The Ashes 2010-11

[Camikaze]

The Ashes 2010-11
England won the series 3-1​

The most important contest in cricket is upon us again, with the Ashes getting under way in Brisbane in 10 days. Australia are looking to regain the urn after the disaster that was 2009, whilst England aim to win in Australia for the first time since 1987 (and to avoid a repeat of the 2007 5-0 whitewash).

1st Test: Brisbane (the Gabba)
25-29 November​

Match drawn

Spoiler Match Summary :

Eng- 260
Bell- 76
Cook- 67
Pietersen- 43
Siddle- 6/54 (including hat-trick)
Doherty- 2/41
Aus- 481
Hussey- 195
Haddin- 136
Katich- 50
Finn- 6/125
Anderson- 2/99
Eng- 1dec/517
Cook- 235*
Trott- 135*
Strauss- 110
North- 1/47
Watson- 0/66
Aus- 1/107
Ponting- 51*
Watson- 41*
Katich- 4
Broad- 1/18
Pietersen- 0/6

2nd Test: Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)
3-7 December​

England won by an innings and 71 runs

Spoiler Match Summary :

Aus- 245
Hussey- 93
Haddin- 56
Watson- 51
Anderson- 4/51
Swann- 2/70
Eng- 5dec/620
Pietersen- 227
Cook- 148
Trott- 78
Harris- 2/84
Watson- 1/44
Aus- 304
Clarke- 80
Watson- 57
Hussey- 52
Swann- 5/91
Finn- 2/60

3rd Test: Perth (the WACA)
16-20 December​

Australia won by 267 runs

Spoiler Match Summary :

Aus- 268
Johnson- 62
Hussey- 61
Haddin- 53
Anderson- 3/61
Tremlett- 3/63
Eng- 187
Bell- 53
Strauss- 52
Cook- 32
Johnson- 6/38
Harris- 3/59
Aus- 309
Hussey- 116
Watson- 95
Smith- 36
Tremlett- 5/87
Finn- 3/97
Eng- 123
Trott- 31
Bell- 16
Strauss- 15
Harris- 6/47
Johnson- 3/44

4th Test: Melbourne (MCG)
26-30 December​

England won by an innings and 157 runs

Spoiler Match Summary :

Aus- 98
Clarke- 20
Hughes- 16
Siddle- 11
Tremlett- 4/26
Anderson- 4/44
Eng- 513
Trott- 168*
Prior- 85
Cook- 82
Siddle- 6/75
Hilfenhaus- 2/83
Aus- 258
Haddin- 55*
Watson- 54
Siddle- 40
Bresnan- 4/50
Swann- 2/59

5th Test: Sydney (SCG)
3-7 January​

England won by an innings and 83 runs

Spoiler Match Summary :

Aus- 280
Johnson- 53
Watson- 45
Khawaja- 37
Anderson- 4/66
Bresnan- 3/89
Eng- 644
Cook- 189
Prior- 118
Bell- 115
Johnson- 4/168
Hilfenhaus- 3/121
Aus- 281
Smith- 54*
Siddle- 43
Clarke- 41
Anderson- 3/61
Tremlett- 3/79

The respective squads have both been announced, with the 16 for the tourists and 17 for the hosts (note that this squad is just for the first test):
England
Andrew Strauss (c)
Alastair Cook (vc)
James Anderson
Ian Bell
Tim Bresnan
Stuart Broad
Paul Collingwood
Steve Davies (wk)
Steve Finn
Eoin Morgan
Monty Panesar
Kevin Pietersen
Matt Prior (wk)
Graeme Swann
Chris Tremlett
Jonathan Trott

Australia
Ricky Ponting (c)
Michael Clarke (vc)
Doug Bollinger
Xavier Doherty
Callum Ferguson
Brad Haddin (wk)
Ryan Harris
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus
Michael Hussey
Mitchell Johnson
Simon Katich
Usman Khawaja
Marcus North
Peter Siddle
Steven Smith
Shane Watson

Some surprise choices in the Australian team (Doherty being the most notable), although everyone you'd expect to be there is.

