An intersting thing on the umpiring controversies as well that I saw on "The Verdict"
With the recent changes to the elite panel there are now only 4 umpires on the elite panel that aren't either Australian or English (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_Panel_of_ICC_Umpires.) This means that...
Reading between the lines here, I suspect injuries permitting we will be unchanged
http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013/content/story/651627.html
I'm not suprised, I think there is a lot of pressure on Finn to be a bowler that he isn't. He is not a dry up the runs and pressurize the opposition type bowler, he's a strike bowler. He'll go for runs but take wickets, much the same as Steyn.
If England can't afford an expensive bowler in...
Crazy talk. Morgan's recent test record is woeful & who would you promote to open? I'd be pretty suprised to see Morgan back in the Test side anytime soon without some serious work on his technique. I'd have Compton & Taylor ahead of him in the pecking order.
So Broad not walking ultimately won England the test match?
I think that could be as close as the Aussies get this summer. England played poorly, Australia played pretty well & England still ended up prevailing.
The Finn/Bresnan debate is a tricky one. I hate knee jerking with selection but...
I don't think the tail will be able to live with the England quicks and a hard ball, once one of these 2 are out, also England bowled poorly with the new ball in this innings, it will make it easier to score but we do have runs to play with.
If Swann is tormenting them & the ball continues to...
Big partnership this, as things stand Australia would need around 90 when the new ball becomes available. I wouldn't have thought the tail would be able to live with Anderson & Broad with the new cherry. I'm also fairly sure they won't let Agar score as quickly this time round.
Hats off to Ian Bell. A fantastic knock in tough conditions today. There are many of us on here that believe him to be mentally weak but he answered some critics today.
88 tests in mind.
Come on guys, we all know that you don't walk in a pressure situation in test match cricket any more. Stop being so naive. The only time people walk is when they have runs on the board or it doesn't really matter.
I wouldn't be giving Broad too many overs at Aleem Dar's end for the rest of the...
I think 250 will be enough, 200 could be. It's definately tough going for the batsmen.
What isn't in doubt is we are set for some more absorbing cricket in a compelling test match.
Fair play to Bell so far, it's often said he lacks guts but he's already put us in a half decent position. Can he turn it into a match winning one though?
He's fresh off an unbeaten 100 for Australia A & 2 50's in his last Test versus India. In this team he's really the 9 isn't he? Agar will slot in at 8, I suspect, his first class record is much better than Siddle's.
Lies, damned lies & statisitics eh....
Not much differently from you by the looks of it. Heavily reliant on Clarke, you're a little harsh on Watson, unless you are saying the same thing about Sewag & Gayle (which you may be.) Cowan will bat to his average in the series, he's about 2 spots too high at 3. Hughes will do pretty well at...