REVIEW: What Sport Tells Us About Life

Some people have it all don't they? You could surely be forgiven for envying someone with the talent to be a top cricketer. It's a sport that I'm only 'built' to watch but love. I also find myself reading some top class writers and wishing I had their flair and marvel at the talents of skilled broadcasters. But someone who can do all three? Now that's just not fair...

Yet, in Ed Smith, such a person exists. I'd maybe hold it against him if I did enjoy his work so much.

Having appreciated his insight on Test Match Special - and been impressed by his forays into the pages of the New Statesman - this book was an obvious choice. It's a short book, comprised of 15 essays that address thought-provoking topics. These range from 'The age of the amateur has passed. Worse luck', 'What do people see when they watch sport?' and 'Why luck matters - and admitting it matters more'. All perfect fodder for a lunch time work reading club.

There's a lot packed in to a short space and it's a richly rewarding read that manages to remain insightful without ever becoming inaccessible.

It'd be unfair to categorise this as a sports book - as the name suggests, sport is merely the prism through which we consider some fascinating observations about the world around us, including the role chance plays in our lives and cultural identities.

Best of the lot, for me, was the chapter entitled 'Why history matters in sport (and how England won the 2005 Ashes)'. It's hard to do it justice here, but the way Smith sums up the different theories that might be used to explain the 2005 victory over Australia by comparing them to historical approaches ticked every box for a cricket-loving history graduate.

The chapter also contains a beautiful definition of history, with Smith stating: "The past is a treasure trove of information waiting to be ordered analytically into judgements."

Throw in a pleasing reference to Brian Clough and Peter Taylor - I'm a sucker for a Forest mention - and a thought provoking passage on the way any people watch the same action on the field but 'see' something different (something we all ought to reflect on in an adversarial age of Twitter spats) and you're left with a brilliant blend of material.

Perhaps the only problem here is that there isn't more. I could've easily tucked into twice as many chapters. It certainly feels like I landed on an underrated gem with this book, one that wouldn't disappoint if you landed on it too.

Good Lord's: Hales and Read secure cup final joy for Notts

Saturday's Lord's final will live long in the memory for all sorts of reasons. A record breaking innings, a fitting 50-over sign off for a legendary skipper, a top class overseas star ending on a high and a trophy for Nottinghamshire.

Indeed, it's moments like these you have to savour as a sports fan. Technically the last time I saw 'my team' win silverware was the 1992 Zenith Data Systems Cup Final triumph for Forest, just up the Jubilee line at Wembley. Don't get me wrong, there have been highs in between but you get the point, these days don't come around too often.

The omens weren't great at the start of Saturday's showpiece occasion, however. Both Surrey openers were dropped - including a chance to remove Jason Roy from the first delivery - and runs flowed as Notts struggled to gain control either with the ball or in the field.

Still it helps to be able to call upon Stuart Broad and James Pattinson to get a foothold in a game. The latter has been a superb servant in his spell as an overseas player and I'd love to get him back again. A fiery Aussie with something of an edge, he adds a pace and venom that has a tendency to leave many batsmen uncomfortable - a great asset to have in our armoury.

Still, while the two bowling stars brought control it was - as is so often the case in limited overs cricket - the combination of Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney who took important wickets. Samit struck with his first delivery and Mullaney conjured up the crucial wicket of dangerman Kumar Sangakarra, with the help of some smart glove work by Chris Read (I wonder how many times we've said that over the years?).

Surrey's innings felt a little strange in the end. Opener Mark Stoneman provided rock solid foundations with a high class and remarkably measured 144 not out, but no-one really cut loose with a significant better-than-a-run-a-ball knock to supplement his efforts. There were few fireworks yet, despite that, Gareth Batty's men had still put the best part of 300 on the board in a Lord's final.

Given Notts' batting prowess in the tournament so far - chasing down a record 371 in the semi final - it felt like a 'gettable' total but that didn't stop a few nerves creeping in among the travelling Outlaws in the Compton Stand.

As the wickets fell at regular intervals, those nerves only grew. One by one the big hitters who had powered us to Lord's fell without troubling the scorers. By the time we reached 150-5 Surrey had control of the tie and must've been sensing this was their day at last, having lost the last two One Day Cup finals here.

Yet one man didn't fall, of course. As his partners vanished at the other end, Alex Hales seemed to be playing a different game. Yes he was dropped early on, but he was undeterred by either that, the occasion or the situation of the match. He let loose a perfect blend of exquisite textbook and powerful blows and carried the club's hopes on his shoulders.

There's little doubt that this was the best innings I've seen live. It was brilliantly judged and beautifully executed, a mature display that ticked along at a rapid pace without falling into the trap of trying to push too hard. The fastest 100 in a Lord's final, the highest score made on such an occasion (beating Geoffrey Boycott's 52-year record) and the biggest total made by anyone at Lord's in List A cricket (beating David Boon's 28-year record), this was something truly special and a real 'I was there' moment.

But Hales alone couldn't see us over the line, and that's why 150-5 felt so precarious. While the lower order are useful with the bat, we couldn't rely on them to make too many under the pressure of a run chase in a cup final. 

Cometh the hour, cometh the captain. What Notts and Hales needed most was a calm head to steady the ship and stay with him. In Chris Read, he surely couldn't have asked for anyone better.

The skipper, in his final year at Notts and last ever 50-over game for the Outlaws, gave a masterclass of controlled batsmanship in a quite brilliant 58 that ensured he would be the one to lift the trophy. The word legend is, of course, overused in sport but not when it comes to Read, who has been an incredible gloveman, excellent batsman and fantastic figurehead during his 19 years of service. I'd name a stand after him if it were up to me.

He'll be massively missed at Trent Bridge but it was a perfect end to his 50-over career to win the cup as captain and then be held aloft by his team mates to accept the adulation of the travelling Outlaws, who serenaded him with a hearty blast of 'Ready, Ready, Ready'.

While it would've been nice to see Read hit the winning runs, it was also fitting that Pattinson's last act in a Notts shirt was to strike the final blow.

It was a pretty good atmosphere all told in the Compton Stand - with a few Forest favourite songs thrown in with some good natured ribbing of Tom Curran, who had the dubious honour of being stationed right in front of us and didn't enjoy the greatest of days.

The Notts fans were certainly whipped up into a frenzy by Luke Fletcher, who clearly loved every minute of his day and led the chants himself as the team came to celebrate with us at the end. We're lucky to have a settled squad of talented players who seem to love turning out for the club and that spirit was evident on Saturday. Coach Peter Moores also deserves credit for his role in helping to mastermind the success here even though the club's main focus has surely been on promotion in red ball cricket.

My first visit to Lord's had been pretty special - an Ashes test two years ago - and so was this one. Let's just hope my next successful sporting final isn't another 25 years away...

