*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[Dan]

Warner is only comparable to Sehwag and Gayle in that they're all fast-scoring openers. Technique wise, there aren't that many similarities. Warner's footwork, while still not fantastic, is miles ahead of Sehwag's and above Gayle's too.

Hughes made runs on the county circuit, and although he'll be tested out on the short ball, he has added the pull to his arsenal. A better bat that 2009, I guess. He'll still have issues outside off, I predict.

Cowan is probably the opening batsman with the best temperament (and technique) for English conditions. Making Shield runs at Hobart has prepared him better than any other Australian batsman, with the exception of Hughes and Khawaja at Counties.

I expect nothing from Shane Watson. His bowling will be more useful than his batting, ATM.

Clarke is Clarke.

Hussey's massively experienced in English conditions and seems to have got himself back into some semblance of form.

Matthew Wade might have a lean series, but I expect at least one good counterattacking innings from him. I'm not sure how his batting will translate to English conditions.

Siddle is a hugely improved bowler than 1/517. Hilfenhaus, if he gets his bloody arm up higher, could be very handy indeed. Pattinson the best of the lot though. He will be deadly over there. And Lyon will play a role; he's actually a decent offie and worth a Test spot.

Starc did well at Yorkshire, so his game should translate to the conditions. I have no pretensions of Cummins or Harris being fit. Hazlewood though, could be very, very interesting to watch over there.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Warner will struggle, IMO.

 

[Spikey]

'cept at the oval obviously. the new matt hayden

 

[Howe_zat]

One thing that struck me while watching Warner play against NZ was that he pretty much never leaves the ball. Could bite him in the behind before long.

 

[Spark]

I actually thought he was playing quite well 2nd dig at Perth. Showed decent judgement of line/length and good shot selection, and there's not really any shame in nicking the ball he nicked.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Australia has the best bowling attack of the two nations imo.

Shame they are just a bunch of crocks really then isn't it.

 

[Red]

I believe Punter's autobiography is due soon so I'm assuming there'll be a retirement announcement timed to boost sales over Chrimbo

Behold, The Prophet....

 

[Spikey]

Australia Cricket News: Ryan Harris steps away from BBL | ESPN Cricinfo

oh hey harris is alive

aus. to pick 8 seamers for the ashes

hilf
siddle
starc
pattinson
cummins
harris
two other ****ers to cover cummins, harris and pattinson

 

[Spark]

he lives!

 

[Howe_zat]

Bet you Johnson will be in the squad, assuming it's 16/17 players

 

[Spikey]

I reckon it'll be 18 (which is what England has taken to India iirc). That allows them 3 reserve seamers, possibly 4 if they don't take a spinner, plus possibly a batting all-rounder (although most of them have died. it's down to Moz). So yeah MJ's a strong chance of making it. Unless he plays another test match before then

 

[Prince EWS]

Bet you Johnson will be in the squad, assuming it's 16/17 players

Probably depends on if he gets much chance to play for Australia between now and then. If they keep him around the squad as first reserve he'll probably sneak on the plane but if he actually plays some Tests against Sri Lanka or India and someone from the crowd tells him he smells bad then he'll play himself out of it.

This horses for courses thing has to work both ways with him though, surely. They can't one minute say that it doesn't matter if he's bowled pies for Australia for ages now and made embarrassing comments to the media about the Barmy Army hurting his feelings because the next Test is at Perth and he's gun there, and then the next minute pick him for a tour of England where he's been absolutely rubbish based on form in Perth.

 

[Howe_zat]

you wouldn't =/= they can't

 

[Pup Clarke]

I can see Pattinson, Cummins and Starc being crocked for the series because of a lack of bowling in the longer format leading up to the tour. McDermott will force his way into the XI and have success as the 3rd seamer - with Bird as back up.

 

[Spikey]

McDermott should probably focus on getting into the qld team first

 

[Pup Clarke]

Nah, he's out of the team for 'conditioning' not cricketing reasons ain't he?

