Well, I thought that I'd get this thread in nice and early! :lol:

Only a few weeks until the Ashes.. I get the feeling that there might be a few CC'ers would will be interested in this, but I can't recall who!!

All that I know is that the beeb have rights to broadcasting the highlights for each day. Completely new presenters but I think that some of the pundits will have been part of the channel 4 team.. don't know if this will include Richie Benaud or not..

And I think that bbc digital might be showing some of the ashes too.. I don't know whether this is an extended version of the highlights or simply an earlier version, I do not know..:shrug:

Anyway, I was lucky enough to be in Oz the last time that the Ashes were held there, and saw a couple of days of the Adelaiide test too.. 34 degrees, not a cloud in the sky.. very nice...!

Well.. not too long to go now! Will hope to add more to this thread as the countdown commences in earnest :)

Hey Petalp, are you offering any predictions for the series? I'm living in Oz at the moment and general opinion seems to be that England have got nothing and that it should be a walk in the park for Australia. I'm trying to defend the England side but they haven't been too generous with ammunition in the last 12 months... I'm hoping that Freddy can be talismanic and that Monty lives up to the hype, but I'm taking the 'glass is half empty' approach and am bracing myself for some good old fashioned Aussie sledging! :( What are your thoughts?

Its hard to see England winning this time. There's been far too many injuries to key players and they don't seem to be in really good form at the moment. Winning one of the tests may be possible but I think the series will go to Australia.

Hi TM.. :)

Well, for starters the Aussies think that they are unbeatable on their home patch. and recent results seem to prove that.. plus they will be on a serious mission to get that urn back.. they were definitely complacant and even arrogant last year, and have admitted as much.

My concern for England is that they don't have great momentum going into this series. the Pakistan series wasn't that convincing and Sri Lanka even worse. I just hope that they rise to the contest, fired on by their recent Ashes success. They can take some psychological edge from that, but missing Simon jones and Michael Vaughan (even if I think that these days he is a better captain than batsman, and I saw hiim get that 177 in adelaide! :bow:)

yes, the aussies will alreawdy be confident.. But I agree with you.. they don't have fred, and then Harmy will be a hdnful on those bouncy pitches. I saw him bowl at Adelaide back then and was impressed with him then. Monty will hopefully do well too, and could really cause the Aussies problems :pray:

KP loves those types of pitches too.. bouncey, even pitches? nice for tres too.. :ok: Concerned more about the bowling, as Hoggy might struggle there ( no swing), and Mahmood, a bit flakey. If the bowling unit can gel then england have a great chance, as they can really get after the Aussie batsmen who I think are vulnerable overall .. it would be so sweet if england can retain the ashes.. but it is likely to be a real scrap.

And if your Aussie mates are giving you somme grief, it might be worth reminding them of the fact that the England team have raised their game for them once.. and I believe that they can do it again :ok: We need positive thinking here! :D

Will think as many positive thoughts as possible, but like you say, it all needs to gel at the same time (like last year, I suppose). At least holding the Ashes means that the team will know that they are capable. I think that probably negates the home advantage somewhat, but that still leaves current form to consider.... Keep it positive! I'm hoping to get some tickets for the Brisbane test. Would love to be sitting with some Aussie mates while England are smashing them around the park!!

I don't think England should be qritten off so quickly. Yes they have lost Vaughan (a big loss obviously as captain), Giles and Simon Jones, but they still have some world class players in there, and Monty Panesar looks like a more dangerous spinner than Gilo!

McGrath and Warne are pretty old now and it is debatable just how much they are going to be able to bowl. And Some of the Australian batsmen must have a bit of mental scarring from the last Ashes series, it's not just one way anymore!

Oz are favourites, but as the saying goes:

WHAT RHYMES WITH FAILURE?

AUSTRALIA! roflmao

Also malaysia, are they playing this year :o roflmao

I thought they only held this rubbish once every 4 years :rolleyes: roflmao

I know, i feel cheap just talking about it roflmao

That would be great, but sadly it is on every year (I think), and with everyone jumping on the bandwagon, it will be obsessed over in the media :rolleyes:

Well, consider yourselves suitably sullied!! :lol:

The ashes takes place for the delight of those criminally insane people known as cricket fans about once every two years.. but due to the vagaries of southern hemisphere weather, it always takes place in Oz pretty quickly after the one in England.. it has to be in summer there. And the boxing day test in Mellbourne and the New Year's test in Sydney are big traditions..

And for the record, the media won't take much notice as it's not being held in England.. think how myopic the media is about tennis tournaments and you will get the picture..

Actually the one down under happens 1 and a half years after the one in england and our one happens 2 and half years after that one (as pointed out by Petalp because it has to happen in the summer). Basically twice every four years.

Anyways, i think it will be a really tough to retain it. Last time around they had a team which was in top form losing only 1 of their last 18 matches and winning 14 of those! They were in fairly decent shape in terms of fitness and they were confident and hungry. This time around its the complete opposite adn there are loads of influential players missing, most notably vaughan and Simon Jones. Vaughan's captaincy will be missed but he wasnt in top form with the bat during the last ashes bar that magnificent century in the third test i think although he was playing pretty well for Yorkshire before injury struck again.

There's not enough depth in the england squad either. once a couple get injured the replacements are too weak at the moment. THey look like they could be good players in the future but not at the moment especially the young bowlers like saj mahmood and Liam Plunkett. Anderson, however, could be one to watch. In the past he has been too uncontrolable but he is looking a much more refined player these days for LAncashire and in the few performances hes made for england.

