The Ashes are coming home!

[Richard]

I'm not expecting big things from Flintoff during the test leg of the tour.
I just think the Australian's have identified him as a dangerman from a long way out and they've really done their homework on him, he's over-reliant on boundaries and they'll look to suffocate him by pushing him onto the back foot and not giving him any balls to drive, I personally doubt his ability to cope with the sort of pressure he's going to face with the bat.
With the ball I reckon he'll be useful as a bit of an indimidator and his consistency of length will tie the Australians down for periods, but I dont really see him being a consistent wicket-taking threat.

Never thought we'd see you again!

 

[iamdavid]

have you seen Flintoff deal with shorter bowling as well!!!?????

Yup...he was quite effective at dispatching the misdirected West Indian stuff.
But I anticipate he'll have a little more difficulty with what the Australian's will dish up to him at a greater pace and with better control and better thought out field settings.

Then there's the matter of Warne......I'd love to be proven wrong but I just get the feeling his batting will hit hurdles this summer.

 

[iamdavid]

Never thought we'd see you again!

Awww did you miss me

 

[Richard]

Naturally.

 

[Beleg]

I think he missed your avatar more then he missed you.

 

[PY]

Awww did you miss me

No I didn't, now bugger off.

 

[luckyeddie]

id assume flintoff would be in the side ahead of clarke.
i doubt thorpe could make it ahead of ponting or martyn. but i'd probably think that hes good enough to replace katich though, even if its a close call.

Me too.

Not got to the end of the thread yet, but it doesn't matter how many great players Australia have in their side comparing like with like - at the moment, they really do look like a rudderless ship.

Possibly this series will be the making of Ponting as a captain as well as being one of the world's top batsmen - so far, he's never really been put under much pressure since taking over from Steve Waugh, so for his sake, let's hope he gets the pressure he requires to be seen to be 'making a difference'.....

and folds under it.

 

[luckyeddie]

The true home of the Ashes is in Australia so yes the Ashes will be coming home again this year.........hahahahahahahaha

If you know your cricket history, you are so right - well, about the first bit anyway.

I'd still say 3-1 to Australia, but the games could well be tight.

Any moron still going for 5-0?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

I'm continually amazed at how underwhelmed all the English members are at these two humiliating defeats. Crikey, you know how we'd behave if we'd batted first i the Twenty20.

Go on, rub our faces in it. Hell, we expect it.

 

[marc71178]

Go on, rub our faces in it. Hell, we expect it.

The problem is, if we do, we'll only get it back much worse in September!

 

[Blaze]

The problem is, if we do, we'll only get it back much worse in September!

Make hay while the sun shines. Make the most of it while it lasts

 

[aussie]

I don't like him, no - nor do I dislike him. Why would I do either?
But I don't feel he's much of a bowler.

can i hear your reasons why?

 

[aussie]

It's something I've not, once, said otherwise to.

Yes you did..... we had an argument and you were mainting that all of McGrath wickets between 2001 & 2004 or something of the sort was due to the batsman playing poor strokes.

 

[aussie]

Frankly I'd still far prefer see him return upon Thorpe's retirement than Pietersen, bearing in mind that we're touring Pakistan and India, and Pietersen has already demonstrated fallibility in one-day batting against the wonderful Michael Clarke; he's never, ever faced spin of the Saqlain\Harbhajan\Kumble on turning pitches quality and being South African\English I think we can fairly safely say he's not going to be especially accomplished against it at present.
I highly doubt Butcher will play in the Australia Tests, though as long as he gets back to fitness soon and scores runs from the start of his comeback I'd still prefer him to be first reserve in the almost certain event that one of Trescothick, Strauss, Vaughan, Bell, Thorpe and Flintoff is injured.
Assuming, that is, Bell makes it through The Ashes. Undoubtedly he has the skill and temperament - but everyone is prone to both form-slumps and being overawed.

Precisely you are only the second along with me who also see's a future for Butcher in the England team. Has i have been saying all along if Thorpe does retire England will have talented but extremely inexperienced batsmen in (Bell, KP & Joyce) in the middle order which for a period could be a problem

 

[Richard]

Yes you did..... we had an argument and you were mainting that all of McGrath wickets between 2001 & 2004 or something of the sort was due to the batsman playing poor strokes.

That's because all the matches were on flat pitches.
And I've only said he can't bowl wicket-taking deliveries on flat pitches.
Not on seaming and\or uneven ones.

 

[Richard]

Precisely you are only the second along with me who also see's a future for Butcher in the England team. Has i have been saying all along if Thorpe does retire England will have talented but extremely inexperienced batsmen in (Bell, KP & Joyce) in the middle order which for a period could be a problem

IF Thorpe retires?
He's already confirmed it.
I don't feel the inexperience will neccessarily be an express problem - I just feel Butcher is a better batsman in Pakistan and India than Pietersen.
And I still don't know for sure how good Joyce is, because I've only ever seen him bat once.

 

[Richard]

can i hear your reasons why?

Same as with McGrath.

 

[Richard]

I'm continually amazed at how underwhelmed all the English members are at these two humiliating defeats. Crikey, you know how we'd behave if we'd batted first i the Twenty20.

Go on, rub our faces in it. Hell, we expect it.

Personally I don't really regard the Twenty20 defeat as especially humiliating.
And while to lose a tour-game is, it's still not exactly a disgrace to be ousted by Smith and Jayasuriya.
If it'd been being bowled-out by the disgrace that is Andrew, Laraman, Francis and Blackwell, that'd be a different matter.

 

[aussie]

Same as with McGrath.

That he cant bowl wicket-taking deliveries on flat pitches

 

[aussie]

IF Thorpe retires?
He's already confirmed it.
I don't feel the inexperience will neccessarily be an express problem - I just feel Butcher is a better batsman in Pakistan and India than Pietersen.
And I still don't know for sure how good Joyce is, because I've only ever seen him bat once.

i feel it could be for a while, but has i have been saying when Thorpe retires if Butcher comes back and makes runs for Surrey he should be back in the England setup. I would hate for a good player to be forgotten.

I dont know how good Joyce is either has well bt he has been plundering runs for Middlesex for while and i have heard his name been mentioned for while so he seems pretty good