Ashes 2009 - Predict Today, Laugh Tommorow!

[pskov]

Let's make some predictions regarding the Ashes in 2009, so they can be bumped, revisited and (probably) laughed at when the series comes around.

Starting Line Ups for the First Test

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Joyce
Flintoff*
Foster+
Broad
Panesar
Hoggard
Anderson

Hayden
Jacques
Ponting*
Hussey
Clarke
Voges
Haddin+
Clark
Johnson
MacGill
Tait

Top Run Scorers

Eng: Pietersen
Aus: Hussey

Top Wicket Takers

Eng: Anderson
Aus: Tait

Result

2-2 draw, Australia retains the Ashes with a narrow win at the Oval to level the series

 

[andyc]

Haha, good idea. Not going to pretend I know anything about English domestic cricket, so I'll just go Australia:

Australia line up
Jaques
Rogers
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Lee
Clark
Johnson
MacGill

Not a really surprising team. MacGill will probably be out of the team by then, but I've more chance of getting it right by picking him than one of the many fairly mediocre young Aussie spinners.

Top run scorers
English- Pietersen
Australia- Clarke

Top wicket takers
English- Panesar
Australia- Clark

 

[Johnners]

Australia

Jaques
Rogers
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Bailey

Cullen Bailey will have improved vastly in the ensuing 24 months leaving the selectors no choice but to give him a run in the hope that he can at least reach the level in which Stuey MacGill acheived in his test career.

Top Runscorers
England: Cook
Australia: Clarke

Top Wicket takers
England: Panesar
Australia: Johnson

Result
3-1 Australia

 

[oz_fan]

Australia
Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
MacGill

England
Strauss
Compton
Cook
Pietersen
Bell
Joyce
Flintoff
Davies
Broad
Panesar
Hoggard

Top Runscorers
England: Pietersen
Australia: Hussey

Top Wicket takers
England: Panesar
Australia: Clark

Result
2-1 Australia

 

[ripper868]

Lineups - no idea, ponting and hussey at 3/4. KP at 3 for england.

Result - 5 nil australia

 

[James90]

2009 England
Cook
*Strauss
Bell
Pietersen
Joyce
Flintoff
+Pothas
Tremlett
S.Jones
Panesar
Broad
----------
Hoggard

Michael Vaughan has all but retired due to a recurring knee problem.

Australia
Jaques
Rogers
*Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
+Haddin
White
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Cullen
----------
Watson

Yet again Australia fails to fully utilize an all-rounder with White now in favour because there is no spinner who can carry an attack alone. Gilchrist and MacGill are distant chances to still be around and performing.

Top Runscorers
England: Joyce
Australia: Hussey

Top Wicket takers
England: Jones
Australia: Clark

Result
Australia 2 - England 1

Heading into the final test scores are level 1-1. England rush back captain Michael Vaughan in order to regain the Ashes. Vaughan fails with the bat and spends a lot of time off the field with an icepack. Strauss' captaincy and Tremlett's bowling result in one of the biggest chokes of all time. England lose the fifth test by an innings.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

England
Cook
Strauss*
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Joyce
Read+
Flintoff
Panesar
Hoggard
Harmison

Australia
Jaques
Rogers
*Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
+Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Hilfenhaus

Australia with an all-pace attack. I actually doubt they'll realistically pick an all-pace lineup, but it's more or less impossible to guess who the spinner will be at the moment, unless MacGill is still playing. I'll pick Bailey to be included in the squad.

England with fewer changes than most people expect, but down to a 4 man attack. Hoggard and Harmison will still be around, and the other bowling options will have been discarded. Jones will still be unfit. Keeper is the toughest spot to pick as it could really be anyone.

Top Runscorers
England: Pietersen
Australia: Clarke

Top Wicket takers
England: Flintoff
Australia: Clark

Result
Australia 2 - England 2

 

[TT Boy]

No Brett Dorey?

 

[aussie]

ENGLAND:

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan*
KP
Bell
Collingwood
Flintoff
Davies/Read/Pothas+
Hoggard
Jones/Harmison
Panesar

All though i hope Trescothick will be back i sort of feel even if he is he won't last until the 2009 Ashes. I do believe Vaughan will be around.

Keeping wise its a big guess who will be around then, IMO either of these 3 men could be it although i guess it could be Davies.

Bowling wise reckon England with adopt the 4-bowler policy by then. Harmo/Jones depends on Jones fitness in the coming years.

