Cook sets sights on back-to-back victories

BIRMINGHAM, England: 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.
Cook’s men took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with a dominant eight-wicket win completed inside three days in the third Test at Edgbaston on Friday.
Yet since drawing their series opener against the West Indies in Antigua in April, England have been unable to string two wins together in their subsequent seven Tests in 2015.
Friday’s victory 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.
“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. Durham paceman Mark Wood could take Anderson’s place.