[Archived] The Ashes 2010 / 2011

[Flopsy]

Right, the most eagerly anticipated Australian Ashes test series since 2006/2007, which according to Sky & JimMk2(sorry Jim) never happened, is starting this month. England have an excellent chance to retain the Ashes for the first time in my memory.

2006/2007 was a freak series where an injury ravaged, ill prepared, out of form England turned up to play, one of the best Cricketing sides of all time full of greats on their last swann songs, with a massive chip on it's shoulder over some series in 2005. And a 5-0 whitewash duely followed. However it was never as one sided as it felt, with England getting close to turning the tide a few times, at the place that shall not be named beginning with A, & the third test when Aus were all out for 250, but everytime one of the champions stepped up and turned the game to australias favour.

There were some shocking umpiring decisions as well all of which appeared to go Australia's way.

But we won the ODI series. So a moral victory & that's what counts

Now for this year,

England are a settled side who have won considerably more than they've lost, and have shown grit & determination unknown to those fans who haven't managed to supress their memories of the 90's. They have a tail that can defend and attack and bowlers who have proven devastating in English & South African conditions, and good on the dead pitches of Bangladesh.

And the best Spin Bowler in the world at present, Graham Swann.

But it's an attack that has either not played tests in Aus, or got spanked last time. So eek.

Our batting lineup on paper looks strong, but has an interesting line in collapsing like, well Australia.

I'd expect the team for Brisbane to be

Strauss, Cook, Trott, KP, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn

Australia are in flux at the moment and are losing more than they win (it feels). No decent spinner (although insure England will prove that wrong) a pace attack of good honest bowlers, with a bit of skill, but compared to Lee, McGrath, Gillespie & Clark, it's no where near as fearsome. And Johnson will get wickets but will bowl utter bowel clenchingly awful filth between the straight balls that get the wickets.

And your batsmen,

Kattich, Twatto, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, North & Haddin on paper is a good side, but in reality is now as flakey as Englands, with a penchant for collapsing which is nit only hillarious, but also difficult to recover from due to the relative weakness of the bowling. Aus have also apparently lost that ability to win the big moments, the game changing points which change sessions, games & series'.

Team for Brisbane Kattich, Twatto, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, North, Haddin, Johnson, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus, Siddle

I also think that URDS (which I fully support) will mean that more games will be results & that the inbuilt home advantage that playing in Australia seems to have conferred to it, will be lessened (yes I am that bitter over that LBW not given against Hayden).

So predictions - 2-1 either way, but to be honest it could be 5-0 to either side to 0-0. But I expect it to be close and which ever side condenses it's batting collapses into the fewest games will win.

If you want to follow the series I would recomend the Guardian's Over by Over coverage (a great way to catch up for those who decided sleep was a better option). A preview podcast should be out by the end if this week.

www.testmatchsofa.com will be giving live unexclusive commentary with extra swearing and jingles through the whole series. Theyre also covering the Sri Lanka Aus series, & Pak v South Africa. Well worth a tune in

TMS proper on't Beeb

& Sky

Oh and of course here.

Thanks for putting up with this ramble

[Flopsy]

Oh by the way,

Abdul Razzaq played one of the greatest individual match winning knocks against the Saffers last night. It was awesome!

[Flopsy]

Fixtures

http://www.cricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/series/428730.html?template=fixtures

[jim mk2]

Looking forward to this series. England are capable of winning but as ever the batting is vulnerable and England desperately need Pietersen to find his form.

2-2 draw or possibly 2-1 to England.

Will be interesting to see if this thread on the second-best game in the world after footy generates as much interest as the Nfl thread ..... 9 pages on an alien sport ???

[Flopsy]

Actually it's Cricket, Rugby Union then Football as the greatest sports in the world

[Ozz]

I was lying in the bath yesterday morning, and I went into a frenzy of excitement at the thought of us going down under and winning. Water slopped out over the side and made a puddle of cricket based windfall joy. I spent three hours on Saturday night after coming back from Ewood watching ball by ball coverage of the final days play from The Oval in 2009 when we beat the Aussies just to get me in the mood. It was the only thing that could have lifted my spirits after gettin jipped off Chelsea.