What I learned from...Das Reboot

First things first, what a title. I'm a sucker for a good play on words so Raphael Honigstein pretty much had me with the two-word name of this book. Luckily the rest of the text lives up to the promise of the title.

I've always enjoyed Honigstein's coverage for the Guardian and his appearances on James Richardson's Football Weekly podcast. I've also long been a fan of the reinvented German national side and its entertaining journey from loveable hosts in 2006 (the year I first visited the country) to world champions eight years later. This, then, was a too-good-to-miss combination.

Luckily the intelligent insight of Honigstein's journalism shines through in the book as he pieces together the entertaining journey and the reasons behind it.

He neatly sidesteps the temptation to wallow in the glory of the games that led to the final in Brazil, interspersing moments from the victorious 2014 campaign with flashbacks to events from 2004 (and, in cases, before). It's a neat device that subtly shows how the pieces of the puzzle all fitted together and how events in Brazil were the direct culmination of plans put in place and lessons learned over a decade or more.

It's perhaps timely to read Honigstein's book now, at a moment when English football is searching for its umpteenth new dawn and another new manager at the helm of the national side. I couldn't help but come away feeling that England are light years behind Germany. Maybe the FA board all ought to have a leaf through Das Reboot before making their next move.

So, how did they do it? Well, Honigstein offers fascinating detail about the key ways in which German football, to quote the subheader, 'reinvented itself and conquered the world'. We see how new coaches and a new manager embrace new tactics and a fresh approach. We also see the importance of learning lessons from other sports - notably hockey - and a more professional approach to the sport. As Honigstein notes, other jobs had long-carried a need for qualifications, standards and regulations - so why not football? This manifests itself in the form of better academies - graded by strict standards and rewarded financially for meeting them - many more trained coaches and the need for players to be smart off the field as well as on it.

It's a system that produces technically and mentally astute young players who are ready for the Bundesliga and beyond. An interesting contrast with the transfer-obsessed Premier League. The next step, it seems, will be to demand certain standards of the people who take the role of sporting director - something still laughably derided in some circles in this country. German football also learned to wean itself off a soap-opera style form of coverage of games, which carried an obsession of the 'character' of the players and the role of key leaders.

There are also interesting passages on the use of technology. From a bespoke app for the 2014 squad to use to share clips and analysis of themselves and their opponents to a 'Footbonaut' machine that helps players to prepare for the unexpected in the heat of the battle on the field. The latter, it seems, could be seen to have directly contributed to the goal scored by Mario Götze.

Honigstein also looks at the Swabian influence behind the footballing revolution in Germany - from Klinsmann and Löw to Klopp, Tuchel, Ralf Rangnick and beyond - and the way this hard-working, financially successful region with a penchant for problem-solving became so important.

Then, of course, there's the insight to the World Cup campaign itself. From the disastrous pre-tournament camp to the tactical criticism of Löw and the struggles against Ghana and Algeria, its fascinating to see how the squad faced up to setbacks. It's easy for English fans, from the outside, to slip into stereotypes and presume the German football team is a slick, calm operation that doesn't have the same problems that befell 'our boys'. This shows that that is nonsense. Löw's side simply learned from its mistakes and reacted better to the problems it encountered.

Equally fascinating was the reaction to the 7-1 trouncing of Brazil in the semi final. The players almost feel a little guilty at having so comprehensively destroyed the dreams of their hosts. They are also annoyed at conceding a late goal in a game in which, amazingly, they had fewer attempts and fewer shots on target than the Brazil team that they so royally thumped and are desperate to guard against getting carried away after a result in which, frankly, most of us would've been extremely 'carried away'. Still, that's another lesson learned from the past and another mark of what made them worthy world champions.

Returning to England, though, is there really anything here that we should learn? The Germans, after all, won through long term investment, a brave approach and by treating football with the same seriousness as other sectors in the economy. Perhaps, without getting too deep, we should be worried that we don't have an equally successful industrial model to transplant onto football in this country?

Das Reboot is a superbly-written account of a fascinating story. It adds extra detail and insight to familiar events - including chapters in the words of Thomas Hitzlsperger and Arne Friedrich - as well rich new material. It's evey bit as good as the title promises.

What I learned from...Why England Lose & Other Curious Football Phenomena Explained

My best laid plan for monthly blog on a book I've read hasn't exactly gone to plan. Still, better late than never I've come to the end of Why England Lose & Other Curious Football Phenomena Explained by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski.

I'd borrowed this from a friend - who clearly bagged a bargain looking at the sticker - so it had come highly recommended. The book is essentially an attempt by Kuper and Szymanski to look at football with an economist's hat on.

The beauty of it is the balance struck by the authors. Economic theories and methodologies are explained in a pretty simple way, helping you to keep up with how and why the pair come to their conclusions. It's clever without being dry and insightful without being patronising.

The answer to the title question is, in short, that England win about as many games as they should given the size of the country, experience of international football and strength of the economy (the three key factors they use to gauge whether a nation meets its expectations). It'll be well worth bearing that in mind during the hype, hope and heat of the Euros this summer.

From a Forest fan's point of view, it's interesting to see Brian Clough and Peter Taylor held up for their mastery of the transfer market.

Quoting Peter Taylor's book 'With Clough By Taylor' it looks at three lessons that clubs can learn from Forest's dynamic duo. Those being:

*be as eager to sell good players as to buy them - spotting deterioration early
*older players are overrated
*buy players with personal problems at a discount and then help them deal with those problems

Plenty of clubs could do with a read of that section before blowing billions in this summer's transfer window.

Other issues range from looking at which footballing nation performs best (spoiler alert: Iraq does pretty well), an explanation of the winners of the European Cup and a look at how economists look at penalty shootouts.

Not every bit completely works and some of the information is understandably dated now, seven years on from publication, yet this was a fun read. It plays with some of football's conventional wisdom and offers a genuinely interesting sense of perspective. It's well worth a read, especially if you can find it at that place.

An ode to Joe Root and a sensational cricket match

I don't like the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. It's all a little too 'backslappy' for my liking and is a largely pointless parade. Last year's did highlight, however, the way in which cricket needs to guard against falling from the public eye. In a year when the test team won the Ashes against all the odds, Stuart Broad took 8-15 in one of the greatest spells of test match bowling of all time and Joe Root vied for the crown of number one test batsman in the world, there was little or no attention for cricketThat in a summer without an Olympics or football tournament for competition too.

It's a separate post/debate to talk about how to address the exposure and recognition of cricket but one of the ways really ought to be to highlight its success stories, such as that in the World T20 in India today against South Africa.

(Yes, that's England playing in a world cup that most people probably don't know about.)

