The Ashes Prediction Thread

[Pedro Delgado]

Series result: 2-3 - Wrong
Most runs (ENG): Andy Strauss - Wrong but he did well enough.
Most runs (AUS): Damien Martyn - Way wide of the mark.
Most runs (overall): Martyn - Ditto
Most wickets (ENG): Matthew Hoggard - Nope.
Most wickets (AUS): Glenn McGrath - Nope.
Most wickets (overall): McGrath - Nope
Compton-Miller Medal Winner:Andy Stauss

Nope.

Pretty poor showing from myself really. Never mind.

 

[simmy]

a lot of people(including me) have had to swallow their predictions whole....this must be one of the biggest upsets in cricketing history considering how favoured australia was at the beginning of this series and how much of an underdog england was....

Only arrogant Aussies were making England the massive underdogs... other than that... everyone said that they would win at least 1 and I obv (being hugely biased.. and hugely CORRECT) predicted a series win.

 

[luckyeddie]

Only arrogant Aussies were making England the massive underdogs... other than that... everyone said that they would win at least 1 and I obv (being hugely biased.. and hugely CORRECT) predicted a series win.

Oh, I made us massive underdogs, all right - all the way through, I said 3-1 to Australia. It was nothing to do with skill - we've always had players with that in abundance - it was always coming down to "Stomach for a Fight", and there, especially after the first test when we really did cave under pressure, I thought that we would fall short.

Being mentally prepared for a contest is every bit as important as being physically ready, and it's vitally important to accentuate the positives whilst minimising the negatives. At the same time, you have to work very hard indeed in order to eliminate the causes of the negatives - without actually emphasising that they are negatives in the first place.

A good Sports Psychologist is worth his or her weight in gold.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Team I'll be supporting: England
Team who I think will take the Ashes home: Australia Oops
Series score: 3-1 Um...
Top batsman from either side (most runs): Ricky Ponting Er...
Top bowler (most wickets): Glenn McGrath Well, if he didn't break?

Top English batsman: Michael Vaughan We meant highest score, yeah?
Top Australian batsman: Ricky Ponting See above
Top English bowler: Stephen Harmison Looked good after one innings
Top Australian bowler: Glenn McGrath Um
Surprise package for England: Ashley Giles Well... 10 > 0 I guess, Terry
Surprise package for Australia: Michael Hussey (when Hayden gets pinned by Harmy...) else Michael Kasprowicz Ah
Man of the Series: Glenn McGrath/Ricky Ponting Erm..

Biggest Disappointment for England: Kevin Pietersen Not quite
Biggest Disappointment for Australia: Brett Lee I'm claiming this as a half
Winner at Lords: Australia Yay
Man of the Match at Lords: Michael Kasprowicz Wrongest yet

Well, that was a disaster all round. I think I can live with myself...

 

[Dasa]

Actually, here's one more prediction:

If Warne has a fantastic series, and especially if he wins Man of the Series, he'll announce his retirement.

Still stand by this prediction?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

From the Ashes thread (dig it up if you want, it's post 2264 or something)

Team I'll be supporting: England
Team who I think will take the Ashes home: Australia - not really
Series score: 3-0 - haha
Top batsmen from either side (most runs): Justin Langer - not too far off
Top bowler (most wickets): Shane Warne - by a distance
Top English batsman: well, it can't be Thorpe any more...Ian Bell, just out of sheer bloody-minded-ness - worst one yet
Top Australian batsman: Langer - aye
Top English bowler: Matthew Hoggard - ok, it didn't swing, right?
Top Australian bowler: Shane Warne - yep
Surprise package for England: Ashley Giles - not quite
Surprise package for Australia: Shane Warne (with the bat) - almost spot on
Man of the Series: Shane Warne - what could have been

 

[Barney Rubble]

Series Result: 2-1 ENGLAND Get in!
Most Runs (ENG): IR BELL Ermmmm......
Most Runs (AUS): RT PONTING Almost!
Most Runs (Overall): RT PONTING Nope....
Most Wickets (ENG): A FLINTOFF Score!
Most Wickets (AUS): B LEE Wrong again.....
Most Wickets (Overall): A FLINTOFF Not quite.
Compton-Miller Medal Winner: IR BELL Oh dear.

Only one on this board to correctly predict the result of the series......

 

[Scaly piscine]

Series Result: 2-1 ENGLAND Get in!
Most Runs (ENG): IR BELL Ermmmm......
Most Runs (AUS): RT PONTING Almost!
Most Runs (Overall): RT PONTING Nope....
Most Wickets (ENG): A FLINTOFF Score!
Most Wickets (AUS): B LEE Wrong again.....
Most Wickets (Overall): A FLINTOFF Not quite.
Compton-Miller Medal Winner: IR BELL Oh dear.

Only one on this board to correctly predict the result of the series......

But then you went and spoilt it all, by saying something stupid like I R Bell.

 

[social]

Series Result: 3 - 1 Aus
Most Runs (ENG) Strauss
Most Runs (Aus) Langer
Most Runs (Overall) Strauss
Most Wickets (Eng) Flintoff
Most Wickets (Aus) McGrath
Most Wickets (Overall) McGrath
MOS Gilchrist

Uggh
Close
Woohoo
Close
Woohoo
Oh, what might have been
Ditto
MOS = Most ordinary series = woohoo

 

[Barney Rubble]

But then you went and spoilt it all, by saying something stupid like I R Bell.

Yes I did, rather, didn't I?

Look at my sig - I can't help the fact I rate him, I really can't........

 

[Slow Love™]

Actually, here's one more prediction:

If Warne has a fantastic series, and especially if he wins Man of the Series, he'll announce his retirement.

Still stand by this prediction?

He may be on to something, after all.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

It's funny. Warne gave one interview and said he wasn't going to made any commitments until he'd got back to Australia and had a break. I've seen this interview given headlines ranging from that one, to "Warne wants to win back the Ashes" or something similar. I don't think it means anything, and even if Australia had won he would have said roughly the same thing. He'll go back, play in the home tests, and probably make a comeback in ODIs and retire after the 2007 WC with McGrath.