Ashes XI Prediction Game

[pskov]

Cook
Key
Bell
Pietersen*
Collingwood
Prior+
Flintoff
Sidebottom
Anderson
Harmison
Panesar

Not sure that Key will be in, but think Strauss will be dropped between now and the Ashes and Key is just my best guess as to who would be next in line for an openers spot. I think Prior will be the keeper on the West Indies tour and do well enough to keep his place for the summer Tests, especially since I reckon England will be desperate to find a wickie to bat a six.

Hayden
Jaques
Ponting*
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin+
Noffke
Lee
Clark
Tait

I rate Tait higher than Bollinger, Johnson and the raft of spinners. He has said he is now ready to play international cricket again and if he has a good Aussie summer with the ball I think he'll be a more attractive pick than any of the other options for that 4th bowler spot.

 

[andruid]

Hayden
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Spinner x

Strauss
Cook
Pietersen
Bell
Bopara
Flintoff
Ambrose/Prior
Anderson
Sidebottom
Harmison
Panesar

Unfortunately...

 

[bryce]

There's surely no way Jaques is going to be poor enough in the next however-many-it-is-this-winter Tests to lose his place?

Fitness pending obviously, but it looks as if Jaques, Symonds & Watson will be fighting for two places between them. And, despite being a big scoring batsman, Jaques cannot match the other two for all-round abilities.. However if Australia are confident their four main bowlers can do the job Jaques should sneak in the XI...

 

[James_W]

What happened to Simon Katich? Is he not only after scoring 2 centuries in 3 tests?

 

[bryce]

What happened to Simon Katich? Is he not only after scoring 2 centuries in 3 tests?

The joys of being Australian haha....

 

[Nate]

NO HEAL????????????

It's a predicition thread, not what I want.

 

[Speersy]

Australia
1. Jaques
2. Hayden
3. Ponting (*)
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Watson
7. Ronchi (+)
8. Lee
9. Clark
10. Johnson
11. Tait

Insane pace attack, pup obviously would take the spinning duties.

 

[NUFAN]

England
1. A. Cook
2. R. Key
3. I. Bell
4. K Pietersen [captain]
5. P. Collingwood
6. R. Bopara
7. J. Foster [keeper]
8. A. Flintoff
9. R. Sidebottom
10. J. Anderson
11. M. Panesar

Australia
1. P. Jaques
2. S. Watson
3. R. Ponting [captain]
4. M. Hussey
5. M. Clarke
6. A. Symonds
7. B. Haddin [keeper]
8. B. Lee
9. M. Johnson
10. S. Clark
11. B. Hilfenhaus

 

[Beleg]

Cook
Strauss
Bell
Pieterson
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff
Anderson
Harmison
Sidebottom
Jones

the tail can't be helped if England want to win the series (for teams, recently, getting Australia out has been the biggest problem) and I think the selectors will take heed of that.

 

[fatbury]

as long as Peter Moores isnt the coach I dont mind who plays

 

[gettingbetter]

I'm suprised by how many people are predicting Sidebottom won't play.

 

[Uppercut]

I'm suprised by how many people are predicting Sidebottom won't play.

I think they're about to do to him what they did to Matthew Hoggard. Also he averaged a poor-looking 37 against India, 63 against Sri Lanka and 32 against South Africa (by far his worst performance of the lot, ironically). His poor-looking figures against the better teams have got to count against him.

I'd like to point out that i sincerely hope he does play in the Ashes next year. I just have a feeling he might not.

 

[Nate]

Australia
1. Jaques
2. Hayden
3. Ponting (*)
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Watson
7. Ronchi (+)
8. Lee
9. Clark
10. Johnson
11. Tait

Insane pace attack, pup obviously would take the spinning duties.

Worked really well last time.

Johnson wouldn't be happy with his position in the order either.

 

[gettingbetter]

I don't see how anyone can gather that.

 

[Speersy]

Worked really well last time.

Johnson wouldn't be happy with his position in the order either.

Watto will rip through the top order with the others cleaning up the tail.

 

[James90]

ENGLAND
Cook
Strauss
Key
*Pietersen
Bell
Flintoff
+Prior
Broad
Anderson
S Jones
Panesar

AUSTRALIA
Jaques
Hayden
*Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
+Haddin
Noffke
Lee
Warne
Clark

 

[Speersy]

ENGLAND
Cook
Strauss
Key
*Pietersen
Bell
Flintoff
+Prior
Broad
Anderson
S Jones
Panesar

AUSTRALIA
Jaques
Hayden
*Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
+Haddin
Noffke
Lee
Warne
Clark

Really going out on a limb there hey

 

[gettingbetter]

Haha

 

[Malleeboy]

Going by what I think the selectors will do...


Hayden (if fit)
Jaques
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Haddin
Casson
Lee
Johnson
Clark

I'd love to see Katich for Jaques, Watson for Symonds and Noffke for Casson. England will probably go strong in bowling and therefore have a weaker batting lineup. But even 5 fully fit bowlers would struggle to knock over the following lineup cheaply.

Hayden
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Noffke
Lee
Johnson
Clark

 

[Perm]

I don't see how anyone can gather that.

Johnson is easily a better batsman than Stuart Clark, and potentially better than Lee too.