Not only did England chase down an eye-watering 230 runs to overcome South Africa - a side that had beaten them twice on home soil recently - but the nation's best player came to the fore for a starring role.

In other sports we build up star players - Rooney, for example - and then knock them down when they fail to deliver on the high hopes we've pinned upon them. While Joe Root certainly has a big reputation within the game, there seems to be very little recognition of his talent among the wider public.

Today's performance saw a genuinely world class English sportsman deliver a world class performance at a world cup. That alone is worth shouting about.

Root was far from alone - Jason Roy in particular deserves praise - but he was, and so often is, the focal point of the sensational innings. He smashed the balls to all parts with a brilliant collection of conventional cricket strokes and innovative shots, plundering 83 runs off 44 balls.

For one of his six sixes he played an outrageous 'reverse scoop' over third man that is the most jaw dropping thing I've seen an England player do since Kevin Pietersen reverse slogged Murali for six. I had to watch Root's shot three or four more times just to comprehend what I'd just seen.

Unbelievable England, amazing @root66 #getinthere pic.twitter.com/Ha2g9GmHgL

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 18, 2016

While we shouldn't put too much pressure on his shoulders, it's about time cricket fans extolled the virtues of Root. He's got a cheeky personality that helps to endear him beyond his mere talent. But, make no mistake, Root is a genuine star who is easily among the best three/four British sportsmen around. At just 25 he's already amassed 3,400 tests runs and nine hundreds as well as 2,500 ODI runs and eight hundreds.

I don't care if Root wins Sports Personality of the Year in 2016 but I do hope that he gets the recognition he deserves for performances such as this. Talented performers such as him are rare, we're lucky to be able to say we're seeing him and shouldn't take him for granted.

So, on a day in which England have pulled off the second biggest run chase in T20 International history, let's give some praise for the England cricket team and Joe Root, the world class matchwinner.

When did Four Four Two get so good?

My book reading quest has been held up a little in February - although I'm well into my next tome - but that's largely thanks to having my head turned by a couple of magazines. Still Four Four Two magazine has proved a particularly high quality diversion and well worth a few words of praise.

In the dim and distant past I used to read Four Four Two magazine semi-regularly. It was the natural graduation from Match magazine (and occasionally Shoot) in my childhood.  Fairly or not I felt I'd drifted apart from what it had to offer. I say 'fairly or not' because there was probably a part of me that lost interest in top flight football as a grumpy supporter of a club - Nottingham Forest - that has long since plied its trade away from the Premier League.

In recent months my eye has been drawn back to it, however. I've leafed through a colleague's copy and had a joint go at some of the quiz questions and, this month, actually picked up an issue for a proper read. 

A mere flick through was enough to prompt pleasant surprise. Hitesh Ratna and the team have delivered a cracking read of great variety and quality - a magazine that, to me, seemed to have really stepped it up since my last purchase several years ago.

First things first: that cover. To put Pep Guardiola on the front just before he was announced as joining Manchester City was a stroke of luck, true, but the luck was earned. Why? Well the material is skilfully handled in such a way that it didn't matter if Pep's decision was revealed after the print deadline. Indeed it wouldn't have mattered where he said he was going to. The article could easily have been about the potential destinations for the football's most in-demand manager - which would have disastrously dated the moment it hit the shelves - but instead focuses on his character and managerial style.

Having just read Pep Confidential I probably didn't learn as much as I would have done in the piece itself but this was a smart, well laid out analysis of the Premier League's newest arrival and made for a worthy 'splash'.

There certainly seems a much more international focus to the magazine now, with Pep joined by an article behind the scenes at Thomas Tuchel's impressive Dortmund set up - probably the highlight of the magazine - and the MLS draft. The varied fare also includes the National League, a piece on football hard men and - in a welcome continuation of a tradition - a one on one with Eidur Gudjohnsen.

The beauty is in the balance of insight and entertainment, treading the line between mainstream coverage offered by the tabloids and major websites and the 'hipster' publications such as the Blizzard that cater for more cerebral matters. It's a balance that suits me fine and feels much more in touch with my tastes than ever before.

Hats off too for the excellent use of photos and images, making for a package that looks and reads like a class act.

It's heartening to see print publications like this continuing to thrive. It appears as though niche and special interest products are much better suited to surviving the tough competition offered by digital. If Four Four Two can deliver this level of quality I'd certainly return for more...

What I learned from...Pep Confidential

I have the same resolution for every New Year: I want to read more. It's an ambition that comes from the ever-expanding pile of interesting books I have around the house and frustration at the fact that I fail to dedicate the time to them.

Studying for a history degree is a fantastic thing to do but it does somewhat throw you out of kilt when it comes to reading for pleasure. By the end you're more used to getting through reams of journal articles and leafing through the back end of the yellowing pages of lesser-opened library books than

It's a long while since I stuck on the daft gown and picked up my degree now though so that really is a poor excuse and, in an attempt to encourage me to engage in a greater level of reading, I've decided to share what I've learned from each of the books I finish in 2016 - with an aim to manage one a month if possible.

So, starting off 2016 is Pep Confidential by Marti Perarnau, a book I've kindly being leant and been shamefully slow to get on with.

This, on face value, is the story of Pep Guardiola's first season in charge of Bayern Munich in 2013/14.

I say 'on face value' because the book is about more than that in truth. It's a portrayal of the most sought-after manager in world football and a fascinating insight into the thinking of a man seemingly bound for English football in 2016.

For non football fans, it's a study in leadership styles and adapting from the working practices of one culture to another, as Pep arrives in Germany following a long association with Barcelona and takes on a side that won three major trophies in the previous year.

It's perhaps this latter point that is most interesting as the book unfolds. Most outsiders would think it was a tough task to follow Jupp Heynckes after he won the treble and Guardiola constantly pushes himself to challenge and adapt his team to play in new ways and formations to test their ability. That they do this and wrap up the title in record time is remarkable.

Guardiola comes across as hard working to the point of being obsessive, constantly studying opponents and dreaming up new ways for his side to dominate possession and win. His observations - told through Perarnau - are fascinating and sometimes surprising. He doesn't, for example, like the label of 'tiki-taka' that many used to describe his style at Barca, regularly describing it as 'sh*t'.

It's clear that wingers Robben and Ribery, for example, are a lot more susceptible to embracing the new playing style than many outsiders may think. Philipp Lahm, meanwhile, comes across as every bit as brilliant as you might expect.

It's strange really that you find yourself feeling quite sad as the book races towards its conclusion, knowing full well that Guardiola's Champions League campaign ends in ignominy with a thumping defeat at the hands of eventual winners Real Madrid. Still, in a way this game merely serves to strengthen Guardiola's resolve. He allowed himself to get sucked into going against his principles in that game and vowed never to do so again. It spurs him on to polish off the campaign with a cup final win against rivals Dortmund in which Guardiola is at his tactical best, shuffling an injury depleted squad in mesmerising ways to outfox Jurgen Klopp and take home the trophy.

