OK, I admit I was wrong

System

I have to confess to taking a day off work on Friday to watch it, good times.

kennyboy66_2

Thrugelmir wrote: »

New Aussie team seem to have the potential to be as good as the last.

Really ?

Their bowling is dross. Stuart Clark and Brett Lee unlikely to play another Ashes series.

Their batting is however as good as the 2005 team, but can't see Ponting, Katich and Hussey touring England again. Australia could probably find a dozen batsman would would get in our side before Bopara, Cook, Collingwood and the likes of Bell.

Their batting has for a long time benefitted from only playing 4 bowlers, fine if you have Warne & McGrath, not if you have lesser bowlers.

Ponting a distinctly average captain (as is Strauss for that matter) and impossible to imagine him keeping the captaincy if they lose the ashes.

Generali

kennyboy66 wrote: »

Really ?

Their bowling is dross. Stuart Clark and Brett Lee unlikely to play another Ashes series.

Their batting is however as good as the 2005 team, but can't see Ponting, Katich and Hussey touring England again. Australia could probably find a dozen batsman would would get in our side before Bopara, Cook, Collingwood and the likes of Bell.

Their batting has for a long time benefitted from only playing 4 bowlers, fine if you have Warne & McGrath, not if you have lesser bowlers.

Ponting a distinctly average captain (as is Strauss for that matter) and impossible to imagine him keeping the captaincy if they lose the ashes.

Siddle may well come good. I saw him at the SCG and he looks like he's got the potential to be a really good bowler.

Johnson is going to be (I think) one of those English style bowlers - great on good form, terrible when off form as he's got a bit of a wierd action. The Great Aussie Quicks have all had a nice simple action I think.

Thrugelmir

kennyboy66 wrote: »

Really ?

Their bowling is dross. Stuart Clark and Brett Lee unlikely to play another Ashes series.

Their batting is however as good as the 2005 team, but can't see Ponting, Katich and Hussey touring England again. Australia could probably find a dozen batsman would would get in our side before Bopara, Cook, Collingwood and the likes of Bell.

Their batting has for a long time benefitted from only playing 4 bowlers, fine if you have Warne & McGrath, not if you have lesser bowlers.

Ponting a distinctly average captain (as is Strauss for that matter) and impossible to imagine him keeping the captaincy if they lose the ashes.

Remember the previous squad also arrived here as a bunch of newbies many years ago and developed into a great team of players. Give them time.

Jonbvn

Just having a go at the Whinging Ozzie in the office!

"We were playing 13 men."

"At least 3 wickets were clearly N.O's."

The thing with the Ozzies when they're down is you have to keep your foot on their necks to make sure they stay down!

ruggedtoast

Jonbvn wrote: »

Just having a go at the Whinging Ozzie in the office!

"We were playing 13 men."

"At least 3 wickets were clearly N.O's."

The thing with the Ozzies when they're down is you have to keep your foot on their necks to make sure they stay down!

Bad winners and bad losers imo.

I was in an ozzie bar in Tokyo when we won the Rugby W/C.

You could have heard a pin drop.We had to leave in the end because the barman made it clear we werent welcome (by calling my friend a very rude name indeed when he said he was going to buy Lassiters Hotel and put Madge and Harold out on the Street).

Though to be honest a funeral would have provided a better atmosphere so we didnt mind going. :-D

kennyboy66_2

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Remember the previous squad also arrived here as a bunch of newbies many years ago and developed into a great team of players. Give them time.

Ponting 34
Clark 33
Hussey 33
Katich 33
Lee 32

4 starters and a would have started will struggle to tour England again.

Every new player for Australia from 1989 to 2008 has come into a really strong team & they have had the greatest bowler of all time in Warne and one of the top 6 in McGrath.

I can think of at least 4 Aussie ashes teams in the last 20 years where not one of this crop of bowlers would get a bowl.

They should struggle to bowl England out twice - however we are adept at getting ourselves out.

thegibdog

kennyboy66 wrote: »

Australia could probably find a dozen batsman would would get in our side before Bopara, Cook, Collingwood and the likes of Bell.

Strange how they end up picking Marcus North then...

Mr_Matey

If only we'd been saved by the rain like you guys in the first test. :rolleyes:

Do you think old man Flintoff will play the whole series or will his aching bones give in?

chewmylegoff

thegibdog wrote: »

Strange how they end up picking Marcus North then...

...who scored a century on debut against the saffas and then another century in the first ashes test.