Ashes 2009

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Barmy, why have you not created this years thread? Consider this a verbal warning, I don't want to have to remind you again.

My prediction - Australia to win 2-1. I'd love England to win but I can't see it myself, we were absolutely crap last week and it looks like Flintoff might be out of the next test.

 

I'm not sure I can see England winning a test here. This would have been a great opportunity to take on an Australian team that is comparatively weaker than it has been in the past, but unfortunately, the England team is not that much better than it has been, and the bowling lineup looks particularly ineffectual.

You'd think the English batsmen should have been able to do a bit better in the last game though.

 

Sorry mate my standards have dropped.

Without a firing KP and a firing Freddie, the England team doesn't win f*ck all. KP is infuriating. No match winners there like we had before if those 2 don't fire. Broady needs a rocket up his arse with the ball, he's allover the shop. Why did we need 2 spinners in England? Drop one, or both, play Onions and Bring back Harmy. We need some bite and venom in that attack. Get Freddie and Harmy peppering them with short stuff - they don't like it up 'em the Aussies.

Good defensive effort on the last day though. All credit to our little battler Colly. Not much talent, but he does his best with it. He's got a right big heart on him.

 

Harmison!? Things are desperate if you want to go back to that munter.

 

He knocked the Aussies allover the place for the Lions, and is on over 40 wickets already this year in 9 matches, 2nd only to Onions on 54. Both are in immense form. When Harmison is playing well and being aggressive he's irresistable.

 

But he's just as likely to have a shocker. I guess if you're definitely going to lose without him then you don't have much else to lose by playing him and hoping he brings his A game.

 

Besides bringing in Harmy to cover for Flintoff I'd bring in Sidebottom for Monty, he can be very good in England and had a good world cup. I thought Pietersen played okay but that sweep was just ridiculous, hopefully he will learn from it and Strauss and Cook will take a good long look at Colly's second innings.

Harbs - I disagree, I think we have enough to win one test if there are any more Ponting trademark captiancy balls up.

 

Please dont chuck it down tommorow. And Strauss, please dont wait till we are 867 ahead with 50 overs left to declare.

 

Freddie you little beauty. One of the most inspired spells of bowling I have ever seen!

 

Man, the Australian bowling is rubbish! Have they really got no good bowlers at all this year?

 

Nathan Hauritz!!! The most effective spinner so far this series!


Hahaha!

 

Hilfenhaus has bowled really well. Johnson SHOULD have, but I think he's just too unused to English conditions. It's no good just hitting the ptch as hard as you can over here. You have to get the seam right and play for swing. Johnson has been allover the place, because, for me, he's got 2 balls 'bang it in hard' and 'bang it in harder'.

Pietersen will be a loss for me.. especially if repalced by Bell as anticipated, whom I think is a total bottle-job and wastes his talent. He needs to sit down with Collingwood for a bit. Colly doesn't have much talent, but does his best with it. Bell has talent but doesn't use it...

 

Even Ian Bell should be able to get some runs against this Australian bowling line-up.

 

It's the same line up that beat South Africa, in South Africa... just because it's England beating i, it must be ****.

 

Im a big fan of Bell, he's fairly consistent and also not many people have noted this but hes a much better fielder than Pietersen, an extra catch is easily worth the few extra runs an injured KP might bring. The other big question is do we bring Harmi back in? On the plus side hes been bowling beautifully for Durham. On the negative side we might not want to break up a winning team ethic and I'm not sure how suited Egbaston is to Harmison as the pitch looks pretty slow.



"It's just SO not fair!"

 

Bell is a brilliant fielder at silly point. He's got rate bucket hands. He's got no bottle though. He hasn't got the heart to stand up the Aussies toe-to-toe, he wilts. Rob Key, while not being as good a batsman, has got a good head on him. Here's to hoping Bell proves me wrong though... if thy do pick, I hope to god they don't put him at 3... I'd have Colly or Prior at 3.

 

Probably Colly at 3 for me, he knows how to stick around, Prior is more liable to taking his shots earlyier and getting out which is not what you want from a no.3 if you lose early openers.

 

Whatever happened to Ryan Sidebottom. This guy could rip Australia a new one in swinging conditions.

 

Actually, it was all those pies that Mitchell Johnson threw in the last game which kind of helped me form that conclusion.

 

Again, the same guy who took loads of wickets in SA. I just think he doesn't like English conditions. Same reason Brett Lee has never really pulled many trees up over here - 'bang it in and hope for the best' doesn't really cut it. You need to be able to reverse it at will and send it in on a full good length, ball after ball. See Freddy and Jimmy last test.

@ Tassadar - Sidebottom is carrying an injury mate