However, there are some positives. Especially in the batting with the likes of Cook and Bell in great form. I cant remember which innings it was but recently Bell hit one of the best centuries ive ever seen never looking in trouble and dominating all the bowlers. Panesar also has been an awesome find. He is the first proper wicket taking spinner that we've had in a while and as good as GIlo was as a containing bowler and adding 20 odd runs with the bat, i prefer Panesars wicket-taking ability. AFter all, monty has taken the wickets of all the best players of spin, the sub continent batsmen who grow upon dirt tracks and that includes the likes of Yousouf, Inzammam, Sangakarra, Jayasuriya, kaif, dravid and TENDULKAR! Hopefully he doesnt get too intimidated down under....

I agree with what sam said :o , that the Australians arent a strong as previously. They had tough tours including one against the south africans. THeir players are getting on a bit with most of their squad 30 somethings..whereas the english team are quite young. Plus mcgrath doesnt look as potent as he was before (famous last words) but i think warne is still a danger. THe few times he's played for HAmpshire theyve nearly always won.

If im relaistic id probably go for a 3-1 victory to the Aussies pretty much becuase its in their backyard but i dont think a 2-2 drawn series (meaning we retain the ashes) is out of the question.

What would be your team for the first match? Mine:

Trescothick (if he sorts himself out, he's still a world class batsman)
Strauss
Cook
KP
Colly
Bell
Flintoff ©
Read (wk)
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar
one of: Plunkett/Anderson/Mahmood

Most of us usually think that sort of stuff about your competitions Dav roflmao

I agree virtually with everything said there mkk ;)

My best team for the series if they all were fit would be:

Trescothick if his head's ok
Strauss
Cook
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Flintoff ©
Read (wk)
Gilo if fit
Hoggard
Harmison
Panesar

I really wouldn't bother with Plunkett or Mahmood in the ashes team if at all possible - Plunkett never strikes me as an extremely dangerous bowler, while I could see poor Sadj Mahmood taking a real pasting from those Aussies because he bowls too many boundary balls. Jimmy Anderson (who has a big admirer on this board) would be in my team had he played a lot more cricket - he'd be in a bit cold and you can't be against the Aussies.

If Gilo is fit (I don't know the current situation) they should go with him AND Panesar as spinners - Gilo also offers lower order runs remember, and the Aussies look like they will be playing two spinners.

I thought you were gone :rolleyes: roflmao

Is there anything wrong with me having the occasional post? I had to look at the poscars situation anyway roflmao

and it's true about dav roflmao

Not long to go now just over a week should be a great series!

It would be a good series if England picked their best team!! :angry: :angry: :angry:

Why oh why oh why have they omitted Monty Panesar?! Word fail me..

I like El Gilo and all.. but Monty was a shoo in for me.. grrr!!!


And England are getting carted around the park right now.. not good.. :(

I cant understand why you guys picked Giles, Panesar from what Ive seen of him seems a real prospect!

Australia 346-3 after Day 1 Ponting is 137* its safe to say they are very well placed.

That is a belter of a pitch though - the ball isn't doing anything for the bowlers.

If England bat sensibly they should be able to score 400+ too and this test will be a draw - I don't agree with petalp about Panesar, I remember how important Giles proved with the bat in the last ashes series.
He hit the winning runs in the 4th test, then hit an invaluble 50 to support pietersen in the final test. This is a pitch for batting! Monty's time will come later in the series!

Australia 602-9
England 53-3 Hard to see England saving this game now.

We'll have to see - remember the aussies were bowling at the best time of the day, today it could prove harder for them if Pietersen and Freddie can get some big knocks in.

If England get to 403 and avoid the follow-on they will draw this test - a psychological blow for Australia

Well they didnt! England bowled out for 157 Australia 181-1 2nd innings.

Yes, the pitch is a good one.. but hey, it's taking spin, and Panesar isn't playing.. And if the pitch is so good, then why were England worried about having a bit of a tail re: batting? The top order should have been able to have score 300-350 between them in the first innings, and the tail eke out 20 runs min, 50 runs max, and maybe avoid the follow on.

I think that Monty should have played in this match, and Duncan Fletcher has been far too defensive yet again. I just think that Monty and an in form seamer would have been far more adept at putting pressure on Australia whilst they were batting.. and this is something that England have failed to do in this match, and as a result they have been under the cosh right from the word 'go'. Given the importance of psychology in the game, it was a poor statement of intent to go into the game with defence in mind.

Good to see Collingwood and KP getting runs though. I'm not sure about these rumours about stormy weather on its way. I'm just glad that England made it to a fifth day, which is an achievement of sorts given their woeful record at Brisbane..

Englands first-innings batting just was not good enough! :(

Some of the England batsmen are giving their wickets away far too cheaply - look at strauss' and flontoff's dismissals for starters!

And I couldn't believe colling wood trying to hit warne over the stand when we needed to keep wickets intact!

I don't think Monty playing would have reduced the Australian score mind - it's our quick bowlers that have cost us the game. Harmison is in crisis and gave the game away with his first ball, and Anderson was just there to be hit! Freddie and Hoggard tried hard but they need support. Look at the Aussie quicks, Lee, McGrath and Clark. The got most of the wickets

I wouldn't play Sajid Mahmood, he's too loose and the Aussies would have a field day with him. I think Stuart Broad should be tried myself, he's very tall, quick and he's consistent!