Australia in England - 2009 Ashes Tour

[Cricketman]

I don't think England are that bad. I reckon they could nip Australia in a match, or at least they have the potential.

Personally, I think Pietersen's captaincy will lead England to a win.

 

[Themer]

England aren't that bad, tbh any of the top 6 in the world rankings could on their day beat Australia.

 

[MUFC1987]

Especially an Australian side which, however you look at it, is on the decline. They don't have replacements for Warne and McGrath, which will affect their ability to bowl teams out. Brett Lee is key for them, if he hasn't been run into the ground by Ponting before that of course.

 

[adyhorn]

Come on rain. I'd love to see the first four tests rained off. Then England in the last.

 

[RoboRocks]

The bowling attack is the problem for Australia. Lee and Clark are fine but there have been doubts over Johnson and Casson so we'll se how they will turn out. The batting for Australia is still very good but they have had batting lapses occasionally. The series between Australia and South Africa now becomes very interesting and we'll see how Australia respond after South Africa have beaten England.

 

[evertonfan]

If you believe any Australian Peter Siddle is apparently the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[nikhil_99]

Excited Pietersen says England can regain Ashes

LONDON: New captain Kevin Pietersen, buoyed by a six-wicket victory over South Africa on Monday, said England were capable of regaining the Ashes next year.

An excited Pietersen gushed superlatives when he described England's win and said his team could beat Australia if they replicated their performance in the fourth and final test at The Oval.

"I could not have asked any more from the boys," said Pietersen even though England lost the series 2-1 to South Africa.

"If we play like we played this week we can beat Australia. The key is to turn up like we did this week in every game."


http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3353382.cms

 

[Sureshot]

With the laughable Wembley situation you have to wonder if that was wise. Bound to be politics behind the decisions, always are. My major complaint about OT is the drainage, if they sorted it out like at Lords then maybe they could stop using weather as an excuse for not winning the LlVCC

They won't tell you the number of times the rain has saved their skin. Like in the recent game against us when we needed about 160 on the last day, with 10 wickets to spare.

 

[nikhil_99]

Excited Pietersen says England can regain Ashes

LONDON: New captain Kevin Pietersen, buoyed by a six-wicket victory over South Africa on Monday, said England were capable of regaining the Ashes next year.

An excited Pietersen gushed superlatives when he described England's win and said his team could beat Australia if they replicated their performance in the fourth and final test at The Oval.

"I could not have asked any more from the boys," said Pietersen even though England lost the series 2-1 to South Africa.

"If we play like we played this week we can beat Australia. The key is to turn up like we did this week in every game."


http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3353382.cms

'I'm pleased he is thinking about us'

Nielsen encouraged by Pietersen Ashes chat

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, has taken confidence from Kevin Pietersen's early talk about the Ashes following his opening game as England captain. The series doesn't start until next July, but Pietersen said after opening his account against South Africa that "if we play like we played this week, we'll beat Australia".

"I'm pleased that he is thinking about us already," Nielsen said in the Age. "We've got a couple of big series coming up that are taking up most of our thinking at the moment, but we're certainly very aware that in 12 months we'll have an Ashes series on the go, and we're very much looking forward to it."

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/364847.html

 

[jordox]

Can't wait.

I'm predicting an Australian win but who knows, 2009 is a long way away when it comes to cricket. The England side is pretty terrible at the moment; however the Australian one is on the decline too.

Should be fun.

 

[Jakester1288]

I agree. I hope I don't miss much, however being late at night fricks me. I don't want to miss a second.

 

[King Pietersen]

TBH, Johnson or Watson would easily get a gig in the English Cricket Team. You claim that England is one of the most bowler friendly conditions in world cricket but yet you produce mediocre bowlers like James Anderson and Stuart Broad who still somehow manage to average 35-40 with the ball.

And Watson is a better batsman then anyone in the English Cricket Team barring Cook or Pietersen and his probably on par with Ian Bell.

