Who's going to win and why? Over to you.
Oh my....I so hope it's us not them, but I really don't know. The England (and Wales!) team is better, but it's the Ashes and it's in Australia........
It'll be tight, we (England) have the better team at the moment but we generally struggle against them mentally and it's at their gaff.
Looking forward to it though 🙂
Two words, Steven Finn 🙂
Three words:
Graeme Peter Swann
If one thing is certain it's that the Aussies will raise their game against the Poms. Ricky Pontin might have to do it singlehanded but you wouldn't bet against him. And I can see it being his last series as captain so he'll be stubborness personified, if he loses he'll have to step down or be sacked and if he wins he'll quit whilst ahead. I think the key will be the English batsmen, who more often than not underperform. If they can get runs on the board, I think the bowlers will do the business.
I don't know any of the middle names 😆
I've kicked a Sherrin AFL ball around on the Gabba, gonna be good!
You know Ponting is a tough fella but unfortunately he stands alone, Watson is sporadic and even including Hauritz in the squad is a joke...
Seems like they have a good team spirit going on.
Some happy memories!
England would be a better side with five bowlers imo although i do think that anderson, broad and swann do have a good chance of bowling out all of the current aussie side every innings, BUT if Swann falls flat then England could really struggle to find an edge in the bowling.
The batting looks level on both sides, it'll be down to how well the England bowlers bowl, as i can't see Johnson, Siddle, Bollinger, Hilfenhaus and Hauritz beating the Engalnd attack/batting
The England (and Wales!)
you need to add a few more nationalities to that list though
Australia are weak and are there for the taking whether our team will do this or regain their ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory remains to be seen
To be fair Siddle has some good aggression despite his unusual choice in sunscreen, Bollinger too has some good pace. They do seem beset with injuries though, and it does seem that it is only Mr Ponting holding the team together.
I'm India.
Cricket fans are mental!
Personally, I think we're going to have to get over 450 in at least three innings, and in all probability 500+ in one. And this is where we're likely to fall down because we're not exactly renowned for getting high scores in places like Australia.
We're also going to have to find a way to take 20 wickets, and if the likes of Ponting and co are up against it, they're going to be stubborn to remove.
Reckon we'll win 2-1.
I've got the same sort of feeling as I had at the start of 2005 - I'm not expecting us to win, but I believe we can (in contrast to 2006 when I expected us to get thumped). They've not seemed that brilliant in the warm up games, but then it's also best warm up they've had in recent times - first time ever they've won at the WACA?
even including Hauritz in the squad is a joke...
Except he's not http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/current/story/487990.html - I'd say that's a positive selection from the Aussies, Doherty being somebody who's more likely to bother us IMHO.
Ask us after the first ball - remember 2006?! Or indeed, the first session of 2002, when Jones knackered his knee?
FWIW, Anderson won't be able to swing it about due to the ball and the (lack of) humidity, so it may well depend on how tight he keeps it.
The English are good losers. They will stick to what they're good at.
The English are good losers
The Aussies have been rather better at that recently - remind me when you last won a test?
aracer - Member
The Aussies have been rather better at that recently - remind me when you last won a test?
Yeah, but we're bad losers. Virgin daughters of team captains get sacrificed, questions get asked in the house, beer sales plummet, etc.
You guys are much better losers... 🙂
You guys are much better losers
Though we're getting a bit out of practice.
The guys at work already seem to be resigned to the fact. I'm confused, for a country that's allegedly cricket mad, noone wants to talk to me about it!
Punter's not been doing well at all recently, and he can't do it all himself. Perhaps the convicts should have a chat to ****stan on how to buy a win?
Getting a bit concerned at our media's cockeyness.. the aussies will up their game theres no doubt.. I would love it (in a keegan style) if we beat them though!
[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSULl2U59JIIETGbCGocmPfYwoAeZN-ufypetxDrRMSvOfqkJd3wQ [/img]
if our batsmen don't chuck their wickets away it'll be pretty much in the bag, hopefully cook and pietersen will get some time in the middle to settle any lingering nerves....
I thought there would be a fast moving thread on here what with it being about 9 hours from kicking off.. instead it is oddly quiet. 🙁
Pietersen is the big worry for me - big things always expected of him and he hasn't delivered for a while.
Does anyone know where it might be available to watch on the interweb? For free of course.
I thought there would be a fast moving thread on here what with it being about 9 hours from kicking off.. instead it is oddly quiet.
I'm assuming most people are head-down at the moment, trying to get work out of the way, then a couple of hours' nap this evening, then staying up all night following it via TMS and Guardian OBO. That's my plan anyway.
All night? Fair play. I am aiming for lunch tho if our wickets are tumbling or theres nowt going on I may well go to bed! 😀
Big decision as to watching the Man Utd Rangers game with friends prior to Ashes.. could be a recipe for disaster..
if you have a friend with Sky Sports I think you can have about 5 things registered for skyplayer, maybe they would lend you a login?
Hmmm, don't think I know anyone with Sky Sports - everyone I know (me included) has ditched it in the last few years.
I have just found a link...
Will I get in trouble for posting it here?
I shall be trying that one anyway 🙂
😀 Wish I had booked tomorrow off.. so excited, I do love an Ashes series.
Day one to the Aussies.