Ashes 2005

i have 1 thing to say it was a great great and great cricket match i can not explain although i wouldnt of wanted to see the rain and that i wanted them to play longer till the end Congratulations England

The highly anticipated cricketing grudge match returns next week as England travel to Brisbane to play Australia in the first match of the Ashes.

Australia will be looking to regain the urn and show that from their point of view, last years defeat was just a blip. While England will be looking to find some form and consistancy and hope that they can rediscover the 'ashes' spirit that helped them beat Australia.

With some key players missing and other players not producing the goods, i do find myself quite apprehensive about the result. However, nothing would give me more satisfaction than stuffing the aussies in their own backyard and giving their arrogant vitriolic media a good pasting. People slating English media should take a look at the bile the aussie media produce whenever an English/British team play them.

That aside, i hope this Ashes series will be played in the fantastic team spirit and sportsmanship of the previous series. Then whatever happens, cricket will be the winner in a time when the sport is under intense scrutiny.

England - (Trescothick + Vaughan) =

Beating the aussie at home is no secret. Set up a good total in the first inn. (like 600 or something) and screw the rhythm of their bowlers as well as Ponting and for the rest of the match they will appear like lame ducks.

Rest aside, I don't see England winning the series or even one match because they are missing some really important players. If youngsters like Pietersen don't live up to the challenge posed their ##ggot bowlers they will crumble very quickly. I would tip the aussies to regain the urn.

I hope the Aussies take a good pumeling! Dont know if it will happen though

England - (Trescothick + Vaughan) =

Missing Vaughan is particularly bad as he did a fantastic job captaining the side last time, he outclassed Ponting when it mattered and the little decisions he made played a major part in tipping a very close series Englands way.

Trescothick though never really played all that well against Australia anyway and harsh as it is for me to say his condition would have made him a liability. I know its not his fault and i do sympathise with him totally but the reality is his mental state has been like a timebomb and it is better it happened before the series than in the middle of it, at least we can prepare

Bell and Cook are both inexperienced but they are quality batsmen and both in good form too, as long as they dont have nightmare starts they should grow into their roles and do a decent job for the side. My biggest worry is that the middle order powerhouses Freddie and KP dont live up to their reputations, their role is the crucial one because it is up to them to build on a good start or rescue a bad one

Whatever happens it should be a cracking series and i hope we manage to pull off a surprise

It all starts tomorrow!

I'm not sure what i want to happen first, to see us bowl at them first or bat first. Thinking logically you always want to bat first, we saw what happened last time we let them bat first in Australia However, nothing would please me more than seeing such hostility in our opening bowling like that on the first morning in the Lord's test. What a statement of intent that was! It's a shame Simon Jones is injured, i hope he returns to test cricket soon, we need him.

We might get soundly beaten and a part of me is prepared for the worst, but it doesn't matter as we beat them last time and they can't take that away from us

COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Jim_UK

It all starts tomorrow!

I'm not sure what i want to happen first, to see us bowl at them first or bat first. Thinking logically you always want to bat first, we saw what happened last time we let them bat first in Australia However, nothing would please me more than seeing such hostility in our opening bowling like that on the first morning in the Lord's test. What a statement of intent that was! It's a shame Simon Jones is injured, i hope he returns to test cricket soon, we need him.

We might get soundly beaten and a part of me is prepared for the worst, but it doesn't matter as we beat them last time and they can't take that away from us

COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!!

yup come on england ...

but truthfully i think the aussies are gonna win they are unbeatable at this point ... and england have struggled recently

Damn you Aussies, damn your ridiculous heat, damn you Ponting for winning the toss and scoring a century, damn you bowlers for not being more effective ( save Flintoff ) .... and there's another 43 days of this


Still only the first day, i don't mind too much if we lose the first test, we always seem to get hammered in Brisbane anyway. We lost at Lords but won the series, so maybe history will repeat itself again COME ON ENGLAND!

yeah, at this stage a draw in the first test would be a good result for us even with 4 days left to play

If the wicket doesnt deteriorate too quickly then we should have a strong enough batting line up to score heavily too, but i must admit watching a parttime bowler like Pietersen getting the ball to spin occasionally made me worry about what Fatboy might do

either way tommorow is going to be crucial..

Bring back Monty!

Without Trescothic in the team, i cant see England doing much at all. Unless Strauss carries all the weight on his shoulders. Then again Bell has been playing very well and Cook is quite steady.

The thing with Bell is that he's looked solid against most attacks recently, however we all know Warne gave him nightmares last time around, if the same happens again then were done for.

I'd just love Pietersen and Flintoff to get to the wicket and bulldoze their way to centuries in about 50 balls each

wow things really didnt go to plan

The Aussies decision not to enforce the follow on is just about the only thing giving us any hope at the moment, the longer they stay in the less we have to bat to save the draw but with what seems like a 100000000000 run lead already i doubt they'll make that mistake

only 3 things can save us from being beaten.

A freak rain storm

Aussie arrogance in batting on long past the point in which they need to

A miracle like innings from an England player ala Atherton's 10 hour vigil against the South Africans many years ago.

I cant believe the Aussies didnt put the wounded England batsmen in again. If Ponting or someone makes a big innings then are they going to stay in longer than neccesary to see him convert it. If this English team has any guts then surely they will make a stand.