Ashes 2009

[Uncle Ethan]

It must be time mustn't it?

With England home from the Caribbean and Australia playing one dayers in South Africa, the build up starts.

England should have a real chance here.

McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist, Hayden and Langer have gone. Lee could be on his way out.

However, the Aussies steamrollered SA in the test series. That may be partly down to the home side's stupidity in letting their test players take time off before the series, but it was a good effort, nonetheless.

Of the new Australians, Phil Rogers is devastating when he comes off, but plays like Kevin Pietersen on speed.

The bowling, especially in the spinning department, is inconsistent, but Brad Haddin has been a good replacement for Gilchrist in batting terms. Not so sure about his keeping.

However, Mike Hussey is very experienced in English conditions and is due a big series - and England have a look about them that suggests one big innings a test will see them off.

Pietersen will get plenty of stick and if he doesn't score big runs, who will? Neither Strauss nor Cooke terrify the Australians. Suggestions Robert Key is next in line for the batting will have nobody shaking in fear.

Mitchell Johnson could cause havoc if he swings it.

It might come down to Flintoff's fitness as the rest of England's pace bowling looks limp.

The Australians for me, 2-1.

[Gangster Octopus]

Ashes 2009

Sadly I think that you're overplaying England's chances...

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

I don't think Flintoff will be a crucial player or (more likely) crucial absentee. The 2005 Ashes really do seem to have been a one off for him.

However, I think England have got a good chance here. Anderson, Broad and (if fit) Sidebottom are all likely to be much more effective in English conditions than they have been on tour. If the ball swings for Johnson, it's likely to swing for them too. In spin, England look well ahead - nogoalsnoglory characterises Australia's spinners as "inconsistent", I'd favour "crap".

We know Clark is good, Siddle looks promsing and Johnson looks awesome. But it'll be the first test series in England for any of them, and there's got to be a possibility that they won't get it right straight away (even with a month playing for Kent or whoever to warm them up). Hilfenhaus and McDonald look journeymen to me.

The batting looks more fragile than for a long time. Sure Hughes and Rogers ooze promise, but Ponting by his standards has had a prolonged quiet period, Clarke has been merely competent and as for Hussey "due a big series" is another way of saying "has been in poor form". Katich seems the most consistent batsmen for Aus at the moment, and while he's a good player, I don't think he's top rank.

England's batting is a concern. I think Strauss and Cook are fine, Pietersen obviously is a strength. Collingwood is worth a place. But I don't see a real claimant for any other batting place(s).

Obviously only a fool bets against Australia in an Ashes series, but I don't think the win over South Africa means all the cracks that opened up against India and in the home series against SA have been patched over.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

One thing I will bet on, is that the Glamorgan test will be a rain-ruined draw.

[The Purple Cow]

Ashes 2009

I dunno. England have the wrong captain and (I suspect) are about to get the wrong coach. The England dressing room has become a place where mediocre cricketers can find safe haven, where an entire army of back-room people are found doing jobs that no other test nation deems necessary, and where 'the positives' can be found in every humiliating defeat.

England have two world-class players. Pietersen who has become isolated by the shoddy treatment he received from the ECB, (who asked for his opinion on the way forward and then sacked him when he gave it). And big Fred, who remains England's best bowler by a country mile, but whose body continues to feel the strain of a bowling action that could almost have been designed to shorten a bowler's career.

So while this is an average Aussie team led by a very ordinary captain, I can't see anything less than a 3-0 Aussie win.

[Guest]

Ashes 2009

What TPC said, except Freddie is not that good a bowler (he doesn't take enough wickets) and I expect Aus to win 2-1.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

While I think there's more than a kernel of truth in what TPC says, I think he's overstating the position. While it does look very difficult to manage to get yourself out of the England set-up (I can't believe Harmison is in the 30 for the World 20/20), and I've wanted Bell out of the team since the 2005 Ashes, I don't think a water-tight case can be made for any of the alternatives. Shah and Bopara have both had mixed success since getting in the team, most others rather less than that. And if your going to be choosing from a bunch of competent but uninspiring players, I think you probably are better picking the same ones consistently.

Every team in the world finds "positives" in defeat, it's nothing specific to the current England side. Vaughan spouted it just as often as Strauss.

Yeah, Pietersen is England's one world class player (Flintoff's stats just don't bear out him being a world class test bowler - I'd agree he is at one day), but how many do Australia have? Ponting is their highest ranked batsmen at 7 in the world, and he seems to be on the wane. If you were picking a world XI now, I think only Johnson would get in.

Gambhir
Smith
Sangakkara
Pietersen
Tendulkar
Kallis
Chandepaul
Johnson
Harbhajan
Murali
Steyn

[brian potter]

Ashes 2009

Can't see England taking 20 wickets and batting well in the same match. I reckon TPC's 0-3 is about right.

