2006 Ashes

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Only 100 days to go!!!
Thought I'd get the general discussion going early.
So, Freddy's in the English side right - are they still planning to send him to play state cricket in Australia so that he gets a bit of match practice or are the English selectors. I heard that they emailed a number of clubs to see if it would be ok and that there should be nothing stopping him, but haven’t heard squat since.

As for the Aussie team Jason Gillespie doesn't think that he'll make the side. He said yesterday (in reference to series against Bangladesh) "I got man of the match and the series and got 8 wickets at 11 and a double hundred and won’t play the next Test...It will make a good trivia question"
That has to be *the* quote of the month.

Also who do you think will take the urn? I'm tipping the Aussies of course. Although the English side are finally showing their teeth for the 1st time since the last ashes, I doubt they’d be able to do it on foreign territory , my bet is that they’ll take out one of the tests – maybe Sydney or Perth and might get away with a draw – however based on the last ashes I probably shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Should be an awesome series two best sides duking it out!!!! Bring it on.

 

I think the entire world will be behind England to be honest. Ponting has pretty much assured that. "I can guarantee the result will be different this time" what an arrogant cock!

Last Ashes I made my predictions and they were NEARLY bang on. This time I think the series will be drawn and we retain the ASHES. So I guess I do agree with Ponts in that respect .

To be fair, it depends on a few things though. Freddy will need to be fit, or we don't stand a chance with only 2 fit pace bowlers. Panesar will be key as well. The Aussie batsmen will go after him as soon as he has his first over. It's how he handles that that will decide a lot. He's a potential match winner that lad, but if the Aussies get on top of him and destroy his confidence like only they know how to, then he could just be a run cow for them. Fingers crossed though!

Looking forward to it!

 

I just found out that on the last day of the Adelaide test I'll be on a plane to Queensland for our family holiday - They better have inflight coverage.
99 Days to go!! The first day of the first test is only eight days after I finnish my last school exam ever - even more reason to celebrate.

 

I have tickets for the Melbourne (4th) and Sydney (5th) tests and am so looking forward to it, I think it's too close to call, I also believe if Shane isn't fit, Australia will struggle, he is still their best bowler by far, and the most troublesome to England.

 

MaGraa predicts a 5-0 whitewash in the Ashes. Shock horror!!

 

Didn't he predict that last year And we know how good that was

 

Have you seen this...

So is he saying Oz are a one man team?

 

How come they didn't win those 3 then? and weren't the two draws rearguard actions by them? He's funny

 

It's tough because the buildups don't give you much indication of the current form. Who knows how good Australia's old age pensioners are at the moment? And who has even heard of some of the English players? Hope it's as good as the last one though!

Who is going to win the Champion's Trophy?

 

I'm going for Sri Lanka in the champions trophy

 

I'm still not clear on how come Sri Lanka and West Indies have had to 'qualify' for this tournament, but useless New Zealand seem to have just waltzed straight into the main round. We're going to get smashed in this. Our team is hopeless and have not even played for months.

 

@HB because at the time the tournament was organised the top 6 ranked teams in the world went straight through, while the bottom 4 ranked had to qualify for 2 places. Then the positions were
7. Sri Lanka
8. West Indies
9. Bangladesh
10. Zimbabwe

Of course since then both Sri Lanka and West Indies have climbed above England and New Zealand in the rankings.

 

I'm really starting to get excited about this one. I just finished my end of year exams this afternoon (no more school for me...ever!!) and it all seems to be going Australia's way. Prime Ministers XI floged England despite consisting of a relatively young side (Tait got 3/21, including Freddy and Trescothick). Interestingly Phil Jaques doesn't look like he'll get into the side despite scoring back to back centuries against England (the first for the PM's XI and the second for NSW).

Egland vs NSW was a draw, and England only really had much of an effect on the last day. South Australia's playing England in a couple of days. I'm hoping Tait and Cosgrove will impress!!
9 days to go now!!!
I hope its a close one again, though I think it will be a lot tougher for England this time round.

 

Or you could look at it like this...


That PMXI was some crappy little excuse for a one day match, where we had a half team out.

We also got a draw out of McGrath and Lee and co. despite still experimenting with our line-up and having an out-of-sorts Tresco opening (who, by the way has gone home and will play no part in the Ashes).

Let's not forget that before the last Ashes, Australia lost to Bangaldesh and a few county sides (including Cook hitting a double century). The warm-up matches mean nothing.

That aside, these Ashes will be tougher for a few reasons.
We haven't got our full side fit.
Aussies on home soil and have won 11 out of 12 test matches this year.
The winning habit England had a few years ago has now gone.
McGrath is bowling well.
Martyn is red hot, and the batting line-up now has Hussey.

I think we'll do very well to not lose this Ashes series badly. But, we'll see, England have got good battling qualities!

 

Yeah see, we lost a lead up match last year and ended up loosing the ashes. Now you guys have lost you're last few warm ups, and well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The PM's XI was interesting at least to give an indication of form for the younger guys, and Tait's figures wern't really a result of second teir batsmen.

 

Chrissy Gayle took 3 wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy, including Straussy and Freddy, it doesn't mean he's a particularly good bowler. We're terrible in limited overs cricket and give our wickets away gift wrapped.

I agree going into the Ashes having been embarrassed in the ICC CT and struggling in our build-up is hardly going to give the players a lift. But when they cross that rope on day 1 of the first test match, we'll start to get a feel about where things are going to go. I'm not very confident this time around though. I just hope to God that Giles doesn't manage to edge Monty out of the team.

Hey, that's another point, what do you make of the racist abuse Panesar has already recieved in just the few warm-ups so far? Do you think it will get worse, or the ACB will come down hard on that?

 

Shocking, I completely agree with the lifetime bans that they intend to give to anyone who makes racial slurs against him. I still think we should be allowed to call the rest of the team Pommy Bastards or similar, and for the Army to call us convicts, or whatever they feel like however (keeping in mind that South Australia, at least wasn't settled by convicts). It will be interesting how it plays out, I guess whatever the case Monty just has to take it and not let it bother him too much, if it does occur. They do tend to highly publicise racial abuse, it was quite bad during South Africa's last visit and it made the front page of the paper. During that last test the explicitly racial remarks were only by around three or four people, who were all originally from South Africa (and probably developed such sentiments there). The rest of population would deplore such openly racist remarks, (but would still probably make a bit of noise for his first few overs).
BTW, pity about Trescothick, he looked so fired up after his century against NSW too.

 

Tresco's a choccy biccy mate, he cracks under pressure. Better off without him and let Cooky or Belly open with Strauss. Get the new blood in. I'm more worried about GBH not making it to be honest.

BTW, what century against NSW?

 

yeah, my bad, I coulda sworn Trescothick got a century, but I must have mis-read it or something (it would have been just before my chemistry exam, so I have at least 1/2 an excuse).
Anyways...3days, 17hrs, 33mins, 9seconds

 

I'm going to be in Brisbane during the first test. Which way to the 'Gabba?