2013 Predictions

[smalishah84]

I really have no idea if the middle order would do well in SA. The last time our middle order was really tested in pacy conditions was in England and Australia and we got our asses whipped (at least batting wise)

[L Trumper]

Some people are picking Aus to draw or even win in England. I don't really think their bowling can compensate for that mediocre batting line up. Or is there a belief that batting will suddenly start clicking?

[Maximas]

Originally Posted by L Trumper

Some people are picking Aus to draw or even win in England. I don't really think their bowling can compensate for that mediocre batting line up. Or is there a belief that batting will suddenly start clicking?

Why are you so sure that England are so formidable? They lost 2 zip at home to the saffers and looked fairly ordinary if you ask me. Remember the Oval test, their bowling looked very pedestrian.

[mightymariner]

England win the ashes home and away, with Cook and Root piling on the runs.

Yorkshire win the CC.
Leicestershire somehow disgrace Lancashire, who finish bottom of D2.

[Bahnz]

Southee to take 50 test wickets. New Zealand will win a test match.

Saffers will comfortably see off Pakistan 2-0.

India and Australia to draw their test series.

England to win home ashes 3-0
England to win away ashes 2-1

Cook to be the year's top run scorer.

[L Trumper]

Originally Posted by Maximas

Why are you so sure that England are so formidable? They lost 2 zip at home to the saffers and looked fairly ordinary if you ask me. Remember the Oval test, their bowling looked very pedestrian.

Bowling against Smith, Kallis, Amla ia completely different beast to bowling against current aussie batters though. They were awful in Oval, but remaining two tests are pretty close contests, despite england being **** for most of the time. Also Strauss's departure will make England a better side from last summer I presume. I am sure AUS would win one test in ENG courtesy their bowling, but it's hard to see them scoring 450+ scores, unless Warner joins Clarke in big partnerships through out the series.

[theegyptian]

England are definitely home favourites. You basically know what you're going to get with England. Solid but unspectacular cricket with a lot of planning put into the series.

The Australian performance is more of an unkown. The bowling is very exciting and has good strength in depth but is inexperienced in English conditions and injury prone. They definitely have the potential to blow england away if they get it right. They also have the potential to struggle in the conditions- plenty of very fine bowlers have struggled in their initial test matches in england.

The Australian batting though is their big worry. Clarke and Watson apart no-one else has played test cricket in england and Clarke is the only genuine current class batsmen. Warner may move into that bracket but the rest don't look like moving into that bracket anytime soon. I don't know if people think Clarke's form is a temporary positive aberration on a good career(see Vaughan) or a permanent upturn but if Clarke was to run out of form it's hard to see how Australia could win in England.

I also don't see Cook having a good year. Cook tends to struggle against medium pace swing and seamers and conditions in NZ and the home test series against NZ will be in the bowlers favour. He should struggle against Australia's seamer as long as they don't resort to trying to intimidate him and bowl short. He'll probably still do well in Aus where there is less movement early.

New Zealand is the only test country Cook hasn't got a test century against so hopefully he makes that.

[morgieb]

Originally Posted by theegyptian

England are definitely home favourites. You basically know what you're going to get with England. Solid but unspectacular cricket with a lot of planning put into the series.

The Australian performance is more of an unkown. The bowling is very exciting and has good strength in depth but is inexperienced in English conditions and injury prone. They definitely have the potential to blow england away if they get it right. They also have the potential to struggle in the conditions- plenty of very fine bowlers have struggled in their initial test matches in england.

The Australian batting though is their big worry. Clarke and Watson apart no-one else has played test cricket in england and Clarke is the only genuine current class batsmen. Warner may move into that bracket but the rest don't look like moving into that bracket anytime soon. I don't know if people think Clarke's form is a temporary positive aberration on a good career(see Vaughan) or a permanent upturn but if Clarke was to run out of form it's hard to see how Australia could win in England.

I also don't see Cook having a good year. Cook tends to struggle against medium pace swing and seamers and conditions in NZ and the home test series against NZ will be in the bowlers favour. He should struggle against Australia's seamer as long as they don't resort to trying to intimidate him and bowl short. He'll probably still do well in Aus where there is less movement early.

New Zealand is the only test country Cook hasn't got a test century against so hopefully he makes that.

