The Ashes

Plechazunga said:
Fletcher's picked Geraint Jones and the King of Spain...feck

Does anyone except Rams think we have a chance?

Differences from last year: no Vaughn, no Tresco, no Jones, Flintoff on the way back from injury and saddled with the captaincy.

That's a series of massive blows, plus we're away from home and the Aussies are angry. I don't see us winning a match.

Plech, England has a very young, but very talented squad out there. I see the similarities with United at the start of this season…..
 
Plechazunga said:
Fletcher's picked Geraint Jones and the King of Spain...feck

He's picked Panesar. Which lengthens the tail. Which is why he picked Jones. I would have given Read a shot, even as a number 7 batsmen.

How many more runs than Read is Jones going to score anyway?

Compared to the pressure we would put on the batsmen with Read behind the stumps?
 
England need a good start. The forst match is at The gabba in Brisbane isn't it? That pitch doesn'lt suit spinners apparently so England had better make the most of it IMO.
 
arnie sidebottom said:
Brisbane is apparently the quickest pitch in Oz at the moment.


It's been the quickest for a couple of years apparently. Perth's not fast and bouncy anymore. More like Sydney.
 
Rams said:
Plech, England has a very young, but very talented squad out there. I see the similarities with United at the start of this season…..
:lol:
 
Can't see us winning

Injuries have fecked us over....so even if we lose, it's as good as a win

So suck on that, you feckin convicts
 
Plechazunga said:
Fletcher's picked Geraint Jones and the King of Spain...feck

Does anyone except Rams think we have a chance?

Differences from last year: no Vaughn, no Tresco, no Jones, Flintoff on the way back from injury and saddled with the captaincy.

That's a series of massive blows, plus we're away from home and the Aussies are angry. I don't see us winning a match.

That's a good summary Pletch. My biggest concern is I've got tickets for the 4th day of the Adelaide test, I only hope we can make it last that long, be a waste of a day off work sitting in an empty ground drinking beer and singing.
 
arnie sidebottom said:
He's picked Panesar. Which lengthens the tail. Which is why he picked Jones. I would have given Read a shot, even as a number 7 batsmen.

How many more runs than Read is Jones going to score anyway?

Compared to the pressure we would put on the batsmen with Read behind the stumps?
Read does not have the capability of ever being a number 7 batsmen of any note. Jones does, however in a test you need to pick the best glove-man incase his name is Gilchrist,
 
ManUinOz said:
That's a good summary Pletch. My biggest concern is I've got tickets for the 4th day of the Adelaide test, I only hope we can make it last that long, be a waste of a day off work sitting in an empty ground drinking beer and singing.

I dunno, that sounds alright...
 
Warne slams inclusion of Jones

Andrew Miller in Brisbane

November 20, 2006



Shane Warne says without Chris Read and Marcus Trescothick England's catching will suffer © Getty Images

Shane Warne has hit out at England's decision to recall Geraint Jones behind the stumps in place of Chris Read, and believes that Australia will be handed a huge advantage if Ashley Giles is also named in the side that takes the field at Brisbane on Thursday at the expense of the up-and-coming Monty Panesar.

Speaking to the media after a training session at Brisbane Grammar School, Warne accused England of negativity in their thinking, and warned that - in conjunction with the loss of their specialist first slip, Marcus Trescothick - the ploy could backfire on Australia's bouncy pitches, where edges fly hard and fast and the need for a specialist gloveman is all the greater.

"It's surprising that they'd go back to [Jones]," said Warne. "He'll be under enormous pressure. I think it's a known fact - and it's not me sledging him - that Jones is in the side more for his batting than his keeping. His keeping is steady at best and we saw him drop some crucial catches [in the last series]. You don't want to be dropping Ricky Ponting when he's on half-a-dozen in the first Test of the series, especially when you've just been brought back into the side."

Though Jones clung onto the one chance that really mattered, on that final morning at Edgbaston, he missed seven chances in all in 2005, and has been sketchy so far this tour. He reprieved Phil Jaques at Canberra, who went on to make a century, and also has fluffed two stumping catches, including one against Michael Clarke in the match against New South Wales.

And without the soothing presence of Trescothick at first slip - a man who has learned to ignore Jones' off-putting habit of launching himself at chances that are out of his reach - Warne predicted more problems for England behind the wicket. "It takes a while to get used to a new keeper," he said. "When we had [Ian] Healy, myself and Mark Waugh [in the cordon] we knew exactly whose catch was whose. Trescothick's a good catcher, and he'll be missed."

Warne was in no doubt about who was behind the reversal of policy in the England camp. "Duncan Fletcher has definitely got a few favourites," he added. "I think that's well-known between everybody. That's why some blokes keep coming back into the side, because they are favourites. But in Australia you need your best keeper because the ball does bounce and carry, and so I'd be very happy to see England go back to Jones and Giles."

As a man who revived the art of spin bowling, in conjunction with the matchless glovework of first Healy and then Adam Gilchrist, Warne was passionate on the subject. "They think they are just trying to strengthen their batting and their tail, but actually what they are doing is losing two of the finest arts in the game, in keeping and spin bowling. England have got two guys that can do that exceptionally well, but they want them to go to bring in handy lower-order batters. That's what the top six are there for. You need 20 wickets to win a Test.

"Giles is a very good cricketer and a lovely guy," said Warne, damning the man with faint praise. "But they've got an exciting spin bowler in Panesar, as we saw this summer. Don't mess around with him, just let him play, enjoy the conditions, keep learning and bowl. He needs to enjoy the challenges that lie ahead. I think it's a backwards decision to go back to Jones and Giles, and a good sign for us."

So far on this tour, Panesar has not set the world alight. He was arguably out-bowled by Giles at Sydney, and then picked up just two wickets in two innings in the recent match at Adelaide. Warne, though, was sympathetic. "He'll be getting used to bowling with a Kookaburra ball instead of a Duke, and he's probably very nervous as well - anxious to see whether he's playing or not. He knows the wicket is going to spin and so he's probably trying a bit hard. But I'd be very surprised if they don't play him."

Warne, however, was under no illusions about England's prospects in the series. "They'll be tough to beat, and anyone who thinks it's going to be a walkover doesn't know much about the game," he said. "They are stronger now than they were when we played them last time. But at the end of the day everyone's done enough talking and answering the same questions. We're just looking forward to getting out there and playing, and playing well."
 
How early s everyone getting up/ How late are you staying up?
 
Everyone is predicting a massacre you all said that last time trust me it will be closer then what people are saying. The players can cope in Australia we drew 1-1 in India witch is really tuff and with more injuries then we have now evan the Australians struggled in India.
 
Rams said:
Plech, England has a very young, but very talented squad out there. I see the similarities with United at the start of this season…..

Yeah, but United didn't go head to head with Chelsea for 5 matches after having messed up the first couple of the season.

Face it Rams, England will do well to draw the first Test.
 
Another difference, is that United had the majority of the first team available for selection. And we also strengthened in the summer. England on the other hand, are missing some major players. And there are doubts over Flintoff's fitness. Australia should win this quite easily. But I guess, they could get complacent.
 
this has a 5-0 whitewash to the Aussi's written all over it.
*looks for some Winston Churchill quotes*

Shit, the Aussi's are even tougher than the fecking Nazi's.

Uri Gellar has told me that if we all get a map of Australia and fart on it at once, then the special power will see Australia fall down with food poisioning and make us win.