***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

[sledger]

because prepare seamer friendly wickets is the best chance England have to winning the Ashes.

i disagree, they should make a pitch that has something for batsman and bowlers, if they make flat tracks then they will be beaten, if they make super seam wickets then the same will happen, i think englands best chance will be a combination of the two.

 

[aussie]

A minor problem Australia could have for the 1st Test is the form of the openers. Hayden is probably the only batsman that hasn't made the most of his oppurtunities in the ODI'S while JL will be undercooked.

 

[sledger]

hayden has never had any great sucess playing for australia in england anyway, and i wouldnt really worry that much about langer, hes a decent enough player to perform well under the cosh.

 

[aussie]

hayden has never had any great sucess playing for australia in england anyway, and i wouldnt really worry that much about langer, hes a decent enough player to perform well under the cosh.

yes JL is good enough to perform well under the cosh but it may take some time, since we dont know if he's had any significant batting in Australia before he comes over here.

 

[BoyBrumby]

You must not have watched them that closely then, since Gillespie "dicked" KP with a length slower ball.

Gillespie bowled really well. Back at his best, as far as I'm concerned. He looked good from the moment he hit the pitch the first time and the ball ripped through at chest height. He seemed to like the wicket, he bowled 90% of his balls on the spot, and was extremely economical aside from KP belting him at the end. The pick of the bowlers on the day.

Well I was in the pub admittedly! Only had the one tho, as I had the arvo to work. Looked like KP gave himself a little too much room & missed a straight one to me. Before that tho he'd teed off & Dizzy had obliged him somewhat.

Still a quality bowler, but I'd be happier to see him play the tests than not.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Well I was in the pub admittedly! Only had the one tho, as I had the arvo to work. Looked like KP gave himself a little too much room & missed a straight one to me. Before that tho he'd teed off & Dizzy had obliged him somewhat.

Still a quality bowler, but I'd be happier to see him play the tests than not.

Well he did miss a straight one, but he missed it due to it being a brilliant slower ball. He stepped out to leg and swung way too early and it just completely... dicked him, as you said.

Anyway, check out the highlights tonight or whatever you get. Much improved effort from Gillespie.

 

[kendall]

i disagree, they should make a pitch that has something for batsman and bowlers, if they make flat tracks then they will be beaten, if they make super seam wickets then the same will happen, i think englands best chance will be a combination of the two.

With Australia always wanting too score quickly i think you are wrong in assuming australia will win on a pitch that seams. however matches are always better when they offer both batsmen and bowers something from the pitch

 

[wpdavid]

that suggests englands seamers are superior to australias, do you agree with that analogy ?

I think it suggests the opposite. That Aus can be effective on pretty much any surface, whereas England's attack needs a more assistance. Aus will still be huge favourites if the test wickets offer some encouragement, and England will have to bat much better than we have seen to stay in the games, but at least they have a chance of dismissing Aus for competitive totals

 

[BoyBrumby]

Well he did miss a straight one, but he missed it due to it being a brilliant slower ball. He stepped out to leg and swung way too early and it just completely... dicked him, as you said.

Anyway, check out the highlights tonight or whatever you get. Much improved effort from Gillespie.

Watching 'em now. Great bit of fielding to get rid of Vaughan, but an ordinary run to take, especially to Ponting.

I didn't realise Strauss & Vaughan both had lives too, Christ it could've been worse than it was! Pretty average attempt at a catch from Dizzy it has to be said.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Watching 'em now. Great bit of fielding to get rid of Vaughan, but an ordinary run to take, especially to Ponting.

I didn't realise Strauss & Vaughan both had lives too, Christ it could've been worse than it was! Pretty average attempt at a catch from Dizzy it has to be said.

yeah, I think he hit rock bottom with that drop.

 

[sledger]

the only way to go is up then i guess

 

[simmy]

Because I think Australia's seamers are better, but Englands rely more on assistance from the pitch. Harmison looked pretty harmless today, Jones always has when he's not getting help, Flintoff is good on a flat wicket but better on a seamer as he showed with his awesome spells at Lords and Headingley, and Hoggard loves swing. McGrath can move it on anything, Gillespie doesn't really get that much seam movement these days, and Lee doesn't move it much off the seam any more.

Also, Australia's batsmen are a powerhouse unit on a flat deck, but much more questionable when its seaming.

So well put. England really need to prepare a track much like the Headingley one the other day. One that their taller bowlers can exploit.

Pietersen or Thorpe then? (Interested in what you guys say)

 

[marc71178]

so its simple, If England prepare flat pitches they will get mauled, but if they produce seamer friendly pitches they have a chance.

It's never that simple, or there'd be no fun in the anticipation!

 

[vic_orthdox]

then how would it benefit england to prepare seamer friendly wickets?

It reduces the gulf in class between the Australian and English batsman, and it increases the English bowlers' potency more than what it increases the Australian bowlers' potency.

 

[greg]

Flattish pitches could be in England's favour IMO. I back our batting and i think our 5 man attack has a better chance of lasting the series.

 

[Scaly piscine]

The difference is England batsmen are relatively useless on flat pitches and the bowlers aren't a great deal better (this goes for ODIs as well, Flintoff is probably the best bowler on flat decks). But give them a pitch with a little bit in it and England apply themselves far better.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Flattish pitches could be in England's favour IMO. I back our batting and i think our 5 man attack has a better chance of lasting the series.

By which stage, you'll be "lasting out the series" by winning dead rubbers. So far, Australia's batsmen have looked infinetly more comfortable on the flatter pitches, and England's bowlers far more threatening on pitches with a bit of life in it. You'd be doing yourself a complete injustice if you didn't provide yourselves something pretty darn significant for the pace bowlers in the Test matches.

 

[Neil Pickup]

By which stage, you'll be "lasting out the series" by winning dead rubbers. So far, Australia's batsmen have looked infinetly more comfortable on the flatter pitches, and England's bowlers far more threatening on pitches with a bit of life in it. You'd be doing yourself a complete injustice if you didn't provide yourselves something pretty darn significant for the pace bowlers in the Test matches.

Saying that, if it doesn't stop being 33 celsius and cloudless then we've got no hope short of finding Harbhajan a Greek grandma.

 

[Mister Wright]

England's main problem in the bowling is Giles. He hasn't looked threatening at all against Australia, and the batsman have played him with ease.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

England's main problem in the bowling is Giles. He hasn't looked threatening at all against Australia, and the batsman have played him with ease.

Nothing new there, he's only really threatening on turners. He can build up pressure in Tests though, working from one end around the wicket into the rough, while the seamers alternate at t'other. He'll play his part this summer for England, with the bat too.