The Ashes - Predictions?

DMC

Calling all cricket liking bods...

Anyone wishing to predict what the result of the Ashes Test series will be?

It all starts at midnight, can't wait.

Ronan|Raven

Australia all the way imho. England have realy improved as of late, but I fell the supreme all round skill of the Aussies will prevail. It will be close but australia to nudge it

Also with the injuries that England have picked up it'll be all the more difficult. Id love to stay up and watch it but alas work

mike65

It'll be exciting and sadly it'll be first blood to the Aussies...:(

Mike.

DMC

What was Nasser Hussain at?

"We wanted to bat last, thats why we put them in first."

Erm, theres a nifty little leg-spinner there who likes a 4th or 5th day pitch more than any other bowler....... :rolleyes: Anyway, with last nights bowling effort, England look like they will be batting 2nd and 3rd innings making that captain decision pointless!

Simon Jones, poor lad. I hope he comes through.

mike65

In years to come putting the opposition in on a perfect pitch on a perfect day will be called doing a Nasser! He won't do that again.

Mike.

DMC

79/9 with Simon Jones absent.

5-0 all the way. Go Aussie Go!

The only question is, with the two old timers in either team making only 19 (all Waugh!) between them in the entire match, will Alec Stewart and Mark Waugh last the five matches? Stewart only last 3 balls!!!

b20uvkft6m5xwg

The Aussies under Steve Waugh are IMO one of the best sporting teams of all time- they are awesome in very sense.

I can see the Aussies winning at least 3 of the Tests- and the Pommies coming back into when it doesnt matter, like what always happens. Then they go back to england with Piric Victory in hand:rolleyes:

b20uvkft6m5xwg

And BTW,
Fair Play to Mattie Haydon.

Dont know whether you know this famous sledging story...
In SA about 5 years ago, Haydon didnt get a run the whole tour and the speculation was he had missed his window and would never play for Australia again.

When he was dismissed in the final test, Daryl Cullinan said to him as he was walking off... "Dont worry mate, Don Bradman got a duck in his last match as well"

Well he's defo proved him wrong- AFAIK he's the leading test runs scorer for this calender year , and in current form england will be chasing leather for most of this series too:)

b20uvkft6m5xwg

FYI...

Good article here about the history of Englands previous whitewashes against the Aussies...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/the_ashes/2483369.stm

DMC

Cheers for those, 80p. Wonderful reads!

Last night, great listening..... You just knew that when Vaughan went on the first day, the innings would be wrapped up within 2 hours. And it was, exactly! The last 7 wickets for 47 runs.

Jonathan Agnew commentating on Caddick's wicket....LMAO... "oh that was horrible, horribly predictable" C'mon, a rabbit getting bowled by the best leggie in the world!

England need a test match with a bit of mositure in the air.... and they aint going to get it in Adelaide or in Perth... 3-0 done and dusted before the one-dayers...

Its a pity Sky Sports are not relaying the Channel 9 commentary, for non-England tests each winter they do, but with the interactive mullarkey, you'd think they'd provide that at least......

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Well no suprises overnight.
An innings defeat for england.

As you say DMC, 3-0 looks on the cards w/ back to back tests coming up. The WACA in Perth is tradtionally the fastest wicket in Australia (if not the world) and the Aussies always do well there.

The england players seem to be dropping like flies as well so who knows who will be in or out for them.


BTW, I heard the odds for an Aussie whitewash have been slashed

--
IMO, Sky Sports pictures w/ Radio 4 Commentery is the best combo. Pity Henry Bloefeld isnt on tour with them. Himself and Aggers crack me up:) Some of the Aussies though are excellent as well and I think Mike Atherton has really insightful stuff to say as well.

mike65

The England cricket squad is starting to look as crook as the footballers were in Japan/Sth Korea. Not that a fit team would beat the Aussies except now and again.

Mike.

DMC

As you said 80p, thats what I normally do for the summer tests, I find R4LW and the pics the best combo. I cant do it for tests on Sky, no wireless near the telly! Its a pity that David Lloyd went to Sky, as he would've fitted in sooo well (as in the past) with Agnew and old Blowers!

But its good to see that Channel 4 are showing the Channel 9 coverage in their highlights package. And I forgot how scary Tony Greig looks without the hat!! :eek: :eek: And Channel 9 use Sky Sports' 3D Virtual Replays instead of Channel 4's "Hawkeye". Sky's system is the better one, I feel.

What cracked me up last night was I.T. Botham saying when White went and Dawson came in: "Here's the first of England's No. 11 batsmen" ROFL! Didnt take long that!!

For the England team, they have got to get rid of Caddick. As Botham says, he only does good when his back's against the wall, and he only had one decent quick spell after lunch on the 2nd or 3rd day. The match was over!! And they have to try something different. Silverwood for me would be a good change.

As for the Aussies, I can imagine their committee meetings on selections... "oh fudge! Lee or Bichel? Hmmmm. Paper, Rock, Sissors anyone?"

DMC

England 185.

b20uvkft6m5xwg

....Emmm....Whitewash:D


I fell asleep with teletext on page 341 of ceefax with 2 wickets down. Woke up about 3 hours later...all out !!!!

Bichel was a bit unlucky to miss out but as I supected they couldnt resist unleashing Brett Lee on the WACA pitch.

The main difference betw. the Aussies and the Poms is the rate at which the Aussies score. I mean if England bat for a day, they might push 250 or 300 runs. If the Aussies do so they are liable to get 400 easily depending on conditions. Just look at the rate they scored at in the remaining 23 overs today- over 5 an over !

