England v Australia Five Match Test Series



Begins 11:00am BST Wednesday 8th July 2009
Sky Sports 1 (10:00-19:00), Sky Sports HD1 (10:00-19:00)

Well here it is! The waiting is finally over for the biggest prize in professional cricket, that little urn that they call the Ashes.

After a 5-0 humiliation in Australia, England will have revenge on their mind whilst Australia are always up for a bit of pom bashing so we should expect some fireworks either way.

There are quite a few changes to the two sides from the last Ashes series in 2006-07. The figures that remain in either squad are Andrew Strauss, Alistair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Jimmy Anderson, Monty Panesar and Steve Harmison for England and Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark for Australia. However not all of those individuals were playing in the last series nor are all of them guaranteed a game this time around.

Before we take a look at where this series will be won and lost and who be will be doing the winning and losing(or indeed drawing!!) we should take a look at the itinery: (Result between sides last time at this ground in brackets)

1st TEST - CARDIFF 8th-12th July 09 (N/A)
2nd TEST - LORDS 16th-20th July 09 (AUSTRALIA WON BY 239 RUNS, 2005 SERIES)
3rd TEST - EDGBASTON 30th July-3rd Aug 09 (ENGLAND WON BY 2 RUNS, 2005 SERIES)
4th TEST - HEADINGLEY 7th-11th Aug 09 (ENGLAND WON BY SIX WICKETS, 2001 SERIES)
5th TEST - OVAL 20th-24th Aug 09 (MATCH DRAWN, 2005 SERIES)

While it can be good to get early bird value on a series like this for some I prefer to leave making my selections until the very last minute in order to keep up to date with team and selection news. You can get a greater sense of the form of the individuals likely to be involved which can lead to more informed decisions.

What I will do now is detail what I believe to be the likely line-ups of the teams and give a little bit of analysis on what to expect from them. In certain slots I may assign two players where the conditions/fitness issues make the decision more of a dilemma.

ENGLAND

1. Andrew Strauss (Captain) - Captain cautious. Probably still has question marks over his captaincy and has been perceived as a very cautious leader but his calm and thoughtful style will certainly not allow England to be annihilated as they were under Flintoff in 06-07. Set the test cricketing world on fire initially then once he lost form was hastily dropped. Has been in fantastic touch ever since his return to the fold eighteen months or so ago. He has had variable success against Australia in the past but I expect him to go pretty well with the bat this time around.

2. Alistair Cook - Finding consistency. For such a young man in international cricket I think he performed pretty admirably under fire in Australia. He didn't return stellar figures but did produce a hard fought ton in Perth. Cook has been in great touch in all forms of cricket this season domestically and will be hoping to reproduce this on the International level. Has formed a decent partnership with Strauss after a difficult beginning for them as a pairing and expect this to continue.

3. Ravi Bopara - Mr Cool of the England team. Bopara has scored a stackful of runs in domestic cricket and after a difficult start to test Cricket life; he has found some golden form against the West Indies abroad and at home. It remains to be seen whether Bopara will be able to make hay against the Australians on the biggest stage rather than against toothless Windies attacks on road decks. The Aussies will try and get into Bopara's head.

4. Kevin Pietersen - England's best batsmen. Was their best batsmen in both of the two previous Ashes series. Pietersen is probably in the top three batters worldwide and just loves the challenge of playing against the Australians. Question marks do hover around the fitness of KP and if he is at any point struggling, expect the Australians to be quick to latch onto this. However what the Aussies must not do is sledge him as it only fires him up to succeed. Pietersen may not quite live up to the massive expectations on his head because of injury and massive pressure. England may place too much emphasis on him.

5. Paul Collingwood - A true northern scrapper. Collingwood rarely makes run scoring look easy or fluent but he always values his wicket and is prepared to battle for every run. There will be times when England are under pressure in this series and Colly is a man they will look to in such times. With his brilliant fielding and ability to chip in with useful overs from time to time he is a key player in this team despite what the doubters say. I expect a good series from Collingwood as he looks to be the middle order glue.

6. Matt Prior (Wicketkeeper) - The cause of many a debate. Prior is without doubt an extremely talented batsmen but it is fair to say he isn't the most gifted glovesman around and glaring errors have cost England in the past. The question you have to ask really is whether his mistakes will be more than made up for by his runs. I like a specialist keeper in the longer form of the game myself and as a result would go for James Foster but in this modern era everyone is obsessed with having all-rounders. I expect the pressure to get to Prior.

7. Andrew Flintoff - The talisman. A fit and firing Flintoff could probably almost win this series on his own. With his penchant for grabbing key wickets with his bowling and his explosive nature with the bat, Freddie is a true match winner. However you must ask yourself, How many tests has Flintoff won for England since 2005? This may well prove to be a false dawn for Freddie as there is always a likelihood that injury can strike him down as his body has taken such a toll. I expect him to be his usual reliable self with the ball, however it is so long since I've seen him make a meaningful test contribution with the bat that I doubt that he'll set the world alight with the bat in this series.

