Ashes Squad

Nah, I think lardy is right. Chef will boil, bake and saute us.

Unlikely. Cook's pretty ordinary in home conditions. Overseas, on slow flatties, he'll churn the scores out for fun, but on English pitches, he's a bit more fallible.

Averages 24 vs Aus at home, 19 vs Bangladesh, 28 vs NZ, 40 vs SA and Pakistan, 47 vs India.

He only betters his career average against fodder: 70 vs SL and 60 vs WI.

I expect his head to be falling over from 2nd innings of Test 2.

skully wrote:Based on the Indian tour Con, Twat and TCS are all lucky to be there.

Based on the Bannies Tour, Specialist Fielder should be crying murder to be dropped for Twat or one of the other two.

Big Dog wrote:

JGK wrote:

Big Dog wrote:No Milf? What was the point in keeping him on contract if they are not going to use him for the Ashes tour?

That's a very good point BD.

Milf will take Harris spot when Harris breaks down on the A tour.

Yeah...thats what i was thinking too.

...unless they give it to Midge.

I can't believe Watson is still getting picked. There was a hope when he dropped the VC but I guess it was too good to be true.

Don't really mind Hughes, the whole India tour was a write off and we know he's shit against spin and in those conditions and yet he grafted out a few ok innings, more than some.

Hilfey tough to miss out but really, Cot, Starc, Pattinson, Bird on form...well they'll need to be because they're the only chance we got.

Aye, Smith can probably feel aggrieved (but is he really a Test class player?), Twatto has no real right to selection, but simply can't agree with you on Hughes (he is utter shit).

Agree we may miss Milf's hard work ethic.

Smith was enough of a Test Class player to get through an abomination of a tour and able to hold his head high coming out of it.

Hughes, yeah he should have been dropped, UK should have played but he wasn't and Hughes showed he could at least do something. He's not going to get worse than he did in India, he had a good County last time he was there, I'd still pick him.

Because once these old farts go, he and Khawaja really will be all that's left.

Big Dog wrote:

skully wrote:He's barely had a chance. What about the excellent 65 he made v Stain, Ork and co on the last Saffie tour?

Doolan did better & where is he?

When did Doolan play the Saffies here?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/514030.html

baggygreen wrote:he had a good County last time he was there

The County was good or he was?

Must be the County, because I don't call 611 runs @ 36 'good'.

Too hard to follow this farkin thread. Too many nicknames.

Paul Keating wrote:Too hard to follow this farkin thread. Too many nicknames.

Imagine what it is like for non Aussies.

Paul Keating wrote:Too hard to follow this farkin thread. Too many nicknames.

Yeah, it's a total joke.

baggygreen wrote:

Big Dog wrote:

skully wrote:He's barely had a chance. What about the excellent 65 he made v Stain, Ork and co on the last Saffie tour?

Doolan did better & where is he?

When did Doolan play the Saffies here?

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/514030.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-south-africa-2012/engine/current/match/573006.html

Dello wrote:Unlikely. Cook's pretty ordinary in home conditions. Overseas, on slow flatties, he'll churn the scores out for fun, but on English pitches, he's a bit more fallible.

Averages 24 vs Aus at home, 19 vs Bangladesh, 28 vs NZ, 40 vs SA and Pakistan, 47 vs India.

He only betters his career average against fodder: 70 vs SL and 60 vs WI.

I am somewhat hopeful that Starc and Faulkner will keep him a bit more honest, with the stock ball moving away from him. Harris should also be able to keep him under control. Better than Johnson (channelling Harmison or feeding him on his pads), anyway.

Indeed lardy. The good lefty seamer/swinger is what the Aus side has missed since the days of Chooky Reid. I had high hopes that Ferny was the man, but he left all his talent on the JAMODI field. Midge simply doesn't warrant discussion in the "good lefty seamer/swinger" category.

Twatto scrapes in I see. Averaging 24 with the bat since 2011 is good enough for the Aus side these days, then.

Once Smith lost his central contract he was doomed for the Ashes but ironically he lost it after he had actually performed.

Steve Waugh and Tubby Taylor seem sanguine regarding our chances but it's interesting to hear how many think that if they were serious about getting superior gloveman to Wade at the very least they should have plumped for Hartley. According to the experts Haddin and Wade are arguably the weakest glovemen in the land. Obviously Haddit's leadership credentials are valued though his extravagant shot at 6/15 in CT tends to refute that.

With only 2 x 4-day matches (v Zumerzet and Worcestershire) before T1 I guess the ideal outcome would be Rogers making 2 big scores and Con failing 4 times. But that would still leave the shaky Warner and Twatson to fit into the top 4, unless UK can make a double.

Ashes tour schedule:

26-29th June 4-day Tour Match Australia v Somerset Taunton

2-5th July 4-day Tour Match Australia v Worcestershire New Road

10-14th July 1st Ashes Test Australia v England Trent Bridge

18-22nd July 2nd Ashes Test Australia v England Lord's

26-28th July 3-day Tour Match Australia v Sussex Hove

1-5th August 3rd Ashes Test Australia v England Old Trafford

9-13th August 4th Ashes Test Australia v England Durham

16-17th August 2-day Tour Match Australia v Northamptonshire Northampton

21-25th August 5th Ashes Test Australia v England The Oval

29th August 1st T20 Australia v England The Ageas Bowl

31st August 2nd T20 Australia v England Durham

3rd September Only ODI Australia v Scotland The Grange

6th September 1st ODI Australia v England Headingley

8th September 2nd ODI Australia v England Old Trafford

11th September 3rd ODI Australia v England Edgbaston

14th September 4th ODI Australia v England SWALEC Stadium

16th September 5th ODI Australia v England The Ageas Bowl

you know it's going to be a shellacking

Probably, but naming an XI with both Warner and Hughes in the top 3 is handing the Ashes to England on a plate. My XI (from the selected squad and no nicknames so Ponts and Dan won't sook [there is a Glossary, ladies]):

Watson (damn lucky to be there)
Cowan
Rogers (English experience)
Clarke
Khawaja (technically as good as any in the top 6)
Haddin
Faulkner
Harris
Pattinson
Starc
Siddle/Lyon (depending on the track).


I fear Phil "Ollie North" Hughes (1 good score in 10) will be persevered with, fail 4 times and we'll be 2-0 down, before adding some steel to the top order.

I reckon Aus's best side would be-

Cowan
Rogers
Clarke(c)
Khawaja
Warner
Haddin+
Faulkner
Starc
Siddle
Harris/Pattinson
Lyon

I'm more inclined to Trev's team; I think only two of Watson/Cowan/Khawaja will play and the final makeup will depend on early tour form; there will be some shuffling around

lardbucket wrote:you know it's going to be a shellacking

Yep. Just hope it isn't all over by the time I get there.

Haddin isn't good enough to bat at 6.