Star pacer James Anderson says England are determined to win the Ashes and are not content by just retaining them
Star pacer James Anderson says England are determined to win the Ashes and are not content by just retaining themEngland are about to end a second successive year on a high -- but just as 12 months ago, there is a major piece of unfinished business to attend to once the next one starts.
James AndersonThis time, Sydney looms larger than either Cape Town or Johannesburg did -- especially for James Anderson.
The England fast bowler was unable to help his team protect their 1-0 lead over South Africa at the start of 2010, although he did take eight wickets in the last-ditch draw at Newlands.
MotivationAgain England lead by just one Test, with one rather than two still to play after the turn of the year, and motivation to seal an outright Ashes triumph is at an all-time high.
Anderson, for one, needs only to think back first to his childhood and youth, and routine defeats against Australia home and away -- and then to England's 5-0 drubbing here at their last attempt four years ago -- to instinctively grit his teeth still tighter.
Asked if he wants to grind Australia into the dirt at the SCG, he said: "Definitely. It's happened too many times [to England] over the past few years -- when I was growing up as a kid watching us come over here and struggle, and then being involved in 2006-07 was really tough."
Should Andrew Strauss' team complete their mission with a draw or victory next week, few with the remotest interest in the event will need reminding they will have achieved a feat which has proved beyond every England touring side since 1986-87.
"All of us want to go home with a winning series, not just retaining the Ashes," added Anderson.
"We're not going to settle for that now.
"We've still got a 24-year record that we want to put to bed... we really want to go on and win this series."
To do so, England are under orders from coach Andy Flower and Strauss to put the celebrations after their fourth-Test victory in Melbourne out of their thoughts -- and concentrate solely on the next and last chapter of the 2010-11 Ashes.
EasyAnderson accepts it may be a little easier said than done to temporarily wipe the MCG out of everyone's mind.
"We want to wrap this series up 3-1. It's going to be pretty tough to put the highs we had in Melbourne behind us," he said.
"We're delighted with the way we played the last game, delighted with the outcome of retaining the Ashes.
"We celebrated well that night -- but now we've got to concentrate on the next game."
Anderson nonetheless believes Ponting's absence -- Michael Clarke will lead the team instead, and Usman Khawaja will bat at number three -- is a major blow to Australia."I think Ponting will be a huge loss for them," he said.