Hughes has as well tbf.

But yeah our inexperience is a worry.

[theegyptian]

Originally Posted by morgieb

Hughes has as well tbf.

But yeah our inexperience is a worry.

sorry my bad. I guess haddin too if he plays but yeh the whole squad is going to be lacking although most will have played some domestic cricket in england.

[3703]

I think it will all come down to how close we get to fielding our best attack. Our batting could be better than expected if Hughes consolidates (feasible), Khawaja gets his game together and Watto settles back in as an opener. But if Pattinson and Cummins don't get on the park, I see the best case scenario being we post more competitive totals in mostly losing efforts (in England).

History says bowling attacks are always decisive. McGrath went down in 2005 and wasn't the same for the rest of the series, suddenly England had the better pacemen. Australia had a far stronger batting line up, but that was negated by the swing and pace of the English attack.

Anderson, Finn and Swann is better than Siddle, Bird and Lyon. I think. How much upside there is in Bird is not really clear and you could say the same of Lyon (a lot still to happen with his game). But you don't look at that attack and see advantage Australia.

Conversely, make it Anderson, Finn, Broad and Swann vs Siddle, Pattinson, Bird and Lyon and that looks interesting to me. If Lyon shows improvement in India that attack looks like an ambush job. Even more so if Cummins plays a test or two. ****, throw in Johnson for a test assuming players' workloads continue to be managed, and his arse hair is sitting just right on the morning and he pulls one of his magic spells out.

So many question marks, and that is usually a bad sign. But if we simplify it, I reckon we're a fit Pattinson away from an epic series to be honest.

[sphynx]

Originally Posted by 3703

I think it will all come down to how close we get to fielding our best attack. Our batting could be better than expected if Hughes consolidates (feasible), Khawaja gets his game together and Watto settles back in as an opener. But if Pattinson and Cummins don't get on the park, I see the best case scenario being we post more competitive totals in mostly losing efforts (in England).

History says bowling attacks are always decisive. McGrath went down in 2005 and wasn't the same for the rest of the series, suddenly England had the better pacemen. Australia had a far stronger batting line up, but that was negated by the swing and pace of the English attack.

Anderson, Finn and Swann is better than Siddle, Bird and Lyon. I think. How much upside there is in Bird is not really clear and you could say the same of Lyon (a lot still to happen with his game). But you don't look at that attack and see advantage Australia.

Conversely, make it Anderson, Finn, Broad and Swann vs Siddle, Pattinson, Bird and Lyon and that looks interesting to me. If Lyon shows improvement in India that attack looks like an ambush job. Even more so if Cummins plays a test or two. ****, throw in Johnson for a test assuming players' workloads continue to be managed, and his arse hair is sitting just right on the morning and he pulls one of his magic spells out.

So many question marks, and that is usually a bad sign. But if we simplify it, I reckon we're a fit Pattinson away from an epic series to be honest.

Pattinson will be fit for the Ashes, make no mistake.

CA's whole policy of resting players is a build up TO the Ashes, it's all or nothing when it comes to them.

There's plenty of cricket between now and England, with a series in India, he is back at 100% now, and will be lining up in Australia's second ODI most likely, and anyway, it was a sidestrain, not a back injury.

Pattinson and Bird will be the new ball pairing imo, with Siddle and Watson first and second change, Lyon the spinner.

Pattinson and Bird has the potential to be an absolutely destructive new ball pair in English conditions........

Starc and Johnson will make the trip, Cummins may also as a wild card.

Injuries are the least of my worries in the bowling stocks (besides Pattinson), as I think all of them are capable on their day, but Pattinson and Bird bowl an excellent line and length, and get plenty of movement.

[Spark]

If Bird is fit, in form and has a bit more Test nous under his belt, he could be killer in English conditions. He's exactly the sort of bowler we've been looking for to balance the explosive but potentially expensive young trio.

[uvelocity]

starceh in swinging conditions would be diabolical to face

[Pothas]

Yeah Bird could be effective for sure in my best Scaly imoression so could Onions, would really fancy him against this Australian batting lineup if he gets a go, media bias etc etc...

[Pothas]

Originally Posted by uvelocity

starceh in swinging conditions would be diabolical to face

He could be but he could also very easily bowl is all over the place and go for 5/6 an over.