 

[Spikey]

Possibly. QLD don't seem to like him playing outside of QLD. Of his 12 shield games, 8 have been in QLD. Then two at the WACA, one at Hobart, and one at Durham. All 3 FC games this season in Brisbane. Clearly there's a trend

Anyway, also consider that this is a guy who took 7/24 plus 5 wickets in the shield final a couple of weeks later, and yet didn't get picked for the Aus A tour last off-season, despite the Cummins, Starc, Pattinson and Haze precedents. He ended up on the tour, but only after Pattinson and Cutting got injured and they wasn't much else left. And now he's missing every 2nd shield game. You can look at it two ways, he's either not considered good enough for the QLD team outside of QLD right now (and tbf, Gannon, Feldman and Cutting are putting up the results), or he's being managed in a very conservative way, which makes an Ashes tour appearance in 6 months time look pretty unlikely. NCN, Starc, Hastings, Bird & MJ seem to be the depth options past Siddle, Hilf, Harris, Pattinson & Cummins.

 

[Spikey]

Feldman, btw, did look pretty silky smooth in the Sixers match a couple of days back. #ashesbolter #sixers4evr

 

[SS1]

There's a few issues here.

1. Warner's issues are more tempramental than technical. He occasionally snicks them, but most batsmen do, he certainly doesn't have many glaring problems like Hughes did to certain deliveries. He's a hot and cold player, a bit like Jayasuria at test level, but make no mistake, he will probably smash a run a ball century at some point in the series, that could have the potential to win a match.

Warner knocked a maiden ton on a greentop in Hobart, not to dissimilar to the worst of English conditions, when everyone else was dropping like flies. Underrate him at your peril imo.


2. As for the bowling attack, they are all young, and have had their fair share of injury problems. Pattinson is definately the best bowler of the 3, his style suits English conditions perfectly, he swings the new and old ball, and he's more than a few yards sharper than Anderson. Starc reminds me a bit of a young Morkel, all over the joint, but had alot of potential, will extract the most natural bounce, along with Finn, both could be a handful for the Australian/English batsmen.

Pattinson/Starc/Siddle will be the bowling attack imo, Hilfenhaus was dropped for the Perth test imo and is more likely cover imo, Cummins could be a trump card if he manages to get some fitness between now and July, he's only been sat down as a precaution, so it's possible he might make the trip, and considering how much he swung the ball in South Africa, and he's the quickest bowler of both counties, the English would be hoping he doesn't make the trip imo......

Steyn's the only bowler in world cricket capable of bowling high 140's and swinging it consistently atm, Pattinson is just a yard slower, but has similar capabilities. Cummins was bowling 150km/h and swinging it as a 17 year old, add to that he's 6"6, you get my drift basically.............

I think the English coaches would be more worried about the Australian battery, than the other way around personally.

Australia has the best bowling attack of the two nations imo.

The English seam bowlers will be absolutely licking their lips at the prospect of Warner up top. As I said, his only overseas tour resulted in him averaging 25 or so in the West Indies where conditions, although very different, should be easier to bat on than in England.

Cowan has 1 century in 11 Tests I believe ? At the top of the order, 1 century every 20 innings or so ? His scoring rate is absolutely appalling as well. Another that just won't concern the English.

Hughes, if he bats at 3 is another.....seems to have improved but lets be honest, some of the bowling in domestic cricket is serious buffet stuff. He still has it all to prove.

Watson is, well, Watson.

As I have said, their batting is seriously questionable. The likelihood of Aus consistently putting 400+ up is unlikely, unless Clarke and Hussey have fantastic series. Look at how SA won in England, they needed big, big runs from their big players. Amla, Smith, Kallis all piled up the runs at the top of the order. I'm not convinced the Aus top order is capable of replicating that.

Their bowling looks decent enough but I'm not sure its better than England's. Anderson is in the top couple of seamers in the world IMO. Swann is in the top couple of spinners as well. Hell, Panesar is a better spinner than anything Australia have. Then there are Bresnan, Finn, Broad, Tremlett (if he gets back), Onions, Meaker etc etc. These guys are good. They bowled excellently in the UAE, in Sri Lanka and in India and the batsmen let them down in the first couple. They bowled India out for 300 or so at Kolkata, where they've put 600 up in the last couple of Tests. Only the South Africans have really been able to keep the English battery out in the last few years. Combined they have over 700 Test match wickets between them. I think to suggest a young group such as Australia is better than them is folly to be quite honest.

 

[Spark]

Please, play Panesar in English conditions against this middle order. Please.

Warner's series in WI is about as irrelevant as it gets.

Starting to really question whether you've watched any of the cricket you've talked about or are going off scoreboards.