But England are the ultimate cricketing recidivists, and like most sensible mature England fans will be using any/all methods of superstition during the Ashes to counteract this trate. Such as hiring Gypsy Moths, hoping we lose all the warm up games and so on.

[jimlav]

anyone else going over?

[1864roverite]

Cant wait for it to start. Would love England to win it down under. I see one of the Aussie legends in Merv the Swerve has just been sacked, maybe thats significant because his words seem to be undermining the aussie build up.

Still, a tough series beckons, 2-1 England.

[john-rover]

I am aus for it, on my own for the first two tests as well.. so staying in hostels, adaliade sould be a good laugh though as its un-reserved and i won't be parked in the middle of the australians

[Flopsy]

We do not mention the place that shall not be named

EVER

[SouthAussieRover]

Adelaide, the city of churches and ermm......

[Flopsy]

We do not mention the place that shall not be named

EVER

[neekoy]

Australia are a bit ###### at the moment, I am hoping a series at home against England is going to be the launching pad but England deservedly go in strong favourites.

The Australian bowling attack is good enough to bowl England out but the secret to an Aussie win is the bloody middle order. For me Hussey needs to drop to 6, Watson at 5 and Khawaja comes in at opener. North is oustanding every 4 tests but completly woeful in between.

I would also look at swapping Punter and Clark around in the order, it's time the "future" Australian captain stood up to be counted and Steve Smith for Nathan Hauritz.

Haddin gets one test otherwise CCCHHHOOPPPP!

[Al]

Actually it's Cricket, Rugby Union then Football as the greatest sports in the world

No Football, Cricket, everything else including syncronised swimming, then Rugby Union.

[Neil Weaver]

Ooops

[cn_barlow]

cant wait for this to start....going to need the matchsticks at work while its on!!

England have a great chance, but i wouldn't be suprised if the Aussies pulled themselves out of this horrible run at our expense!

Cant be happier as an Englishman going into the series - tails are up, plenty of healthy competition for places. I agree with Flospy's lineup - im expecting Colly and Bell to thrive with Morgan breathing down their necks for a starting place! But i think the man under the most pressure is cook...fingers crossed he can keep up his recent form against a decent team.

Prediction: 2-1 (i dont know who to though!!)

[neekoy]

Ooops

That highlights exactly what is wrong at the moment, the killer instinct, the final wicket ball. I don't know how many times I have watched Australia in the last 18 months do this now.

[john-rover]

well the bowling attack is looking decent in the warm ups but batting could do with some improvement, maybe a couple of three and a half day matches to come

[Ozz]

Two more days to go now, and Clarke Is a Doubt for the Convicts. The toss is around half 11 onWednesday night, and I having horrible flashbacks to 2002 when Nasser won the toss and put them in, only to end the day 364-2 and then being on the boat from Hull to Rotterdam in 2006, loosing all connection with the outside world as we got deep in to the North Sea and then seeing the flickering news updates around 7am next morning just off the coast of Holland with horror stories of Harmisons first ball.

[Alex Rover]

Anyone been watching Graeme Swann’s Ashes Video Diaries? Very funny the 3rd one has the team doing the Sprinkler dance

[Flopsy]

Aaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh I'm proper bricking it now, the run up's gone way to well for England. And I can't have Thursday off.

Boooo

[Flopsy]

For those wanting a full wrap around interactive experience , which will also help keep you awake, the Guardian's excellent Over by Over coverage will be on, with the return of Rob Smyth & Andy Bull, plus their rather good Ashes Blog. Also, as well as the Beeb's TMS www.testmatchsofa.com will be commentating on every ball. Well worth a listen

[Flopsy]

Mr Mark Steel's amusing view from the Independent http://ind.pn/fConFK

[jim mk2]

Far too many England players / commentators saying the enemy are in disarray and how easy this series is going to be when history shows England are capable of cocking up against Tesco 3rd XI. Caution is always the watchword as far as England cricket is concerned so let's see how it goes in the first Test shall we ?

[Nate]

Far too many England players / commentators saying the enemy are in disarray and how easy this series is going to be when history shows England are capable of cocking up against Tesco 3rd XI. Caution is always the watchword as far as England cricket is concerned so let's see how it goes in the first Test shall we ?

Exactly.

I have no idea how this series is going to go, but quite happy for us to go in as underdog.