Australia in England - 2009 Ashes Tour

[smssia0112]

I really believe Australia would have been obliterated by the West Indies if they were batting on Saturday. The Australian team is very poor at the moment, last June they weren't that bad and were reduced to 17 for 5 by the West Indies. Telling you, the Ashes is going to be close again.

We didn't do this badly against South Africa and India, what makes you think we'd do this badly against the West Indies? Our batting lineup is a lot better than yours no matter what spin you put on it. Your possible advantage is more in the bowling department.

 

[RoboRocks]

Your possible advantage is more in the bowling department.

We don't know what our best seam attack is the moment but the bowling attacks are just about even with Australia in need of a spinner and England well covered in that department.

Harmison has to go if he fails in this test since he's been given countless chances and hasn't look threatening, Sidebottom has wasted the new ball on many occasions by bowling too wide, which is becoming a problem since swing might be a crucial factor and Panesar hasn't got the variation to trouble any batsman, much less Australia's batsmen who play spin well.

However, Anderson has improved over the past year or so and shouldn't have been dropped at all, Broad is starting to get wickets under his belt and that might be what he needs to progress and we have Flintoff, who is still one of the best fast bowlers in the world.

I'll be interested to see how Swann goes in this test having being given an opportunity. Swann's problem is he can't take 5 wickets on a regular basis and with England fast bowling attack uncertain, you need a match winning spinner really ans that's why Panesar's lack of form is worrying.
If Swann doesn't perform in the next two tests, then we may have to look at Rashid since he is someone who can win a match.

Good signs is that the batsmen are looking better, albeit on a flat pitch. Strauss looked like the Strauss of old yesterday and Collingwood is starting to make runs consistently.
Shah looked the part at 3 yesterday as well so hopefully he can kick on and get a hundred sometime soon.
Prior is reliable down the order and will have a part to play.

 

[Sureshot]

Worried about Swann being unproven yet you suggest Rashid as a replacement?

 

[Themer]

I hope we don't play Rashid in the West Indies, I feel it will be a bit too early for him and I dread to think what would happen to his confidence should Gayle or someone like him really go after him ofcourse he could do very well but it's been the way of England to play a young legspinner and for them to be never seen again.

I'd say he's a tad too young for the Ashes next year and should be gradually brought in after it.

Themer added 24 Minutes and 0 Seconds later...

On the subject of the Ashes I think it'll be close as on paper Australia probably just edge it with there batting being the main reason why.

It'll all come down to who peforms on the day, an obvious thing to say but..., as either team on a good day could outplay the other and on the same foot either team could play very poorly, England's 51 as a horrid example of that.

 

[RoboRocks]

Worried about Swann being unproven yet you suggest Rashid as a replacement?

Just as I say Swann won't win a match often enough he gets a 5 wicket haul.

I just thought that Rashid would be more of a wicket taker since he has 8 5WH in 43 matches compared to Swann's 16 5WH's in 175 matches (includes his 5WH today).

Swann done really well and deserves his success and hopefully he can continue to take wickets and get into the ashes.

Just a question whether Panesar falls below Rashid but I doubt it since Panesar took more wickets than Rashid in the St Kitts XI warm-up match. Although to be fair to Rashid he may have been nervous playing his first game for the senior England side.

 

[Kev]

Not that i want to ignore rashid's achievements but stats can tellן you anything you want to. the pןain fact is that he isn't ready to be the ןone spinner, he might be worth a punt if we are going to pןay a second spinner but he us nowhere near ready to be engןand's front ןine spinner. even if you take into account his abiןity with the bat. yorkshire even know that, he can pןay shots but he isn't a batsman and he needs to work on that too befoe he can seriousןy be considered. swann has done a decnt job given the changes he's been given so i'd stick with him or monty stiןן myseןf. unןess you want to consider choosing someone from ןeft fieןd, perhaps the penguins?

 

[Mars Maximus]

In England that Dukes ball sure does swing! That was a very big factor in England winning the Ashes. Though they only won by 2 runs hehe. But yea it should swing there, and well another Lords victory for Australia? That seems the norm.

 

[Skater]

Normally Australia catches us cold and that's why they normally beat us in the Lord's Test. This time around the Lord's Test is the second game so whoever wins the first will have an advantage.

 

[Leicester Fox]

Chances are Lords and The Oval will be draws anyway, not very good wickets recently.

 

[Mars Maximus]

Ok. I just hope it's a thriller of a series, and I can't wait!

 

[aussie_ben91]

LOL @ Claims that we would've been destroyed in a similar fashion to England being bowled out for 51. Did you actually watch the game? Really, only one decent ball was bowled and that was the one that gotten Kevin Pietersen out and unlike England, we have got more then 1 quality batsman. Only England could've put out such a disgraceful performance.

England will dominate the first Test and then find a way of drawing it and then Australia will easily win either 2-0 or 3-0.

 

[Skater]

LOL @ Claims that we would've been destroyed in a similar fashion to England being bowled out for 51. Did you actually watch the game? Really, only one decent ball was bowled and that was the one that gotten Kevin Pietersen out and unlike England, we have got more then 1 quality batsman. Only England could've put out such a disgraceful performance.

England will dominate the first Test and then find a way of drawing it and then Australia will easily win either 2-0 or 3-0.

Did you not see the Prior delivery then?

 

[King Pietersen]

Lee, only England could have been bowled out for 51 on that pitch. Flintoff proved that if you play properly you can fight through it. Cook and Strauss threw their wickets away, as did Bell. Pietersen got a jaffer, as did Prior, the others just threw their wickets away. There was no way West Indies would have bowled every side out for 51 out there, possibly 150-200, but not 51. Only England are capable of collapses as monumental as that.

England will win The Ashes 5-0 though tbh, well, I'll be nice to Australia and say 4-0. Lords will be a draw. Obviously.

 

[Burgey]

Normally Australia catches us cold and that's why they normally beat us in the Lord's Test. This time around the Lord's Test is the second game so whoever wins the first will have an advantage.

But apart from the 2005 series, the Lord's test has ALWAYS been second up.

Australians just lift playing at Lord's, as it's a special thing for them.

 

[mattfb]

Agree with Lords being a draw. It's a fairly flat pitch now-a-days which is confirmed by the fact Sri Lanka (I think it was) batted 2 days to save a game there for one example. I've written an article on it somewhere. The only way it won't be a draw is if there is a moment of brilliance by 1 or 2 bowlers, or a moment of madness from 1 or 2 batsmen.