Predictions

[aussie1st]

Just before the Ashes kicks off its always worth doing a prediction and seeing how they stack up with the end results.

Ashes - Australia 2-0
Leading run scorer - Michael Clarke
Leading wicket taker - Stuart Broad
Flop of the Ashes - Marcus North
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Kevin Pietersen
First player to be dropped - Marcus North
Other players dropped - Michael Hussey, Nathan Hauritz, Alastair Cook
Players to make Test debut in Ashes - Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja

 

[Themer]

Ashes - England retain the Ashes 1-1
Leading run scorer - Bell
Leading wicket taker - Stuart Broad
Flop of the Ashes - Marcus North
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Bell (obviously he isn't under that much pressure but you get my drift)
First player to be dropped - Marcus North
Other players dropped - Michael Hussey, Nathan Hauritz, Alastair Cook
Players to make Test debut in Ashes - None

 

[JD10]

From England POV
Ashes - England 2-1
Leading run scorer - Andrew Strauss
Leading wicket taker - Greame Swann
Flop of the Ashes -Alistair Cook
Under pressure player proving critics wrong -KP
First player to be dropped - Alistair Cook

 

[TumTum]

My predictions:

- I reckon Swann will have an average series overall wise, but he will pick up a bag of wickets at certain times, hopefully it all comes in vain, but I doubt we would get on top of him forever.

- Punter will get at-least 3 tons this series and it will be the start of another purple patch for him.

- Watson will look great all series, but won't have the scores to back it up with.

- Katich will score at-least 2 tons this series, but they will all come in the 1st innings and he will average about 40.

- Hussey will continue to be dire, however he will produce at least 1 match winning knock.

- Hauritz (if he plays) will be **** (if the series against SA is anything to go by)

- North will fail for the first 2 Tests and will be dropped (but will return just after as his replacement will get injured in their 1st match)

- Clarke will play the patience game outside off-stump, get sucked in a few times but will also get many 70s/80s.

- Hilfenhaus and Johnson will get the most wickets this series.

- Bollinger will bowl with a lot of heart but his length will be inconsistent and will have an average series.

- KP will play at-least a couple of innings of note, but will struggle getting out in the strangest of ways.

- Collingwood will make 1 big hundred, but will fail rest of series, consequently being called Hilfy's bunny.

- Strauss will feast on our short and wide bowling on many occasions and will have a good series, but still won't play any significant innings (kinda like Watson).

- Cook will fail at the start of the series but will get a 100 later on and show his mental toughness, will still have an average series though.

- Finn will bowl terribly and the crowd will treat him like Harmison of 06/07. He will still pick up some wickets though, but will mostly be due to stupid batting mistakes.

- Broad will be the leader of attack and will bowl pretty decently and economically. However he will end up close to the least wicket of the series and will pose no threat.

- Anderson (if he plays) will enjoy some of the green wickets CA will produce and will be tough to handle with the new ball on those green pitches. Which will in the end justify him for the other Test matches with not so green wickets, where he will get carted

- Prior will be a dud.

- Haddin/Paine will also be duds, however they will prove to be good pinch hitters when Aus has a decent total.

 

[War]

Cant see AUS not winning the Ashes. They will win 2-3 tests, ENG win win 1 somewhere.

Ponting will have a excellent summer with the bat.

Thats all i'm willing to predict ATS.

 

[Slowcoach]

Australia will win 2-1 or 3-1, there is not enough cloud cover in Australia for England's attack to be a success.
Once again England come here with inflated averages, full of hope, then get flogged, and go back home and take another 4 years to undo the damage we did to their stats.
Don't forget England only just won the ashes last time, and that was at Home, they got lucky with the draws and the rain too.
Flop of the series...Anderson.
Bell and Cook may struggle too.
Pietersen will have a big series, he is motivated for this one, and that means a lot, his poor form has only been due to the lack of motivation due to the constant grind of international cricket.
As for Australia, we have good depth in our pace attack, and good but unspectacular batsmen.
Bollinger will have a big series, he's probably the best bowler in the world at the moment, but it will just take a while for the stats to prove it.

 

[pcfan123]

Australia 2-1

Broad to be Englands leading wicket taker

 

[surendar]

England 2 - 1.

Leading run scorer - Kevin Pietersen
Leading wicket taker - Swann or Anderson
Flop of the Ashes - Ponting, Finn
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Hauritz
First player to be dropped - Finn
Other players dropped - Cook, North

 

[CremerCurrans]

Ashes - drawn series meaning england will retain the ashes both teams winning one test, drawn tests at Adelaide and Perth. Sydney or Melbourne severely effected by rain resulting in another draw.
Leading run scorer - Andrew Strauss
Leading wicket taker - Graeme Swann
Players to make Test debut in Ashes - Callum Ferguson

 

[Ollie_H]

Ashes - England 2-1
Leading run scorer - Kevin Pietersen
Leading wicket taker - Graeme Swann
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Aussie Bowling Line-Up


England will think very seriously before they even think of trusting Cook. The England team is all about stability, not making wholesale changes and putting trust in those players. Not that I believe in it, but that is the way it has been recently. This side is a lot stronger than the one that got hammered in 06/07, which was when English cricket was in a real state.

 

[Num]

Ashes - Australia 3-1
Leading run scorer - Ponting
Leading wicket taker - Broad
Flop of the Ashes - North
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Hauritz
First player to be dropped - North
Other players dropped - Hussey, Finn, Cook
Players to make Test debut in Ashes - Ferguson, Khawaja

 

[MUFC1987]

Ashes - England 2-1
Leading run scorer - Andrew Strauss
Leading wicket taker - Graeme Swann
Flop of the Ashes - Ricky Ponting
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Marcus North
First player to be dropped - Nathan Hauritz
Other players dropped - Mitchell Johnson
Players to make Test debut in Ashes - None

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Ashes: 2-1 England
Leading run scorer - Jonathan Trott (the personification of the good and the ugly :P)
Leading wicket taker - Graeme Swann / Hilfy
Flop of the Ashes - Cook, North, Hauritz, Finn
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Hussey
First player to be dropped - Marcus North
Other players dropped - Nathan Hauritz, Alastair Cook,
Players to make Ashes debut - Usman Khawaja/Ferguson, Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan

 

[War]

Ashes - England 2-1
Leading run scorer - Kevin Pietersen
Leading wicket taker - Graeme Swann
Under pressure player proving critics wrong - Aussie Bowling Line-Up

England will think very seriously before they even think of trusting Cook. The England team is all about stability, not making wholesale changes and putting trust in those players. Not that I believe in it, but that is the way it has been recently. This side is a lot stronger than the one that got hammered in 06/07, which was when English cricket was in a real state.

Indeed. Alot of unwarranted pessimism sorrounding how people rate the AUS bowling line-up, mainly the pace attack.

 

[Themer]

Alot of unwarranted pessimism sorrounding how people rate the AUS bowling line-up, mainly the pace attack.

I think there is quite rightly pessimism over the Australian bowling line up. You've got an ineffective spinner, Johnson who can spray it all over the place, Siddle likewise at times and struggling with match time/fitness, add Harris and Bollinger with fitness doubts and that leaves you with Hilfy who looks like he'll be solid if not spectacular.

I'm alot happier with the English attack as its settled for starters and there aren't any injury worries.