Very pleased that Ballance has been chosen as he's been excellent for the last couple of seasons and in my view should bat at 6. It seems likely that Australia want to prepare some pitches with pace and bounce so the likes of Finn, Tremlett and Rankin will be useful. Will be tighter than it was here but still expect England to win 3-1. Our top order will need to do better though
Cook Root Trott Pietersen Bell Ballance Prior Broad Swann Tremlett/Finn Anderson Will be an all too familiar line up. I think if the top order do not fire Australia will grab one or two wins especially if they can get Cummins and Harris fit.
I was reading Athers piece in The Times today about how the current England team and the Lions hail from a rather wide set of points on the globe. Sam Robson has decided to opt for us over Australia where he grew up in Sydney. Not so much a loss or hurt to Australia who can replace him but Athers was looking more to the cases of Ballance and Rankin. Rankin and Morgan could make Ireland a real threat at World Cups. Understandably given that there are hardly any ODI's for Ireland or Test status of first class competition within Ireland as yet , they have chosen the England route. And Ballance a very promising u19 cricketer with Zimbabwe chose us and who can blame him. The average wage for a Zimbabwean cricketer playing for the national side is £70 a week. Kyle Jarvis for instance has given up probably their best pace bowler and decided on a future in county cricket. Nonetheless Athers made a salient point which I have also argued with regards to rugby and cricket that both sports need to develop their playing base. It is all very well looking within the borders of England but if the game is dying or stagnating outside of it , it hardly is a rosy future for the sport when the potential revenues could be immense. Rugby union at least has seen this and grasped the concept with both hands. Cricket remains mired in the past. First under the stifling influence of the MCC and now the BCCI in India. They say jump and the ECB and ACB say how high.
Personally I do not agree with the Irish lads playing for England. It's not a nationality thing, I have no problem with that, especially as we are a team of South Africans anyway, it is the fact that I believe Ireland should now be very close to test match status and the loss of Rankin especially, weakens them. Totally agree with you there Smudger. I think the squad we have picked is right, Stokes had vastly improved since his setback last winter down under (unlike his mate Coles) and looks to be against Ballance as the 6th batsman now . A name I might have thrown into the hat would be Rashid at Yorkshire. He was given a chance a few years back as a leggy but his batting has now come on tremendously and we only have Swan, who injury seems to be catching up with him now and an emotionally out of sorts Panesar. I see Hick will be more involved with the Aussies from now on as well.
Speaking of Panesar he still seems to have some underlying issues caused by problems off the field. Although by all accounts he is working through these. A one match suspended ban from the ECB for this attempted kick at Ross Whitely. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/sep/27/monty-panesar-suspended-ban-essex [video=youtube;TUzle0yHjy0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUzle0yHjy0[/video] Regarding Ireland they must be concerned as to whom they might lose next . Dockrell has not had the greatest of seasons losing his nagging line and length but he was certainly on the radar of the England selectors and Paul Stirling has the firepower and shot selection to be a top class ODI batsman. Although he has stated he only wants to play for Ireland. Alexei Kervezee the Namibian who turned out for Holland and then after joining Worcestershire elected to qualify for England has dropped out of the picture given some rather poor performances over this season and the last. But he does have time on his side.
A shambolic West Indies denied a fairy tale end to a rather long career today. One that started almost twenty four years ago to the day. Another innings win for India over the Windies but with the headlines for the last couple of weeks all taken by one little man. Even sending a probe to Mars has not seemed that important to the masses over there who regard cricket as a religion and those who play the game as demigods with one person in particular experiencing the Roman treatment of living deification. [video=youtube;0N4pCu-iwl4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N4pCu-iwl4[/video] It will be a poorer cricketing world without him playing those exquisite on and cover drives, his balance and movement in the crease almost reminiscent of the black and white footage of the Don on the balls of his feet. Personally I preferred Dravid as a player and person and the show must go on. And indeed we have the T20 World Qualifiers going on at the moment with the Associates for qualification to the tournament proper next year in Bangladesh. http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-world-twenty20-qualifier-2013/content/story/688589.html Favourites Ireland had a bit of a pipsqueak past Canada with Papua New Guinea pulling off a shock against the Netherlands who are missing ten Doeschate. The help Australia have given PNG is starting to show signs of paying off with improved results at age group level and in this format.
In other news Finn, Rankin and Tremlett all seem to be trying to bowl themselves out of contention for the first Test match.
I know a few of you will be following the cricket so do many fancy taking part in this competition: http://www.cricketweb.net/fantasycricket/index.php Name: WFC Forums Ashes 13/14 Code: 1384625467
Looking forward to this. Think it will be closer than the summer.. But I will go for England to regain the Ashes with a drawn series.
Who is watching this eve then? Looks like Tremlett gets the odd over the resident Watford fan Finn. Prior also set to start by the looks of it. Whoever wins toss will look to bat I am sure but I would like to see us bowl first and test their lineup, giving Watson a bit of a working over.
Struggling to stay awake but going to try and watch the first half hour. Pleased about Prior but not sure about Tremlett although Finn can be expensive. Lost the toss so I will guess we will see how Tremlett goes
Hopefully will be able to stay up for the first session,. Please don't bowl the first ball to 2nd slip!!
I love how they booed him when he bowled his first ball and was hit for four. I love how theres so much more to the ashes than just the game. The rivalries and things are brilliant and add to the excitement.
Great wicket. You could see the build up bowling full and then suprise him with the short ball. Plan worked perfectly. Just as I was about to go to sleep too.
Every time the crowd abuse Broad he takes a wicket, Keep it coming :jumping1: 83/4 debutant Bailey in.
Lovely start, but still a lot of work to be done from this position. It would be typical England to let them get 300 from here. Or bowl them out for 150 and enjoy a spectacular collapse of our own.
Decent first day as everybody seems to think it's an excellent pitch for batting. If we won this test, considering the Aussie record in Brisbane, I think we will be nailed on to win the series and with some ease.
You need to hope the tail end dont hang around long as Haddin is looking good. Wouldn't be surprised to see Australia get to 350, all depends on the tail end though
Is it on TV over in the US of A? Must be quite a good time to watch it over there with the time difference. Saw the first couple of wickets last night until sleep took over. Broad looked fired up, they should have given him the silent treatment like they originally planned.
Solid start but shame we let them build the 7th wicket partnership but in a decent position if we finish the tail quickly.
Am at work so cannot see live pics. But if BBC text feed is right aussies 294 all out, On a wicket like that I dont think it will be enough.
All out for 295. Great start for Broad and you wont be disappointed with that total. Australia looked very weak in places
The Courier-Mail paper in Australia have been refusing to mention him by name just referring to him as "English medium paced bowler".
Thats me done for tonight. Trott bet was a disaster, only Bell left for me now.. Good start for a neutral, looking tight atm although its very early days. Carberry looking very good.
It's on some mad Indian channel that costs $40 odd a month. I've been listening to the BBC Test Match Special commentary mostly, though I'll stream a bit here and there. You're right though, it's a perfect time for me. Wife and baby are in bed, sitting up with a couple of beers. Like I said, we'll let them get to around 300 and then have a spectacular collapse of our own. 87-6 right now. Terrible stuff.
hm...not the news you want to be waking up to! Sounds like a repeat of the bad old days when batting collapses were the norm.