I thinks its now well safe to assume the Ashes will be staying down under

slappywhite

So the Ashes will be staying down under for another two years but lets face it England had the most depleted side in history. Whether its the fault of the mangement or bad luck England were without 7 players: Gough, Caddick, Giles, Jones, Flintoff, Crawley, Thorpe. They have also played all three test matches with basically 10 players with a fast bowleer in each test bowing out through injury.

This should be remebered against the Australian onslaught. Also South Africa were drubbed last year by similiar margins and most recently a young Pakistan side were obliterated into submission.

I think its safe to assume though that the Ashes will be staying in Australia for the next 5 years and realistically Englands best chance at regaining the coveted urn is in 2009.

DMC

Such a great side.

I don't remember the '70s and 80's West Indies sides too well, so I cant compare. They are just too good.

Just on the Aussies hockeying everyone else; last winters series against New Zealand was VERY competitive. A drawn series. Not many can claim that accolade against the Aussies.

BBC Sport's poll is very good...... "Is English cricket dead?"
55.35% out of 10604 votes reckon it is.

Onto the One-day'ers now for the time being. I'd say over a one-day contest, the English have a chance (They only have to bat and bowl once in a day!) There were spells and sessions in the 3 tests where they "competed". Interesting to see where they will finish in 4 months time in South Africa.....

But we'll be hearing them squeal alright next summer, when they beat Zimbabwe....

mike65

The Austrailians are so far ahead of the game its scary.
No-one can touch them usless they make errors which they don't
to any important degree.

Thing is, having lost the series the pressure is now off and England will proberly start playing. Still as long as the Ozzies remain crap at
international football...oh they play Engerland in the new year don't they?

Mike.

DMC

Lest anyone forget, they should've been starting the 5th day tonight

West Briton

The only way England can be consistently good enough to beat Australia is for the TCCB to aggressively promote the game at school level, and at all levels of society.

The more middle class and middle aged the game is, the less water it will have to swim in.

slappywhite

I read recently that a record number of kids are playing cricket through clubs and not scholls. There is an unhealthy obsession with schools sport in the UK. School Sport in general is on the decline and not just cricket.

The fact of the matter is that Australia are experiencing a boom time with their cricket side. They destroy everybody (were it not for the rain they would have beaten New Zealand 2-0) .

BJJ

Is there anyone Irish here?

slappywhite

your point being?

DMC

England Win at Last! but only one Aussie on the field.... the umpire!

DMC

Will England achieve the impossible?

England need 7 wickets.

Australia need 360 more runs.

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Damn I think I'm going to lose that Whitewash Bet I had with a mate. The Aussies are 99 for 5 as I write.

BJJ obviously comes from the school of thought that only West Britons play cricket:rolleyes: (Hasnt travelled around Ireland Much obviously!)

DMC

You're not alone! I had a 5-0 bet on too with a mate!

Lots of things to consider as a result of this series.....

Will Mark Waugh now retire? (from the reception he got when he got his 100, and the way he walked off the field today, he cant top that, best to retire now, though I would've liked to have seen him in the World Cup.)

Are we seeing the decline of the Aussies? (No Warne or McGrath, not the same team.....)

Is Michael Vaughan THAT Good? (63 ave. against the Aussies is excellent, as with being the leading run getter in 2002. No mean feats)

mike65

Originally posted by DMC
You're not alone! I had a 5-0 bet on too with a mate!

Lots of things to consider as a result of this series.....

Will Mark Waugh now retire? (from the reception he got when he got his 100, and the way he walked off the field today, he cant top that, best to retire now, though I would've liked to have seen him in the World Cup.)

Are we seeing the decline of the Aussies? (No Warne or McGrath, not the same team.....)

Is Michael Vaughan THAT Good? (63 ave. against the Aussies is excellent, as with being the leading run getter in 2002. No mean feats)

I meant to post in this yesterday...The Aussies are not a great as they think they are, as you note Damo no McGrath no Warne and they were put to the sword. Now suppose England had been able to send a full strength squad for the tour, things might have been much closer (but Oz would still proberly have shaded it)

Now if England could find a consitent partner for Vaughan...

Mike.

DMC

Trescothick didn't have a great series, it was a bit like the way the Aussies used to target Atherton at the top of the order, but I feel Trescothick has the potential to be better than Vaughan.

Mmm. Attention to the One-dayers now. Did anyone see that ODI where Ronnie Irani was having a laugh with the crowd?? Down at the boundary, he must have been sharing a gag with the Aussies.... and then the Aussies mimicked him stretching his shoulders from side to side. There must have been a thousand people standing right behind him doing it! Then he started to quicken up, and the crowd did too. A wild sight seeing a huge crowd swaying from side to side! He got a great response!

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Hmmm...I dont Steve Waugh will retire in the same manner as his boorther- I think they'll have to physicaly remove the "baggy green" from his head!! But I do suspect he'll think seriously about it after the next series if he has a poor one.


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In terms of a possible demise of Australian Cricket...
IMO Not quite yet. If you look at the dpeth they have in Grade Cricket, its immense- proven in the fact that England have only won 1 match on Tour (apart form ODI's).

Ironically David llyod points out in this article I just saw how it was the absence of Warne and McGrath that was crucial in thelast test [ http://msn.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,1-1075795,00.html ]

Vaughan is a very good player...time will tell how good though. HE has a lot to live up to now in subsequent years given the success of the last one! Personally I think Trescothick gives his wicket away a bit too easily and constantly plays across the line to spinners

Washout

Without Vaughan where would england be? He is as steady a player out there.

But time will tell how good he really really is...Id love to see him play against South Africa in South Africa and also how he handles spin of the sub continent.

The Ashes this year was a superb performance of "going for the jugular" by the Aussies.

Shame they didnt get the whitewash