2006/7 Ashes thread......

[ewenm]

England squad for Ashes tour: A Flintoff (Lancashire, 62 Tests), A Strauss (Middlesex, 31 Tests), M Trescothick (Somerset, 76 Tests), A Cook (Essex, 9 Tests), K Pietersen (Hampshire, 18 Tests), I Bell (Warwickshire, 18 Tests), P Collingwood (Durham, 15 Tests), C Read (Nottinghamshire, 13 Tests), S Mahmood (Lancashire, 5 Tests), S Harmison (Durham, 45 Tests), M Hoggard (Yorkshire, 58 Tests), M Panesar (Northants, 10 Tests), G Jones (Kent, 31 Tests), A Giles (Warwickshire, 52 Tests), J Anderson (Lancashire, 13 Tests), L Plunkett (Durham, 6 Tests).
(stolen from BBC website)

Flintoff captain. I'm a bit worried about the number of people returning from injury there - if a couple more get injured, it's looking a bit weak

[unrepentant]

Squad announced;

England squad for Ashes tour: A Flintoff (Lancashire, 62 Tests), A Strauss (Middlesex, 31 Tests), M Trescothick (Somerset, 76 Tests), A Cook (Essex, 9 Tests), K Pietersen (Hampshire, 18 Tests), I Bell (Warwickshire, 18 Tests), P Collingwood (Durham, 15 Tests), C Read (Nottinghamshire, 13 Tests), S Mahmood (Lancashire, 5 Tests), S Harmison (Durham, 45 Tests), M Hoggard (Yorkshire, 58 Tests), M Panesar (Northants, 10 Tests), G Jones (Kent, 31 Tests), A Giles (Warwickshire, 52 Tests), J Anderson (Lancashire, 13 Tests), L Plunkett (Durham, 6 Tests).

So thats Giles and Anderson who haven't bowled all season and Plunkett who hasn't bowled for months. Pus Trescothick who is having a mental breakdown and who had to come home from the last tour. And Freddie hasn't played all season either. Hmm.. Who picked this squad, Sven?

[unrepentant]

Just saw ewens post. Similar thoughts.........



(I'd have liked them to have taken Broad. V tall and hits the deck, the sort of bowler who does well in Australia. And he's a bit chippy which is good.........

[ewenm]

I can't see the Australians being particularly worried about that squad.

Maybe after the first game we'll see if the injuries are truly gone or the selectors are just afraid to pick new names.

[RichUK]

I agree, a high number of players returning from injury, IIRC that didn't work too well last time.

I can see why they gave the captaincy to Flintoff, I do think however that Straus has proved he has the ability, and been a better player with the reponsibility. It's been a long time since I've been able to say that about an England captain.

[vette_1978]

So are any PH'ers making the trip out there this Xmas?

I'm heading out with a mate on Dec 7th for the Perth, Melbourne and Sydney tests. Of course it could all be over after the Perth test but with Xmas and New Years out there it's certainly going to be interesting.

[unrepentant]

Uh oh.

I heard Fletcher on the radio this morning talking about the fact that Flintoff probably cant bowl and how we will need 5 specialist bowlers. Therefore the spinner / No 8 position becomes an issue.

I knew this would happen. Panesar, our most exciting spin prospect in years and an English spinner who actually turns the ball and whom opponents, including the Aussies, take seriously, will be dropped to make way for the nonspinning wheelie bin Giles on the basis that Giles can bat at 8.

Fletcher is obsessed with the issue of who bats at 8 and loses sight of the fact that Monty could actually win us a match whereas Giles is a figure of fun in the rest of the cricketing world.

[killer2005]

Is anyone else thinking that England are going to get drubbed?

[deevlash]

I watched the ashes last time around and found it quite good but didnt understand the whole hoopla about england winning, didint they lose a game, draw one, scrape a win then were clearly going to lose the final one until it rained and australia only got one shot at batting whilst england needed 2 goes and still barely managed to win that one. Now call me a cynic but it doesnt rain much in Oz and england will be completley and utterly taken apart and the last win will be exposed as the fluke it clearly was. Or am i wrong?

[unrepentant]

deevlash said:

I watched the ashes last time around and found it quite good but didnt understand the whole hoopla about england winning, didint they lose a game, draw one, scrape a win then were clearly going to lose the final one until it rained and australia only got one shot at batting whilst england needed 2 goes and still barely managed to win that one. Now call me a cynic but it doesnt rain much in Oz and england will be completley and utterly taken apart and the last win will be exposed as the fluke it clearly was. Or am i wrong?

You're wrong.

But as you're a Jock we expect you to be clueless on all matters not relating to pints of "heavy", poor quality football and sectarian violence so we wont chastise you this time.

[deevlash]

unrepentant said:

deevlash said:

I watched the ashes last time around and found it quite good but didnt understand the whole hoopla about england winning, didint they lose a game, draw one, scrape a win then were clearly going to lose the final one until it rained and australia only got one shot at batting whilst england needed 2 goes and still barely managed to win that one. Now call me a cynic but it doesnt rain much in Oz and england will be completley and utterly taken apart and the last win will be exposed as the fluke it clearly was. Or am i wrong?

You're wrong.

