Ashes

[Firkinelle]

May as well start an Ashes thread.

Australia have just been slaughtered by Sri Lanka in the first T20, nice of Australia to give England such a good first full day Down Under

[Firkinelle]

The Aussies are desperately trying to find some new players but I just don't think they have the depth anymore

[Firkinelle]

State match at the Gabba between NSW and Queensland lasted only 2 days but the Groundsman expects fast pitch for the Test .

[Knight Rider]

[Firkinelle]

Cracking game Sri Lanka at 107 for 8 looked out of it, but they've chased down Australia's 239 for a great victory.

England must be sat in their hotel very happy

[Knight Rider]

State match at the Gabba between NSW and Queensland lasted only 2 days but the Groundsman expects fast pitch for the Test .

Anything to keep Swanny quiet. Fixing the pitch is tantamount to cheating imo. Might be a fairer series if we played the Pakistanis again




England would never resort to such low depths

[Firkinelle]

Aussies lose to Sri Lanka again.

Looking at the crowd they'll cancel The Ashes due to lack of interest soon

[Charles49]

Poorest attendance for years in a one dayer at the SGC. Australia look ragged at moment...heads are down..have lost their last 10 games in a row.
Dead rubber at the Gabba so even if Oz win it will be a hollow victory.
Odds on England re Ashes should be shortening!!

[Firkinelle]

Australia still odds on favourites which is out of line me thinks.

[mark]

Still a little while to go until the first set. I want to see all the England players play themsleves nicely into form in the warm up games (its what they are for) important for the bowlers to get into rhythm with plenty of overs under their belt. Batsman (nice to see Pietersen in the runs today) need a few runs too and then hopefully they will be right ready for the first morning of the first test because no matter what state Australia are in you can be sure they will be ready. I personally think that first hour in the first test will be vital and certainly the first test will be more important than normal and it is vital that England get off to a solid start. I like the way Strauss and others have said it is important to not peak too early and the warm up games are about getting everything right for the first test match on the 25th.

[Firkinelle]

Fully agree, Mark, I think if England do not lose the first Test they will retain the Ashes.

We do not want any Hussain type balls ups

[Ted]

Charles 49

Yeah, attendances down, less spending money in peoples pockets, world wide. Plus there's now only one sport in the world-football ist, the rest nowhere.

Australia will find something for england test match, no worries....

[Firkinelle]

Alot of grass on the Ist Test wicket at the moment, still the Aussies are not going to want any turn when they haven't got any spinners. There's even talk of not picking a spinner and letting the batsman bowl a bit.

[mark]

Always very dangerous to go in without a spinner. Nice to see Cook get a few runs today and the warm up games are going very well. Bowlers bowling plenty of overs and batsmen spending time in the middle scoring runs. Hopefully there wont be any injuries and England will be in A1 condition for the first test.

[johnsmith]

australia will win comfortably

we're simply better, particularly on our wickets

besides, we shower more, so it will be a clean kill

evil

ps - even though we are the sporting capital of the world, we dont dig 20/20 or 50/50 warm ups against no names