Northampton Town boss Jon Brady has gone from Ashes tour net to League Two promotion push

Fair dinkum Cobbler Jon Brady was once reeled in as an extra at net practice when England's cricketers were playing a Ashes tour match in his home town.

In truth, Mike Gatting's visiting attaches of bat and ball had made a strong impression. Venerable scribe Martin Johnson had famously concluded: “There are only three things wrong with this England team: They can't bat, they can't bowl and they can't field.”

And when 11-year-old Brady, playing football with his mates on a neighbouring sports ground, peered over the fence to judge for himself, our gallant cricketers lived down to the hype magnificently. Bowled out for 82 and thrashed by eight wickets against New South Wales, they had reverted to type after winning the first Test the previous week.

“I was having a kickabout with my mates on the pitch next door when the England coach, Micky Stewart, was giving a tall bloke with lots of curly blond hair some technical advice,” said the Northampton Town manager. “I think it was (fast bowler) Graham Dilley. We just stayed and watched for a bit, retrieving the ball, did a bit of fetching and carrying.”

For a schoolboy from Newcastle, a surfing resort and the largest coal port on the Pacific, it was cool to get a close look at the Poms. Little did Brady know that, 35 years later, he would be on the brink of becoming the first Aussie manager to win promotion in English football's top four divisions.

The privilege was cruelly snatched from the Cobblers last weekend, when they began the day with a five-goal advantage over Bristol Rovers for the remaining automatic promotion slot from League Two. Racing into a three-goal lead at Barrow, and eventually winning 3-1 at Holker Street, should have sealed the deal. But Rovers' 7-0