What does the book tell us about the way Pep would manage in England? Mainly that he won't be afraid to change and innovate and that he won't try to turn his new side into a carbon copy of his old Barcelona team. Journalists and opposition managers alike will be left scratching their heads trying to figure out what he's up to next - with full backs, midfielders and defenders all redefined in formations that can change several times within a game. It could be fascinating for geeks like me.

Turning back to the book, it's also worth pointing out the role Perarnau plays here. Given unprecedented access into the work of a modern football manager he doesn't disappoint, His journalistic skills shine out with short sharp, page turning chapters and in the way he lets the events talk for themselves, never making the story about him. Having had to wait until the end of his year-long project to share his observations, the temptation must've been there to blow his own trumpet a little but that never occurs. He's our eyes and ears in the Guardiola camp and he does a superb job of it.

Tactics, management techniques and the inner workings of top level football clubs are all explored here. If any of those interest you, you won't be let down by searching out a copy of Pep Confidential.

England cricket team: Fun and flawed

It's a shame really that, once again, the England cricket team have ended a series in a limp defeat in a dead rubber. Just as with the last Ashes test at the Oval last summer, Alistair Cook's men put up a lacklustre show in Centurion and took a little of the shine off what was a superb series win against the number one ranked test team in their own back yard.

He might have his hands on the trophy but Cooky says team must go to the next level #SAvsENG https://t.co/OTT8fprlhU pic.twitter.com/OTMS3jiXXd

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 26, 2016

In some respects you could make two very different cases for the state of the nation's cricket team. On the one hand there are question marks over the technique of Alex Hales - the umpteenth opener to be tried - over the suitability of Nick Compton at 3, James Taylor at 5, the wicket keeping ability of Jonny Bairstow and his rival Jos Buttler and the fitness of bowlers Steven Finn, Mark Wood and, to a lesser extent Jimmy Anderson.

Then there's the infamous batting collapses. The website Holding Willey reckons there were an incredible 11 in 15 tests from April 2015 in the West Indies.

Yet, on the other hand, there are great positives. Cook, the captain, is England's record run scorer of all time, Joe Root is constantly vying with Kane Williamson and Steven Smith for the crown of the world's best batsman, Stuart Broad IS the world's best ranked bowler and Jimmy Anderson is England record wicket taker, with the 7th most victims in test history for any team. Ben Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen Ali also epitomise an exciting attack lower order and embody the new style of Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace and Andrew Strauss.

Then there's the individual moments of brilliance in the past year alone. Broad's Ashes 8-15 at Trent Bridge was one of the best spells in test history and his 6-17 at Johannesburg wasn't far off either.

Stuart Broad: people have been walking past me doing that face | @James_Riach http://t.co/9bjli0Emcr (Photo: Rex) pic.twitter.com/jexFNvfkGu

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) August 17, 2015

Joe Root hit two Ashes hundreds and Cook racked up an incredible 263 in the UAE at the end of 2015 in a marathon innings that was the third longest stay at the crease in test history. It was the complete opposite of Ben Stokes' scintillating double hundred in Cape Town, 198-ball 258 that must rank as one of the most exciting knocks ever from an English batsman.

The Ashes win and victory over South Africa were both against the odds and the 2-0 defeat against Pakistan hardly reflected the balance of an even battle in the UAE.

So, which is true? Are England a side riddled with selection issues, injury doubts and worrying dips in form? Or are they a side full of great individual talent that has played some breathtaking - and successful - cricket that we should all be proud of.

The answer is that both are true and that, in my view, is part of the attraction of this current line up. Yes they are flawed but you can rarely argue that they are dull. They're never too far from either a collapse or some match-winning brilliance, a trait that means it's captivating to watch (if a little nervy). It's precisely because a collapse or a Broad spell could be just around the corner that makes this unpredictable side an exciting prospect. Some of the negatives, too, come from the fact that the team strives to play attacking cricket, hardly something to be too critical of.

We should all be proud of what the side has achieved and the manner in which it has gone about its cricket. In truth this team has not had the praise it has deserved.

We also need to accept that when the going is good this side can be truly great but, when the going is bad, things can quickly go pear-shaped. Don't relax, don't get complacent and, importantly, don't take your eyes off them. They may be flawed but they're ruddy fun too.

First-timer's view of Lord's as Australia power to victory over England

It was a superb innings for Veuve Clicquot. The flashy French bubbly flowed much easier than England's runs and ensured the chaps in the row in front of me made hay in the summer London sunshine. 

Mind you, the £70-a-bottle price tag probably stung their bank balances almost as sharply as the Australian quicks did England's batsmen. Led by a vicious and incisive Mitchell Johnson, the pace attack were the real stars of the show, shining on the hallowed turf of the Home of Cricket and backing up a dominant batting display to deliver a thumping series equaliser for the men in the Baggy Greens.

Our fantastic view from the Edrich Stand Upper

Saturday at Lord's did feel pretty special. It was an honour to be at one of world's most famous venues to soak in one of the oldest and keenly contested rivalries in sport.

Like many cricket grounds, Lord's is a odd jigsaw puzzle of interlocking stands of various sizes and ages, with the pavilion and futuristic media centre at opposite ends physically and historically.

I was surprised at how friendly it actually felt. Lord's has a reputation for being a bit stuffy. The bacon and eggs ties, formality and tradition coming to mind. But, from the moment I stepped from St John's Wood Tube - which for such occasions becomes much busier than it sizes suggests it should be - there were people offering to help in a generally jovial-but-serious atmosphere leading to the famous ground itself.

Once inside I was struck by just how much was going on. The Nursery Ground, museum, outdoor drinking areas and restaurants dotted around the outside meant you barely needed set foot in the stands. Yes some bits do ooze tradition but there was a charm with it too. I guess if you hang around too long near the posher parts of the ground you'd feel out of place but it was fun to mingle with the people sporting the garish blazers for brief novelty value.

Yet, fun as the peripheral activities seemed the cricketing action was what we'd come for and England had a game to save. Resuming on 85-4 after the Australians had posted a mammoth 566-8 declared, it was an almighty ask.

Any Test Match seems to enjoy the same atmosphere before a ball is bowled - a low hum of chatter as spectators settle and ponder the play ahead followed by rapturous response to every ball for a few overs. Lord's was no different although obviously sans fancy dress and musical instruments, the sorts of things that look fun on the telly but that, in truth, you don't necessarily want to be sitting too near on the day.

