The Ashes 2013

[Belgrove]

The tedium (for some at least) of ten consecutive Test Matches between England and Australia between now and January commences at Trent Bridge next Wednesday, with the weather apparently set fair!

England in their final preparation match against Essex have stabilized after a wobbly start. As a result Root will probably open against Australia with Cook - a big change. Bresnan has surely secured selection through his batting, if not bowling, performance (I can never figure out the conservatism of the selectors in this regard). The rest of the England side will likely comprise the usual suspects. How nice to have such stability.

As for Australia - well they are still in a very turbulent transition phase since the old stagers retired from the game. I hope Clarke is fit enough to compete, he's a classy batsman and a joy to watch. They are playing against Worcester in their final warm up. Clarke is playing and Watson has scored a century. Difficult to predict what the rest of the team might look like though.

So, for me it's two back-to-back Tests followed by a week of Wagner at the Proms, and then lying down in a darkened room for a week or so.

Anyone else attending any of the Test matches?

[teamsaint]

The tedium (for some at least) of ten consecutive Test Matches between England and Australia between now and January commences at Trent Bridge next Wednesday, with the weather apparently set fair!

England in their final preparation match against Essex have stabilized after a wobbly start. As a result Root will probably open against Australia with Cook - a big change. Bresnan has surely secured selection through his batting, if not bowling, performance (I can never figure out the conservatism of the selectors in this regard). The rest of the England side will likely comprise the usual suspects. How nice to have such stability.

As for Australia - well they are still in a very turbulent transition phase since the old stagers retired from the game. I hope Clarke is fit enough to compete, he's a classy batsman and a joy to watch. They are playing against Worcester in their final warm up. Clarke is playing and Watson has scored a century. Difficult to predict what the rest of the team might look like though.

So, for me it's two back-to-back Tests followed by a week of Wagner at the Proms, and then lying down in a darkened room for a week or so.

Anyone else attending any of the Test matches?

work , work work !!

Enjoy, Belters.
No cricket for me. Don't have Sky, and the dubious shenanigans in the one day games have rather tainted my enthusiasm for cricket generally.


however this is the real deal, and England will surely never have a better chance to take the Aussies to the cleaners.

never seen the point of picking bowlers (or wicket keepers) for the sake of a couple of extra runs on their batting average. One spilled chance or one extra wicket and the difference has long gone.
But what do I know?

[Padraig]

So, for me it's two back-to-back Tests followed by a week of Wagner at the Proms, and then lying down in a darkened room for a week or so.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
If the cricket don't get you
The opera must.

[amateur51]

I like Tim Bresnan - a good old-fashioned North Country workhorse with a big competitive streak and the sense not to try to bowl flat out all the time, control v pace. Sir Geoffrey is not a fan, advocating long & loud for Graham Onions.

Sir Geoffrey will I'm sure be thrilled at the prospect of Root's opening the batting with Cook and in many ways it makes a lot of sense. If he comes off, Root will score loads while the Boss is getting his eye in, whereas poor Compton was almost as big a watcher of the first ten overs as the Boss. Add Trott as next man up , there was the potential for a toxic brew of sluggards in the opening order - Root should leaven that. The Aussies will no doubt try to intimidate him through hostile bowling and virulent sledging but I reckon he's more than capable of dealing with both. It brought a surge of joy to my heart to see him hook a short ball straight into the ground as Sir Geoffrey was wont to do, wrists rolled, perfick

I know nothing at present about the Australian bowlers except for Peter Siddle who is about their equivalent of Bresnan for pace, I'd say. and on his day can be an awkward prospect.

England's biggest problem seems to be the fitness of Broad, Finn and Swann. Does anyone know if Chris Tremlett has overcome his problems?

[Sir Velo]

Tim might be getting a bit past it. Chris, OTOH....

[amateur51]

Tim might be getting a bit past it. Chris, OTOH....

But it was ironic

Thanks, Sir Velo

[AmpH]

Chris Tremlett has got over his injury problems and after a sluggish start to the season certainly bowled well when I saw him at the Yorks v Surrey game at Headingley recently, where he troubled the batsmen with pace and bounce and a few good yorkers. I think the issue the England selectors have with him is that he is not a great swinger of the ball and this is likely to be a series decided by conventional and particularly reverse swing. He may have a role to play later in the series, particularly if anything happens to Finn.

There is considerable potential in the Aussie bowling attack, particularly the probable opening pair of Pattinson and Starc ( a right and left arm combination, both fast and capable of conventional and reverse swing ). To these add Siddle plus one or more others from Harris, Bird, Faulkner or the spinner Lyon and this is not an attack to be taken lightly. I suspect Pattinson in particular may be rather better known than he is now, by the end of the summer.

England have looked tetchy all summer and in placing so much importance on the Champions Trophy may have compromised their Ashes preparations - especially having snatched a morale - sapping defeat from the jaws of victory in the Final. Root is a fine player already with an excellent temperament, but will need the patience and backing of selectors / supporters if it does not go well to begin with and Finn and especially Broad need to start performing consistently. Cook, Pietersen, Anderson and Swann really do need to perform if the Ashes are to be retained.

