*Official* Road to the 2010/11 Ashes

[Richard]

Originally Posted by King Pietersen

Don't think he bowled dreadfully in the 4th Test. Was England's best bowler in the innings at Headingley, picking up key wickets and a decent haul. He didn't bowl as well as he did in that spell at Lords, but he certainly wasn't dreadful. Do agree with the analysis of the rest of his series though, was surprised he kept his place after his performances in the first 3 Tests.

I wasn't really surprised he kept his place, I was expecting him to play the full series if fit almost regardless of the figures returned in the first four Tests. Maybe, just maybe, his place might've been under threat in the Fifth Test with the score at 1-1 if someone other than him had been gifted the wickets he was gifted in the Australian innings at Headingley - because that's what happened, let's be honest. None of the wickets were key either - England were dead-and-buried after their first-innings performance.

Which spell at Lord's are you talking about BTW, the one against West Indies?

[Jono]

Fair few tests to come before this series for both teams right?

[King Pietersen]

Originally Posted by Richard

I wasn't really surprised he kept his place, I was expecting him to play the full series if fit almost regardless of the figures returned in the first four Tests. Maybe, just maybe, his place might've been under threat in the Fifth Test with the score at 1-1 if someone other than him had been gifted the wickets he was gifted in the Australian innings at Headingley - because that's what happened, let's be honest. None of the wickets were key either - England were dead-and-buried after their first-innings performance.

Sure we were pretty dead and buried before he got most of those wickets, but the ones of Ponting and Hussey gave us some hope, and reduced Australia to 151-4, which really gave us a chance of not going into the 2nd innings with too much of a deficit. The Clarke and North partnership basically ended any hopes of us winning, but Broad's spell before then which resulted in the wickets Ponting and Hussey was genuinely good and did give us a glimmer of hope. The tail-end wickets were gimme's though.

Originally Posted by Richard

Which spell at Lord's are you talking about BTW, the one against West Indies?

That was a mistake, meant The Oval.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Nah - in the Ashes, he bowled well in the second innings at Edgbaston and was our best bowler by a MILE at Headingley. I know he got a couple of 'gimmes' at the end, but he took a Test 6fer, hardly bowling 'dreadfully'. Agree with your assessment of him in South Africa -had a quiet time aside from his magic spell, but certainly didn't look like a bowler who'd be dropped after an isolated stinker anytime soon, which was my main point.

Well I disagree with your assessments of him at both Edgbaston and Headingley, but I doubt either of us will change our viewpoints so best leave it there.

He had some silly dismissals and perhaps looked a little out of place at 3. I'd loathe to put Bell back there though, especially in Australia, so I dunno. The most comfortable 3 we've had aside from Vaughan in recent years was Cook, and that's not really an option.

Three is a notoriously difficult position. There are two viable options, Trott and Pietersen, either of whom might be fair enough - if England's management put Bell back there YET AGAIN (it'll be about the 5th time if so) I might be forced to hunt down the person responsible. For the 3rd time he's looking relatively comfortable at six and if they move him again it might just be the end of his prospects. England managements have wrecked enough players by vainly trying to make them something they're not rather than accepting the best they have to offer.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Jono

Fair few tests to come before this series for both teams right?

Nah, as I said - 4 for England (all against Pakistan) and 4 for Australia (2 against Pakistan, in England).

Well, England also play 4 games against Bangladesh but especially the ones in England are unlikely to be of any use to anyone and of course none of them really deserve Test status.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Jono

Fair few tests to come before this series for both teams right?

Yes Jono, we know you hate it when the Ashes gets puts on a pedestal

Originally Posted by Richard

Well I disagree with your assessments of him at both Edgbaston and Headingley, but I doubt either of us will change our viewpoints so best leave it there.

Ha, yeah, fair, nearly fell off my chair though, never expected that to be your response

[Jungle Jumbo]

Originally Posted by Richard

Well, England also play 4 games against Bangladesh but especially the ones in England are unlikely to be of any use to anyone and of course none of them really deserve Test status.

Agreed with the first part... but would your views change if England get beaten in Bangladesh regarding the second bit? It might just be CW romanticising a bit, but there seems to be a genuine feeling that Bangladesh have an outside chance of taking a Test.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by Jungle Jumbo

Agreed with the first part... but would your views change if England get beaten in Bangladesh regarding the second bit? It might just be CW romanticising a bit, but there seems to be a genuine feeling that Bangladesh have an outside chance of taking a Test.

I think over the past year, particularly at home, Bangladesh have shown that you can't just rock up and expect to win a Test against them.

[Marcuss]

Originally Posted by James

Worth renaming this thread to *Official* Road to the Ashes 2010-2011 guys?

I think it'd get a bit more attention if it was.

[four_or_six]

2-1 to England.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

As excited as I am about the prospect of flying halfway round the world for this one, let's worry about the three series we have beforehand first.

Losing to Bangladesh if we don't focus.

CW meet up for the Pickup World Tour, one feels..

[Jono]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Yes Jono, we know you hate it when the Ashes gets puts on a pedestal

Nah not really, but SA vs. Ind > Aus vs. Eng at the moment

[silentstriker]

Hell, Aus vs Ind is pretty consistantly better than Aus vs Eng. And probably Eng vs. Ind is better. SA vs. Eng was better, and so was SA vs. Aus (in Aus at least).

Maybe Bang vs. Eng = Aus vs. Eng.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Hell, Aus vs Ind is pretty consistantly better than Aus vs Eng. And probably Eng vs. Ind is better. SA vs. Eng was better, and so was SA vs. Aus (in Aus at least).

The last 2 Ashes series have been (in contrasting ways) pretty poor but the Ashes is where it's at for me. Eng v India and England v SA don't come close even though the cricket might actually be better. I know it's boring to be so Ashes-obsessed but I can't help it. And at least there will be some spectators in the grounds which is so often not the case for Tests elsewhere in the world.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by zaremba

The last 2 Ashes series have been (in contrasting ways) pretty poor but the Ashes is where it's at for me. Eng v India and England v SA don't come close even though the cricket might actually be better. I know it's boring to be so Ashes-obsessed but I can't help it. And at least there will be some spectators in the grounds which is so often not the case for Tests elsewhere in the world.

I think that's why I was more disappointed in the 09 loss than the 05 cheated-out-of-it.

England in 05 played really well, mint-assisted or not. I genuinely thought they didn't need to play that well to beat us in 09.