I'm feeling a little more confident about the Ashes after England's recent improved form and more positive attitude. Australia will be weakened by the loss of Ryan Harris and their off spinner got smashed about by Essex last week. The Cardiff pitch will be slow by all accounts, so the first test could be a draw. I'll go for England to take the series 2-1.
We have got to be more aggressive when bat & don't get intimidated against there attack, I feel the top four could fail against that attack but the latter could shine, 2-2.
Wish I could get my head round cricket but can't stand it, even the Ashes. Just need the football season to start.
The POM bashing starts at 8pm local time - a positive showing on the first day to set the tone is what I'm hoping for. A fair few here will miss the opening session as it clashes with the State of Origin decider. I'm a Union man myself, but confess that Origin is one of the best examples of league I've seen. Time for 2 screens maybe
Unfortunately, Origin is a shadow of it's former self ( brutal hits of yesteryear compared to touchy push & shove of today ) but still worth the effort of watching. Enjoy the game, Ian. Really looking forward to a great test match series. I sincerely hope the Aussies and the Poms play well and that we fans can be satisfied that they gave their all. To all my English friends on here, good luck, hope the lads put a shift in for you and hope the our Aussie team keeps the sledging to a minimum. Also hope the ground curator provides a somewhat lively pitch. What's with 'Aqualung'? Get a life man! Test match cricket is the best form of cricket, nothing beats The Ashes ............ never will, not from our point of view. If you don't like it, take some advice from Billy Connolly and bugger off!
By all accounts the pitch is going to be pretty benign, set up specifically to spike the Aussie's pace. Expect a slow game with some big scores, I'll go for a draw in this one but feel the Aussies will still pick us off in the series. Both sides lack a class spinner which is a shame as Warne and Swann have spoilt us in the past decade or so...
On another POM related note, I spoke to our old mucker Queens the other night, he's coming to Melbourne for the real Madrid game, so any Melbourne Rs wanting to catch up, let me know and I'll pass it on to him. He's in good form, says hi to everyone on here, and unfortunately I won't be here myself - will be in Hawaii getting away from the Aussie winter....
I genuinely only got into it after watching a few - real blood, guts and passion. Maybe not what it was, but still miles better than the NRL. Even the Super 15 is better than NRL. The final last last weekend was proper and a worry for the RWC, the Kiwis look like they are hitting form AGAIN
I feel the Aussies will win this series I just hope we are competitive enough to hold our heads up at the end with something to build on, I would like Cook to bat and have a less negative captain, don't ask me who though
This is how I feel too. Cook is a class batsman, but totally negative and weak as a captain. The Aussies will be very aggressive and we have to match that to stand any chance. Cook is just too much of a whimp.
Thought it time to bring back a few cricketing sledges from the past .................. Top 10 Ashes Sledges 1 Mark Waugh to Jimmy Ormond on his Test debut, 2001: “Mate, what are you doing out here? There's no way you're good enough to play for England.” Ormond: “Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my own family.” 2 Merv Hughes to Graeme Hick et al: “Mate, if you just turn the bat over you'll find the instructions on the other side.” 3 Hughes again: “Does your husband play cricket as well?” 4 Mike Atherton, on Merv Hughes: “I couldn't work out what he was saying, except that every sledge ended with ‘arsewipe’.” 5 Dennis Lillee to Mike Gatting, 1994: “Hell, Gatt, move out of the way. I can't see the stumps.” 6 Derek Randall to Lillee, after taking a glancing blow to the head: “No good hitting me there, mate, nothing to damage.” 7 Ian Healy, placing a fielder yards away at cover when Nasser Hussain was batting: “Let's have you right under Nasser's nose.” 8 Tony Greig, England’s South African-born captain, to the young David Hookes, 1977: “When are your balls going to drop, Sonny?” Hookes: “I don't know, but at least I'm playing cricket for my own country.” Hookes hit Greig for five consecutive fours. 9 Rod Marsh, late Seventies: “How's your wife and my kids?” Ian Botham: “The wife's fine – the kids are ******ed.” 10 Bill Woodfull, Australia’s captain in the Bodyline series of 1932-33, responding to Douglas Jardine's complaint that a slip fielder had sworn at him: “All right, which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?” If anyone has more, please post them ..............
I was just reading the Daily Mail and notice a comment which, not wishing to sound pedantic but nevertheless, I thought was a valid question. Why is the first test match, between England & Australia, being played in Wales and not on English soil? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cr...stralia-cricket-score-Day-1-Test-Cardiff.html
Feel good about our pace attack and Steve Smith is a freak (both runs scored and technique) . Think we'll take it 2-0..
Australia haven't won a series in England for a long time, but it will be a major surprise if they don't win this round. As others have said, I'll be happy with good competitive cricket. Cloudy in Cardiff, win the toss, let the Aussies bat and Jimmy to swing it around a bit, before we are 150 all out in our innings.
I like your enthusiasm mate but we're not on home soil so we need to show our hosts that we are humble folk. We do have some concerns of our own if the truth be known. Having heard on the grapevine our waterboy, ( who is loaded on Red Bull having just set a new world record for 'on / off' pitch relays ) has crashed & burned, or that we've forgotten to pack the marmalade, don't mention the toaster is on the brink ............
