The ashes. Of course.

So, whats the team going to be?

Predictions for the series?

I am going for 3-1 England.

Rumour has it that Tremlett will be starting ahead of Finn.

Cant wait.

3-0 england think the first will be a draw as weather looks bad for two days.

They have a ropey top order and our middle with KP, trott and Prior will be the difference. Wouldn't be surprised if Australia leave more grass on wicket at Gabba to make swing more as if not pitch will go flat and we will pummel them as we have best reverse swing bowler in world.

Toss is key in first match win it get in and take it away from them. However still think first test will be a draw.

I dont think Tosh made the squad.

The first Test will be a draw I reckon and we'll probably lose at Perth. I really don't see a 3-0 or 3-1 but I think we'll edge it just 2-1 or bring them back with a 2-2 or 1-1. I have concerns about England's seam attack and serious ones (in other words we're fucked) if either Anderson or Broad break down.

Thats the same for them though isnt it? If they lose Harris, and Johnson has another mental breakdown they too are fucked.

Tremlett will start and I'm expecting him to take more wickets than broad. Conditions will be ideal for him. As said toss will be the key but even then we have a stronger batting line up and a stronger attack. Only Harris scares me with the ball. Clarke obviously is the key wicket and getting Watson out early will help also. Rodgers is steady away but I think well go after him. Warner for me is there danger batsmen. If he performs we could be in trouble. He has alot to prove.

Weather depending but iv backed 4-1 and 5-0. Might also back 3-1 just in case. Had quite a few bets on the top batsmen/bowler but my main bet is cook/Harris. Stuck £35 on that and returns £1260Can't wait now like. Gona be some very late nights/early mornings and tired workdays.

Roll on midnight tomorrow

I think England will win 2-1. I think our batting line-up is certainly the stronger of the two and this could prove to be the difference.

Not letting your heart rule your head then 4-1 and 5-0!?

I'd love to see it but the Aussies are a different proposition at home look a better side than the start of that series as well and the last time we toured.

The wickets aren't going to be ideal for any of the bowlers they'll be flat which is why I can see 2 or 3 draws.

If the wickets are as flat as expected, you could just try and bat them out of every game. Dull but very effective.

I have no worries about our batting apart from at Perth when somehow we always get knocked over pretty quickly, our recent record is appalling there.

I also think it will be tight, England 2-1

Bell to be top batsman
Harris to be top bowler

8/1 bell
5/1 Harris

I have £10 on that pays £540. He's the only bowler I can see who will be ultra consistent at taking 6-7 each test. As for the batting side cook for me with bell as back up. Have Clarke trott in other bets aswell but with different bowlers just incase.

Might get on that like, only thing with Harris he's a bit of a crock .. can he last 5 tests? also think Mitchell Johnson will be back to his best this series could be worth a dabble as well

The problem with betting on Harris is not his ability he's the best bowler they have but his body. He 'a never played a full Test series without getting injured, I think this summer is the first time he's played four Tests in a row.

And in those 4 how many did he take compared to everyone else who played 5

He's 34 and that was the first time he's played four Tests in a row though, the odds are against him repeating that.

He only made his debut aged 31 so its hardly an amazing fact.

Like i asked but you didnt answer in his 4 matches how many did he take compared to the bowlers who played 5?

Everyone entitled to think differently but I would imagine come the end of the series hell be in the top 3 bowlers for wickets taken. 5/1 to me is a very good price

Just been to B&Q to get a tin of striped paint, going to watch it dry, when that done open a packet of cheese and wait for it to harden, clicket be over by then

Tsk tsk, Monsieur Butt.

I'm looking forward to some all-nighters, although I think the Aussies will surprise us on their own turf.

I'll go for 2-2

I think one of the problems with Harris is he doesn't really have the classic build for a fast bowler. He's actually quite stocky and must be extremely hard work putting his body through the rigours of leading the attack.

Damn fine bowler all the same.

Doesnt do Kallis any harm

Or flintoff

Aye Flintoff was almost injury free apart from all of those serious injuries and operations.

He isn't the best example Mr Birthmark.

Kallis has looked after himself regarding bowling especially in the last 5 years.

He hasn't exactly done bad out of it has he

His career was still ruined by injury and his bowling action causing stress on his ankles and knees. He achieved far less than he would have if it wasn't for injury. He only played 79 Tests for one.

I don't see your point. Is there one?? Who mentioned injuries?? I was replying to bramstein in regards to Harris build. Flintoff had a big build yet got himself rated among the worlds best.

You gave up earlier as you were talking complete bollocks yet jumped on this within a matter of minutes.

The obsession continues

Do you want me to use bullet points;

* You said you would put money on Harris being leading wicket taker
* I said I'd personally avoid that bet as he rarely and in fact never has played a full series without getting injured
* Then Mr Bramstein said that his build hasn't helped him a true statement
* Kallis and Flintoff were then mentioned as people it has done no harm. Kallis doesn't really bowl much now, to look after his body, it did do Flintoff harm as he had to retire when he was 31.

