The Road to the 2009 Ashes

[tooextracool]

One would hope that Shah would be the first one to usurp Collingwood.

 

[nightprowler10]

Can we just play the twenty/20 world cup instead of this? It just looks like it will be as humiliatingly one-sided as last time. Waste of a ****ing summer.

Its looking that way more and more but I certainly hope not. Still thinking of snatching some tickets when they go on sale in October.

 

[GIMH]

Oh how things have changed, looking ahead to the Ashes feel reasonably comfortable with the attack we might field, but even with Australia's bowling not being the force it once was, we should lose 20 wickets nice and easy on recent form. Quite simply I wish this series was another 19 or 20 years away.

 

[Richard]

Can we just play the twenty/20 world cup instead of this? It just looks like it will be as humiliatingly one-sided as last time. Waste of a ****ing summer.

Twenty20 > Tests?

Affairs sure are at a d-i-r-e point.

 

[Richard]

What are the odds of Bopara ursurping Collingwood as no6 by the time of the Ashes.

Hopefully zero. Bopara has no case to play ahead of Shah or Joyce. Doesn't mean he won't, of course, unfortunately, but that's the way it is.

 

[pasag]

One year from today Australia will be retaining the Ashes

 

[nightprowler10]

As I've said in other threads, I'm hoping to watch at least one match, so when tickets go on sale in October, which match do the CWebbers recommend I go for? (Besides Lords of course, I imagine that'll be sold out in minutes).

 

[Tom Halsey]

Don't foresee any problems for Australia. I'd be surprised if they win more than three Tests though, because their attack doesn't really look good enough to take twenty wickets. Obviously our batting should implode often enough to hand them twenty wickets quite a lot, but I can see us batting them out of the game should the batting click, which may just happen in about two Tests out of the five.

 

[grecian]

Well, our batting as a unit has got to improve 100% in the next 12 months just to be competitive. It's that bad. I'm sure some will blame bowlers, but in this current match we haven't giving the bowlers a chance.

You need to score over 400 at least on good pitches, first up, even against a good attack. The Aussies might not be what they were but their attack is immeasurably better then the Saffies that we've capitulated too, in such an humiliating way, Colly excepted.

 

[gio]

Well, our batting as a unit has got to improve 100% in the next 12 months just to be competitive. It's that bad. I'm sure some will blame bowlers, but in this current match we haven't giving the bowlers a chance.

You need to score over 400 at least on good pitches, first up, even against a good attack. The Aussies might not be what they were but their attack is immeasurably better then the Saffies that we've capitulated too, in such an humiliating way, Colly excepted.

We have given the bowlers a chance in this match, and Monty, amongst others, haven't stepped up to the mark. Anderson looked really unobtrusive.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Well, our batting as a unit has got to improve 100% in the next 12 months just to be competitive. It's that bad. I'm sure some will blame bowlers, but in this current match we haven't giving the bowlers a chance.

You need to score over 400 at least on good pitches, first up, even against a good attack. The Aussies might not be what they were but their attack is immeasurably better then the Saffies that we've capitulated too, in such an humiliating way, Colly excepted.

I don't think it's immeasurably better. They seem pretty intent on picking a spinner, which means a not very good one whoever they pick. Then there's Johnson, who is average, and Brett Lee, who is a good bowler these days, and Stuart Clark, whose honeymoon will not last. This honeymoon has in fact already shown signs of ending.

Don't get me wrong, they'll skittle us often enough because the batting, as it stands, is rubbish, but there is enough talent there for the batting to click at least a couple of times IMO against that attack.

 

[GIMH]

As I've said in other threads, I'm hoping to watch at least one match, so when tickets go on sale in October, which match do the CWebbers recommend I go for? (Besides Lords of course, I imagine that'll be sold out in minutes).

I am planning on going to Headingley. So I'd probably recommend one of the others

No seriously. Headingley or Edgbaston. Lord's and The Oval are both pricey, Cardiff has never staged a Test before so it's hard to say what that will be like. Edgbaston always has a great atmosphere and usually good matches as well (ie the match just finished, the SL game where Pietersen first brought out his left-handed shot & that match in the Ashes are its last three), Headingley is the cheapest option and will have a good atmosphere as its where most of the Lancs fans will be

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I am planning on going to Headingley. So I'd probably recommend one of the others

No seriously. Headingley or Edgbaston. Lord's and The Oval are both pricey, Cardiff has never staged a Test before so it's hard to say what that will be like. Edgbaston always has a great atmosphere and usually good matches as well (ie the match just finished, the SL game where Pietersen first brought out his left-handed shot & that match in the Ashes are its last three), Headingley is the cheapest option and will have a good atmosphere as its where most of the Lancs fans will be

I'd like to see the first ever Test in Cardiff for historical reasons. These new grounds are a git because I can no longer say I've been to every Test ground in the Uk without having to travel to undesirable parts of the globe.

 

[GIMH]

Ah I wonder how many posters on here can say they've been to every Test ground?

I presume, btw, that you aren't counting Brammall Lane? Or have you been there for a football match?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Ah I wonder how many posters on here can say they've been to every Test ground?

I presume, btw, that you aren't counting Brammall Lane? Or have you been there for a football match?

I've been to Bramall Lane football ground many times. At the moment though I'm still short as I haven't yet attended that cess pit in the North East.

 

[grecian]

We have given the bowlers a chance in this match, and Monty, amongst others, haven't stepped up to the mark. Anderson looked really unobtrusive.

Disagree, the pitch was a road. Making less then 600 in two innings was pathetic, imho. Should of been looking for that, or close too, in the first innings, IMO.

monty didn't even get to bowl on the fifth day, which he really should of been, at least.

 

[GotSpin]

I believe i will be travelling to England for the ashes. Cant wait.

 

[headhunter]

The thought actually jumped into my head yesterday about going to the ashes. How difficult are tickets to get on general sale? Would be most likly Edgbaston I'd try and go to.

 

[Richard]

Well, our batting as a unit has got to improve 100% in the next 12 months just to be competitive. It's that bad. I'm sure some will blame bowlers, but in this current match we haven't giving the bowlers a chance.

You need to score over 400 at least on good pitches, first up, even against a good attack. The Aussies might not be what they were but their attack is immeasurably better then the Saffies that we've capitulated too, in such an humiliating way, Colly excepted.

There's no way on Earth it's immeasurably better, and it's far from impossible it'll turn-out just as bad.

Lee of 2007/08 and Clark of his 2-year career so far have both been considerably better than any SA bowlers have bowled this series, but no-one else yet selected is even close to either that level or likely to bowl any better than any of the SA bowlers have bowled this series. Noffke might turn-out good, but he might not, and apart from him there's currently no-one of any obvious calibre. And we wait to see whether Lee's sensational form continues, and if so for how long.

 

[Richard]

One year from today Australia will be retaining the Ashes

Oh well, at least the Third Test is at the start of August this time again.