保罗科林伍德要求英国队的击球手负起责任来

来源: The Guardian 编辑: Vicki

在加的夫今晚的公开赛中，英格兰队士气低落的队员们击败了自开赛以来失败场数最多的澳大利亚队。比赛的第四天迎来了大雨，不得不将比赛推迟。估计明天仍会有大雨，但是举办方透露不会因为天气原因而长时间耽搁比赛。保罗科林伍德训练球员道，“英格兰队的队员必须打起精神来，负起责任来，积极面对这个赛季，而不可以把任务推给别的任何人。”

Paul Collingwood calls for England's batsmen（击球手） to take responsibility

England are contemplating（正在考虑） a demoralising（士气低落的） defeat in the opening Test in Cardiff tonight after Australia racked up（得分） their highest Ashes total since the war. The tourists declared on 674 for six after Marcus North and Brad Haddin completed centuries to go with the hundreds already made by Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting, before England lost the Essex pair of Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara cheaply in their second innings.

By the time rain swept in from the west to prevent any play after tea on the fourth day, England were 20 for two, still 219 runs short of avoiding an innings （局）defeat that had seemed almost impossible when they made 435 first time round on Wednesday and Thursday. Rain is forecast in Cardiff again tomorrow, but according to the Met Office the chances of a lengthy stoppage are slim.

"To call it soul-destroying would be a bit over the top," said Paul Collingwood. "The batsmen are going to have to take responsibility as individuals to see it through for three sessions and not leave it to anyone else. We believe we've got the players to do the job."

Unless Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen, the not-out batsmen, play out of their skins, Australia are likely to head to Lord's for Thursday's second Test – a venue where England have not beaten them since 1934 – with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

For England's bowlers（玩滚球的人） yesterday it was death by a thousands cuts, pulls, drives and hoicks（喝声）. Australia resumed on 479 for five and did not lose a wicket until 2.55pm, when Haddin heaved Collingwood's occasional medium-pace to deep midwicket （三柱门）for 121.

By that time, the record books had been consulted on a humiliatingly regular basis. Not since 1934 and the days of Don Bradman had Australia made more against the old enemy. Never before had four batsmen reached three figures in the same Test innings against England. Meanwhile, North, with 125 not out, and Haddin became the 15th and 16th Australians to hit hundreds on their Ashes debuts.

Worse was to come for England after Ponting finally called an end to the mayhem with seven overs to go before tea. On a pitch on which England had managed six wickets in 12 hours and 24 minutes, Australia needed roughly 12 hours fewer to strike twice. Cook made only six, his second failure of the match, before he was plumb in front in the fifth over, playing round a straight ball from the left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson.

Six balls later, Bopara made the same mistake against Ben Hilfenhaus to depart for a single. If the umpire （裁判）Billy Doctrove failed to register that the ball appeared to be heading over the top, then Bopara was culpable of not playing straight. For England, the rain that had been promised all day could not come quickly enough.

Keke View：在2005年时，英国木球员保罗•科林伍德（Paul Collingwood）因参与了英澳木球赛而获授MBE勋衔。