If their fifth bowler has worked through almost 30 overs I'll be happy tbf.6-100 is decent returns imo
He'll go at 4.5 an over and Patto will get injured. Green wicket so Lyon won't have a bowl.If their fifth bowler has worked through almost 30 overs I'll be happy tbf.
How can you tell that from his demeanour? He always looks like he’s about to cry to meI have a strong feeling that Root will pile on the runs in the next test. You can tell he has the bit between his teeth now and wants to prove the doubters wrong.
That said Smith will probably score another pair of tons so.
Let's see where I stand after all is said and done.2-1 Australia
Most runs Steve Smith (Australia), Woakes (England)
Most wickets: Cummins ties with Hazlewood (Australia), Woakes
Dropped Bancroft, Burns, Broad, Moeen Ali,
Bold prediction: Australia win at Edgbaston and lose at Lords
Worst poster: The Ashes brings out the worst in all of us
Got the Broad and Anderson ones completely wrong, not too bad aside from that.Australia 3-2
Most runs : Smith
Most wickets : Anderson
Broad to have a poor series and Root a generally disappointing one with a century in the 5th match (dead rubber).
Good start.Scoreline: 2-2
L.O.L. Tried to be too clever.Most runs: Warner
Not a particularly tough guess with Cummins. Anderson probably would've been a few off him even if he'd played the whole series.Most wickets: Anderson & Cummins
Well. Didn't seem fully fit for the first test where he was terrible with the ball. Would probably get out to Lyon on Mars with hindsight so I don't know why I was expecting him to get more runs.Surprise package: Moeen. Kinda nabbed from MW. His reputation feels like it's at an all time low but he rarely fails to do well in England.
Will take this. Though I think he actually bowled quite well, his actual impact on the series was a lot more meh than most were expecting. Fact he was only picked for two tests either speaks volumes about his physical vulnerability or simply shows he's lower in the pecking order than people might have though.Disappointments: Patto. Bit of a punt in the dark, and definitely hope to be wrong, but it just feels like there's a lot of expectations on a guy who hasn't played a test in over three years (as someone who hasn't been following the build up till the last couple of weeks I was a bit surprised). Could easily see him failing to live up to expectations and getting dropped for whoever of Haze/Starc is left out, or just breaking down.
One out of four ain't badScore: 5-0 to England
Most runs: Root
Most wickets: Anderson
Worst poster in the subbie: Burgey
Probably the best predictions I've ever made, although the ones I got wrong I got really, really wrong. Jimmy's injury covers me for that one though, I'll claim.Score: 2-2 [We're due a drawn Ashes series, been ages]
Most wickets: Anderson, Cummins
Most runs: Stokes, Warner
Surprise package(s): Moeen to bat well, save us on a few occasions; Loosechange to make runs
Disappointments: Stokes with the ball, Buttler with the bat; Khawaja in general
NoAh **** it
Score: 3-1 England
Most Runs: Root (Eng), Smith (Aus)
Most Wickets: Anderson (Eng), Cummins (Aus)
Days of play affected by rain: 7
Aus' lowest score (±10): 100
Dropped players: Roy (if plays), Eng's no. three (Denly?), whichever of Harris and Burns starts, and Khawaja if fit and plays
Other: Starc to still not strike a length and take wickets in England, Broad to finally be demoted to first change
Worst poster: got two in mind so far, names withheld to protect the gutless (i.e. me)
Scoreline: Might have happened but for rain3-2 England
Most runs: Smith, Root
Most wickets: Cummins, Anderson
Dropped players: Denly, Harris/Burns (whichever one starts), Hazlewood, Khawaja
Bold prediction: Series goes to the final day
Well it should have been 3-1 but I got the Smith and Cummins right.Predicting Aussies to win 3-1, Cummins most wkts, Smith most runs.
Dropped players: Bancroft, Broad, Roy, Burns, Denly