*Official* Road to the 2010/11 Ashes

[GingerFurball]

Yeah I did check the breakdown after posting.

I don't think it's so much a case of who he plays but where. I did acknowledge in my post that outside England he has big work to do.

Remembered him having a better series than a 35 average suggests but I think that's because the Tests he didn't do well in where when I had gone to work after Xmas.

Meh, we'll see

He had 3 good tests, with his series average being ruined by failing to take any wickets in the final Test (and due to batting failures, had no opportunity to rectify this in the 2nd innings.)

It's easy to read too much into Anderson's failings away from home - his away record is poor, but the South Africa series is the only series to date he's played away from home where he's been the undisputed leader of the attack.

His injury is not a blessing in disguise for England - he is our premiere fast bowler and how well Jimmy does will determine how well England do.

[tooextracool]

It's conventional wisdom that banging it in is the way to success in Australia but there's barely been a bowler this millennium to go there and support that theory. Even the ones that bowled really well got absolutely smashed- check out how many wickets Kemar Roach and Ishant Sharma left with.

Australia's recent home batting failures have all been exclusively down to swing. At the SCG last year against Asif and Sami, at the MCG the year before when Steyn took ten and at Perth the year before that against (of all people) RP Singh and Irfan Pathan. Jimmeh's absolutely crucial.

Yeah I agree with this. The reason why Anderson has to play is because even if there is a little bit of swing, the guy is deadly to the point where he can change the match in the space of a session. I could care less if he averages 50 odd at the end of the series, what really matters is how many wicket taking spells he can produce.

[zaremba]

He had 3 good tests, with his series average being ruined by failing to take any wickets in the final Test (and due to batting failures, had no opportunity to rectify this in the 2nd innings.)

It's easy to read too much into Anderson's failings away from home - his away record is poor, but the South Africa series is the only series to date he's played away from home where he's been the undisputed leader of the attack.

A fair amount of special pleading here, tbf. His record away from home is poor because on the whole he's been poor away from home. I don't really buy the "leader of the attack" thing. In fact I don't know what it means or how it's relevant.

That said he's certainly improved in recent times and if he had a good series it wouldn't be a shock. But it would be something of a pleasant surprise.

[tooextracool]

As for Anderson, his record always seems to be tremendous when he's playing someone else. Good luck to him if he finally comes good and takes wickets against us at home.

Think you are putting too much emphasis on the 'record'. Anderson bowled 2 game changing spells in the last Ashes series, one of which arguably won the match for England and sent them 1 up. Im not saying he bowled brilliantly throughout the series, but we all know who had the better batting and bowling averages that series and who actually won.

[zaremba]

BTW I don't mean to be slagging Jimmy off - when he's doing his thing there are few finer sights in the game. And of course his injury isn't a blessing in disguise. I think.

[flibbertyjibber]

We beat South Africa in South Africa btw...

Yeah and they stuffed you in Australia.

[GIMH]

Think you are putting too much emphasis on the 'record'. Anderson bowled 2 game changing spells in the last Ashes series, one of which arguably won the match for England and sent them 1 up. Im not saying he bowled brilliantly throughout the series, but we all know who had the better batting and bowling averages that series and who actually won.

yes yes yes

Anderson bowled better than Flintoff in that Lord's Test

[tooextracool]

I wouldn't say that he did, in fact I would say that his spell at Edgbaston was better but I think its fairly obvious that England wouldn't have been anywhere near the position they were if it weren't for Anderson.

[GIMH]

Haha, well he bowled better in the first innings. Flintoff's second dig spell was immense but Jimmeh's was more important.

[social]

Chances are that we wont be 100% physically or match fit for Brisbane, which is the ground that will suit him best

They then play at Adelaide and I expect him to travel the distance there

So early doors, this news is bad for England

[grecian]

yes yes yes

Anderson bowled better than Flintoff in that Lord's Test

nah

[tooextracool]

Yeah this definitely isnt good news, it looks like he'll be travelling to Australia undercooked and with little bowling under his belt.

[GIMH]

nah

See my reply on the matter...was bad wording by me

You people know I'd never deliberately underplay Freddie brilliance...it's just that Jimmy did more to win us that game

[grecian]

See my reply on the matter...was bad wording by me

You people know I'd never deliberately underplay Freddie brilliance...it's just that Jimmy did more to win us that game

nah again

Flintoff bowled incredibly well in the first innings and created pressure which jimmy, brilliantly capitalised on.

So Freddie was great in two innings, and Jimmeh was in one.

[Son Of Coco]

Think you are putting too much emphasis on the 'record'.

Not at all, just don't believe he has lived up to the hype. We heard about how much he'd turned into a match-winner last Ashes. Ho-hum.

If things have changed since then, then we'll see this time around.