8. Graeme Swann - England's number one spinner. With his performances in the subcontinent and the Caribbean, Swann has proved himself to be the best that England have to offer in the spin department. Having served a county apprenticeship, Swann has worked his way into this team on merit and is deserving of his place. Will require a turning track if he is to run through the Australian's as he is not a massive spinner of the ball but his cocky attitude will get under the skin of the Aussie's at times and may buy him a few wickets. Expect him to go pretty well and may contribute some useful runs down the order.

9. Stuart Broad - Potential future great. Broad could be a truly great player for England in his career but make no mistake, he is by no means a finished article. Broad's bowling has not exactly been deadly at test level but he has maintained a good level of control for the majority of the time and now he has got his pace up a bit all he probably needs to do is improve his variation and he could be close to becoming a top level paceman. From a batting point of view there is some serious elegance to the way Broad bats. Maybe it is because he bats left handed but truth be told it is easy to see why Broad started out life as a batsmen. If he improves by another 20% with bat and ball he will be world class but for the moment, the Australians will probably be targeting Broad. Could be a great, mediocre or poor series, and at this stage of Broad's career, it is probably too difficult to predict!

10. James Anderson - King of the swingers. After going from hero to zero in a turbulent start to his international career, Anderson has probably become England's most reliable bowler. In swinging conditions, Anderson can rip through any batting line up. Having improved his pace and bringing more guile to his cricket he is probably the first name on the team sheet in terms of the bowling attack these days. Has made no notable impact against the Aussies in the past but he did spend a long time being a perennial drinks carrier and fill-in man. Should perform the best of the England seamers.

*11. Graeme Onions (When four pace attack required) - County Pro. This solid county man has served his time and earned his call-up and was given the perfect start by an abysmal West Indies side in helpful conditions. Time will tell if Onions can really hack it when he plays against the big boys. I expect the Aussies to successfully go after Onions if he is selected.

*11. Monty Panesar (When two spin attack required) - Stuck in the stalls. When Monty first arrived on the International scene there was a huge buzz around him not just because of spin bowling ability but because of his lively personality and comedy batting and fielding. It appears unfortunately that Monty hasn't improved a jot with experience. Still Monty has the same obsession with firing the ball in at speed. If England wanted a quick bowler, they'd pick a seamer and it is this lack of common sense that shows why he's stalled in his test career. If Monty could focus more on flight and guile, do the basics right in the field and learn how to hold a bat he'd stand half a chance of getting his number one spin slot back. Believe it or not Panesar claims to have scored a century in his young days, I hope for bowlers worldwide sake that it was in back garden cricket and with unlimited wickets. Don't expect great things here.

AUSTRALIA

1. Phil Hughes - New kid on the block. Hughes arrived in South Africa fresh faced and seemingly ready to fail. His first innings in test cricket was an uninspiring duck and at such a young age there would be question marks at the ready over his selection were he to have a bad series. As it turned out Hughes blasted an incredible ton in the second innings and has been awesome ever since. Was given a helpful look at English conditions in a stint for Middlesex and filled his boots. Don't expect Hughes to come in with any fear, he shouldn't disappoint!

2. Simon Katich - Second coming.  Had a pretty uninspiring 2005 series and will want to seriously make amends for this here. Looks to be in good form and will be very aware of English conditions having spent plenty of time in county cricket. There is nothing spectacular about Katich. A Solid temperament and hunger to score runs will serve him well here.

3. Ricky Ponting (Captain) - Best batsmen in the series? worst captain? Ponting will go down as one of the true Australian greats when his time is done. His average pushes 60 and he's played a major role in some brilliant series wins over the years for Australia. However question marks will continually resurface about Ponting's captaincy as he is criticised relentlessly by former Aussie greats left, right and centre. Most of this criticism is unfair because any captain would struggle to make adjustments after losing four of five greats of the game from your regular line up so much of this is cheap pot shots. Has been a little out of form recently but this is the big stage and he'll no doubt elevate his game. Should be a fairly even captaincy battle.

4. Michael Hussey - Tough times for Mr Cricket. After an unbelievable start to his late starting test career where he was putting up Bradman-esque numbers, Hussey has finally found life at the top a little uncomfortable. Bowlers rejoice, he is human after all! As he shown in the recent Lions game however you are only ever one knock away from getting back into form and with Hussey's pedigree in county cricket, it would be hard to see him fail here.

