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

[aussie]

Seems like Australia will lose this ashes series and with that their domination will be over.

I think England and India will be the new force in Test cricket.

pleaseeeeeeee & even if that were to be the case England would be the new force in test not India no wayyyyyyyy.

 

[steds]

Seems like Australia will lose this ashes series and with that their domination will be over.

I think England and India will be the new force in Test cricket.

The same India which lost to the "old force" in India less than a year ago?


Try again.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

pleaseeeeeeee & even if that were to be the case England would be the new force in test not India no wayyyyyyyy.

He poses an interesting question, though (despite the slightly misguided inclusion of India).

If England, extremely hypothetically, were to thump Australia by 4-1, who would be the world number one (not officially, but in fans' minds)? Would it still be Australia, despite the drubbing? Would it be England, despite not having won a series against the three main subcontinent nations since 2000/01, and that team being so substantially different from the current one? Would it be shared? Or would it be someone else entirely?

 

[Neil Pickup]

It'd be changing of the guard time. I think if we did do them 4-1, then won in India and Pakistan, it'd be us.

Hehehe.

 

[chalky]

He poses an interesting question, though (despite the slightly misguided inclusion of India).

If England, extremely hypothetically, were to thump Australia by 4-1, who would be the world number one (not officially, but in fans' minds)? Would it still be Australia, despite the drubbing? Would it be England, despite not having won a series against the three main subcontinent nations since 2000/01, and that team being so substantially different from the current one? Would it be shared? Or would it be someone else entirely?

England still need to beat Australia in Australia (as Australia had to be Windies in the Windies) to be considered the the number one. They also need some wins in the sub continent.

Like India a few years ago, by beating Australia at home England will prove that they match up well against Australia in home conditionsm not that they are the best all round team. That comes with consistent success in all conditions.

 

[Swervy]

I think IF England win this series, I think many would consider Australia to have had the type of series everyone is entitled to have every once in a while. ie a poor one, it happens.

But I personally think that England are tetering on the edge of being possibly the best team in the world at the moment. I dont think the Australian bowling attack is as deep as Englands and that is , at the moment, the deciding factor. As an all round bowling attack, England have pretty much the best in the world, although they dont have bowlers of the quality of McGrath and Warne.

I think England, if they win the series, will have proven themselves to be a genuinely outstanding team. The proof of the pudding for people who say Australia have past it is if in the next series they play, the batting is as equally fragile and the bowling is as equally reliant on McGrath and Warne. If the next series Australia do play in turns out to be a struggle for Australia, then there could be a strong arguement for England being considered the best team in the world AT THE MOMENT.

Of course to be officially ranked number one, ie to beat Australia in the rankings, it will take a few more series wins for England and a few more series losses for Australia.

And of course this is IF England win this series.

The next session of play is so critical. If Australia can get another 100 on the board, a good bowling performance could actually get Australia right back into this one..this one isnt over yet..I am convinced there will be another twist to this series

 

[Swervy]

and by the way..India are no where near the level of these two teams so its pointless even bringing them into the conversation

 

[Magrat Garlick]

The next session of play is so critical.

How many times has this been said throughout this series?!

 

[matty1818]

if it were to happen (and i doubt it will) i wouldnt be suprised if one of the odl guard eg mcgrath or warne retires. If this happens i would also not be suprised if the rest followed suit... a kind of 'im not gonna be part of a dying team' attitude and go. That would mean Australia would be in serious trouble regarding their rank, and im not just talking about slipping to second place. I think South Africa are a good team and shouldnt be written off, i think theyve got 3 world class batsmen in smith kallis and gibbs and boucher isnt bad either. Rudolph and dippenaar are obvious weak points. But i think de villiers could be a v good batsmen and Andre Nel could prove to be a world class bowler. They certainly gave us problems at christmas time.

Then again this is all saying if Australia lose 4-1 which i wouldn't put a bet on.

 

[Swervy]

How many times has this been said throughout this series?!

its a sign of a truely great series though isnt it.

In fact every session has been critical so far, but England in the next session could really take a big step to winning the series if they get Australia out quickly. Australia however, can go a long way to getting themselves into a match saving (and with a bit of good play and luck) a match winning situation, just by scoring another 100 and not getting all out (very tough ask, mind you)

 

[Swervy]

if it were to happen (and i doubt it will) i wouldnt be suprised if one of the odl guard eg mcgrath or warne retires. If this happens i would also not be suprised if the rest followed suit... a kind of 'im not gonna be part of a dying team' attitude and go. That would mean Australia would be in serious trouble regarding their rank, and im not just talking about slipping to second place. I think South Africa are a good team and shouldnt be written off, i think theyve got 3 world class batsmen in smith kallis and gibbs and boucher isnt bad either. Rudolph and dippenaar are obvious weak points. But i think de villiers could be a v good batsmen and Andre Nel could prove to be a world class bowler. They certainly gave us problems at christmas time.