As for obsessions you're as deluded as a Loid it's not my fault you don't posses the perception to follow a thread properly.

Did the bullet points help?

WTF are you lot on about?

They are stars bullet points are ⚫

Did this help??

Asking people to read things is great if only you took that advice. You didnt reply earlier because you couldn't. You then I'm guessing were very annoyed and waited and waited like a very petty child for a chance, then bramstein suggested Harris didnt have the build to be a fast bowler. I wrote flintoff.

Now lets look at it properly, was flintoff let down by his shape.

Ill use hashtags

#hes now a millionaire
#hes the face of jacamo
#he has his very own clothing range
#he has starred on numerous tv shows
#he is 1 of the main stars of league of there own which has ran for 7 series and is still going
#he has a MBE
#he has won the ashes which was the pivotal for his sport

I'm guessing that's enough. The guy didnt do bad out of cricket at all. It was a job and he made the most of it and is now settled for life and still earning thousands.

Also for the record on his 4 tests Harris outscored every single bowler playing except for Swann. There will be very little spin in aus so he's out the picture.

If you disagree just say, but don't pretend things and attempt to be clever because you will fail as seen above

What the fuck!!!!


Harris did play four Tests this summer and he was the Aussies leading wicket taker that is true. He is a superb bowler that is also true. If he plays four Tests of the Five he certainly has a chance of being leading wicket taker but all I have said is the odds are against him playing Four tests in this series.

In the summer the pitches were bowler friendly and he was rarely asked to bowl 30-40 overs in a innings. On flat pitches in searing heat in this series he might be and if he does his his body is proven to struggle to hold up to that. The Aussies will manage him and could possibly even leave him out of a couple of Tests as they have done a lot. I am only saying why I'd avoid putting money on him. Flintoff is an example of how demanding fast bowling is on your body, he'd have ended up in a wheelchair had he kept going. His Cricket career was blighted by injury, mainly due to his build and the strains it put on his ankles and knees.

I'm sure one day Ryan Harris also maybe the face of Jacamo , which is massively relevant to the thread.

Game set and match to Mr Birthmark.













































Which will please Mr Toulouse no end.



























Everyone's a winner

























apart from PJ ( which is the usual outcome)

jesus wept.

This thread is about the Ashes.

What the fuckety fuck is Jacamo?

you know that dancing that you do?

Its nothing like that.

So why bring Jesus into it ??????

5 days, 20'000 balls chucked, loads of batting and bowling.

one team scores more runs than the other.

Draw!

Fooking nonsense!

Ah but what about tea Mr I ????/
An essential for an English gentleman such as yourself.

Thank you Mr D. Of course a cup of tea is an essential part of tiffin for any well brought up chap but is there really a necessity to witness all this back and forth nonsense or pile pullovers ten deep on an unfortunate stood minding his own business in the middle of all this.

Quite.

England will win 3 or 4 nil.

Not long now....

Been some unusual heavy snowfall in Brisbane. It happened while KP was having a net.

I don't think that's a fair comparison as Kallis, as already mentioned, has never been a front line bowler. There's been occasions when he's opened in ODI's but you can't really compare 8-10 overs in an ODI to the sort of effort that goes into leading an attack during a test match. Kallis is just a back up seamer and so doesn't have to put anywhere near as much work in given his batting has always been more valuable to South Africa. Not that he hasn't made good contributions with the ball, he has, but it's secondary compared to his batting. Hence the reason he has predominantly batted in the top order.

Flintoff is a better example as for a long period he was one of England's front line bowlers but, as PJ points, out his career has been blighted by injuries. I dare say he wouldn't have suffered as much had his build been different because bowling 85mph regularly when you're patently quite a heavy bloke must be extremely stressful to the body.

I don't think being that build stops you from being a good fast bowler but I think it certainly makes you more injury prone.

Anyway, the Ashes. England to win a tense series 2-1. Bring it on

Just as a matter of interest, Flintoff reckons in his book that it was a Lancashire coach insisting on him changing his action when he was a junior that shagged his back up.

Flintoff never really had back problems later in his career most of his serious injuries were caused by stress on his knee and mainly ankle when bowling. Ryan Harris is similar, his is a chronic knee injury which has most of the time seen him struggle to play more than one or two tests in a row.

Possibly because his back wasn't aligned properly? Anyway, that's what he says in his book. Very good read actually.

I nearly spat my tea out reading that.

I think it was the way his front foot landed and the amount of weight and stress that went through his knee and ankle every time he bowled a ball.

He action was quite front on and his foot landed pointing almost straight down the pitch add that to him being a big bloke he was always going to struggle.

Aye, he admits to being a regular porker until the County got hold of him and insisted he lose weight. Several times.

Lol, it was added for financial reasons. I bet he's earned over 50k off them easily

A lot more than that I'd have thought, it doesn't it make any less irrelevant like