I am expecting a closer contest than many seem to be with a narrow series win to England. Can't wait ..... bring it on.

[teamsaint]

Chris Tremlett has got over his injury problems and after a sluggish start to the season certainly bowled well when I saw him at the Yorks v Surrey game at Headingley recently, where he troubled the batsmen with pace and bounce and a few good yorkers. I think the issue the England selectors have with him is that he is not a great swinger of the ball and this is likely to be a series decided by conventional and particularly reverse swing. He may have a role to play later in the series, particularly if anything happens to Finn.

There is considerable potential in the Aussie bowling attack, particularly the probable opening pair of Pattinson and Starc ( a right and left arm combination, both fast and capable of conventional and reverse swing ). To these add Siddle plus one or more others from Harris, Bird, Faulkner or the spinner Lyon and this is not an attack to be taken lightly. I suspect Pattinson in particular may be rather better known than he is now, by the end of the summer.

England have looked tetchy all summer and in placing so much importance on the Champions Trophy may have compromised their Ashes preparations - especially having snatched a morale - sapping defeat from the jaws of victory in the Final. Root is a fine player already with an excellent temperament, but will need the patience and backing of selectors / supporters if it does not go well to begin with and Finn and especially Broad need to start performing consistently. Cook, Pietersen, Anderson and Swann really do need to perform if the Ashes are to be retained.

I am expecting a closer contest than many seem to be with a narrow series win to England. Can't wait ..... bring it on.

great post Amph.
Just a bit confused by the bit in bold !!

[AmpH]

great post Amph.
Just a bit confused by the bit in bold !!

It was a gentle reference to the last line of Am51's post (#4). Chris Tremlett is the current bowler ( formerly Hants, now Surrey ). Tim Tremlett, who used to bowl ( rather more gently ) for Hants was his Dad. See also subsequent posts #5 & 6 above.

[amateur51]

Chris Tremlett has got over his injury problems and after a sluggish start to the season certainly bowled well when I saw him at the Yorks v Surrey game at Headingley recently, where he troubled the batsmen with pace and bounce and a few good yorkers. I think the issue the England selectors have with him is that he is not a great swinger of the ball and this is likely to be a series decided by conventional and particularly reverse swing. He may have a role to play later in the series, particularly if anything happens to Finn.

There is considerable potential in the Aussie bowling attack, particularly the probable opening pair of Pattinson and Starc ( a right and left arm combination, both fast and capable of conventional and reverse swing ). To these add Siddle plus one or more others from Harris, Bird, Faulkner or the spinner Lyon and this is not an attack to be taken lightly. I suspect Pattinson in particular may be rather better known than he is now, by the end of the summer.

England have looked tetchy all summer and in placing so much importance on the Champions Trophy may have compromised their Ashes preparations - especially having snatched a morale - sapping defeat from the jaws of victory in the Final. Root is a fine player already with an excellent temperament, but will need the patience and backing of selectors / supporters if it does not go well to begin with and Finn and especially Broad need to start performing consistently. Cook, Pietersen, Anderson and Swann really do need to perform if the Ashes are to be retained.

I am expecting a closer contest than many seem to be with a narrow series win to England. Can't wait ..... bring it on.

Many thanks for that beady analysis, AmpH. Scuse the Tim/Chris confusion - it's my age

In many ways I hope that you're right about the forthcoming series being closer than anticipated by some, AmpH. And I certainly hope that the return series this Winter is a cracker too. Test Match Special on Radio 4 LW will be my constant companion

[AmpH]

Many thanks for that beady analysis, AmpH. Scuse the Tim/Chris confusion - it's my age

In many ways I hope that you're right about the forthcoming series being closer than anticipated by some, AmpH. And I certainly hope that the return series this Winter is a cracker too. Test Match Special on Radio 4 LW will be my constant companion

I beadily share your enthusiasm for TMS ( minus Blowers )

[eighthobstruction]

I'll likely get more work done in workshop with TMS on ,than I do goggling at Wimbledon.....

[teamsaint]

It was a gentle reference to the last line of Am51's post (#4). Chris Tremlett is the current bowler ( formerly Hants, now Surrey ). Tim Tremlett, who used to bowl ( rather more gently ) for Hants was his Dad. See also subsequent posts #5 & 6 above.

sorry, the Highlighting of Chris was a typo....It was the summer bit that confused me.
I do know my Tremletts, being , as you know a Hampshire boy.

Spent a lot of summer days as a kid down at the county ground watching Richards,and Greenidge open the batting, and Roberts or Marshall taking no prisoners.
Very happy days !!

[amateur51]

sorry, the Highlighting of Chris was a typo....It was the summer bit that confused me.
I do know my Tremletts, being , as you know a Hampshire boy.

Spent a lot of summer days as a kid down at the county ground watching Richards,and Greenidge open the batting, and Roberts or Marshall taking no prisoners.
Very happy days !!

Marshall, ts? that's Malcolm I assume, not the blessed Roy of several generations earlier, and the wonderful Derek Shackleton

[amateur51]

I beadily share your enthusiasm for TMS ( minus Blowers )

I'd rather have Blowers than Simon Mann but it'll be the first full Summer sans CMJ and I'll miss him a lot.