Then again this is all saying if Australia lose 4-1 which i wouldn't put a bet on.

nah..think Australia firing on all cylinders would dispose of SA pretty easily to be honest. Australias batsmen are all obviously not in the best of nick and havent been all tour..and to give credit to the England bowlers, they havent allowed the Australian batsmen to find form...unlike how Australia allowed Vaughan to find his form again by letting him off with a dropped catch and the no-ball.

SA's bowlers arent as good as Englands depth wise and so the pressure wouldnt be so great,and someone would probably hit their stride vs SA

 

[matty1818]

Thats true, but i was just hypothetically saying that if a number of the Aussies retired due to a crushing series defeat (which i dont think will happen) you might find for example, warne, martyn, mcgrath, gillespie, hayden going and gilly said he doesnt want to play for too much longer. Well i can see they have quality batsmen to replace them eg brad hodge and haddin for gilchrist but the myth of the Australian bowling attack would be broken, youd find other teams scoring far more freely and you wouldnt have the luxury of being able to destroy bowling attacks like before, could be a different story.

But i agree SA were a long way behind us in that series, never looked overly threatening especially with Strauss being our only outstanding player with a bit of contribution from hoggy.

 

[Galactic_Soap]

As an ardent South African fan I have to agree, Australia will be able to dispose of us relatively easily. Its tough to say, but hey, I’m a realist. Ntini is a class act, but frankly he doesn’t look as penetrative as a Harmison or a Flintoff. Nell could possibly hold it against Jones, but on an all round balanced level, England look to have found a great balance in their bowling ranks. I’ve underestimated the importance of high steeping bounce hurtling past the shoulder of the bat, just short of a good length in modern test cricket. It’s reminiscent of (dare I say it) Courtney and Curtly running in.

Again, as mentioned earlier I’d like to see England win in Australia to take the number one spot, I’ve been salivating over the cricket on offer for well over two weeks now and it doesn’t look like its going to relent, the argument that this is just a bad series might not hold water in the boardrooms of the ACB, or the pubs on country NSW, its much more than a series, it’s the Ashes. Roll on England!

Cheers
Soapy

 

[luckyeddie]

England still need to beat Australia in Australia (as Australia had to be Windies in the Windies) to be considered the the number one. They also need some wins in the sub continent.

Like India a few years ago, by beating Australia at home England will prove that they match up well against Australia in home conditionsm not that they are the best all round team. That comes with consistent success in all conditions.

I still don't think that England will regain the Ashes this time (although my 3-1 prediction I've stuck with through thick and thin - or rather, thick and thicker - is looking more doubtful by the minute) - but I think they may have a huge opportunity next time around.

 

[superkingdave]

wow i really expected the Aussies to rack up at least 500 this innings after we gave our last few wickets away. I suppose that's just the result of watching Ashes after Ashes where the Aussie batsmen plunder runs with impunity, England finally have a decent bowling attack. no doubt Richard will still maintain this side isn't as good as one with Craig White in.

Thought Flintoff was unlucky to only get one wicket, he should have had Gilly twice and bowl pretty well imo, but good to see Gilo and especially Jones get amongst them, Jones i think deserves the wickets. Hoggard is worrying me, its almost as if after his opening spell, or as soon as he gets Hayden, then there's not much use for him, he certainly doesn't look to trouble the others. Harmison, not getting wickets atm but still looks as though he could when he comes on unlike Hoggie. The Gilo to Martyn ball was a peach.

Third test, series tied 1-1, aussies trail by more than 200 with 3 wickets left, who'd have thought it eh? keep smiling

 

[Burpey]

Gee, all the Aussie batsmen are out of form at the same time. Whenever one or two of them are having a bad trot, the other batsmen are firing ... we are in trouble now

 

[Shane Warne]

England finally have a decent bowling attack. no doubt Richard will still maintain this side isn't as good as one with Craig White in.

 

[superkingdave]

I wonder what Terry Alderman has to say now, didn't he say before the series that any Australian batsman that got out to Ashley Giles should go and hang himself? Well thats all of Australia's top eight that have got out to him now in this series

 

[Shane Warne]

I wonder what Terry Alderman has to say now, didn't he say before the series that any Australian batsman that got out to Ashley Giles should go and hang himself? Well thats all of Australia's top eight that have got out to him now in this series

Well I'd say It might help the team cause if they take his advice.

 

[aussie]

and by the way..India are no where near the level of these two teams so its pointless even bringing them into the conversation

exactly people should realise that India aren't has gone has before.....