Road to the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia

[vcs]

No one's expecting much, so I think it will be very good.

****, I hope it is, we've been starved of decent cricket for what feels like ages.

 

[GotSpin]

I did enjoy the last ashes here just for the Johnson and Harris show but boy its been one sided lately hasn't it

 

[Tom Flint]

Yep. Facing Woakes etc will be a step down from shield cricket anyways, so I think they should persist with him regardless of form. He didn't grit through all that SC cricket for nothing.

Yep the likes of mennie tremain and bollinger really is a step up from the same county cricket that bancroft has averaged about 25 in the last 2 seasons.

 

[S.Kennedy]

No one's expecting much, so I think it will be very good.

****, I hope it is, we've been starved of decent cricket for what feels like ages.

You didn't enjoy the last India-Australian series? I really loved that one.

 

[vcs]

Been half a year since then!

TBF, Pakistan-SL was pretty awesome recently.

 

[harsh.ag]

The England team will be gleeful with anticipation at least. After weekends at the Brighton "beach", anyone would look forward to Bribie Island.

 

[andruid]

Take the Ashes to India. Nice neutral venue

 

[FBU]

Left-handers -
Cook Stoneman Malan Ali Broad Anderson
Warner Renshaw Khawaja Wade Starc Hazelwood

Percentage of left-handed wickets

33.33% Cummins (only 5 Tests)
31.59% Lyon
28.37% Starc
24.57% Hazelwood

32.81% Ali
31.62% Anderson
27.83% Broad
18.00% Woakes

 

[Furball]

I can't remember feeling less excited for an Ashes series. Even when we were crap.

Maybe I've fallen out of love with the game.

I'm too much of a grown up to bother staying up late to watch it. Particularly as I'm now in at 8am most days.

What are the time zones again? Adelaide is a midnight start IIRC, Brisbane is weird, Perth is either 2 or 3am, can't remember if Sydney and Melbourne are the same as Adelaide or if they end up being 11pm.

 

[Woodster]

Fair shout this from George, in terms of Australia perhaps not being as confident as they like everyone to think and are with producing such slow tracks and below par opposition with the aim of hitting England with some pace and bounce at the Test venues. I have no issue with producing Test pitches to suit you as the home side, it is the hosts prerogative for me. To produce pitches vastly different to what is expected to be unveiled when the Tests start, is that not a little unnecessary or is it just good planning ? Are Australia more concerned than they're letting on and need any slight advantage they can get ?

As well as the contrast in pitches, they are hoping the big jump in standard also unsettles England, from playing against effectively decent Grade players to facing Starc, Cummins, etc, presumably they're hoping to catch England cold.

England in danger of being undercooked by weak build-up - ESPNcricinfo

Apologies if this has already been discussed earlier in the thread.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Been half a year since then!

TBF, Pakistan-SL was pretty awesome recently.

The Headingley West Indian test was the best of last summer's tests which I didn't see coming.

 

[Compton]

Plenty entertainment to be had this series.

I suggest “Root gets out in the 60s” for centre square of Ashes Bingo.

 

[mustardcharlie]

First post on here
Why are England fans so despondent? I think we outclass Oz in every dept. As a new pensioner (65 this year) and a profound pessimist as far as all England's national sports teams go, I see no reason why convict butt cannot be kicked. Root, Cook and Bairstow are 3 of the best batsmen in the world right now. Spinners? Lyon > Mo. Maybe but even the most devout Aussie fan would not argue that he was a better bat. On keeping ability alone Bairstow and Wade are about equal, Australia have pace in their seam attack but not the guile of England. o why are we so half-hearted in our support?

 

[burr]

Fair shout this from George, in terms of Australia perhaps not being as confident as they like everyone to think and are with producing such slow tracks and below par opposition with the aim of hitting England with some pace and bounce at the Test venues. I have no issue with producing Test pitches to suit you as the home side, it is the hosts prerogative for me. To produce pitches vastly different to what is expected to be unveiled when the Tests start, is that not a little unnecessary or is it just good planning ? Are Australia more concerned than they're letting on and need any slight advantage they can get ?