Now, predictions. I'm going say that Australia will win 2-1. Perhaps a hopeful assessment, but if the Australian team can remain fit and at least in reasonable form, they seem a better outfit than England.

Thoughts? Predictions?

 

[Mike Hussey]

Gonna say England are probably gonna take this. Marcus North, and Peter Siddle are some of the worst ever players to have played for Australia. Together, them two being in the test team has done more damage to the proud Australian cricketing culture than the great retirement of 2006-07. It's also ruined the careers of David Hussey and Phil Jaques and is certainly doing bad things for Hughes' career. Hilditch and co honestly need to be sacked and be forced to pay compensation for the diabolical selections. Any kid with no brain could have picked better sides than they have. They've ruined Australian cricket.

Mitchell Johnson has also been a massive fluke, totally wayward. His deliveries are random lotteries. Ben Hilfenhaus should have replaced McGrath since he retired. If he had of, we may still be in the top 4 cricketing nations. And finally Stuart Clark. To permanently drop when he still has a couple of years at least? Sure he hasn't had much success on absolute roads, but have any of our bowlers?

In short only the following squad can save Australia from defeat this summer:

Katich
Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
M. Hussey
D. Hussey
Ferguson
Haddin
Hilfenhaus
Clark
Bollinger
Harris
Hauritz

Guys like Smith, Khawaja, Doherty are most certainly not ready for test cricket.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Well Australia have been terrible recently so I'm hoping for an England win!

 

[Camikaze]

Gonna say England are probably gonna take this. Marcus North, and Peter Siddle are some of the worst ever players to have played for Australia. Together, them two being in the test team has done more damage to the proud Australian cricketing culture than the great retirement of 2006-07.

I completely disagree. I'm a great fan of Marcus North- it's just a shame he is inconsistent. I'm not as fond of Peter Siddle, but I do think he is better than some of his competitors (although 'recall Clark' is something I'd be likely to say).

It's also ruined the careers of David Hussey and Phil Jaques and is certainly doing bad things for Hughes' career. Hilditch and co honestly need to be sacked and be forced to pay compensation for the diabolical selections. Any kid with no brain could have picked better sides than they have. They've ruined Australian cricket.

Selection hasn't been great, but largely due to the decisions to go for Smith too often, and unknown fast bowlers in tests.

Dave Hussey is not really test cricket material though. He is much more of a one day specialist. Jaques was unfortunate, but he's an opener, and so North's selection is hardly what's keeping him out of the team. Same for Hughes (although there's been some indication he could be selected as a middle-order player). Although Hughes' form is more to blame than any selection decisions.

Mitchell Johnson has also been a massive fluke, totally wayward. His deliveries are random lotteries. Ben Hilfenhaus should have replaced McGrath since he retired. If he had of, we may still be in the top 4 cricketing nations. And finally Stuart Clark. To permanently drop when he still has a couple of years at least? Sure he hasn't had much success on absolute roads, but have any of our bowlers?

Johnson, I'm not a fan of. Clark, I am.

I'm actually reasonably pleased with the fast bowling stock Australia has at the moment. Bollinger, Hilfenhaus, Siddle, Harris, McKay and Johnson are all great on their day (although some had 'their day' less frequently than others).

In short only the following squad can save Australia from defeat this summer:

Katich
Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
M. Hussey
D. Hussey
Ferguson
Haddin
Hilfenhaus
Clark
Bollinger
Harris
Hauritz

Guys like Smith, Khawaja, Doherty are most certainly not ready for test cricket.

I agree with Smith; he's simply the next chosen one of Australian cricket who'll be pandered to for ten years before people realise he's never going to get better.

Khawaja seems solid, though. He seems a good bet as a back up batsman. I'd rather they blood someone of talent with good form than someone who they've just picked out as a star for no real apparent reason.

And Doherty can't be much worse than Hauritz.

Well Australia have been terrible recently so I'm hoping for an England win!

