The Ashes Tour 2013

[BookMan]

Australian Test team announced: George Bailey to debut

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-team-announced-george-bailey-to-debut-20131112-2xd6s.html#ixzz2kOh6Xbxo

 

No real surprises here fella's.

 

* Sent from my cricket pad

Good to see Bailey make his test debut

*sent from the zombie apocalypse survivors camp payphone

[tim armstrong]

Australia will win. The recent downturn has little to do with playing ability. Its all about money, management and opportunity. The game in Oz is not being managed well.

[Will27]

Australia will win. The recent downturn has little to do with playing ability. Its all about money, management and opportunity. The game in Oz is not being managed well.

[uptheos]

Australian Test team announced: George Bailey to debut

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-team-announced-george-bailey-to-debut-20131112-2xd6s.html#ixzz2kOh6Xbxo

No real surprises here fella's.

* Sent from my cricket pad

G'Day Will, but don't you need to add 'make & number plus using Thai Visa application' so it's as long as a post?

All the best sport for the series, I'll send you a box of tissues in due course.

These series seem to come around too fast as one gets older.

[BookMan]

Australian Test team announced: George Bailey to debut

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-team-announced-george-bailey-to-debut-20131112-2xd6s.html#ixzz2kOh6Xbxo

No real surprises here fella's.

* Sent from my cricket pad

G'Day Will, but don't you need to add 'make & number plus using Thai Visa application' so it's as long as a post?

All the best sport for the series, I'll send you a box of tissues in due course.

These series seem to come around too fast as one gets older.

I admire your confidence and optimism

[uptheos]

Australian Test team announced: George Bailey to debut

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-team-announced-george-bailey-to-debut-20131112-2xd6s.html#ixzz2kOh6Xbxo

No real surprises here fella's.

* Sent from my cricket pad

G'Day Will, but don't you need to add 'make & number plus using Thai Visa application' so it's as long as a post?

All the best sport for the series, I'll send you a box of tissues in due course.

These series seem to come around too fast as one gets older.

I admire your confidence and optimism

I'm just going with beefy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24602758

[BookMan]

I'm just going with beefy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24602758

Here is the headline and first paragraphs from the linked article from Uptheos

Ashes 2013: England can beat Australia 5-0 - Ian Botham

England are "red-hot" favourites for the Ashes down under, with a 5-0 whitewash of Australia on the cards, says former captain Sir Ian Botham.

Australia, beaten 3-0 in England this year, have been weakened by injuries to several fast bowlers.

James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Jackson Bird will miss the first Test, starting on 21 November.

"They are struggling with bowlers," Botham told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. "5-0 is a real chance."

[BookMan]

I'm just going with beefy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24602758

Ahhhh...what would we do without Beefy and Warnie to stir up the pot a bit

[Will27]

Australian Test team announced: George Bailey to debut

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-team-announced-george-bailey-to-debut-20131112-2xd6s.html#ixzz2kOh6Xbxo

No real surprises here fella's.

* Sent from my cricket pad

G'Day Will, but don't you need to add 'make & number plus using Thai Visa application' so it's as long as a post?

All the best sport for the series, I'll send you a box of tissues in due course.

These series seem to come around too fast as one gets older.

G'day mate

The Kleenex will come in handy methinks.

They seem to be playing the Ashes yearly now when before there

used to be maybe an 18 month gap between and so more highly anticipated.

I'm just going going to hope we actually win a test and are competitive.

My expectations aren't that high.

[uptheos]

I'm just going with beefy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24602758

Ahhhh...what would we do without Beefy and Warnie to stir up the pot a bit

Well there's Pietersen.

"If we're the Poms, then you're the CONVICTS!" Pietersen stokes flames ahead of Ashes with jibe at Aussies

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2502697/Ashes-2013-Kevin-Pietersen-labels-Australia-convicts.html

[Will27]

I'm just going with beefy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24602758

Ahhhh...what would we do without Beefy and Warnie to stir up the pot a bit

Well there's Pietersen.

"If we're the Poms, then you're the CONVICTS!" Pietersen stokes flames ahead of Ashes with jibe at Aussies

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2502697/Ashes-2013-Kevin-Pietersen-labels-Australia-convicts.html

KP's a good bat but a real knob.

IMO, after texting the South Africans bagging his captain Strauss, a line should've been put

through his name never to play for England again.

* Sent from my lily pad

[Chicog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssxffJHO4HE

[Chicog]

Looks like Finn might have played himself into contention with 5/103. Perhaps Clarkey naming Tremlett was a bit premature....

[tw25rw]

I'm just going with beefy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24602758

Ahhhh...what would we do without Beefy and Warnie to stir up the pot a bit

Well there's Pietersen.

"If we're the Poms, then you're the CONVICTS!" Pietersen stokes flames ahead of Ashes with jibe at Aussies

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2502697/Ashes-2013-Kevin-Pietersen-labels-Australia-convicts.html

Poms and convicts are the same thing.. In any case, he's a saffa.

[angsta]

It won't even be close.

Enjoy it whilst you can Australia because its downhill from here.