All hopes seemed to rest on record run scorer and captain Alistair Cook, the man with the patience, resolve and technique to weather the Antipodean storm about to hit him. He was to be aided and abetted by one of the nation's bright new hopes in Ben Stokes - a man who announced himself onto the international scene with a century in Australia amid a dismal whitewash defeat for England.

Mitchell Johnson about to steam in to Ben Stokes

It all went to plan at the start. Stokes showed himself to be far more than an aggressive slogger with some impressive 'proper cricket shots'. Any glimmers of trouble for the Durham man were simply shaken off with the confidence of a young star with the world at his feet. Cook meanwhile was watchful and careful - two qualities so rare these days that make innings such as these fascinating to watch. He edged along at one run per over he'd been at the middle, anchoring the innings in the 'lead by example' way in which he conducts his captaincy.

Sadly though, both batsmen perished before they reached the hundreds I felt they had deserved. First Stokes proved unable to last until lunch, dragging a skiddy Mitchell Marsh delivery onto his timbers. This sent a ripple of shock through the Lord's crowd who were just beginning to settle down to a long day at the crease for the home side.

If Stokes' dismissal was disappointing, Cook's was a hammer blow and one which provided the defining image of the whole match. Well set on 96 runs, the captain was braced for a 28th test match hundred, his first home Ashes ton, just before the arrival of tea. Most importantly of all, he was wel in ahead of the impending arrival of the second new ball. Yet Cook reached for a delivery outside off stump from Marsh - that man again - and followed Stokes' suit, crashing the ball into his leg stump off an inside edge. He instantly sunk to his knees in realisation. It may have been some time before the last rites, but this was effectively the moment England finally lost the match.

Alastair Cook sweats blood for England but misses out on ton | @selvecricket http://t.co/1TuYIoVsxa (Photo: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/odYPSCn6vW

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) July 18, 2015

Predictably, without Cook the innings faded and, equally predictably, Australia didn't enforce the follow on. Clarke instead chose to come out and grind England down, pile on the runs and let his bowlers recharge for another burst. Warner offered a chance to Lyth but from then on played a sensible and impressive innings with Rogers, the wise old head, the perfect foil. If Cook is England's study in test match poise and patience, Rogers is Australia's. The duo both ended the day unbeaten to put the cherry on the cake.

That pair and Cook and Stokes aside this, though, was a day for the Australian quick bowlers to flex their muscles.

A happy block of Australians in standard-issue yellow caps

Having seen plenty of mid-80 mph bowlers over the years I was struck by how much quicker Johnson did actually seem in real life. It's easy to see why a batsman might struggle against a bowler who operates with an unusual action and, these days, unusually quickly. The slow pace of the pitch might have negated most of the bowlers but not Johnson, who bowled with enough venom to transcend the conditions.

He had control to go with his ferocity as part of a bowling unit that was impressive as a whole - the fast and full Starc, naggingly accurate Hazlewood, skiddy Marsh and wily Lyon.

Credit, too, must go to Clarke for the way he shuffled his pack. No batsmen was allowed to settle - not even Cook and Stokes - as he rotated his quick bowlers in short spells to ensure his men never burned out. The combination of different angles and speeds make for a tough test of a batsmen's ability to adapt.

It was clear by the time we left the ground that it was only a case of when and not if England succumbed to a defeat. The manner of the loss the next day was worrying though - with batsmen unable to put up much of a fight against Johnson and co. Defeat was one thing but the manner of it was something else, giving blood for the Aussies to scent come Edgbaston next week.

Still, cricket is a sport I am able to enjoy in spite of the performance of 'my team'. Yes, I wanted England to win but it was a pleasure to see the Aussie attack in the flesh and, above all else, finally make the pilgrimage to Lord's. 

It'd be interesting to go back for a county game to explore the surrounds fully - away from the crowds of a test match day - but equally it was special to be there for the Ashes. England may not have performed but the weather did and the venue lived up to the occasion. 

Trent Bridge will always be my cricketing home but Lord's, like the ever-flowing Veuve Clicquot, was the sort of classy-but-expensive pleasure well worth sampling for a treat (although I stuck to the £4.80 beer and benefitted from the skills of a friend to get in).

Ten talking points as the Ashes heads to HQ

The Lord's test begins on Thursday, with England heading to the Home of Cricket in good shape after a superb 169-run win over Australia in Cardiff.

England win by 169 runs!! Yes boys! Top performance #Ashes pic.twitter.com/I6E0Xflx6L

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 11, 2015

Here's ten thoughts looking back on that victory, and forward to the next game (everyone loves a listicle right?)...

1. Siddle on the slope

It's refreshing to be able to go into the second test with no selection debates for England. Australia, meanwhile, might be weighing up a change or two. Personally, if I were the Australians I'd turn to Peter Siddle. He's aggressive, consistent and experienced and should drive the likes of Johnson, Starc or Hazlewood on. The aggression would be help the visitors go toe to toe with the likes of Stokes while his consistency and experience could be vital given the lack of the recently retired Ryan Harris. I also fancy he'd do well on the infamous Lord's slope.

2. Haddin Out

He may be one of the more combative members of the touring party, but every cricket fan must surely wish Brad Haddin well. He has withdrawn due to family reasons and you only have to hope all is well. He leaves big shoes to fill - and 29-year-old Peter Nevill will be faced with that daunting task.

Brad Haddin has withdrawn from second #Ashes Test for family reasons. Peter Nevill to debut: http://t.co/2L3kvg5z7t pic.twitter.com/rC4hV7inCX

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) July 14, 2015

3. Pitch perfect?

There was a lot of crowing about the pitch in Cardiff and it seemed unfair. Plenty of runs were scored at a good pace, while bowlers were able to chip in with wickets when they put the ball in the right areas. The pitch delivered a good match and a result, what more do people want? Graeme Swann made a good point when he alluded to the fact that new drainage systems have dried out many pitches in this country and made them a little slower. 

4. Ali again

At some point people are going to have to accept that Moeen Ali is a worthy first choice spinner for England, especially in home conditions. If 19 wickets against India last summer weren't enough, he took big wickets at important times in the first test to remind a few of the critics what he can do. I enjoyed Ed Smith's piece in the Sunday Times on Moeen, he has, oddly, become the ideal number eight.

5. Lyon king

While we're on spin, Nathan Lyon deserves a mention. Little is said about the Aussie spinner but he was probably the most potent part of the attack in Cardiff. England should underestimate him at their peril, he'll take plenty of wickets this summer if he continues in the same vein.

6. Captain Cook

Hats off to Alistair Cook. While the skipper didn't deliver the best of tallies with the bat, he more than made up for it with good catching and excellent captaincy. In typically understated fashion he rotated his attack to good effect and they all responded with excellent execution of their skills. This should form the blueprint for success going forward.

