It's only the bloody Ashes again

[Nemo]

Morning all. Surprised to see there isn't already a thread, but another year, another Ashes series. Seems that the ECB and Cricket Australia are intend on pulverising the Golden Goose into laying a few more eggs before she gives out completely, but I am, and I'm sure many of you also are, complete suckers for a bit of test cricket. Especially if we might beat the Aussies.

The good news for England is that Ryan Harris' knee has finally given out on him, a huge shame for an incredibly talented bowler but which leaves them with Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Phil Mitchell, Eddard Starc and Mitchell Mitchell as their attack. Fast and nasty the lot of them, but none as crafty as Harris.

For England, it seems a fairly settled team although one with plenty of questions hanging over it: is Moeen good enough? Is Gary Ballance a number 3? Can we find the 2013 Ashes edition Ian Bell or is that player gone?

Anyway, series predictions would be good ahead of the start of play in Cardiff at 11am

Final score:
England most runs:
England most wickets:
Aus most runs:
Aus most wickets:
The Boyd Rankin/Simon Kerrigan award for the random player to make his debut in the fifth test:

I'll go for:

Final score: Aus 2 - England 3
England most runs: Ian Bell
England most wickets: Jimmy Anderson
Aus most runs: David Warner
Aus most wickets: Josh Hazlewood
The Boyd Rankin/Simon Kerrigan award for the random player to make his debut in the fifth test: James Hildreth (a man can dream...)

[Batch]

I'll go 3-1 Aussies. completely ignorant to cricket so can't do the rest

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

Proper bandwagon jumper for the cricket me. Fucking love it when we win but haven't kept up with it for a few years. If we're doing well I'll be watching every minute I can. My predictions wouldn't be worth shit though.

[lincolnred]

Free NOWTV code for today's cricket if you haven't got Sky NOWTVASHES

[suttonred]

yeah 3-1 to the aussies, might squeak 2-2 if 4 or 5 of ours are really flying.

[Sam Morshead]

Final score: 2-2
England most runs: Root
England most wickets: Anderson
Aus most runs: Clarke
Aus most wickets: Starc
The Boyd Rankin/Simon Kerrigan award for the random player to make his debut in the fifth test: Zafar Ansari

[Ardiles]

It's come around again too quickly.  Hate to say it, but it does feel a little devalued as a result.  Although I'm sure I'll feel differently once it's underway.

In the time-honoured TEF tradition of taking threads off on tangents, does everyone contributing to this thread follow a county side and, if so, which one?  I've been loosely following Hampshire for a few years, but can't admit to being that in to it.  Proof, maybe, of the adage that you don't choose your team; your team chooses you.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

It's come around again too quickly.  Hate to say it, but it does feel a little devalued as a result.  Although I'm sure I'll feel differently once it's underway.

In the time-honoured TEF tradition of taking threads off on tangents, does everyone contributing to this thread follow a county side and, if so, which one?  I've been loosely following Hampshire for a few years, but can't admit to being that in to it.  Proof, maybe, of the adage that you don't choose your team; your team chooses you.

Essex for me.

Used to be Somerset when I was kid – they had the great Richards, Garner, Botham team back then.
However, I have resided in the fair county of Essex for over 20 years now so I have been converted. I do enjoy a T20 game at Chelmsford and have been to 3 this season. I will be going to the last one in a couple of weeks v Kent so that could be interesting with the way it’s all shaping up.

[blah blah]

Final score: 3-1 to the Aussies
England most runs: Root
England most wickets: Wood
Aus most runs: Smith
Aus most wickets: Lyon
The Boyd Rankin/Simon Kerrigan award for the random player to make his debut in the fifth test: Daryl Mitchell :-)

Got tickets for the 1 dayer Eng v Aus in September at Lords, how the test series goes will probably decide how good a game that is

Never really been a huge follower of county cricket, but as a boy I was a big Botham fan so followed Somerset initially, then switched to Worcester when he moved there when they had a really good county team. I suppose I still look for their scores over others, but havent seen them play for years. Been to Bristol a couple of times to see Glos, more because its easy to get to than anything else.

[Nemo]

Out to Lyon, that is embarrassing.

Oh, and I follow Somerset. For years we could bat and not bowl, and now it's swapped round.

[Nick Bamosomi]

This is going well then...........

[blah blah]

Out to Lyon, that is embarrassing.

I just have this feeling that we will be so worried about the pace of the Mitchells, that we'll try to attack Lyon too much and lose silly wickets to him. Thats why Clarke got him on so early.

Come on Rooty....

[Ardiles]

Early days and a long way to go.  But less ebb, England..and more flow, please.

[Bewster]

Another whitewash??

[Nemo]

Another whitewash??

We've had worse starts. Pitch looks pretty dead, think wickets will fall with the new ball but the 50 overs with an old ball will be very batsman-friendly. If we lose more than a day to rain in this test it'll be tough to get a result.