If Mitchell Johnson has Graeme Smith under his thumb in the Australia-South Africa Test series like Anderson did in England, then I'll take it on the chin and claim you were right all along. But, it won't happen. Anderson has a skill that not many bowlers have, he can freely swing the ball in both directions with only a small change of his wrist position. He had Graeme Smith all over the place in that series, swinging the ball away for 4-5 deliveries and then nipping one back in to get him out.

Also, if Mitchell Johnson or Shane Watson run through the South African's in the ODI series, taking 5/23 off 10 overs, like Broad did, then i'll give you a pat on the back again. Broad took 8 wickets at 18 in that series, and was superb. He's got so much talent, so much more than Johnson and Watson have put together. He hits a similar pace to Johnson and has fantastic control. He's young as well, he's going to be a quality bowler come the Ashes.

Watson's batting wouldn't get him in the England team either. Who needs Watson when you've got the incomporable Andrew Flintoff. Watson's never going to match Flintoff and never going to impact a series like Flintoff did with bat and ball in 2005. Also, Bell, Collingwood and Strauss's Test records are far better than Watsons.

 

[aussie_ben91]

If Mitchell Johnson has Graeme Smith under his thumb in the Australia-South Africa Test series like Anderson did in England, then I'll take it on the chin and claim you were right all along. But, it won't happen. Anderson has a skill that not many bowlers have, he can freely swing the ball in both directions with only a small change of his wrist position. He had Graeme Smith all over the place in that series, swinging the ball away for 4-5 deliveries and then nipping one back in to get him out.

FAIL.

You obviously haven't watched Australia play enough to know that Sachin Tendulkar has become a regular sculp for Mitchell Johnson since he started his International career. That on, pitches that don't particullary favour the pace bowlers in the subcontient. Johnson also has the ability to bowl 150kph.

Also, if Mitchell Johnson or Shane Watson run through the South African's in the ODI series, taking 5/23 off 10 overs, like Broad did, then i'll give you a pat on the back again. Broad took 8 wickets at 18 in that series, and was superb. He's got so much talent, so much more than Johnson and Watson have put together. He hits a similar pace to Johnson and has fantastic control. He's young as well, he's going to be a quality bowler come the Ashes.

FAIL.

Don't bother argueing on behave of Stuart Broad's bowling. An average of 49 in Test Cricket isn't going to do you any favours when the majority of your career has been played in bowler friendly conditions. If you didn't notice Johnson has rolled India twice in ODI's, once 4/11 in 2006 and in the ODI series last year when he took 5/29, both in subcontient conditions NOT in English conditions, which makes Johnson's two efforts ALLOT better then Broad's one.

Watson's batting wouldn't get him in the England team either. Who needs Watson when you've got the incomporable Andrew Flintoff. Watson's never going to match Flintoff and never going to impact a series like Flintoff did with bat and ball in 2005. Also, Bell, Collingwood and Strauss's Test records are far better than Watsons.

FAIL.

That's because Watson has been given inconsistant opportunities due to injury and when he has been given opportunities, his been shoved down at number 6-7 due to a strong batting lineup, particullary in ODI's but yet he still averages 35 in ODI's, which considering the circumstances that his been given is incredible. He is a top order batsman and this has been proven when he has been promoted to the top of the order in ODI's and had great success.

He averages close to 50 in first-class cricket, something that not many English batsman seem to acchieve despite playing in a weaker domestic competition which obviously shows that he has allot more potential then anyone in England.

You'll be eating your words when Watson is averaging over 50 in Test Cricket in 3 years time.

 

[King Pietersen]

Sorry, you're claiming that Mitchell Johnson has more talent than Stuart Broad? FAIL. Broad's one of the best young bowlers in world cricket, he's got everything, pace, bounce, seam movement, and he's still learning. You'll be eating your words when he's running through Ponting and co in 2009

Yeh, I forgot that a good FC record automatically provides a good Test Match record. /Mark Ramprakash.

 

[evertonfan]

Shane Watson wouldn't get anywhere near the England cricket team. How Australia keep picking him is beyond me. They surely must have better players than him given that they have 'the best domestic set-up in the world'.