Whether Michael Clarke stays at No. 4 or drops to No. 5, attacks or attempts to grind things out, his search for runs will continue at two of his least-favourite venues
Daniel Brettig02-Aug-2015If Michael Clarke is to revive Australia’s Ashes campaign and his own flagging fortunes, he will not only be overturning the form trends of the past six months, but geographical tendencies that span an entire career. Trent Bridge and The Oval are among Clarke’s unhappiest hunting grounds in all of Test cricket.In his two visits to Nottingham, Clarke has managed just 115 runs at 28.75. His most significant contribution was a patient 56 in the second innings of the 2005 Test as Australia scrapped to set England a target after following on. However in both that innings and his first in 2013, Clarke was defeated by the late swinging ball, a notable trait of matches played at the ground.At The Oval, things get bleaker still for Clarke. It is his worst Test ground among those where he has played more than one match, averaging a mere 15.75 in five innings and never bettering 28. He had a notably poor match there in 2009, when an otherwise outstanding series was soured by tallies of 3 and 0 in Australia’s 197-run defeat. They had entered the match needing only a draw to retain the Ashes, but went home defeated.As further evidence of the task facing Clarke and his team, Australia have not won a single Test match at either Trent Bridge or The Oval in the time he has been playing. Both Trent Bridge matches were lost, while draws at The Oval in 2005 and 2013 fell either side of the aforementioned loss in 2009.Happy memories of a town and cricket ground can often help a player to regain their touch, but Clarke must now forge success in places where he has very few such recollections to call upon. His technique will once again be tested by the lateral movement commonly available in Nottingham, albeit without the threat of James Anderson’s swing.However Clarke chooses to approach the challenge that awaits him, he will not be short of advice. His friend Shane Warne has advocated a move back down to No. 5 in the batting order, the spot where he has enjoyed by far his most productive days in Test matches, though the former captain Ricky Ponting would prefer Clarke to stay at No. 4.Michael Vaughan, who faced his own battles in the final months of what had to that point been a highly successful captaincy career, believes Clarke looks caught between two minds at the crease, unsure of whether to attack or defend. Seemingly muddled footwork has provided evidence of this, as has his recent record of scoring rates.Michael Clarke’s run of poor form has continued throughout the Ashes•Getty ImagesOver 15 innings since the start of the series against Pakistan in the UAE last October, Clarke has burst out of the blocks at a strike rate of better than 50 on six occasions, while the remaining nine he has scored at a far more sedate rate. The mixed approach has not reaped consistent success, a mediocre tally of 365 runs at 28.07 propped up largely by 128 against India in Adelaide – Clarke’s only score over 50 in that time.”With the bat Clarke looks as if he is in two minds. Does he stick or twist? Does he occupy the crease and play attritionally or does he come out and attack?” Vaughan wrote in the . “He is not in the right mindset to play either way so he is getting caught in between. He is such a good player and still a danger because top players are not out of form for long.”If he makes the move to five at Trent Bridge it will give him more breathing space. I would advise him to come out and attack. It will help his feet move more and when you do that you end up leaving good balls and defending better. It might be a risk and he could get out early but I think he is a better player when he is looking to score.”Clarke’s former state and international team-mate Stuart Clark summed up the captain’s predicament, when a tail off in form occurs at an advanced age. No longer can Clarke be given time to come good. His time is now or never.”The biggest problem Michael’s got is when you’re 21 you can get away with it, people say ‘he’s a player of the future’,” Clark told Sky Sports Radio. “But when you’re 34, everyone starts asking are the eyes going, are the feet slowing, has he still got the want – all those other side issues start to come into play. There’s no question he’s still a good player, but you’ve got to get runs, and the only currency you’ve got when you’re a professional athlete is runs and wickets.”Runs have been scarce for Clarke at the next two Test match venues. It is another obstacle that would make success all the more rewarding, but failure all the more disheartening.
