Prediction Thread

[howardj]

Score: 3-1 Australia
Top Runscorer: Ponting (look out)
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Hayden
Biggest surprise: Cook
Biggest disappointment: Hussey
Man of the series: Warne

 

[marc71178]

You're tipping Read to go well? Everyone else seems to think he won't even play.

No I'm tipping him to surprise.

Seeing as people have written him off before the series even starts, that suggests to me that so long as he does moderately well, that's a surprise...

 

[PhoenixFire]

Score: 2-1 ENG
Top Runscorer: Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Hayden
Biggest surprise: Hoggard
Biggest disappointment: Flintoff
Man of the series: Warne

 

[shortpitched713]

Biggest disappointment: Flintoff

Regardless of his performance, you couldn't really blame him for being a dissapointment. The expectations placed on him are way too high. If I were an English supporter and Flintoff bowled the way he's capable and contrbuted with the odd half century with the bat, I'd be more than happy. He's not going to win you every game with both bat and ball, and to expect him to do so would be ridiculous.

 

[steds]

Score: 4-0 Australia
Top Runscorer: Hussey
Top Wicket Taker: McGrath
Most catches (wk excluded): Hayden
Biggest surprise: Mahmood bowling a maiden
Biggest disappointment: Panesar
Man of the series: McGrath

 

[Great Birtannia]

Score: 3-1 (Australia)
Top Runscorer: Strauss
Top Wicket Taker: Lee*
Most catches (wk excluded): Ponting
Biggest surprise: Collingwood (with the bat, if he plays)
Biggest disappointment: Hayden**
Man of the series: Ponting***

* I think I picked MacGill as a massive darkhorse for most wickets on one of the other threads but given his current form he will probably only play in Sydney and Adelaide so I will select Lee instead.

** The condition on Hayden being a disappointment is the English bowlers getting a reasonable amount of swing with the new ball. The way Hayden played Hilfenhaus in the domestic comps I still don't think he has much of an idea against quality swing bowling.

*** Less runs than Strauss but his magnificent series as captain gets him across the line for man of the series in a victorious team

 

[Somerset]

Score: 5-0 Australia
Top Runscorer: Ricky Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Brett Lee
Most catches (wk excluded): Matthew Hayden
Biggest surprise: I'm tempted to say Phil Jacques...
Biggest disappointment: Kevin Pietersen
Man of the series: Ricky Ponting

 

[Slow Love™]

Score: 3-0 Australia
Top Runscorer: Matthew Hayden
Top Wicket Taker: McGrath
Most catches (wk excluded): Matthew Hayden
Biggest surprise: Tresco/Anderson
Biggest disappointment: Bell
Man of the series: McGrath

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Score: 4-0 Australia
Top Runscorer: Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Trescothick
Biggest surprise: Read*
Biggest disappointment: Hoggard
Man of the series: Ponting

* see Marc's argument

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Score: 2-2
Top Runscorer: Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Trescothick
Biggest surprise: Bell
Biggest disappointment: McGrath
Man of the series: Flintoff

 

[superkingdave]

* see Marc's argument

the biggest surprise will be if he gets a game

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Score: 3-1 (Perth will be a draw, Sydney will be an England win)
Top Runscorer: Martyn
Top Wicket Taker: Lee
Most catches (wk excluded): Ponting
Biggest surprise: Watson
Biggest disappointment: Pietersen
Man of the series: Lee

 

[Lillian Thomson]

4-1 to Australia.

How many England players will play in all 5 Tests?
Harmison and Flintoff will obviously be injured at some point. Giles will wrongly be selected ahead of Monty for the First Test so neither spinner will make all 5. Bell will hardly make a run and be dropped after two Tests. Jones is playing in the First Test but won't last the Series. Anderson and Mamood, no chance. That leaves possibly Trescothick, Strauss, Cook, Pietersen or Hoggard.
I predict that only Strauss, Cook and Pietersen will play in all 5 Tests.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Let's give it a go with some bold predictions...

Score: 2-1 (Australia)
Top Runscorer: Bell
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Pietersen
Biggest surprise: Bell
Biggest disappointment: Ponting
Man of the series: Warne

 

[tooextracool]

Score: 4-1 (Australia)
Top Runscorer: Damien Martyn(Australia)- back in form, cant see him having 2 poor series in a row against England. i expect bell and ponting to be amongst the runs as well
Top Runscorer: Andrew Strauss(England)- there isnt another batsmen in this England side who will like these conditions better.
Top Wicket Taker: Warne(Australia)- might not have the best average but will probably take the most wickets. I think Lee will have a good series as well.
Top Wicket Taker: Flintoff(England)- cant think of anyone else.
Most catches (wk excluded): Matthew Hayden-pretty obvious in my book, hes the only player whos in the slips for the fast bowlers and for Warne and Macgill)
Biggest surprise: Paul Collingwood- ok i really like him for his grit, if he plays im certain he'll play at least one quality back to the wall inning even if he doesnt do too much else
Biggest disappointment: Glenn Mcgrath(I think England will have his number for this series, there will be plans all over the place on how to deal with him). Id put Flintoff down there for his batting alone as i would be extremely surprised if he succeeded, SA had him wrapped around their fingers when he toured there using the short ball policy in similar conditions. Im also tempted to pencil in Hussey, because not only is he due one poor series but he will have a tough time against Flintoff around the wicket and the 2 spinners(im uncertain about his ability against spin). Further im sure Fletcher has a plan against him that no one has used before.
Man of the series: Martyn

 

[howardj]

Im changing my tip back to 2-2.

Lee, once again, looks ordinary when batsmen go after him.

Moreover, this is not the same England team of tours past.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Score: 2-2
Top Runscorer: Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Trescothick
Biggest surprise: Bell
Biggest disappointment: McGrath
Man of the series: Flintoff

Hmmmm. Oh well, errrm, will go with Strauss for top catcher then.

 

[Nate]

Score: 3-1 (Australia)
Top Runscorer: Hayden
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Hayden
Biggest surprise: Pietersen
Biggest disappointment: Flintoff
Man of the series: Hayden

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Score: 4-0 Australia
Top Runscorer: Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Trescothick
Biggest surprise: Read*
Biggest disappointment: Hoggard
Man of the series: Ponting

* see Marc's argument

Make it 5-0, Cook the biggest disappointment, Clarke the biggest surprise, and most catches for Haydos.

 

[oz_fan]

Score: 3-1 Australia
Top Runscorer: Ponting
Top Wicket Taker: Warne
Most catches (wk excluded): Trescothick
Biggest surprise: Bell
Biggest disappointment: Flintoff
Man of the series: Warne

I'll change catches to Strauss and biggest dissapointment to Hoggard.