Australia v England Ashes 2013/2014

This should be an excellent series
The Australian  0-3 loss to England in England was not a true reflection of how the series went
I still think England will retain the ashes , but with no confidence
England has a settled line up , barring injury will make few changes even if they are losing the series
Australia has a few players that could start the series and not be there at the end , particularly if they lose a few Tests.


If all players were fit and well this could be the Australian line up for the first test

Rogers
Warner
Watson[if fit]
Clarke
Smith
Haddin
Faulkner [unless they play an extra batsman]
Starc
Siddle
Harris
Lyon

Clarke is the only cert to play all 5 Tests
Watson may not due to injuries and LBWs !

There are almost 2 teams of players who could also get a call up

Ahmed
Agar
Bailey
Burns
Cummins [if fit]
Cutting
Doolan
Hilfenhaus
Hughes
Henry
Henriques
Johnson
Khawaja
Marsh S
Marsh M
Maxwell
Pattinson[if fit]
Silk
Wade
Any keeper who can stop a ball


Jordan Silk
I had posted in a previous England V Australia Ashes series thread about Jordan Silk
I mentioned he could be a bolter to play for Australia
Silk has started the season off brilliantly
C Carters B Bollinger 0
LBW Lyon 0
Ahem .....
Still think he will come good

Fawad Ahmed
Could this leg spinner be the man
He looks a very good bowler
On Australian pitches I think he would concern the English batters more than Nathan Lyon

My selection
England to retain the Ashes by winning 2-1

Can't believe the early talk around Mitchell Johnson, I thought his international career was cooked!

If he's our saviour then we might be in a bit of barney rubble.

That said though I do feel that the Aussie side is starting to settle a little. Bowling stocks are good, and the batting order bar one lower order postion is looking okay.

Hopefully Watson comes good before the series kicks off.

Johnson would be the first bowler I would select in Perth
He would be the 5th-10th bowler I would pick in other matches this series

Having said all that , he is a potential match winner on his day
Its some of the other days that malign his career

He had one exceptional series with both bat and ball against South Africa in South Africa a few years back (2009??) but has never really gone on with it.

When he is on he is as tidy as they come, but his bad spells can be absolutely shocking, expensive, and game changing.

Cummins and Pattinson are the two frustrating ones, when fit they give our bowling stocks great depth an flexibility but staying on the park has been a problem for both of them lately.

England 0/300 odd after day 1 against Australia A  

never ever heard of Silk, so i got the scores up today    

Tasmania Tigers 2/ 291 (96.0)
Tasmania Tigers won the toss and elected to bat

Current Run Rate: 3.03
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Tasmania Tigers (1st Innings) R B 4 6 SR
JC Silk c: Reardon b: Harris 107 250 11 0 42.80

     

MJ Cosgrove c: Hopes b: Gannon 74 139 11 1 53.24
EJM Cowan not out 68 142 10 0 47.89
GJ Bailey not out 34 46 6 1 73.91
JW Wells
BR Dunk
CA Rose
XJ Doherty
BW Hilfenhaus
SL Rainbird
AL Fekete
Extras (4lb, 1w, 1nb, 2b ) 8
Total 2 Wkts, 96.0 Overs 291 3.03 Runs/Over
Fall of wicket

Jordan Silk
Good boy !
I posted early this morning about my bolter to play for Australia after making a pair last week
Today Silk makes 107
He now averages 35.66 for this season !

Stats at the Gabba

AUSTRALIA
55 TESTS
33 WON
08 LOST
13 DRAWN
01 TIED

ENGLAND
19 TESTS
04 WON
10 LOST
05 DRAWN

Australia has a winning strike rate 60%
England's is 21%

Some International teams are usually underdone or not used to the bounce at the Gabba
That's one reason why Australia excels at this venue
But for how long will it be an over-riding advantage ?
Whilst the current England team is acclimatizing in Australia quite a few Australian players have been gallivanting in India in a seemingless irrelevant one day series
Some of those players now have to re-acclimatize to Australia conditions
They have limited opportunities to get match practice on Australian decks PRIOR to the first test

Those players include
Bailey
Faulkner
Hughes
Haddin
Johnson

And of course Shane LBW Hamstring Watson is trying to recover in time for the First Test from another injury

Spare a thought for an underdone Callum Ferguson as well

Looking like weather could be an issue for the first couple of days of the first test.