7. Leave Root alone

Man of the match Joe Root was magnificent again and a real joy to watch. Let's leave him exactly where he is in the order - and not weigh him down with the captaincy any time soon - and hope his form can continue for as long as possible. 

8. Complacency

It's not only Lyon that England would do well be mindful of. Some pundits - probably the same ones who wrote England off entirely - have virtually written the Aussies off and that's dangerous. The experience and talent in the Aussie squad is such that nothing should be taken for granted. Darren Lehmann is hardly going to let his men roll over either.

9. Any draws?

One thing that struck me about the way both teams played their cricket is how neither side seems suited to toughing out a draw. Both sides are filled with naturally attacking batsmen with just a couple of characters who look as though they could drop anchor and see out time. Rain or circumstances may prove me wrong, but the manner in which both teams play suggests there could be plenty of results and maybe not too many fifth days.

10. Ticket holder

Thanks to a friend - a VERY good friend - I shall be heading to Lord's for the first time to see day three of the upcoming test. Last time the Aussies were here I had tickets to the fourth day at Trent Bridge and it's amazing how this affects your view of the play. In 2013 I endured a highly nervy third day, desperately hoping the game would slow down and things would stop 'happening'. It's an odd thing as a fan, you want your side to do well, but not too well until you see your slice of the action.

Stage set for Ashes thrills and spills

48 days, 22 players, 5 tests, 2 nations and one 11cm tall urn. The Ashes begins tomorrow as England and Australia battle it out to try to win the tiny trophy that is surely the hardest in the whole of sport to hold aloft in celebration. Still, it's an endearing quirk of this most enduring of sporting rivalries.

It's official now. The #Ashes is ON! #CmonAussie pic.twitter.com/dBLsCIGiJ2

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) July 7, 2015

The Ashes may have been played a little too often in recent years due to a schedule that is harder to decipher than the Duckworth Lewis method, but that hasn't dampened the spirits ahead of this clash. In fact, a combination of a big change in personnel for England and a stunning test and one-day series with Australia's Antipodean neighbours, means this series feels surprisingly fresh.

2 captains, 1 Investec #Ashes Trophy & 1 little urn... It all starts tomorrow!! pic.twitter.com/wVgI09hZKa

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 7, 2015

In many respects the tables have turned completely from 2013. Then England were the older and more settled side, buoyed by a series victory in Australia and a widely feared bowling lineup. Australia were regrouping under a new coach and were attempting to integrate newer players who had plied their trade in the more aggressive confines of the shorter form of the game.

Now, fast forward two years and England go into this series led by a new coach - an Aussie no less to add yet another subplot - and are trying to harness a new spirit from players with one-day experience. Australia's pace attack has established a fearful reputation and that, coupled with buckets of experience in the batting ranks, makes them clear favourites. It probably says a lot about the respective nations that Aussies have been queuing up to make bold predictions of a whitewash while Ian Bell, a veteran of six series, is happy to accept the role of underdog for the home team (which, it's worth noting, hasn't lost an Ashes in England since 2001).

Despite the fact that the Baggy Greens have the world's number one batsman in their ranks in Steve Smith, you do feel that the series rests on the way England's batsmen cope with the Australian attack.

The visitors arrive from Down Under with the most fearful pair of Mitchells since Grant and Phil from Eastenders in the shape of bowling duo Starc and Johnson. Johnson blew the batsmen away with sheer pace on his home soil in 2013/14 and will be hoping that his sheer reputation sends ripples of fear through the home dressing room. Even more worrying for England is the fact that Starc is possibly even better.

The aggression of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler could meet their fire with a counter-attacking fire, but England will need to accept that there will be failures in taking such an approach. All concerned must hold their nerve and back such players to come good. The players themselves need to find the right tone, remembering that they are in a test and not a T20.

Before these champing-at-the-bit youngsters arrive at the crease though it's up to Captain Cook to steer his side through the early exchanges. He has shown promising signs so far in 2015 of a return to form and it's hard to imagine an England win without a significant contribution from the nation's record test run scorer.

While Cook needs to draw on all of his powers of concentration to set the tone with the bat, his fellow record breaker Jimmy Anderson will need to shine with the ball. Much is made of the 'English conditions' being tough to cope with. Anderson - in tandem with Stuart Broad - is vital to making this home advantage pay.

In a way that's the key to success for England. The old timers - Cook, Bell, Anderson and Broad - must set a solid platform from which the younger players can shine. Cook needs to let that message filter into his captaincy too. He's often accused of being poor tactically but essentially he doesn't need a grand plan - he just need to be a calm head to get the best from Stokes, Wood, Buttler and Lyth.

In Joe Root England have a player with the class to aspire to Steve Smith's batting crown - and the potential to be star man. He will be targeted like never before and - thanks to David Warner - already has a bit of spice on his Ashes menu.

1/2 Disappointing to have my character questioned- those who know me realise how ridiculous Warner's excuse for hitting me sounds...

— Joe Root (@joeroot05) July 4, 2015

2/2 ...but that's his choice to try and justify his actions. I'm just extremely excited about next week and getting back out there.

— Joe Root (@joeroot05) July 4, 2015

In Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali, England do have two question marks. Both, however, have earned the chance to prove their critics wrong. Last summer's performances from this pair were superb, Ballance with a formidable batting average and Moeen taking wickets applenty against the supposed spin specialists of India.

It's certainly set for an intriguing contest. Confident, experienced and formidable favourites against a talented, developing side with home advantage. Australia probably should shade it but the signs are there that it could be a good contest.

It's also one of those all-too-rare occasions where test match cricket takes centre stage and a series is played out over five matches. Here's hoping for a cricketing feast that's even tastier than the Kiwi clashes that have whetted the appetite so nicely.

Lessons from cricket for English football after under-21s exit

When it comes to football, what do Spain, Holland and France all have in common? Better than England a battle hardened follower of the Three Lions might say...

Yet, actually, none of these international powerhouses even made it to the under-21 European football championships. It's a little unfair that England's young stars have been widely criticised for 'flopping' at a tournament that that trio weren't good enough to make.

Today Germany crashed out with a 5-0 defeat against a Portugal side that beat England 1-0. Presumably the same mob that came out with the tired old cliches about England's side will be hammering the heirs to the world champions' shirts now too?

The worst thing about the England national team is not the quality of the football, it's the ridiculousness of the reactions to it. Win a couple of games and we're tournament winners in waiting. Lose one and everyone should be sacked, the Premier League must be reformed and the players are roundly pilloried.

When it comes to the under-21s the reaction is even more tiresome. Yes, we need to get more of our young talent into Premier League starting XIs and yes we should pick our best available players in the age category.

