***Official: Countdown to the 2017-2018 Ashes***

[Red]

I don' think Australia's batting is strong enough to deliver a whitewash at all tbh. Warner is good at home but I think it was 12 months between tons for him last year. TPC is great of course, but there's still a lot of questions over the others.

At present we have a team chock full of HTB. Averages in Australia:

Warner - 84
Renshaw - 63
Khawaja - 63
Smith - 61
Handscomb - 59

 

[ImpatientLime]

and lets be honest, the english bowling lineup is about as unsuited to australian conditions as any bowling attack in world cricket. it doesn't require a lineup of batting giants to dominate this bowling attack down under.

 

[S.Kennedy]

So does this pay dispute thing mean England do not have to bother turning up?

 

[Pothas]

Really don't think we will lose 5-0, think some England fans are down on us as a side because we had a fairly horrible winter but I don't think that will have much of an effect on what happens next. Plenty of holes in the side for sure but there are some pretty damn good players as well, see no reason why Root, Cook, Bairstow and Stokes can't make runs and Broad can certainly take wickets. How fit/good Anderson is obviously makes a difference. Expect some heavy defeats but think we will win at least one, possibly two.

Actually **** that. Going full GIMH, Stokes is going to have a miracle series and we are going to win.

 

[Adders]

and lets be honest, the english bowling lineup is about as unsuited to australian conditions as any bowling attack in world cricket. it doesn't require a lineup of batting giants to dominate this bowling attack down under.

I do not get this at all tbh. Are you really suggesting that for example India or Sri Lankas bowling attack is better suited to Aussie conditions than Englands?

Our bowlers were brilliant there in 2010/11 and were good enough in 2013/14 to have at the very least been competitive.

 

[fredfertang]

Stokes will win at least one Test on his own, and Hameed will save one, so the worst we can do is 3-1, but I reckon we'll nick another and it will be 2-2

 

[GIMH]

Really don't think we will lose 5-0, think some England fans are down on us as a side because we had a fairly horrible winter but I don't think that will have much of an effect on what happens next. Plenty of holes in the side for sure but there are some pretty damn good players as well, see no reason why Root, Cook, Bairstow and Stokes can't make runs and Broad can certainly take wickets. How fit/good Anderson is obviously makes a difference. Expect some heavy defeats but think we will win at least one, possibly two.

Actually **** that. Going full GIMH, Stokes is going to have a miracle series and we are going to win.

Finally someone talking sense

 

[social]

Witewashes are anomalies and generally only occur when some top class players have atg series whilst the opposition implodes

Wouldnt bet on it happening again this year with GIMH's money

 

[Burgey]

Stokes will win at least one Test on his own, and Hameed will save one, so the worst we can do is 3-1, but I reckon we'll nick another and it will be 2-2

2-2 would be a phenomenal series to watch.

 

[Burgey]

At present we have a team chock full of HTB. Averages in Australia:

Warner - 84
Renshaw - 63
Khawaja - 63
Smith - 61
Handscomb - 59

Renshaw and Handscomb have had one season tbf, and Uzzie hasn't really scored consistently heavily against good bowling imho, even at home.

 

[morgieb]

Renshaw and Handscomb have had one season tbf, and Uzzie hasn't really scored consistently heavily against good bowling imho, even at home.

Khawaja scored big against South Africa, which is pretty much the only strong attack we've faced at home since he got a recall.

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Anyway, I can't see the series being a whitewash again - whitewashes rarely happen and the gap between the two sides is close enough to prevent that happening anyway, but I'll be quite surprised if England win. Their batting should be OK, but I don't think their bowling looks suited enough to Australian conditions to roll us consistently. Something like 3/4-1 sounds right.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah fair point that.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Khawaja has been exceptional at home

 

[Burgey]

How do you think he'll go taking over the mantle of number one spinner?

 

[Spikey]

Witewashes are anomalies and generally only occur when some top class players have atg series whilst the opposition implodes

Wouldnt bet on it happening again this year with GIMH's money

checks out

 

[S.Kennedy]

My prediction would be on an Australian victory but with England picking up a test and drawing one or two: a 3-1, 4-1 type score. Cannot see a whitewash but equally cannot see an England victory because of the lack of a spinner and the selection policy.

 

[Moonsorrow999]

My prediction would be on an Australian victory but with England picking up a test and drawing one or two: a 3-1, 4-1 type score. Cannot see a whitewash but equally cannot see an England victory because of the lack of a spinner and the selection policy.

Absolutely cannot see England picking up 20 wickets in Australia considering their attack and poor fielding over the last couple of years.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Australia will win, if they turn up and are getting enough money.

 

[Adders]

Far out, seriously......when did England's bowling attack all of a sudden become ****??

Last calendar year Jimmy Anderson took 41 @ 23, Stuart Broad 48 @ 26, Chris Woakes 41 @ 25 and Ben Stokes 33 @ 25

WTF are you people talking about?? I'm not saying England are going to win in Aus, in fact I think that is very unlikely........but I will bet my left nut right now that if and when we do lose it will not be the bowlers that are responsible, it will be because Starc and Haze et al are too good for our batsmen and we get rolled for sfa.

 

[stephen]

Provided the Aussies turn up I can see this being a good contest between a largely unproven Australian lineup and a fairly underrated English side.