But as you're a Jock we expect you to be clueless on all matters not relating to pints of "heavy", poor quality football and sectarian violence so we wont chastise you this time.

Ya southern shandy drinking nancy! bet the shrimp munchers win though

[MikeyT]

unrepentant said:

deevlash said:

I watched the ashes last time around and found it quite good but didnt understand the whole hoopla about england winning, didint they lose a game, draw one, scrape a win then were clearly going to lose the final one until it rained and australia only got one shot at batting whilst england needed 2 goes and still barely managed to win that one. Now call me a cynic but it doesnt rain much in Oz and england will be completley and utterly taken apart and the last win will be exposed as the fluke it clearly was. Or am i wrong?

You're wrong.

But as you're a Jock we expect you to be clueless on all matters not relating to pints of "heavy", poor quality football and sectarian violence so we wont chastise you this time.

Classic Unrep ...

But you're right ...

Tresco having a mental breakdown - was that a joke or what you've heard?

I think the Aussies are looking better than ever - they have Hussey now to shore up the middle of the innings as well and they've still got those two old codgers that bowl too ...

I agree that we have to play Monty - Fletcher is deluded if he thinks Giles *maybe* scoring 20 or 30 runs at no.8 is ging to win us the test match. Apart from one decent ball to get rid of Martyn in the last Ashes series he did bugger all with the ball and I don't see Ponting and Langer quaking in their boots. It would be a crime to drop Alistair Cook to my mind ... if we have to drop anyine, I know Bell is a better player than he was 18 months ago but the jury's still out at the top level ... and the levels don't get any higher than this.

Having said that, I'll be tuning in on 23 November to watch, hoping we can make a decent start.

The Aussies are bad enough to play against when they hold the Ashes - when they haven't got them, in front of their own fans as well, they'll be fired up all right ...

[unrepentant]

MikeyT said:

Tresco having a mental breakdown - was that a joke or what you've heard?

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/con


"Stress disorder" = mad as a bag full of badgers?

[MikeyT]

Cheers Unrep, good link ...

Seeing that Aussie farmer marking out his run preparing to bowl me the first ball in the Ashes would send me a bit doolalley as well ...

When Botham came out in a Test once and hit Craig McDermott, first ball, back over his head into the stand for six I nearly creamed myself. Would Tresco ever do the same if the ball was up in the slot? No. Good.

Scoring 431 runs in the last Ashes should hold him in good stead for this series, that's what he has to concentrate on.

[unrepentant]

MikeyT said:

When Botham came out in a Test once and hit Craig McDermott, first ball, back over his head into the stand for six I nearly creamed myself. Would Tresco ever do the same if the ball was up in the slot? No. Good.

Scoring 431 runs in the last Ashes should hold him in good stead for this series, that's what he has to concentrate on.

In fairness to Tres, he's a very aggressive and free scoring batsman when he's in nick. Unfortunately he's v out of nick at the moment and when he is he cant resist a nibble outside the off. The Aussies will make short shrift of him unless he gets himself sorted out I fear.

[VETTE_1978]

It's a shame the 'other' thread go closed off as there were some valid points on it.

Straus was captain but only while Freddie was recovering, he did a good job and is definitely one for the future and for Fred cover. There's no ego with either of them and with them both fielding slip/gully they can both bounce ideas.

Both Anderson and Mahmood won't play, just one of them. They have to start with Harmy, Hoggy, Monty and Fred plus one other.

The performance this morning was poor, no doubt, but you also have to look at what did happen - Fred bowled 10 overs and got a wicket, Giles bowled (I love Monty but we need spin cover), Jones took an absolute snorter of a catch. Yes, I know he dropped one but don't all keepers?

This series will be just as close as the last. We only won the last one by those 2 runs at Edgbaston, this will be just as tense.

I'm out there for the last 3 tests, keep an eye out for the 'Bennett Tours' flag. Apart from 'Johnny', anybody else making the trip?

[unrepentant]

satch said:

jones lined up for return as 'keeper?????

is Read injured?

No.

Fletch, as well as preferring the non spinning Giles to the match winner Panesar prefers the non catching / stumping Jones "the drop" (as he's known in Wales to differentiate him from people called Jones who can catch) to the outstanding wicketkeeper Read.

[MikeyT]

I thought the inclusion of Jones would get your hackles up Unrep ...

Heard Fletcher on the radio today saying Read's batting in the ICC Trophy was to blame for him being dropped - eh? That's limited overs - I didn't see him bat in that competition but he's only had three Tests to prove himself and then he's out again - ?? After Jones had lord knows how many Tests when he was dropping 'em like hot bricks AND batting sh1te.

Think Read's face just doesn't fit while Fletcher's around - what happened to that Essex guy ... James Foster Wasn't he the hope for the future ?

Edited by MikeyT on Monday 13th November 00:42

[suthol]

You think you've got problems, what about us poor Aussies.

Jason Gillespie made 200 and some not out and took a bag in his last test, still isn't good enough to get a place in the current team.

Times are tough indeed.

[MikeyT]

And now Trescothick is coming home ... :sad:

Looks like Cook will open with Strauss then.

Vaughy - get back man, you're needed ...

Looks like Bell will HAVE to play then ...

Christ, we're gonna be up against it, Which kinda makes it more fun though, wouldn't want it easy like the last series ...