, so he's raring to go. The mood in the camp, we just can't wait until tomorrow."
England have rejigged their lineup, bringing in batsman Jonny Bairstow for Gary Ballance, and may also need to call up paceman Steven Finn in place of Mark Wood who has an ankle problem.
"It's obviously just with his past record a little bit. He's played a huge amount of cricket, for Woody (Mark Wood) the last six or eight months than he has for Durham. We've just got to be careful, we want everyone to be as close to fitness as we can.
"We'll make that call in the morning, Finny (Steve Finn) has bowled really well for Middlesex, he's bowled really well in the one dayers, whoever gets the nod is kind of the lucky one," Cook said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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