[Will27]

The England file: England can be beaten

John Buchanan, the architect of Australia's last Ashes triumph, believes Michael Clarke's team has the firepower to exploit England's dour and predictable game plan and return the urn to these shores.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/the-england-file-england-can-be-beaten-20131115-2xmje.html

I hope so.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Will27

[angsta]

Seldom do the former national coach and Shane Warne agree on anything but Buchanan shares the leg-spin great's view that England's tactics under Alastair Cook are boring and defensive.

Apart from whinging about the English (3-0) cricket team these two cannot agree on anything. Damm shame.

He rates the likes of Clarke, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson as being equally as dangerous as England's most damaging trio.

Yes, they were all outstanding in the 3-0 series loss. Mitchell Johnson, that has to be a joke...right?? He bowls to the left, he bowls to the riiighhtttttt...

Although Cook, Jonathan Trott and Bell have all scored prolifically against Australia, England's only wildcard with the bat was Pietersen, Buchanan said.

Yes, consistency sucks. You need 6-7 'wildcards' so as not to be too boring and successful.

Was he drunk when he conducted this interview?

[7by7]

Despite England performing well in the warm up games, I think predictions of a whitewash premature.

Remember Botham, and others, predicted 5-0 in the English series.

However, whilst Australia are notoriously difficult to beat at home; I do predict England retaining the Ashes; probably via a drawn series.

Though it would be a shame if they only drew and didn't win.

Sent via a runner with a cleft stick.

[angsta]

I think Botham was doing a Glenn McGrath.

I don't think 5-0, hell the Aussies might even win a game for a change. Stranger things have happened.

As for a series draw the Aussies just don't have enough fit bowlers and have zero consistency with the bat. They are far too 'exciting' to draw. Although you would think they were odds on with some of the comments coming out of the camp. Amazing.

[BookMan]

Ashes 2013: Real-time Snicko to be used in Tests for first time

Cricket's much-maligned decision review system is in for a last-minute update in the Ashes, with new device the real-time Snickometer set to be added to the technology available to umpires this summer.

The series' broadcaster Channel Nine on Monday finally struck a new in-principle deal with BBG Sports, the company behind both Hot Spot and the real-time Snicko, to use their products from Thursday's first Test between Australia and England.

The agreement clears the way for the introduction of the new tool in the DRS by the International Cricket Council, which Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland and his England and Wales Cricket Board counterpart David Collier have agreed to.

Nine have been told by the ICC that umpires will be using it, along with Hot Spot, the Eagle-Eye ball-tracking and stump microphones to determine whether or not batsmen are out. The ICC have agreed that the Ashes series will be a trial for the new technology before they decide to introduce it for all Tests.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/ashes-2013-realtime-snicko-to-be-used-in-tests-for-first-time-20131118-2xrky.html

[Chicog]

I could have sworn I read a while back that they'd decided not to use Hot Spot for this series.

I suppose money talks.

[BookMan]

I could have sworn I read a while back that they'd decided not to use Hot Spot for this series.

I suppose money talks.

That was also my understanding about hot spot

[angsta]

As troubled as this Australia Test team is, they are at least balanced. They have a chip on one shoulder and, following the summer Ashes series, they have a chip on the other shoulder. Still, members of a nation that once cowardly bowled an underarm delivery with the final ball whines about Broad's "cheating".

The Australian press have aided them. Futile jibes aimed at someone like Kevin Pietersen, who averages nearly 50 against Australia, are poorly constructed defence mechanisms which cannot hide what a mess their cricket team is in.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/19/australia-trash-talk-ashes_n_4300466.html?1384855055&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

[7by7]

Matt Prior still not 100%, so Jonny Bairstow could play at the Gabba.

Better to rest Prior surely, than risk him making his injury worse.

Also, Mitchell Johnson recalled to the Aussie side.

See here.

[Chicog]

Australia (from): Michael Clarke (captain), Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, George Bailey, Brad Haddin (vice-captain, wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon.

England (from): Alastair Cook (capt), Michael Carberry, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Matt Prior (vice-captain, wk), Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Monty Panesar.

Let the games begin and may the best team win, failing that, Australia.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Chicog

[tw25rw]

Hopefully Johnson comes good at last.

[angsta]

He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right...

[David48]

Well Gentlemen ... the day is finally with us.

Cometh the hour cometh the Cricketer.

I live a City not far from the First Test at the 'Gabba'.

So the weather forecast for today is ...

... and 30C

No cloud, so little swing.

But it's a 5 day game and it's the beginning of the tropical storm season here.

There is a forecast for a afternoon storm tomorrow.

As an interesting aside, the local betting agency have it set like this ...

Australia $2.65

Draw $2.75

England $3.10

If England win the toss and Bat first ... I reckon there's value in the $3.10 on offer.

I wish the Poms the best of luck ... I hope the Barmy Army are in fine voice.

.

[David48]

Game on in 25 mins ...

Aussies win the Toss and will bat first.

.

[David48]

At the Gabba the Win Loss Draw record is over the past 25 games ... England, Australia Ashes results have yielded 17 wins, seven draws and no defeats.

Let's hope the streak continues ...