The Road to the 2009 Ashes

[aussie]

With Flintoff likely to remain @ 6, thus leaving the #8 spot still open for deabte. Swann is better pick than Panesar to do the Ashely Giles role, given that the quicks are going to be major wicket-taking option in any case. Swann just needs to hurry up & duplicate his FC batting form on the international stage.

I would pick him in front of Monty for the 1st test vs WI without hesitation.

 

[Pothas]

I know Monty has been poor of late but I would still take him over Swann. He has a pretty decent record at home and he has the capability to bowl Australia out, something I really don't think Swann is capable of.

 

[Burgey]

I'd pick that bloke at number 8 for England who did such a good job for them in 2005 - Murray Mint.

 

[pup11]

I'd pick that bloke at number 8 for England who did such a good job for them in 2005 - Murray Mint.

Murray Mint only works when Tresco has his way with it....

 

[Uppercut]

Murray Mint only works when Tresco has his way with it....

 

[BoyBrumby]

That conjures up some seriously disturbing mental images of Tres gamely attempting congress with said boiled sweet.

 

[NUFAN]

What I don't want to see this time round..

 

[Burgey]

What I don't want to see this time round..

Mate, the sun shining in England is a once a century event - it won't happen again in our life time.

Note, though, the sun being blocked out as the soap-dodgers throw Murray Mints into the air. ****s. So for all our English posters on these boards, remember this - everytime an Aussie wicket falls in the upcoming Ashes series, I will raise the spectre of your cheating from 2005 as a likely explanation - even if it's 1/360 and it's a catch taken on the boundary from Monty's bowling.

Lest We Forget.

 

[NUFAN]

Mate, the sun shining in England is a once a century event - it won't happen again in our life time.

Note, though, the sun being blocked out as the soap-dodgers throw Murray Mints into the air. ****s. So for all our English posters on these boards, remember this - everytime an Aussie wicket falls in the upcoming Ashes series, I will raise the spectre of your cheating from 2005 as a likely explanation - even if it's 1/360 and it's a catch taken on the boundary from Monty's bowling.

Lest We Forget.

That was the last day of my trip to Europe. Since I started watching Ashes [1989] the country where I have been living has won the Ashes.

My location in 2009... Australia.

 

[Burgey]

So it's safe to say you weren't living in China in any Ashes year then?

 

[Burgey]

What I don't want to see this time round..

I actually preferred the scene from the previous tour when the Pommie fans were in their thousands below The Oval dressing sheds singing
"We've got the worst team, in the world
We've got the worst team, int he world...."

 

[pasag]

Bell > Clarke IMO.

There, I said it.

Now take it back

 

[Prince EWS]

Now take it back

Was a bit of a biased call I must admit; I really do like Bell despite the fact that he's seemingly dire. If you stretched the figures back when I posted it, you could almost make a case for it, but not now.

 

[Athlai]

England miraculously pulling an even more demoralising preparation to the Ashes than Australia. Hopefully they can turn it around.

 

[Uppercut]

Haha, speaking from my normal neutral ground (as opposed to someone with a vested interest in England coming back in the Windies) i think there's a tendency to overreact to ridiculously low totals. Everyone gets out for less than ten occasionally on difficult surfaces. And occasionally they'll all get out for less than ten at the same time. All-out for 51, it happens.

But Bell-end and Monty have to go, I'm afraid.

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha, speaking from my normal neutral ground (as opposed to someone with a vested interest in England coming back in the Windies) i think there's a tendency to overreact to ridiculously low totals. Everyone gets out for less than ten occasionally on difficult surfaces. And occasionally they'll all get out for less than ten at the same time. All-out for 51, it happens.

But Bell-end and Monty have to go, I'm afraid.

The problem with dropping Panesar, though, is that Broad's not really droppable after that effort so it won't actually help the team balance much. Panesar may be bowling pies at the moment but I still don't actually think the Swann is the better bowler, and picking someone based on batting when they're going to bat nine is pretty damn dire.

 

[Uppercut]

The problem with dropping Panesar, though, is that Broad's not really droppable after that effort so it won't actually help the team balance much. Panesar may be bowling pies at the moment but I still don't actually think the Swann is the better bowler, and picking someone based on batting when they're going to bat nine is pretty damn dire.

You can't have Monty in the team though when he's playing like this. I'm not a fan of keeping out-of-form players in the side. Just say to Monty- look, you're playing badly, and it'll do you no good to have the world watching you struggle. Get back and play for a club, take a break, play for the county, start enjoying your cricket again and improve your game. When you're ready and playing like we know you can, the door's always open for a recall.

I'd say the same if it was KP or Flintoff having a prolonged dip in form. Trying to find your touch in a test match is never ideal.

I don't think Swann is better than Monty either, but I'd sure as hell back him to take more wickets in the second test, and that's what matters. It's better for the team, and it's better for Monty.

 

[pup11]

You can't have Monty in the team though when he's playing like this. I'm not a fan of keeping out-of-form players in the side. Just say to Monty- look, you're playing badly, and it'll do you no good to have the world watching you struggle. Get back and play for a club, take a break, play for the county, start enjoying your cricket again and improve your game. When you're ready and playing like we know you can, the door's always open for a recall.

I'd say the same if it was KP or Flintoff having a prolonged dip in form. Trying to find your touch in a test match is never ideal.

I don't think Swann is better than Monty either, but I'd sure as hell back him to take more wickets in the second test, and that's what matters. It's better for the team, and it's better for Monty.

I think Monty should be given one more test since he has been brought on this tour, he has obviously been struggling for some time now, so if the selectors have still picked him for this tour, then they sure should show a little more faith in him.

 

[Uppercut]

I think Monty should be given one more test since he has been brought on this tour, he has obviously been struggling for some time now, so if the selectors have still picked him for this tour, then they sure should show a little more faith in him.

The talk is that England might go with two spinners because the ground at Antigua is notoriously flat and slow. Panesar being a player notoriously dependent on conditions, it's not really the second chance he's looking for.

 

[pup11]

The talk is that England might go with two spinners because the ground at Antigua is notoriously flat and slow. Panesar being a player notoriously dependent on conditions, it's not really the second chance he's looking for.

I am afraid that's the only chance he might get for now, Monty' biggest strength was that he was able to make the ball spin and spin big, without giving the ball much air, now that's a pretty handy talent to have.

Though once the batsmen realised that this bloke doesn't do anything else than spinning the ball in one direction and that too at the same pace, he was pretty much found out, now i don't know what Monty was doing all this time, but i think since making his test debut he should have atleast added a few variations to his bowling.

Whether thoses variation were in form of an armball, doosra, changes in pace, the thing is he should have improved his bowling slightly by now, but as a bowler i don't see any growth in him, tbh he is doing all the same things he did when he doing well, but the batsmen just play him better now, and that's what his problem is all about.