Playing the Gabba test a bit late really, QLD storm season and all.

Day 1 is here!   

Day 1 is here      

I reckon England will win the series 2-1.

Will be a tight series for sure. I don't the 3-0 scoreline in the last series really did Australia justice, and I would suggest their lineup is far more settled than it was back then. Had the benefit of a few months under the Boof regime as well this time around.

The Aussies have won the toss BTW, and are batting first.

Normal service has been resumed, Rogers out cheaply, Watson goes edging one to slip he should have left alone, Clark cannot handle an early short ball and Warner plays like it is a 20/20.

Dear Oh Dear. This morning's excitement was definitely shortlived.

Some of our shot selection has been a disgrace

Stumps day 1
AU 8/273
78* Haddin
64 Johnson
49 Warner
Broad 5/65

Warner batted superbly until dismissed
Gabba usually a hard place for opening batsman on day 1
His first shot was a pull hoik hook for 4
Looked good, had the commentators signalling Warners positive intent
The same guys that might have crucified him if he holed out 1st ball
6/128 odd was grim
Then the guy in the team for his keeping and the guy in the team for his bowling rescued Australia.

Todays Advertiser has this article
AB: BOOS WILL FIRE UP BROAD
Aussie cricket legend Allan Border has urged Gabba patrons to tie their tongues today and give England's Ashes hero Stuart Broad the silent treatment...

How right arguably Australia's greatest ever left handed Test batsman was, when proven correct with his pre-match comment to the press
The English speedstar tore the Australian top order apart today
He is close to being the worlds most in form fast bowler


Looks a good batting deck to date, and with some wet weather closing in , this could end up a draw

Whilst it will never happen, I would like to see Australia A play Australia in a Test Match. I think that is the only way that our Selectors are going to be pressured into picking people based on merit and I do think this is the problem here.

Ben W wrote:Whilst it will never happen, I would like to see Australia A play Australia in a Test Match. I think that is the only way that our Selectors are going to be pressured into picking people based on merit and I do think this is the problem here.

Would be a good concept having a scratch match
It would be good to see how players perform over 5 days

SHEFFIELD SHIELD COMP
Is it time to revamp the SS comp ?
With so much hurdy gurdy short cricket being played, might we consider 5 day SS matches ?
4 days are in theory more entertaining for SS crowds
But crowds are mostly diminishing over the years [except for the last SS game in Adelaide]
5 Day SS games would be mini tests, and perhaps groom players better for Test Cricket
This wont likely ever happen as Domestic and International itineraries are too busy
And the expense of travelling teams for an extra day is another factor



GEORGE BAILEY
The latest selection was a sign of the times
A 31 year old on debut
Averaged about 18 last SS season ?
Got picked predominantly on his ability in limited overs cricket
His most recent form of hitting a white ball over the fence in India on Primary school size grounds is not like like playing a 5 day game with a red ball
I'm a Bailey fan but his selection is poor one on face value

Aussies fighting back

3/82

7/89  

8/91

England all out 136  
All 10 wickets out Caught

Stumps day 2
AU 295
EG 136
AU 0/65

Johnson 64 + 4/61 having a blinder
Harris 3/28 if only this guy was younger and fitter , what a bowler
Broad 6/81 + 32 is starring

Warner 45 not out
Has been the best looking batsman in this game so far, in my opinion

After day 1 I thought a Draw was on the cards
Now it looks like the Aussies will be up 1-0 in the series , unless it rains and rains and rains

Chris Rogers
I learnt today he is color blind   

Stumps day 3
AU 295
EG 136
AU 7/401 DEC [Warner 124-Clarke 113]
EG 2/24

England only need 561 runs to win this match
David Warner stars again, and Clarke is back in form

Can't wait to see Johnson bowl in Perth.