Collingwood says he will be content with his match-saving knock in the first ashes test only if england go on to reclaim the Ashes
Collingwood says he will be content with his match-saving knock in the first ashes test only if england go on to reclaim the Ashes
Paul Collingwood will only gain real satisfaction from his marathon match-saving effort in Cardiff if England build on that final day of defiance and go on to regain the Ashes this summer.
Last wicket pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar earned the headlines on Sunday evening after surviving 40 nail-biting minutes to deny Australia victory in the opening Test. But it was Durham all-rounder Collingwood who laid the foundations for their efforts, repelling Australia's efforts for 343 minutes and 245 balls after England slumped to 70 for five and the brink of an innings defeat.
It was one of the great defensive performances in recent Ashes history and although Collingwood fell 11.3 overs before the eventual close, he joined his team-mates in leaving Cardiff relieved at completing the great escape.
Very satisfying"I always say you've got to play to the situation and although you can take a lot from personal highlights like double centuries and hundreds, when you do something like this it's very, very satisfying," said Collingwood.
"Okay, we only got a draw out of it in the end, but it means a lot to do it for the team and we can take a lot of heart out of the result in the end. I do love these kind of situations and to be able to get out in the middle and do your bit to help, so I can take a bit of pride in what I did, but at the moment it means nothing.
"We're 0-0 in the Ashes with four to play and hopefully this knowck will mean a bit more at the end of the series if it is an important day amongst a winning series."
Both teams head to Lord's for Thursday's second Test. England have not beaten Australia at Lord's since 1934, and Collingwood felt the prospect of ending that sequence will spur them on later this week.