Not really terrible. Unable to finish games, yes, but not entirely terrible. Injury has been a major concern, also, mainly with the fast bowlers. In the test series against India, for instance, we were forced to go for what must be our 7th or 8th choice fast bowler (Peter George) simply because of injury. And in the one-day series against Sri Lanka, we had to pass up selecting Harris, Bollinger and Lee due to injury.

But I guess if these injury worries continue, then it's going to be a problem. But Bollinger and Harris are fit again, so perhaps that's reason to be hopeful!

 

[classical_hero]

I think we might lose this series on home soil.

 

[Camikaze]

So today was horrendous for Australia's batters.

In the Australia A game, some of the possible players were Hughes (2), Khawaja (13), Ferguson (7) and White (5), although Smith (who I really hope isn't thought of for selection) got 59. Note that conditions were great for bowling.

For NSW, Watson got 6, Katich got 1 and Haddin got 10, whilst on the opposing side, Tasmania, Ponting managed 7.

For WA, Hussey got 0 and North got 18, although Johnson is on 82 not out.

So yay for Australia's top seven (counting Khawaja instead of Clarke, who is fending off injury) getting a total of 55!

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Feels very odd, and almost uncomfortable, having England as the favourites for an Ashes series down under. But, man for man, they are probably the better cricketers.

 

[Arwon]

It'll be a pretty impressive feat if this Australian team manages to win back the Ashes. Shades of the mid-1980s about this lot.

 

[Camikaze]

I don't particularly think there's much difference man for man between Australia and England. The Channel 9 commentary team compared them and had England marginally in front (due to Swann v Doherty and Bell v North), but some of their estimations seemed a little dubious. Watson v Strauss, I would think Watson takes the cake, due to his great form of the last year or so, and his bowling. I would also think that Katich is better than Cook. It's fair enough to call it even on Ponting and Trott, given form, and Clarke and Pietersen, too. If Hussey actually hits some form, though, he should be better than Collingwood, and I think the same is true for North and Bell. Haddin and Prior are probably about even. Johnson and Broad are also probably about even. Both can bat, and both are great when they fire. Johnson has poor form at the moment, but is a better player than Broad. Hilfenhaus and Anderson are probably pretty close to each other (Anderson may be a little better). Swann is definitely better than Doherty. And I would've thought that Bollinger is better than Finn. So I disagree that England is better than Australia man for man. However, success relies on form, which Australia doesn't have and England does.

My assessment is probably a tad optimistic, too.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Bring it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Less than an hour to go!


Link to video.

 

[Camikaze]

I have to say- WTF Bollinger? There's no way that Siddle is better than him. I don't understand the selection here at all.

Link to video.
(This is the Channel Nine cricket theme; only just found out it was from a cop show)

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Our cricket tune is better than yours

 

[ParadigmShifter]

England win the toss - Australia to bowl.

EDIT: Finish my beer and go asleep listening to Test Match Special I think

My prediction: 2-1 England.

EDIT2: Oops

 

[Ozbenno]

I don't think England are as good as everyone is making them out to be, especially in Australian conditions and I don't think Australia are as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Having said that, I think it will be close and probably like the last series come down to the last test. Two pretty average teams fighting it out to see who is less bad!!

Wicket in the first over is good though.

 

[Camikaze]

Good start there from Australia. A shame Doherty didn't catch Cook, but I would say it looks like Australia is in front at the moment. Either way, the first session does lend evidence to how tight the series will be.

 

[Arwon]

Oh wow. SIDDLE!!!

 

[Ozbenno]

Take 260 on 1st day! Advantage Aussies if we can bat well.

 

[Camikaze]

Yeah, that's a really good start. It's special seeing a hattrick (I still remember watching McGrath's vs. the Windies about a decade ago). I'll eat my words questioning why Siddle was selected in place of Bollinger. Hopefully Watson and Katich continue the good start, and hopefully Australia can bat out the whole of tomorrow to establish a solid lead.

 

[classical_hero]

Much better than I expected, but we have to remember that there is still four more days to go and things can happen during that time.

 

[Arwon]

Finaly got to WATCH some of the Test. Haddin and Hussey gradually steadying and building a lead in the first session was enthralling to watch.