But these tiresome circular debates do little good for the players who are actually there. Spending time moaning about the lack of Jack Wilshere or Ross Barkley will do little to instil confidence in their replacements.

Likewise there is little recognition that only 8 teams can make this tournament. Losing in the group stages of the under 21 Euros is hardly comparable to the adult sides. Our track record of reaching these events is excellent and no-one has an entitlement to win.

I also feel we've lost track of what the point of the under-21s is. Yes tournaments, results and competitions are important - but the ultimate goal is to groom the next generation. The only way to judge how much of a 'flop' or not Southgate's side is is to look back on this lineup and see how many make it as full internationals.

Southgate himself has gone from England senior manager in waiting to under fire, a trajectory that befell his predecessor. The side themselves are now being labelled 'mediocre' on the radio by the likes of Danny Mills and Joey Barton - rent-a-quote players who will know a thing or three about mediocrity.

In saying this I do think there is a need to address the 'stage fright' our youngsters encounter on such occasions (nothwithstanding selection and injuries). Yet the reaction to this tournament is part of the problem.

I can't help thinking that some lessons could be learned from England's one day cricket team. Battered and bruised from a pathetic World Cup showing (and you thought the u21s performance was bad) the team has turned its fortunes around by letting its young talent loose.

The biggest and most refreshing change in 50-over cricket for England has been to remove the fear of failure. Players are sent out to attack, express themselves and be aggressive.

It's tempting to say that this is how the footballing young guns should play. It's certainly too simplistic to say 'all out attack' is the way forward - but the aggression and freedom to express themselves is key.

Yet, when it comes to the cricketing revolution this summer, patience has also been key to the success. Fans and media have embraced the new regime and accepted that defeats and set backs are inevitable when a team sets out to play a riskier but more exciting way.

Are we ready to accept that our young up and coming footballers will make mistakes and lose games? Until we are the straightjacket will be on and the fear of failure will inhibit the way our young stars go about their business.

I can't help thinking that that mentality - over and above team selection, formations and managers etc, - is important to encourage and nurture our under-21s. If we're to do that - and match England's exciting cricketing turnaround on the cricket field - the long-term benefit for the senior level could be telling.

That means that, as the public, we too must play our part and stop simply trotting out criticism from the sidelines. This negativity is part of the problem.

Exciting start for England's 'new era'

England's cricketers have been playing a different version of the one day game to the rest of the world for many years - a slower, duller and less successful one at that. Today it would be an understatement to say the penny finally seemed to have dropped.

At a humbling World Cup the side continued to go through the motions while exciting attacking line ups fielded by rival side put them well and truly to shame. We were happy to 'get 250 on the board' while most teams wanted to have reached that total with 10 or more overs left. Our batting was timid and our all round game hampered by poor plans based on out-of-date statistics.

The talk after the tournament - where we've had a welcome switch to red ball cricket - was of the need for a 'new era'. Long-term followers will have listened that and thought 'we've heard that one before'. It's easy to talk of change - no-one in sport ever talks of carrying on losing - but it's harder to match those words with actions.

The signs were promising as soon as the squad was selected - and there was a real will to see the likes of Hales, Roy and Rashid let loose at last alongside a smattering of other fresh names. The expectation was that this bunch could give the beaten World Cup finallists of New Zealand a decent game - and learn from them in the process.

It wouldn't be England if everything went smoothly and the loss of Jason Roy from the first ball brought the optimists crashing down to earth straight away.

But not to worry. The excellent Joe Root - sure to be England's star performer in all formats for years to come - swiftly went about keeping the faith of the watching public. With sumptuous stroke play and powerful hitting he rebuilt the innings with the help of captain Eoin Morgan.

Root is so good that he often gets touted as a possible captain but I'm more than happy that he continues without that particular crown of thorns for the time being. Morgan's knock - and later captaincy in the field - proved his worth at the helm. You always felt the Irishman would've been happier with a freer, more instinctive game plan anyway and so it proved.

But then came the setbacks. Wickets fell and at 202-6 the timid old England of the World Cup would've folded. Not so today. The brilliant Buttler and fearless Rashid simply took up the charge and powered Morgan's men on and on. Buttler's brute force, timing and invention was breathtaking and Rashid's bucaneering knock shouldn't be understimated either, helping to drive his partner on.

The icing on the cake came in some style courtesy of Liam Plunkett, who came in and smashed his first two balls for six apiece and saw the innings over the 400 mark.

The records tumbled - but the symbolism was even more important. We can mix it with the big boys after all.

New Zealand approached their impossible chase with admirable bravery. McCullum briefly threatened to inflict pain on Steven Finn but, buoyed by the aggression of the batsmen, the tall fast bowler shrugged off a couple of hefty blows, held his nerve and sent the Kiwis' talisman packing to begin a haul of 4-35.

The highlight of the bowling innings, though, came from Adil Rashid. The Yorkshire leg spinner has been talked about for so long and justified the faith to at last give him a go. He went through his full repertoire of deliveries and helped to tame the middle order with a fantastic 4-55. There's a real joy in watching a leg spinner in full flow and it was a delight to see this lesser-spotted art performed in and England shirt to such effect.

And, with that, England polished off New Zealand for 198, winning by a massive 212 run margin. At the World Cup 212 alone looked a struggle.

The important thing is not to get carried away. There will be days when batsman fail - indeed Roy and Billings didn't shine this time - and others when Rashid receives some 'treatment'. The magnificent manner of the victory in this match and the goodwill it will rightly earn deserves to secure patience from selectors and supporters. We won't get 400 every time but we have shown that aggression and positivity can pay off. Trevor Bayliss can simply burn a few copies of this performance and reach for his pipe and slippers for now. More of the same please...

A welcome return to Trent Bridge

You can't beat a spot of cricket at Trent Bridge, and the purest way to get a fix is with a day of county championship cricket. Yes, there's not the pyrotechnics of the Twenty20 or the intensity of a Test Match - both enjoyable in their own right - but there's a real joy to be had from days such as today.

It's perhaps easy to take the venue for granted but we shouldn't. This ever-evolving ground - with all singing and dancing scoreboard screens and new stands - is a world class setting and regularly ranked among the top of its kind by people within the game. It pays not to forget how lucky we are to have that in reach.

A county championship match offers the perfect chance to soak in the surrounds and enjoy a slice of sporting action in a relaxing atmosphere. The action unfolds intriguingly before you - but at the sort of pace that leaves room to dip in and out a little. In fact I often find it's a great chance to catch up with a friend for a chinwag and today was also a good chance for that - a perfect mix of social and sporting pleasures. Oh and £15 for seven and a half hours? Not bad at all.