AUSTRALIA:

Hayden/Rogers
Jaques
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
White
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark

Backup in a possible 16-man squad: Tait, Hilfenhaus, Bailey, Paine/Hartley/Ronchi, Hodge/Symonds/Cosgrove/North.

Won't rule of Hayden making it back in 2009 THB, but if not Rogers once he keeps his runscoring form up will come in.

It would be good it White could develop back his bowling a bit, its a exciting idea to possibly have both him & Watson & White in the same test team.

Damn thinking how good England will possibly be then & all the exciting if & buts about the exciting Australian prospects, that series can't come sooner, bloody ECB took at test away from Old Trafford...

 

[grecian]

England

Cook
Strauss
Bell
Vaughan
KP
Flintoff
Adil Rashid
Davies
Hoggard
Broad
T Smith


Australia

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
White
Gilchrist
Clark
Johnson
Lee
Tait

Top runscorers

Hussey, Cook

Top wicket-takers

Johnson, Hoggard

No idea about oz really just ponting, reckon it will be 2-2, Ashes retained by the crims..

 

[Stumped]

the ashes will return to their rightful owners.....australia

 

[Blewy]

Australia

Jaques
Rogers
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
White
Haddin
Lee
Clark
Johnson

Runscorer: Hussey

Wickettaker: Johnson

Australia 3-1

 

[pasag]

Cbf doing a list, I think it will be a 2-2 result tbh. I can't wait though.

 

[marc71178]

the ashes will return to their rightful owners.....australia

Whatever happens in 2009, the Ashes can only "return" to one side, and it's not Australia...

 

[marc71178]

England
Cook
Strauss*
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Joyce
Read+
Flintoff
Panesar
Hoggard
Harmison

So pretty much the side some people wanted this time then?

Also, wouldn't Flintoff bat ahead of Read?

 

[BoyBrumby]

I personally reckon Fred will be more-or-less over by 2009, sad to say. His ankle problems seem chronic, cortisone injections are never a good idea for injuries long term & he'll be 31 by then anyway.

England I'll guess at:

Strauss*
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Joyce
Rashid
Davies+
Broad
Hoggard
S Jones
Panesar

Rashid is the only real long-shot, Davies & Broad will play tests for England. Actually, if Rashid's leg-spin develops as we pray it will it could even curtail Monty's chances if the cheery Rhodesian is still in charge. It's obvious to any casual observer that Big Dunc likes his multi-dimensionals so a seamer like Tom Smith who has more potential with the willow could find himself in the team ahead of him.

I can't see Vaughan's knee lasting two-and-a-half years, Collingwood still doesn't have the look of a long-term option & Harmy will have retired to the north-east to watch Newcastle's inevitable slide out of the football league.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

So pretty much the side some people wanted this time then?

Also, wouldn't Flintoff bat ahead of Read?

Yeah he would. Just an error.

 

[marc71178]

Didn't think you'd taken leave of your senses that much!

Funny though that you think the team won't change one bit - yet you're not predicting a heavy Aus win?

 

[wpdavid]

I personally reckon Fred will be more-or-less over by 2009, sad to say. His ankle problems seem chronic, cortisone injections are never a good idea for injuries long term & he'll be 31 by then anyway.

England I'll guess at:

Strauss*
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Joyce
Rashid
Davies+
Broad
Hoggard
S Jones
Panesar

Rashid is the only real long-shot, Davies & Broad will play tests for England. Actually, if Rashid's leg-spin develops as we pray it will it could even curtail Monty's chances if the cheery Rhodesian is still in charge. It's obvious to any casual observer that Big Dunc likes his multi-dimensionals so a seamer like Tom Smith who has more potential with the willow could find himself in the team ahead of him.

I can't see Vaughan's knee lasting two-and-a-half years, Collingwood still doesn't have the look of a long-term option & Harmy will have retired to the north-east to watch Newcastle's inevitable slide out of the football league.

Not sure that Hoggard will still feature. Or Jones, judging by the last 15 months.

How about ...

Strauss (c)
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Rashid
Davies/Foster
Broad
Tremlett/Mahmood
Anderson

Result?
2-1 England

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not sure that Hoggard will still feature. Or Jones, judging by the last 15 months.

How about ...

Strauss (c)
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Rashid
Davies/Foster
Broad
Tremlett/Mahmood
Anderson

Result?
2-1 England

He'll only be 32 (I think) and he's been largely injury-free (side strain notwithstanding) compared to our other seamers. S Jones is possibly more of a hope than an expectation tho, yes.