As well as the contrast in pitches, they are hoping the big jump in standard also unsettles England, from playing against effectively decent Grade players to facing Starc, Cummins, etc, presumably they're hoping to catch England cold.

England in danger of being undercooked by weak build-up - ESPNcricinfo

Apologies if this has already been discussed earlier in the thread.

I honestly think George Dobell is paid by the ECB. Embedded journalism at its worst.

It's really hard to pick a favourite. I think England's bar is higher for batting but will they be able to play to it in Aus and without Stokes. A tough one. I'd go England 2-1.

 

[Stapel]

First post on here
Why are England fans so despondent? I think we outclass Oz in every dept. As a new pensioner (65 this year) and a profound pessimist as far as all England's national sports teams go, I see no reason why convict butt cannot be kicked. Root, Cook and Bairstow are 3 of the best batsmen in the world right now. Spinners? Lyon > Mo. Maybe but even the most devout Aussie fan would not argue that he was a better bat. On keeping ability alone Bairstow and Wade are about equal, Australia have pace in their seam attack but not the guile of England. o why are we so half-hearted in our support?

Welcome to CW!
Though I'm not sure those bloody brexitering Poms outclass those petty criminals in every department, I do think the balance is a lot finer than most think.

Pessimism seems to be very very English, as your national sports teams go. With the ridiculous exception of football, of course. The English always seem to have a half decent expectation of their football team. Yet, common sense tells us that the English have even fewer chances to become the next World Champions than the Dutch. And yes, I know where our national teams stands at this very moment.

 

[Bijed]

First post on here
Why are England fans so despondent? I think we outclass Oz in every dept. As a new pensioner (65 this year) and a profound pessimist as far as all England's national sports teams go, I see no reason why convict butt cannot be kicked. Root, Cook and Bairstow are 3 of the best batsmen in the world right now. Spinners? Lyon > Mo. Maybe but even the most devout Aussie fan would not argue that he was a better bat. On keeping ability alone Bairstow and Wade are about equal, Australia have pace in their seam attack but not the guile of England. o why are we so half-hearted in our support?

Nice to have you on board

To be honest I agree with you to a fair extent, in that there is no reason why we couldn't win and maybe win comfortably. On paper I would put Aus ahead of us, though not a huge gulf and if we exceed expectations and they don't then we absolutely could come through very well. Problem is, there's not a team I'd back more than England to basically just disappoint.

Mind you:

On keeping ability alone Bairstow and Wade are about equal

Reckon you owe Bairstow an apology there

 

[Compton]

I think both sides have their pros and their cons, but that Aussie quick attack is really very good.

Add to that the fact that Warner, Khawaja, and Smith are all phenoms in Australian conditions and I think they deserve to be strong favourites.

 

[Cabinet96]

Haven't even been that interested in cricket for the last four years but I'm still excited for this. It's actually been a decent period since the last Ashes which probably helps.

No expectations on the team front for all the obvious reasons, just hope a few players shine.

 

[S.Kennedy]

First post on here
Why are England fans so despondent? I think we outclass Oz in every dept. As a new pensioner (65 this year) and a profound pessimist as far as all England's national sports teams go, I see no reason why convict butt cannot be kicked. Root, Cook and Bairstow are 3 of the best batsmen in the world right now. Spinners? Lyon > Mo. Maybe but even the most devout Aussie fan would not argue that he was a better bat. On keeping ability alone Bairstow and Wade are about equal, Australia have pace in their seam attack but not the guile of England. o why are we so half-hearted in our support?

Australia have three flat/home track bullies, Warner, Khawaja and Smith, which will go massive on specially prepared wickets. That is my main fear for England. And before anyone starts complaining, all three have massive differential home/away averages - even Smith improves 14.71 on an Aussie road.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I honestly think George Dobell is paid by the ECB. Embedded journalism at its worst.

It's really hard to pick a favourite. I think England's bar is higher for batting but will they be able to play to it in Aus and without Stokes. A tough one. I'd go England 2-1.

What!! Dobell loathes the ECB!! He pillories them in every second article, e.g, this new twenty20, selection policy, the Durham punishment etc etc