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You and me both... Now ask yourself, what if Gilchrist had been made captain instead of Ponting?

Anyhow, congratulations England, that was a complete thrashing.

Words I never thought I'd see in my lifetime!

Thanks Otto, it's good that you Aussies can accept defeat gracefully. Let's face it, you don't get much practice!

One thing which should not be overlooked in the (deserved) trashing of the Australian team is just how well England played. From the first warm up game right through to the SCG, they've contested every ball of every day, whether with bat, ball or in the field. The batting line up was strong, settled and they valued their wickets. 6 players got tons and 5 averaged over 50 whereas only Hussey, and to a lesser extent Haddin, can leave the series with their head held high. Anderson and Cook led the bowling well and when Broad was lost to injury, Tremlett stepped in to fill his boots. When the pitches favoured swing, Bresnan got the nod over Finn and did the job very well. And I can't remember a bad run out. It really has been a magnificent performance all round.

As an Englishman, it's been great to watch and I'm sad it's over. The T20/ODI games may be entertaining but can never match the intensity of test cricket. At least I can now get back to 7 hours kip a night instead of the 3 it's been for the last few weeks!

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That's exactly right. I've never seen an English side show so much application. I think the most impressive thing was their concentration. The bowlers consistently put the balls in the right spot, over after over. The batsmen left the good balls alone and put the bad ones away. It wasn't so much their brilliance (altho that was there) but their discipline that won the Ashes.

That's what made the Aussies great for the last twenty years. Warney may have taken one wicket with the Gatting ball but he took hundreds with consistent, pressure bowling. Same with McGrath. Same with Steve Waugh's batting. In that sense Gilchrist was the odd one out (all brilliance, no discipline!). Now the Poms have out Aussie'd the Aussies. Our bowlers couldn't put six balls on the spot in an over and our batters couldn't help but waft outside off stump. Strauss's boys really deserved the victory. I'll be really interested to see how they go against India and South Africa. Could England be Number 1?

I thought it time to resurrect the old thread, as the little island off the coast of New Zealand has, today, dispatched the latest incumbents of the baggy green to England. I'm really not sure what to make of them after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of India. Michael Clarke's team, on paper, look like one of the poorest Aussie teams in recent years to visit these shores. I expect them to do well in the Champions Trophy one-day tournament, but in July when it gets serious, I expect England to have too much for them. I'm going 3-1 as last time, we're bound to have one rained off (Probably Manchester !!) With the two Yorkies cementing their place in the team, England's batting line up should be ok even should K.P be still injured. The only two I have reservations are Compton & Bell. Joe Root needs to be promoted to open with Cook if K.P is fit.
Bring it on at Trent Bridge, on the 10th of July and just hope the Aussies shape like New Zealand

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Quite a few Breitlings, most of them starting with the letter C.

Yeah, I'm pretty confident for this one. I think Compton needs to prove that he can play himself back into form - the winter tour performance is still fresh so too early to write him off.

I think the real problem is that, Australia is spoilt for choice on who to send on tour. But at the same time, most of those being sent on tour (who should have already retired), are still there. When they finally do go, they cause a bit of upheaval in the selection. Burn out rate is far higher and faster than 30 or even 20 years ago, and there are too many great replacements available to fill the spots, and not to move players on. An age limit of under 25 should apply in 1st class cricket for the Aussie team. There is a veritable army of 1st class player talent available here at any one time. Pick 10 people off the street in any capital city and 6 of them will turn out to be first class cricket players given the opportunity. We are gorged with talent and therefore lose out way on who to send.

So, we squib it and give the current test players the emphasis for selection and miss opportunities to pick up and coming players! I would prefer us not to go down the track of hoping for returns to form for the best we have either. Instead just, move them aside to make way for new talent. They are expendable and we can afford to retire quite a few thousand players in any decade to get the best. If we run out, we can always poach some Kiwis (claiming an Aussie connection to them somewhere).

We would also do well to get some of our very gifted management back from other countries to take charge here in Oz. They seem to be very gifted in bringing other nations to the top. It would also be a good time to clear out the positions at board level with a fresh view.

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Jim

"You have Control".

The Aussies are a bunch of fighters so you can't write them off but I think they'll struggle to win a single test this summer.

I'm not convinced about Compton but Joe Root looks to have made himself a fixture for the next 10 years.

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I've been dreading this thread. I'm a passionate Aussie cricket supporter but I've never been less confident about our chances. Our batting is the primary problem. We have an absolute smorgasbord of excellent young pacemen (and NO spinners but that's another thing). If we can keep guys like Pattinson, Bird, Starc and Siddle fit, they'll be a handful.

But our batting is basically second rate. We have guys who can produce the occasional good innings but not much in the way of real class. You only have to look at averages. Clarke averages 52 (and rising). He is truly world class. But after that you have guys like Cowan (Ave 32), Warner (Ave 39), Hughes (Ave 33), Watson (Ave 35) Haddin (Ave 35). This is not a batting lineup that can with the ashes back in England, especially because there is a team- wide inability to play swing or leave the ball outside off stump.

If the first leg had been played in Australia, we might (just might) have had a hope. But my bold prediction is 3-0 in England and then 3-1 out here next Summer. I'm taking up Bocce.

Yeah Clarke should average about 200 in the ashes series but the rest of the order is scary weak and inconsistent, particularly compared to previous ashes teams. Although we have a decent attack, although lacking a good spinner, I don't see how we can possibly win a game on paper.

Having said that we are fighters as Sharky alluded too and stranger things have happened. England look strong though even without KP.

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Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"

Ugh.


I agree with everything said here.

I will do my best not to turn this into "Otto's rant thread about what is wrong with sports administration in general and the Australian cricket team in particular".

We could be more competitive than many think. That's about as optimistic as I can be at the moment.

OK, now I've had a look back at the tread history and it obviously escaped my memory that I had done plenty of ranting already.

I'm with my compatriots... we're screwed!

Come on Chaps cheer up. The whole series might get washed out in the English Summer rain and be declared a draw. You never know.

Remember. Keep Calm and Carry On.

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Jim

"You have Control".

I too think Australia will definitely struggle this summer..... on paper. BUT I also think it's a very unwise Englishman who writes off an Aussie cricket team before a ball has been bowled. The Aussie grit and determination (especially when playing England!), coupled with the good ol' English weather may yet spring a few surprises.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I think Australia's chances are better in the Tour de France That's where I'll be pinning my national hopes!