The Ashes

[Coalman]

Like all the pundits say - I think it will be close.

England have the better spinning attack (Swann - NOT Panasar) and I think, if the pitches are prepared properly that this will be the decider. I think that on paper the Aussies have the better batting, but not against spin and hopefully the reverse swing that the England seam attack can generate.

Again it will be very close - 2-1 to England though. No thrashings, all tests going to late in the fourth or fith day.

Come on England!

[Platypus]

Cyberman has rubbed off on me. Err I mean.... can't I just feign knowledge on all things?

Atw

Surely?

[oracleslave]

Athers is kidding himself with that analysis.

WHS!

Can't top some of the comments on that dross:

"Of course Atherton knows what he is talking about because after all he never lost a test or a series against Australia. He had all the Aussie batsmen worked out and knew exactly how to score runs against poor Australian attacks of the resent past. His opinon should be treated as gospel............."


Comparisons should be Hughes vs Cook; Katich vs Strauss; Punter vs KP; Clarke vs Bopara; Johnson vs Flintoff; Lee vs Broad. Siddle is streets ahead of Sidebottom, ditto Haddin over Prior.

Aust 10-1

[Moscow Mule]

<more tosh>

We'll see.

[oracleslave]

We'll see.

Why is this dross other than the fact it doesn't include Clark, the best-rated bowler?

Comparisons should be Hughes vs Cook; Katich vs Strauss; Punter vs KP; Clarke vs Bopara; Johnson vs Flintoff; Lee vs Broad. Siddle is streets ahead of Sidebottom, ditto Haddin over Prior.

Aust 10-1

[Scary]

Test cricket starting on a Wednesday?

[Jet Setter]

Perhaps the ECB foresaw the recession and realised that people going to the cricket on work days wouldn't be such an issue.

[Moscow Mule]

There's no way the aussies would reject the following;

Flintoff
KP
Swann

The teams are evenly matched. If you hear anybody predicting 4/5-0 to the Aussies you can quote the awesome Aussie Dale Kerrigan:
"Tell him he's dreamin"

We'll see in a couple of months how well matched the teams are.

[Moscow Mule]

Test cricket starting on a Wednesday?

Perhaps the ECB foresaw the recession and realised that people going to the cricket on work days wouldn't be such an issue.

I don't mind it starting on a Wednesday, it's the "being played in Cardiff" bit I don't like.

[Doggy Styles]

The sides are very evenly matched.

If you add Haurichz (or however you spell it), I'd say the Aussies have the edge. But seeing as they haven't got the balls to play him it's going to be very close.

I agree it does look very even.

The England top six batsmen all have a test average of over 40 (ten years ago we only had one, Thorpe). So there's not much in the batting, and not much between the seamers or the fielding either.

The only significant differences are in spinners, where nobody in the game rates Hauritz above Swann or Panesar, and wicketkeeping, where they make Haddin a bit better behind the stumps than Prior (although both make errors).

Cricket is played 90% in the head anyway. We got that right in 2005, but lost it from the first ball in 2006/7. Let's see how both sides handle it this time.