[Eggchaser]

Ashes 2009

Our bowling attack is toss. Wisden Cricketer of the Year James Anderson managed a massive 9 wickets at an average of 38.00 in the Windies series. If that's enough to make him a Cricketer of the Year Christ knows how poor the rest of the world's bowlers must be.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

Well, that's the point isn't it. There aren't (m)any pace bowlers looking good at the moment. Sidebottom is still ranked in the top 10 in the world, despite not having played fully fit for 9 months. One inspired spell has propelled Jerome Taylor into the top 10. I genuinely don't think our "toss" attack is worse than the Aussies. Particularly at home.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

Of course the Wisden cricketer of the year award is now terminally devalued because they given one to a girl.

[Eggchaser]

Ashes 2009

I still can't understand why we're not looking towards Hoggard. So he had a poor series but he's the real deal, as opposed to Sidebottom who, valiant tryer as he is, is Hoggard Lite.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

Sidebottom doesn't just have a better average than Hoggy, he's quicker and offers a different option by being a left-armer. Plus we want to have rough on both sides of the wicket as spin may be one area where we can exploit an edge over them.

[Eggchaser]

Ashes 2009

England Performance Squad:

Ambrose (Warwicks), Anderson (Lancs), Bell (Warwicks), Bopara (Essex), Broad (Notts), Collingwood (Durham), Cook (Essex), Flintoff (Lancs), Foster (Essex), Harmison (Durham), Key (Kent), Khan (Kent), Mascarenhas (Hants), Mahmood (Lancs), Panesar (Northants), Patel (Notts), Pietersen (Hants), Prior (Sussex), Rashid (Yorks), Shah (Middx), Strauss (Middx), Sidebottom (Notts), Swann (Notts), Vaughan (Yorks), Wright (Sussex)

So, Foster gets his chance. But Hoggy still stuck on 248 Test wickets.

And Vaughan? Fuck me, let it go, will you?

[Guest]

Ashes 2009

Who's your number three?

[Eggchaser]

Ashes 2009

Not a man with a totally fucked knee meaning he is unable to field meaningfully who has a terrible average in the last year of his Test career and who is on the slide.

Thanks for the memories, don't piss on them.

[Guest]

Ashes 2009

Right. But who's your number three?

[E10 Rifle]

Ashes 2009

The sudden sidelining of Hoggard while unjustified faith continues to be shown in Harmison is pretty mystifying. Plus the Hogg's got a good record against Australia, going back to some under-rated good efforts in tough circumstances in 2002-03.

Australia to win 2-1, but with our win only coming in the final Test. England have nowhere near enough bowling clout to bowl even a fragile Australia out twice with regularity.

Before we go too overboard on Pietersen's shoddy treatment, he might actually want to actually play a match-defining/winning innings for a change. For all the high scores and high pyrotechnics of his career, there really haven't been many of those.

Etienne's harsh on Flintoff there. He was consistently brilliant in the two years prior to 2005

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

Checked Flintoff's stats for that period, and they are more than decent (43 with the bat, just under 28 with the ball) against a reasonable cross-section of teams. But I still don't think there's been anything that's happened since to suggest that his availability or performance will swing the series. I think Symonds might be a more crucial player/absentee.

OK, prediction then, 2-2. But if anyone's going to win, I do have a feeling it might go England's way.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

Since the 2005 Ashes, Flintoff has averaged 28 with the bat and 33 with the ball, by the way. Which is some way short of world class.

[The Purple Cow]

Ashes 2009

But Freddie is England's best bowler, so i would pick him and bat him at 9 or 10.

[manandvans]

Ashes 2009

Looks like Andy Flower is getting the coach/managers/supremo job.

About as inspiring as Joe Kinnear getting the Newcastle job. And as ludicrous.

[Etienne]

Ashes 2009

Bit harsh. Flower was an excellent example of a player who got the very best out of his talent, and clearly has plenty of strength of character too - witness his protest with Henry Olonga. OK the Windies tour was hardly a roaring success, but surely too early to condemn him for ever.

[manandvans]

Ashes 2009

Fantastic player and I'm sure his politics are sound but I just don't think he should have this job.
As England batting coach I don't see any that he improved any player. And his tenure in the West Indies hardly inspires confidence. Neither does his interview on the BBC news I saw earlier.
Recent coaches have all had success at some level prior to getting the job. Can't really say that of the new man.
Don't think it'll be long before one the players (probably Pietersen) goes crying to the press about it.

[Eggchaser]

Ashes 2009

Flintoff's knee's gone now. He's finished, isn't he?