Can We Win Back the Ashes This Summer

[Canteen Worker]

Very early to start but anything is better than pontificating on this Federal Election.

Can we win back the Ashes, given our very ordinary form against the Pakis in the Old Dart and that the Poms smacked them.

Their tails are up and we seem to be struggling in a lot of areas.

Who will win and how???

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

I think you can beat them, as I am unsure that their bowling attack will be suited to Australian conditions

They are a pretty good side at the moment though, I watched Swann last sunday night bowl 1 of the best finger spinning spells I have seen

 

[The Gronk]

Their bowling will be crap - Anderson is unplayable in the UK, a pie chucker in Australia. 

 

[Chip and Chase]

Bowling conditions will favour us out here. Having said that I think the gap is narrowing between us and England quite considerbly, as we age and they get some youthful exhuberance. Can we afford to carry guys like North, Hussey and even Ponting to an extent, for much longer ?

 

[Fluffy]

5 - 0 us again

 

[tractorboy]

Oh I will either have so much fun this summer or it will be another long one( for once i hope the 1st one). I'm English for those that don't know. But on paper the teams are quite even. It for me will come down to a few things possibly. The 1st in the captains. Ponting under pressure is not a good captain and if we managed to get into a good postion going to be interesting to see how he handles things. 2nd is attitude. For example Getting Shane Watson fired up is like taking candy off a baby. Also though Kevin Peterson hopefully doesn't lose his cool. On the flip side for us is our ablilty to fall apart in a heap. Batting collaspes are as part off English cricket as match fixing is to Pakistan. This will no doubt at some point happen. I just hope we can bounce back from it.
2 key man for me from either side are.
James Anderson- has never bolwed well out here but has so much to offer. Can be deadly if he can learn how to use the ball in Aussie conditions.
Secondly Nathen Hauritz, If he plays( and looks like he will) we should win no worries. He isn't a state bolwer let alone a test player. I hope he gets picked over Steve Smith( who I rate very highly).
Its going to be a great summer. Bring it on

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Tractor, I agree with what you say about Anderson, but I think there is a player more key than him, and may be a big ace up your sleeve, Graeme Swann

Have watched a lot of him lately, and I would rate him up there with the best finger spinners I have seen. Flights it beautifully and gives it a real rip, some of his balls have been unplayable. Australia have had some issues with finger spin in the past so he could be a key figure

 

[tractorboy]

Agree 100%. I meant to mention Swann when I talked about Hauritz as being a possible difference in the Ashes

 

[The Eagle]

Its all on Ponting,easily the worlds BEST batsman and on his day a great rival to Bradman in my view,whilst bradman had ****ty pitches he also had ****ty opposition fielders who'd prefer clap than dive for a catch or stop a 4

 

[Fluffy]

Bradman was a different era and cannot ever be compared.

What made him a great was his commitment, third to none at the time (yes thats right, so far ahead there was no second place)

however these days any "best" batsman from around the world has a lot more to deal with, look at Tendulkar, great in india but as far as the rest of the world pitches (outside the dudcontinent) would barely scrape into the top 10, but he is not alone when not at home. Waugh and Dravid are 2 of the few that have been able to achieve more OS than at home, hats off to them

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

You might have Tendulkar mixed up with someone else ?

Just looked up the stats coz it didn't sound right, averages more away from home and has more tons away from home. Even outside of the Subcontinent the numbers are good, averaging 62 in England, 58 in Australia, 49 in NZ and 47 in the Windies. South Africa is his biggest battle averaging 39

 

[The Eagle]

Bradman was a different era and cannot ever be compared.

What made him a great was his commitment, third to none at the time (yes thats right, so far ahead there was no second place)

however these days any \"best\" batsman from around the world has a lot more to deal with, look at Tendulkar, great in india but as far as the rest of the world pitches (outside the dudcontinent) would barely scrape into the top 10, but he is not alone when not at home. Waugh and Dravid are 2 of the few that have been able to achieve more OS than at home, hats off to them

I agree thats why i think best ever is a very debatable topic,Ponting is still key to us winning back the ashes

Ponting
Clark
Watson
Johnson

These are our 4 men that must fire,if they do and the others atleast play average we will win it back

My keeper is still not Haddin,im not sold on him

1.Watson
2.Paine
3.Ponting
4.Clark
5.Jaques
6.Hussey
7.White
8.Johnson
9.Bollinger
10.That kid from last year,1st change pace bowler whos name i forget
11.Hauritz/Smith

This is not a batting order,think of it a rough draft

 

[Fluffy]

You might have Tendulkar mixed up with someone else ?

Just looked up the stats coz it didn't sound right, averages more away from home and has more tons away from home. Even outside of the Subcontinent the numbers are good, averaging 62 in England, 58 in Australia, 49 in NZ and 47 in the Windies. South Africa is his biggest battle averaging 39

nah, he has just come good the last few years since that stat registered itself. Used to have an average of about 58 at home and 51 away and at the time Dravid was the complete opposite, about 48 at home and 60 away.

 

[The Gronk]

Tendulkar is the best batsman since Bradman IMO.  6 centuries last year and he is 37.  Probably got a few more years in him yet. 

And there is no way we can win the ashes if we go in with both Hussey and North in the team.  Phil Hughes and Callum Ferguson should be a chance to get in ahead of at least one of these nuffies.

 

[Fluffy]

North doesnt impress me at all as a batsman, can be a handle bowler sometimes and given his age i cant understand why one of the younger crowd arnt getting their chance.

I guess they were hoping for another Hussey, coming on the scene in his prime and average over 60 for 2 years but North is mid 30's average keeping as Gronk said Hughes our with an average of 50+??

 

[The Gronk]

Ferguson is back in the one day squad after being out for a year with a knee. 

He has future test player written all over him. 

I'd like to see something like

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
Watson
Ferguson
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhaus
The Rug

with the possiblility of bringing in Steven Smith and batting Haddin at 6 if we want two spinners.  Smith could easily bat 7. 

 

[Fro]

Smith coming in would give us 1 spinner, because whatever Hauritz is he isnt a spinners bunghole.

 

[The Gronk]

Smith coming in would give us 1 spinner, because whatever Hauritz is he isnt a spinners bunghole.

cant disagree there,  Krezja is a much better offie. 

 

[tractorboy]

If I was look at things from an Aussie point of view the team I would pick the following.

Shane Watson
Simon Katich 
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
Callum Ferguson
Brad Haddin
Steve Smith
Mitchell Johnson 
Ben Hilfenhaus 
Dougy B

I assume though they will pick something pretty similar to what they have at the moment. I hope you guys pick Hauritz, pretty much means we are half way to winning before a ball is bowled.

 

[The Gronk]

Just go with

Katich
Hughes
Jacques
Clarke
Watson
Khuwaja
Haddin
Smith
Hauritz
Clark
Bollinger

12th man Warner

and tell anyone not from NSW to get farked.