So, what of the action? Well, the combination of the cloud cover and green-looking wicket meant Nottinghamshire captain Chris Read was happy to put the visitors from Somerset into bat. It seemed to be a smart move when, before I'd even taken my seat, Vernon Philander removed ex-England opener Marcus Trescothick.

The South African test star has struggled to settle since joining the county but really got his teeth into the action today, with tight probing bowling that maybe deserved even more success than was shown by his final figures of 4-56. Luke Wood ably assisted Philander but Jake Ball and Harry Gurney struggled to keep the pressure on the visitors and it looked like Somerset would head to lunch having seen off the worst of the early morning pressure.

Then up stepped Steven Mullaney. He relished the conditions and made a breakthrough by beating Johann Myburgh for length, just when a half century was in his grasp. His partner James Hildreth then fell to Philander - the third of seven batsmen clean bowled during the day - as the game turned. The icing on the cake for the home side was provided when Tom Cooper came and went - just like that! - for a five-ball one, another victim of Mullaney. 101-5 made it Notts' morning.

After a nice lunch time pint - the Belhaven Golden Bay in the Pavilion - I expected (and hoped) Chris Read's men might turn the screw and limit the visitors to at least below 250, but it wasn't to be.

Some excellent aggressive hitting from Peter Trego (41) and that perennial fly in the ointment James Allenby (64) wrestled control back for Somerset, their efforts taking them to 241-8 before James Overton strode to the crease and stole the show.

The tall number 10 powered his way to the sort of quick scoring innings that wouldn't have been amiss in a Twenty20, with 11 4s in an impressive 31-ball 55. It was only when Gurney finally bowled full and straight that his damaging knock came to an end after tea. Still, when Luke Wood smashed Tim Groenewald's stumps to finish the innings off, Somerset would surely have been delighted with their total of 312.

Notts then faced a tricky 24 overs before the end of the day. Steven Mullaney seemed to ride his luck a little and, just when he was starting to settle, fell to a slightly harsh looking lbw decision. Debutant Greg Smith then added just 8 before himself falling lbw to a decision that appeared more clear cut.

Then, with two Taylors at the crease, it was a case of toughing it out against some tight bowling from Trego (8-4-17-0) and Groenewald (9-4-16-1). While the early overs gave a few too many 'leave-able' balls to the batsmen, this pair had the bit between their teeth by the end - vociferously appealing a couple of close lbw shouts against Brendan Taylor. As the spectators shivered in increasingly cool conditions and the floodlights were called upon to lift the gloom, both Taylors just about clung on, Brendan ending on 11 off 73 balls.

And that was that. It's probably curious to fans of other sports to leave a day's action with nothing decided but seeing the ultimate result isn't necessary to enjoy the cricket. If the weather forecast is to be believed then it may be a struggle to get a result in this game in the next three days but that didn't matter today. Good cricket, good company and a great setting all made for an enjoyable day. More people ought to learn to love the appeal of this gem of the British summer.

Different World Cup, same old story

The World Cup is upon us. On the eve of the tournament England are predicted to struggle and be on the plane home long before the silverware is dished out. There's still some debate on the best line up, the tactics that they ought to deploy, the leadership is under scrutiny and a high profile ex-captain and would-be star player is unavailable for selection after a high profile fall out.

No, we haven't time travelled. This isn't the build-up to last summer's football World Cup in Brazil, but the situation that faces the nation's cricket team (well, the nation plus the players we've borrowed from others) ahead of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

It's odd isn't it? Do other nations operate the same way to us? When we have a complicated but undoubtedly talented and experienced star, be it John Terry or Kevin Pietersen, we seem unable to manage them. Yes, it can't be easy but isn't it the job of the leadership of our sporting teams to manage big egos and star names? Can Arjen Robben, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jacques Kallis or Shane Warne have been 'easy' to handle?

Still, just as John Terry was nowhere near Roy Hodgson's team in Brazil, 'KP' will be taking to the airwaves with the Test Match Special team instead of switch-hitting and strutting around the crease. Interestingly he won't be involved until the quarter finals, by which time he may not have pass comment on his former teammates...

In South America the tactics of Roy Hodgson and captaincy of Wayne Rooney were under intense scrutiny. Pundits were looking for a bolder, more attacking approach that made use of the talented young stars that had emerged into the ranks. Sound familiar? Down Under the Three Lions will be led by newly-installed captain Eoin Morgan who is talented but yet to live up to his potential. His England side contains the likes of Jos Buttler, James Taylor, Chris Woakes and Steven Finn - talented young players who are crying out to be 'let loose' in the shorter form of the game. They're the Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of the cricket world. Morgan and the management need to find a way to make sure the nation's cricketing talent can be harnessed to get the kind of results their footballing counterparts failed to find last summer.

Those results will be difficult to find in the first two games. While our footballers faced Italy and Uruguay, the cricketers come up against both host nations straight away. Unlike the football, though, there will be chance to grow into the tournament - and Scotland, Bangladesh and Afghanistan should offer a more realistic prospect of victory. That may make it much easier to qualify for the knockout stages, but those first games are still important as the side looks to find its form and improve the way it plays the 50-over format.

To be fair to Hodgson, he adapted his style from the 2012 European  Championships, when he was thrown in at the deep end and threw together a defensive lineup. The cricket team's troubles have been in not keeping up the pace with the rest of the world. While other teams are littered with powerful hitters who continue to push the boundaries (quite literally) England still potter on with the same plan and tactics of 10 years ago. 45-1 off ten overs is no longer anywhere near enough - with teams plundering closer to double that on a regular basis. Likewise, we still seem to view 300 as a big total when others virtually see it as 'par', especially on fast, bouncy Australian wickets.

Whether it's death bowling, powerful six hitting, innovative stroke making, or 'finishing' with the bat we're behind our rivals - we badly need to score more runs and be much tighter with the ball at the end of an innings. It mirrors the football team's need to pass the ball better - especially compared to much better rivals on the continent.

And what of the contenders? South Africa are clearly cricket's Argentina. In AB De Villiers they have the nearest the game has to a Lionel Messi and, just like the South Americans, you feel that they may struggle to live up to the undoubted talent they have in their ranks to back up the star man.

They should be able to reach the semi finals but you feel one of the two hosts, both in decent form, should emerge as the winner, with the boys in the baggy green the more likely.

The Indians don't seem to enjoy playing in Australia, Sri Lanka are asking too much for their senior pros, West Indies are a mess again and Pakistan don't seem capable of consistent, quality performances.

England, meanwhile, will be left with a familiar debate to that of the football world. We'll have a debate about grass roots, about the direction and rules of the domestic game and we'll probably commission a review. It's all depressingly familiar.

And yet, despite England's difficulties and the long and flawed tournament format,  I'm still looking forward to it. Plus, on the bright side, we definitely won't crash out on penalties...