The Ashes 2010/11

[strung out]

right, so the england squad has arrived in australia now, they play their first tour match on friday, with the first test on the 25th november.

i fancy england to do ok-ish, but i'm erring slightly on the pessimistic side. i fancy a drawn series, 2-2 or possibly a narrow defeat for england. what are the aussie pitches like for getting results on?

i lolled at the stunt by cricket australia the other day with the projection on big ben. all good stuff.

 

[liquidlunch]

Pitches can alter markedly here.We have had a really wet time of it lately with the long drought breaking due to el nino or something.Probably see the ball swinging a bit more than usual which will suit the poms.I think it will be close fought,we are not doing to well of late

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Personally can't wait to be up all night watching these matches.

 

[butchersapron]

Pitches can alter markedly here.We have had a really wet time of it lately with the long drought breaking due to el nino or something.Probably see the ball swinging a bit more than usual which will suit the poms.I think it will be close fought,we are not doing to well of late

I agree, you're shit.

 

[Santino]

 

[Santino]

Ponting's not the match-winner he was, Hussey's struggling, Johnson is wayward, half their fast bowlers are coming back from injury and they don't have a decent spinner.

 

[Santino]

Furthermore,

 

[Santino]

Australia had Sri Lanka on 107 for 8 and just let them win lol.

 

[strung out]

132 partnership for the 9th wicket

 

[Santino]

Malinga 56 off 48 balls. Previous best score in an ODI: 16.

 

[Teaboy]

The aussies are in a really weird position, they can't close a game out at the moment, they seem to have forgotten how to win.

Long may it continue.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Had to miss the ending of the Sri lanka match. Amazing game though.

 

[Santino]

lol

MARCUS NORTH has emerged as a shock contender for Australia's Test captaincy, as Michael Clarke's popularity within the side continues to wane following a bitter tour of India.

The team is not divided to the point of implosion, but a number of senior players remain firmly opposed to the idea that Clarke will succeed Ricky Ponting.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/north-firms-as-captain-over-clarke-20101103-17e1p.html

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Uh oh, aussies falling apart?

 

[mattie]

Hmmm.

Crims going down the Brearley route?

 

[The Octagon]

All this disarray is usually followed by the Aussies thumping us, I'm not falling for it.

 

[Teaboy]

All this disarray is usually followed by the Aussies thumping us, I'm not falling for it.

Quite, there are too many problems in the aussie camp for my liking. If we lose the first test we could be routed.

 

[The Octagon]

Plus it's funnier when the Aussies are all full of themselves and expecting to whitewash us

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hard to see how it will go. Both teams seem to have a top order with more reputation than form. Neither team's bowling attack is particularly scary.

Hmmm.

 

[Teaboy]

Ok I've been doing a bit of thinking about this today and I reckon the aussies will have to do two things to beat England. Firstly they need to find a way to keep Swann out, even better if they can get him out of the attack because Strauss will just want to rotate the quicks from the other end. Finn is very green, Broad is inconsistent and Anderson has yet to prove himself when the ball doesnt swing. Keep Swann out and you're looking at a decent score.

Secondly they need to polish off England's lower middle order / tail quickly each time. England's batting is hit and miss (literally) and they never all seem to fire at the same time. The runs from 7,8 and 9 have been covering up for this for a few years now (and was probably the difference in the last ashes).

Looking at the Aussies: As well as their opening bats have done they still feel like make-shift openers, neither particuarly at ease with their roll. Ponting is seemingly in a terminal decline (last series as captain or even full stop?), Hussey is in all sorts of trouble and I don't rate Marcus North that highly. For me I think the key man is Michael Clarke, his battle with Swann should be the real draw.

The bowling actually looks reasonably bright but without a world class spinner you have to wonder where the wickets will come from as the ball gets old?

On the balance of things I make England slight favourites but if the aussies win the first test they will go onto win the series.

 

[paulhackett]

Ashes highlights may be on ITV4 at 10pm each night for 60 minutes...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/04/the-ashes-itv-highlights

 

[Santino]

Good to see England actually winning a warm-up game instead of just using them as a net session. Pietersen seems to have some of his confidence back too.

 

[Teaboy]

Anyway on other subjects does anyone know much about this wicket keeper from Pakistan who has just done a bunk from their tour and flown over here?

Some talk that he may be claiming asylum, anyone know if hes any good and if so how long till he is available to play for us?

 

[strung out]

he's just announced his retirement from international cricket!

 

[Teaboy]

Thats just from Pakistan, I bet he could be convinced. Its not as if being English is much of a pre-requiste for playing for the national side anymore.

 

[paulhackett]

Anyway on other subjects does anyone know much about this wicket keeper from Pakistan who has just done a bunk from their tour and flown over here?

Some talk that he may be claiming asylum, anyone know if hes any good and if so how long till he is available to play for us?

I've posted it before but apparently Zulqarnain Haider was recently working in the Chicken Cottage in Luton. So if the cricket career is over..

In other news, if Cook fails, Michael Carberry is out of the back up squad as he has had a blood clot on the lung and can't fly long haul.

 

[agricola]

I've posted it before but apparently Zulqarnain Haider was recently working in the Chicken Cottage in Luton. So if the cricket career is over.

I hope it isnt, if half of what he says is true then the man clearly deserves the highest praise, certainly far more than any recent international cricketer - what has come out so far seems (once again) to a massive indictment on the PCB who have clearly either turned the blindest of eyes to, or been deeply complicit in, what has gone on in domestic and international cricket involving Pakistan. Perhaps the most mad I have seen so far is this:

The Lahore Eagles sacked Haider as captain on the eve of the game, apparently because he refused to pick particular players for the match. Haidar specifically objected to the inclusion of a right-arm fast bowler called Usman Sarwar, who had never played for the team before.

Batting first, the Eagles were bowled out for 122 in 40.3 overs. In the second innings National Bank scored 123 off just 6.1 overs, with Butt making 92 off 25 balls. Sarwar opened the bowling and conceded 78 runs from his three overs and never played another List A or first-class match. National Bank qualified for the semi-finals. The Pakistan Cricket Board investigated the match and said that they found no evidence of foul play.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/09/zulqarnain-haider-pakistan

 

[butchersapron]

The PCB rep on C4 news tonight was clearly a man in trouble - going to great lengths to smear Haider, almost if he knew where the finger would be pointed next....

 

[strung out]

according to the bbc, haider is claiming asylum in the uk now

e2a this might be worth a thread of its own actually

 

[mattie]

This is getting very, very sinister.