The Ashes: Cook looking to seal Ashes triumph at first opportunity

England captain Alastair Cook set his sights on regaining the Ashes at Trent Bridge after brushing aside Australia inside three days to take a 2-1 series lead.
GREAT FEELING: Yorkshire and England's Joe Root celebrates scoring the winning runs at Edgbaston. Picture: David Davies/PAGREAT FEELING: Yorkshire and England's Joe Root celebrates scoring the winning runs at Edgbaston. Picture: David Davies/PA
GREAT FEELING: Yorkshire and England's Joe Root celebrates scoring the winning runs at Edgbaston. Picture: David Davies/PA

The home side wrapped up a memorable eight-wicket victory in front of a febrile Edgbaston crowd, with seven sessions of the match remaining.

Ian Bell led the way, his unbeaten 65 seeing England past their 121-run target and completing a remarkable turnaround following Australia’s crushing win at Lord’s.

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A repeat performance in Nottingham – hardly a given with England’s recent habit of following up victories with defeats –would see Cook get his hands on the urn and banish memories of the 2013-14 whitewash down under.

“We’ve had a really good three days here, we’ll enjoy the night as a group and come Saturday, maybe with a little bit of a dusty head, we’ll look forward to Trent Bridge,” he said.

“If it doesn’t happen there let’s do it at The Oval, we’ve got two opportunities, but we’d love to do it at the first opportunity ... that would be something very, very special after what this side has been through in the last few years.”

Cook had spoken before the match about the galvanising effect that the raucous fans in Birmingham could have on his team and he was not to be disappointed.

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The support at Edgbaston was ear-splitting, with the Hollies Stand in fine voice throughout – both in support of the home side and in ribbing the tourists, and in particular Mitchell Johnson.

“This was up there with the loudest I can remember,” added Cook.

“At certain moments, when Steven Finn got two (wickets) in two balls (on day two), it was particularly loud and some of the chants ... even guys who’ve played a fair bit of cricket were looking at each other realising how special it was.

“We’re very short-lived wearing the England cap and playing for England and those moments don’t come around very often.

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“Edgbaston has been a fantastic venue for us as a side and the challenge is can Trent Bridge be louder?”

Asked about England’s up-and-down nature in recent times –their last seven Test results read win, loss, win, loss, win, loss, win – Cook declared himself happy for the sequence to last until the end of the series, enough for a 3-2 triumph at The Oval, but admitted the inconsistency must be addressed.

“If (the pattern) goes to nine matches I will be just as happy but it would be nice to break that trend at Trent Bridge,” he said.

“Discussions over a beer will be on that line but we have to enjoy the performance here first.

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“Come the morning we wake up with the challenge of Trent Bridge ahead of us.

“We have got to be tough on ourselves as players and get ourselves absolutely spot on for that game.”

Cook also tipped his hat in Bell’s direction, praising the deft way in which he dealt with his promotion to No 3.

The Warwickshire batsman hit half-centuries in both innings, top-scoring in a bowler-dominated match, to make light of questions over his place in the side.

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“It couldn’t be more fitting could it, for Belly to be walking off 60-odd not out in his home Testto win the game,” said Cook.

“We know he’s a fine player but he’s had a bit of a tough time...it happens. He’s absolutely class and it was a pleasure to see him knock off those runs.”

Jimmy Anderson will be unavailable for England for the fourth Test due to a side strain which forced him out of the attack in Australia’s second innings.

Australia captain Michael Clarke sympathised with Anderson but likened the incident to the freak pre-match injury suffered by Australia’s Glenn McGrath at Edgbaston in 2005.

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“You don’t wish injury on anybody – as much as you want to win the game, you don’t want to play against a weaker team,” said Clarke. “Jimmy showed his class in the first innings and his record at Notts is very good so maybe it’ll be a bit like 2005 when Glenn McGrath went down.”

Scores of 10 and three continued Clarke’s poor series, with the Australian middle order struggling as a unit.

“The form of No 4 certainly concerns me,” he said. “The captain’s got to come off the plane and contribute. England deserve credit, they’ve bowled well to me and found a way to get me out early in my innings.”

Report, scorecard and latest on Anderson: Pages 4-5.