BIRMINGHAM: England captain Alastair Cook has challenged his side to end their frustrating inconsistency by winning two Tests in a row and regaining the Ashes at Trent Bridge.

Friday’s victory here at Edgbaston came on the back of a 405-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, which in turn followed England’s 169-run success in the first Test in Cardiff.

Should the sequence be maintained, England would regain the Ashes 3-2 with a win in the series finale at The Oval.

But Cook, understandably would rather England headed to south London 3-1 up -- and believes they can do even in the absence of injured fast bowler James Anderson.

“If [the sequence] goes to nine matches I will be just as happy but it would be nice to break that trend at Trent Bridge,” he said on Friday.

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

“Come tomorrow [Saturday] 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.”

Winning next week has been made tougher by the fact Anderson, who took an Ashes best six for 47 in Australia’s meagre first innings 136 at Edgbaston, has been ruled out with a side injury suffered while bowling in Birmingham.

Not only is Anderson, who turned 33 on Thursday, England’s all-time most successful bowler in Tests with 413 wickets, he is also a Trent Bridge specialist.

The Lancashire swing and seam bowler has an especially brilliant Test record at the Nottingham ground, with 53 wickets in eight matches at an average of 19.24.

Durham paceman Mark Wood, absent at Edgbaston because of an ankle injury, could take Anderson’s place.

England saw their decision to promote Ian Bell to number three vindicated as the stylish batsman scored two fifties on his Warwickshire home ground, including an unbeaten 65 on Friday that helped see Cook’s men to their victory target of 121.

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

“We know he’s a fine player but he’s had a bit of a tough time...it happens. Everyone in history has a bit of a tough time,” added the skipper.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2015

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