The Ashes

[Longy]

At least we made a fight of it yesterday, bloody typical that its the first day i missed of this test due to getting a wee bit drunk yesterday. I reckon we need it to rain for a least half of the day for us to get the draw, but it would serve Ponting right.

[Graham C]

Can anyone do the rain dance?  I've topped up on my lay of Australia (only a few pence but it makes a difference at those odds).

Come on the rain, I hope thunderstorms come or we hang in there.  Was a good showing yesterday.  I was a bit worried after the first wicket went pretty quickly but the rest of the boys held in a bit. 

[Graham C]

Oh man, KP out first over today

Delete now, it's all over bar the rain.

Click to see full-size image.

[The Baron]

I think someone said this earlier but with Tresco, Vaughn, Read, Jones and Panesaar we'd have a side to match them. The decision to drop Panesaar for Giles is awful. Giles can make 20 odd runs and field better - and what? Has he ever actually turned the ball? Might as well be bowling 50 MPH seem deliveries! He's only there coz he's Vaughno's best mate.

I agree with Bell being technically our best batsmen but I'm just not sure he has the gritty Thorpe style staying power needed. (Although in Pakistan he proved me wrong)

So I would drop Bell and play (if everyone was fit and available):

Tresco
Strauss
Vaughn
Colly
KP
Freddie
Read
Shaggy
Harmy
Jones
Turbanator

[Graham C]

I'd expect to see Monty back in the side for the next test.  Not sure about Bell.

Your list is good, trouble is, they're not all fit so who ya going to play Mr Baron?

Jones in at 10 ?

[The Baron]

I'd expect to see Monty back in the side for the next test.  Not sure about Bell.

Your list is good, trouble is, they're not all fit so who ya going to play Mr Baron?

Jones in at 10 ?

I give up picking and order with the tail end.

All I know is Hoggard is quite useful and Panesaar isn't.

Cook
Strauss
Bell (till Vaughn is fit in the later tests)
Collingwood
KP
Freddy
Read
Shaggy
Harmy
Anderson
Panesaar

Shame about Tresco.

I don't like the idea of two spinners at all.

[Graham C]

Ah Simon Jones,  I was thinking Geraint Jones!  I see you've dropped him for Chris Read

Quite agree with the spinners, 1 is enough.

[Rooky9]

I think Anderson out for Monty will be the change for the next test. Thats not to say there should be more! Brittle Batting and soft bowling attack, I dont think there is anything in the squad to firm either of them up

[The Baron]

I think Anderson out for Monty will be the change for the next test. Thats not to say there should be more! Brittle Batting and soft bowling attack, I dont think there is anything in the squad to firm either of them up

On some of the pitches over there I think dropping a seamer is suicide.

[Bazzaboy]

The seamers were utterly useless (Flintoff aside) so might as well play two spinners, especially in Adelaide.  I get the feeling we are going to struggle to take 20wickets in any test with our bowling attack as it is.  Harmy is all over the place, Hoggy can't swing the kookaburra and Anderson not good enough.

[TightEnd]

In Adelaide, slow wicket, both teams will play two spinners.

In Sydney, where it spins, the same

In Perth..fast, bouncy, four seamers

Jury out on Melbourne

Panesar for Anderson or Harmison if brave

win toss, bat put up a total and try to put their batsmen under pressure


Problem is I can't see us taking 20 wickets a match.

Going to be a long winter


Pr

[The Baron]

In Adelaide, slow wicket, both teams will play two spinners.

In Sydney, where it spins, the same

In Perth..fast, bouncy, four seamers

Jury out on Melbourne

Panesar for Anderson or Harmison if brave

win toss, bat put up a total and try to put their batsmen under pressure


Problem is I can't see us taking 20 wickets a match.

Going to be a long winter


Pr

Anderson got better throughout each innings - but it'd be a brave choice to drop Harmison.

[TightEnd]

lets face it one isn't quite good enough..one four ball an over and Harmy is out of technique and form

In an ideal world you'd play neither. Stuart Broad is the best of the lot, sat in the development squad in Perth!


Anderson and Hoggard are English condition bowlers, need big seams, not Kookaburra balls, and cloud cover. Both they are not going to get.

[Rooky9]

lets face it one isn't quite good enough..one four ball an over and Harmy is out of technique and form

In an ideal world you'd play neither. Stuart Broad is the best of the lot, sat in the development squad in Perth!


Anderson and Hoggard are English condition bowlers, need big seams, not Kookaburra balls, and cloud cover. Both they are not going to get.

Lets not break Broad so early. Facing that batting line up on their turf first up could set him back a couple of years. Trying to bowl harmison back into form must be the way to go.

[Longy]

I think the only change we will see is Monty in for probably Anderson, though depending on the state of the wickets in later tests he should replace giles in Perth for example.

I personally favour Read behind the stumps, tho Jones was certainly no where near our worst player in Brisbane.