Ashes Predictions

[honestbharani]

high on Beer, ain't you?

 

[Howe_zat]

Ah, but will my love of German batteries ever be quenched?

 

[Spark]

A series of "The Ashes" comprises five Test matches, two innings per match, under the regular rules for Test match cricket. If a series is drawn then the country already holding the Ashes retains them.

**** I didn't know that! I was wondering what the hell was going on out there

 

[Burgey]

Jacken already demonstrating far greater cricketing knowledge than most UK CW members.

 

[Kylez]

I predict that Spark will have the most posts in the match threads .

Pretty much spot on.

 

[Spark]

Pretty much spot on.

Stand by my comment that the point of a prediction is that it might not come true

Didn't get to 500 posts in the 3rd test - disappoint

 

[morgieb]

3-1 to the good guys (that's Australia, not the Poms!)
Top runscorer: Watto, Pietersen
Top wicket-taker: Johnson, Swann
Dumpings: North, Haurie, Hussey, Bell, Finn
Debut/Return: Khawaja, Smith (sort of....), Harris, Tremlett
Surprise Packet: England taking the lead sometime in the Ashes.

Right now....

Scoreline: Still possible....
Top runscorer: Both are rather unlikely to happen.
Top wicket-taker: Both are still a chance.
Dumpings: 2 of them happened, 2 of them won't happen, 1 might.
Debut/Return: 3 of them happened, the other 1 could happen if Ponting's injury is as bad as we feared.
Surprise Packet: Yes, it has happened.

 

[andyc]

Interesting to see no one as yet predicting against their team to win.

Result: 3-1 Australia
Runs: Ponting and Strauss
Wickets: Hilfenhaus and Broad
Dumpings: North and possibly Hauritz
Returns/debuts: Usman Khawaja, Phil Hughes, Steve Smith
Surprises: Watson to get injured by the third Test, after which Hughes will gun it. Also, one hattrick will be taken (worth a shot).

Thought I'd tipped it be 2-1, tbh. Reckon that's more of a chance than 3-1, but it's still a possibility.

Think we can rule Ponting out of most runs; Strauss isn't impossible but he'd have to do a lot.

No chance for Broad as he's out injured now, Hilfy surely won't get there now.

Obviously missed a number of dumpings, but Norf and Haury both did get the sack. Hughes and Smith have returned by now, and Khawaja could yet play.

Hughes has come in to the Test for an injury by the Third Test, just not for Watto. Yet to gun it. Also still stoked about the hattrick call, everyone else's predictions can GAGF.

 

[Oscillatingmind]

3-1 England
Top runscorer - Strauss, Clarke
Top wicket taker - Hilfenhaus, Broad
Dumpings - Hussey
Debutant/Returning players - Khawaja, Copeland
Surprise Packet - Swan to finish averaging 40+ with the ball (but do well with the bat)

All terrible and off the mark except the scoreline sadly.

Swans averaging 37 but even if it creeps over to forty it would be more due to lack of being needed, did what he needed to do when needed. Besides will probably get 7+ wickets in the Sydney match.

 

[morgieb]

3-1 to the good guys (that's Australia, not the Poms!)
Top runscorer: Watto, Pietersen
Top wicket-taker: Johnson, Swann
Dumpings: North, Haurie, Hussey, Bell, Finn
Debut/Return: Khawaja, Smith (sort of....), Harris, Tremlett
Surprise Packet: England taking the lead sometime in the Ashes.

Pretty shocking all round really. Score looks like it'll the other way round, Watto's been ok, but nowhere near Hussey standard, whereas KP's been good but there's been better. Johnson only had one innings, Swann's been ok but hasn't been required enough to take the most wickets. Got 3 of the dumpings rights, and 3 of the returns (and Khawaja could still yet play). Surprise Packet was not a surprise, but yeah it happened.

 

[Themer]

2-2 England retain Ashes.
Top runscorer - Clarke, Trott
Top wicket taker - Hilfenhaus. Broad.
Dumpings - Marcus North, Cook
Debutant/Returning players - Tremlett to get a gig due to injury at some stage
Surprise Packet - Tremlett to run through the Australian line up first innings back.

Can't wait tbh.

Not too bad.

 

[Howe_zat]

Not too bad.

Great call on Trem.

Yet another to show no faith in Cook, mind.

 

[marc71178]

Not too bad.

Not too bad? That's miles off - your pick for top wicket takers are averaging 1 wicket per match!

 

[Prince EWS]

Not too bad? That's miles off - your pick for top wicket takers are averaging 1 wicket per match!

Trott and Tremlett calls were particularly gun though, and he's still in the frame with the scoreline he picked. Got North's dumping too but that was basically inevitable.

 

[Themer]

Not too bad? That's miles off - your pick for top wicket takers are averaging 1 wicket per match!

Hence why I didn't say spot on!

Bowling predictions were chuffing awful.

 

[Athlai]

2-2 - still on
Top runscorer - Shane Watson, Bell for the Poms - Watto is 2nd, Bell is 5th (though still averaging 50+) Neither are really in it.
Top wicket taker- Johnson , Swann - Johnson is second and in it while Swann is 4th and still in it albeit a long shot
Dumpings - Haurie, Tremlett? - Yes and oh my no. WAG
Returning/Debutant - Hughes - yes
Surprise packet - North YOU ****ING HEARD ME - I'm sure he did something surprising, lasting a Test more than he should have?

 

[Nate]

2-1 Australia wrongggg
Top runscorer - Michael Hussey could be
Top wicket taker - Doug Bollinger wrongggggg
Dumpings - Nathan Hauritz (y)
Debutant/Returning players - Steve Smith (y)
Surprise Packet - Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Steve Smith, Prince EWS Smith and EWS failing me

 

[Burgey]

3-1 Australia (England win a dead rubber)
Top runscorer - Clarke and Swann
Top wicket taker - Dougeh!!! and Broad
Dumpings - Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Finn, Anderson (Swann retains his place for his batting).
Returning Players - Gatting, Paul Jarvis, Mark Ealham

Working beautifully.

Not confident on England winning the dead rubber though.

 

[Jono]

3-0 Australia
Top runscorer - Simon Katich (although what's going on with his thumb?)
Top wicket taker - Mitchell Johnson
Dumpings - Alaistair Cook, Finn
Debutant/Returning players - Peter Siddle (if Bollinger doesn't get up or reinjures himself), Tremlett, Morgan

Was right about Finn being dropped, and Tremlett and Siddle playing.

So very very wrong about the rest. Especially Cook being dropped.

 

[Blaze 18]

Australia to win the Ashes 2-1
Top runscorer - Jonathan Trott
Top wicket taker - Graeme Swann

Got the first one wrong; second and third will likely be wrong as well, although Graeme Swann might eclipse James Anderson on what is likely to be a spin-friendly pitch at Sydney.