*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[Johnners]

More seriously though, so much can happen in one and a half years. Wait and see. I am fairly confident in saying that Clarke, Pattinson and Siddle will do well for us. I do think the English batting has become slightly overrated lately and that they're a bit fragile too.

I'm going to withold comment on the rest of our batting order simply because ats I have no idea what it will be.

Very much awta.

I'll be surprised if Cummins is much of a factor in either series (on the basis that Patto/Siddle/Hilf will still be tearing it up) unless of course he gets his chance through injury (assuming he's not injured himself...)

 

[Top_Cat]

Bowl bowling attacks, you'd imagine, will be very strong so it comes down to the blokes at the business end. Both sides are, overall, stronger with the ball with a couple of blokes utterly dominant on the team sheet but get the feeling England will handle the Aussie bowling attack better than the reverse as nothing I've seen of late suggests the Aussie bats are going to be particularly good at handling the swinging ball (always has been the case, really). Will be a tight series, though.

Lyon a sleeper for a good series on English soil as you reckon the English bats will be more worried about the pace attack and plan accordingly. Depends on the time of year the series is being played. Anyone have any idea? Because a late-season series could really bring the spinners into play.

 

[social]

Swann has been full of praise for Strauss' leadership, for what it's worth.

As it is I don't think Strauss is in dreadful form - he hasn't scored a century against a team who wasn't Australia for 3 years now, but the Sri Lanka series aside, I don't think he's had a run of form that's been utterly shocking. His big problem at the moment is not converting starts - he's still averaging around 30, which while it isn't great, has tended to be because he's scored plenty of scores that are neither here nor there, as opposed to someone like Morgan who's scored 2 tons, a couple of 50s and a load of single digit useless stuff for his average of 33. And given the massive upturn in England's fortunes that coincide with his leadership, combined with the regard he's held in by his team-mates, I think Strauss' form would have to get a ****load worse before I started calling for his head.

Strauss is Ponting without the pedigree

Only reasons why he is still in the team are that the team is winning and replacements arent up to scratch

Walking wicket atm

 

[GIMH]

Bowl bowling attacks, you'd imagine, will be very strong so it comes down to the blokes at the business end. Both sides are, overall, stronger with the ball with a couple of blokes utterly dominant on the team sheet but get the feeling England will handle the Aussie bowling attack better than the reverse as nothing I've seen of late suggests the Aussie bats are going to be particularly good at handling the swinging ball (always has been the case, really). Will be a tight series, though.

Lyon a sleeper for a good series on English soil as you reckon the English bats will be more worried about the pace attack and plan accordingly. Depends on the time of year the series is being played. Anyone have any idea? Because a late-season series could really bring the spinners into play.

It is June til August so earlier than the last few

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Strauss is Ponting without the pedigree

Only reasons why he is still in the team are that the team is winning and replacements arent up to scratch

Walking wicket atm

If he wasn't captain he'd have been dropped, of that I think we would all agree on. Seeing as the team have won the last 6 series before the current one (generally comfortably as well) there hasn't been too much of a problem. Should England go 2 or 3 series without a win then his place comes under more scrutiny. A bit like the Taylor situation Australia had in 96/97.

 

[Top_Cat]

It is June til August so earlier than the last few

Australia = ****ed.

 

[GIMH]

Think 93 was the last Ashes to start in June, or possibly 97

 

[Jayzamann]

Cummins/Pattinson bowl as an opening pair

Jizzm mechanism.

I think, as has been said, it's still a fair way to go. But for it to be super duper competitive (like 2005, for instance), Australia has a lot to improve on. England can keep chugging along, or preferably slip a little in the meantime.

 

[Spark]

Is anyone else tempted to treat both 5-matches as two legs of one big series, despite the fact we have a random 7 match ODI series in India in between (which will surely rate as the most meaningless of all time when played)?

 

[Spikey]

i dunno know the 5 match OD series again England this year is pretty meaningless too

 

[GIMH]

You guys are here for ODIs? Might head to one

 

[Spikey]

Late June/Early July. No T20's. But 2 tour matches...

 

[Furball]

Think 93 was the last Ashes to start in June, or possibly 97

The tour starts in June immediately after the Champions Trophy - we might get ODIs first as New Zealand have a 5 match series in September.

 

[GIMH]

Late June/Early July. No T20's. But 2 tour matches...

Tbf I generally enjoy standalone ODI series more than when they come after Tests

 

[Spark]

i dunno know the 5 match OD series again England this year is pretty meaningless too

Nah standalone series like these when we're not playing any other cricket anywhere in that timeframe for months either side is OK. But the 7-match series when clearly everyone's attention will be elsewhere is just annoying. It's not like there'll be a huge break between the two series either.

 

[Cabinet96]

Tbf I generally enjoy standalone ODI series more than when they come after Tests

Yeah, before or after test series you get more players rested or injured and the series in general isn't taken as importantly.

 

[Furball]

Nah standalone series like these when we're not playing any other cricket anywhere in that timeframe for months either side is OK. But the 7-match series when clearly everyone's attention will be elsewhere is just annoying. It's not like there'll be a huge break between the two series either.

Problem with the 7 match series is that the alternative is to tack it onto the end of the Test tour to India - which makes it a long tour immediately prior to an ICC event/Ashes double header. That's not ideal.

 

[Sylvester]

Great news England.

India in Australia 2011-12: Brad Haddin wanted for 2013 Ashes | Cricket News | Australia v India | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[GIMH]

5-0 then

 

[Spikey]

The longer we keep Haddin in the test team the greater the chance of Nev getting in the test team #ForTheGreaterGood