England in Australia

[Stephen Bailey]

I agree with the Bracken point Sly; He always looked dangerous in the recent CT and it was him who brought Australia back into the game with 3 quick wickets. His wicket against Gayle was a beauty. I also think that having a left hander in there is good for variety too. Plus, Strauss struggled against Vaas and Pathan earlier in the year too so maybe he isn't too fond of the left-handers.

I'm surprised Australia didn't come round the wicket to him more last series. The only time I remember it happening was in the second innings at Old Trafford when McGrath bowled him half trackers and was dispatched to all parts.

 

[Sureshot]

Bracken is impressive and is improving through the more games he plays.

It could help create more rough for Monty, although it looks like Giles will play ahead of him and if so, I revert to my signature.

 

[angryangy]

I agree with the Bracken point Sly; He always looked dangerous in the recent CT and it was him who brought Australia back into the game with 3 quick wickets. His wicket against Gayle was a beauty. I also think that having a left hander in there is good for variety too. Plus, Strauss struggled against Vaas and Pathan earlier in the year too so maybe he isn't too fond of the left-handers.

It's facts like this that make me smirk when it's discussed as Gilchrist's 'great weakness'. It's a tactic that will work on a great many left handers, it's just that they're usually not considered 'unstoppable' or 'invulnerable'.

 

[langerrox]

Interesting fact, the only chance Macgill has had to face the current English team he has taken 4/4 England wickets. ( Freddie twice and Harmison twice in the super test ).

If he and Warne plays then the Ashes are ours, England can't play Warne let alone Macgill, if he doesn't play it will be a sad day for Australian cricket.

 

[cricketmad09]

Can I slap you with a wet trout?

I'll take Ponting and Lee out of your line up then shall I?

Im not saying England dont have any depth, I am just saying they should have enough depth to cover those 2 players.

Ponting is much better than Vaughan though.

And If Lee was injured, we would have blokes like Clark, Bracken, Tait and Johnson(suprisingly his FC stats have been very good in the past 12 months) to cover him, which is more than adequate.

But take the equivalent of Vaughan out of our side, and you've got blokes like Jaques, Cosgrove, Hodge, Clarke who could all come in.

 

[Sureshot]

Oh I agree the Aussies have good depth, but we haven't done bad with our back up players have we? Cook, Colly and Panesar have all come in and made big impacts.

Vaughans captaincy is what we really miss though, something I think most agree that he has over Ponting. Oh and Ponting is better thanmost let alone Vaughan, who let's not forget has a fantastic record against the Aussies. This is going to be great, but it seems that we'll have Giles in the team, and Freddy looks like playing as a batsman who bats. The first test is already gone I think.

 

[evertonfan]

Oh lord, I hope this is just my pessimissm showing through, but when watching Fletcher on SSN, I got a distinct impression that Giles will play in the first Test. And that only begs this question; Why lose us the Ashes on the very first bloody day by playing him?!

And Kudos on the sig Sureshot, never has one sentence been so accurate.

 

[aussie1st]

I don't think Bracken is as well suited to tests. Hasn't done well so far, but still maybe they should give him another shot.

He needs more of a go for mind, plus now hes got those cutters he that much more dangerous. If not him then Johnson is the other option, swings it both ways at pace.

 

[Skater]

Oh lord, I hope this is just my pessimissm showing through, but when watching Fletcher on SSN, I got a distinct impression that Giles will play in the first Test. And that only begs this question; Why lose us the Ashes on the very first bloody day by playing him?!

I think two spin bowlers may work at Sydney for the fifth test.

This would be my team for the first test:

1. Marcus Trescothick
2. Andrew Strauss
3. Ian Bell
4. Paul Collingwood
5. Kevin Pietersen
6. Andrew Flintoff (captain)
7. Geraint Jones (wicket keeper)
8. Liam Plunkett
9. Matthew Hoggard
10. Steve Harmison
11. Monty Panesar

 

[evertonfan]

Liam Plunkett isn't ready for a Test of this magnitude yet; So far in his Test career he's looked slightly out of his depth and i'd be more much happier if we played Saj or Jimmy. Hoggard should be at 11, and Bell shouldn't be at 3. He scores three centuries at 6 in the summer and you shunt him up the order again? If Bell plays, he should bat at 6.

And it'll be hard to play Giles and Panesar as the two spinners in Sydney when Giles is hardly even a spinner. :

 

[Skater]

Liam Plunkett isn't ready for a Test of this magnitude yet; So far in his Test career he's looked slightly out of his depth and i'd be more much happier if we played Saj or Jimmy. Hoggard should be at 11, and Bell shouldn't be at 3. He scores three centuries at 6 in the summer and you shunt him up the order again? If Bell plays, he should bat at 6.

I want to keep Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff as far away from the top order as possible.

 

[aussie1st]

Lol England playing 2 spinners I've seen it all now

First test side looks pretty good, Collingwood at 4 should provide stability for the 2 big hitters in next. Hoggard will cause problems with the new ball over at the Gabba, just needs his new ball partner to keep the pressure on.

 

[evertonfan]

I want to keep Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff as far away from the top order as possible.

KP has done well at 4, Colly/Cook could bat at 3 and maybe Bell could come in at 5 then. He should be nowhere near the top-order given his dire performances last time around.

Hoggard will cause problems with the new ball over at the Gabba, just needs his new ball partner to keep the pressure on.

That's what worries me; Hoggard hasn't played since September so he may be rusty, and Harmison is in some of the worst form i've seen from him. If we get the good Harmison then i'll feel a lot more comfortable, but if we don't, then Anderson or Mahmood should be given the new ball.

 

[Stephen Bailey]

Liam Plunkett isn't ready for a Test of this magnitude yet; So far in his Test career he's looked slightly out of his depth and i'd be more much happier if we played Saj or Jimmy. Hoggard should be at 11, and Bell shouldn't be at 3. He scores three centuries at 6 in the summer and you shunt him up the order again? If Bell plays, he should bat at 6.

The only thing with Anderson and Mahmood is they are prone to spraying it, alot. But I agree, Plunkett isn't ready for a test like this, plus he's hardly played since the Sri Lanka series. He has more right to play than Giles though....

 

[Simbazz]

The team i would play, and ive only tweaked it a little from earlier posts is;

Trescothick
Strauss
Cook
Pietersen
Flintoff (*)
Bell/Collingwood
Read (+)
Harmison
Anderson
Hoggard
Panesar

Its a little bit tough with the whole Collingwood arguement, especially the way Cook has established himself, the only way i can see Colly/Bell/Cook in the same side is if we drop Anderson, or another seamer, and play 3 mainline bowlers along with Fred. But now there are rumours that Freddie isnt fit enough for a day of bowling so now the dilema sticks again. I would, if Colly was going to play, drop Cook, put Pietersen at three, Colly at 4, Flintoff at 5 and put in Bell at 6, as the partnerships he has had with top order batsmen AND lower order batsmen have been valuble in the rocky tests we have had.