5. Michael Clarke - Pup to step up? After two pretty impressive Ashes series for Clarke he will be looking to start to push himself towards greatness. The natural successor to Ponting in terms of the captaincy, Clarke will be looking to have a stormer of a series here and look to prove once again, his ability to perform on the biggest of stages. Australia's best weapon in terms of playing against spin, Clarke will be vital in terms of holding the middle order together. A demon fielder and left arm spinner to boot. Expect this class act to perform and his part-time spin could prove useful in helpful conditions.

6. Marcus North - Good pro. A batsman who has served a domestic apprenticeship and will always look to take his chances whilst Shane Watson battles his injury demons. Will probably be targeted as a weak link by the England bowlers because of his lack of international experience however he is yet another Aussie with plenty of experience of English conditions and will be as determined as anyone to hold onto his place because he will probably always be under pressure with the top five pretty much set in stone now and Watson breathing down his neck.

7. Brad Haddin (Wicketkeeper) - Big shoes to fill. It is clear that we may never see another Adam Gilchrist but Australia do realise that and were quick to make their best batting keeper the number one choice. He is not by any stretch the best keeper you'll ever see but he is not massively error-strewn and does a decent job while his batting is well and truly up to scratch. Has an aggressive nature and is a real combatant. Could well prove to be one of the unsung heroes of this series.

8. Mitchell Johnson - Australia's Freddie. Johnson is an extremely exciting cricketer in every facet of the game. With his left arm 90mph deliveries, explosive lower order batting and athleticism in the field, Johnson has genuine match winning ability. Was outstanding in South Africa and will be crucial to the Aussie cause here. Johnson is the most exciting cricketer in world cricket right now in my opinion and I fully expect him to justify this tag and play a key role in what will hopefully be a cracker of a series. You won't find many better 'tail-enders'.

*9. Brett Lee (Possible after 2nd Test if fit) - Third time lucky? After two tough tours on English shore's for Lee and a recent injury hampering his chances of playing a part in the series, it seems that the odds are well and truly stacked against Lee making a significant impact in this series. This is a bit of a shame for cricket lovers as he looked to have found some form in the Lions game last week. Bear in mind though Australia have beaten England before without a major help from Lee so do not exaggerate the impact of his potential absence.

*9. Nathan Hauritz - Another average Aussie spinner. Ok so maybe I am being a little unfair to Hauritz, especially when you consider the amount of stick he has been getting recently for apparently not being good enough to wear the baggy green. It is pretty clear however that England have little to fear from Haurtiz as he will be likely fairly workmanlike and would need some very helpful conditions to make a big impact. He is not a big turner, not entirely unlike Swann, however he lacks the attitude that the Englishman has and is therefore like to lose the battle of the spinners.

10. Stuart Clark - The present answer to McGrath. Clark is not in any way an express pace bowler and he will admit that himself. What Clark prides himself on is his ability to get the ball on a good length on a regular basis and work batsmen out in a rather metronomic manner in a way not too dissimilar to a certain Mr McGrath. Had a great series last Ashes and has incredible bowling figures in his test career to date. Expect a solid series.

11. Peter Siddle - A bit of a character. Siddle bowls with some hustle and bustle and a great deal of aggression and to date it has served him well in his early test career. Siddle may well provide a spark in what seem to be a pretty sensible and gentlemanly pace attack. Siddle should get into the face of the batsmen and may provide a bit of entertainment. With genuine pace and ability to swing the ball it is easy to see why the Aussie public fell in love with Siddle last year and I am a big fan and hope he is around for a long time to come. Will be box-office.

Summary: A closely

England's Main Batting Hope Kevin Pieterson

fought series in potential with a few key edges held by the Australians. I see the Aussie batting line-up being stronger and more settled than that of England and think if Pietersen doesn't have a brilliant series, they may well struggle to make competitive totals. In terms of the pace attack, there is more to fear in that of the Australian attack as England have yet again missed a trick in not including their genuine deadly quick in Steve Harmison for the First test which may be an indication of things to come. The Aussies are a marginally better fielding team than England and have two demons in the field in Ponting and Clarke. The one area that England have a bit of an advantage is in the spin department but almost all of the Aussie batting line-up is proficient in playing spin so you have to question whether this will make much of an impact. The edges held by the Australians are not massive and I do not expect a whitewash as McGrath predicted but I do wonder where England are going to take 20 wickets and as such expect that there could be some draws and England may well struggle to win a test. One test victory is a maximum for England in my opinion here. I had the Aussies at about 1.7 for this series so they are massive value in my opinion and should upset all of the patriotic punters.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

5 Points on Australia to win the Ashes series @ 2.04 (Betfair )

2.5 Points on Mitchell Johnson top Australia series wicket-taker @ 2.38 (Betfred , Ladbrokes sportsbook )

2 Points on Lords to be ground with most runs @ 3.5 (Totesport, Stan James, Ladbrokes sportsbook )

1 Point on Graeme Swann top England series wicket-taker @ 4.5 (Stan James)

1 Point on Michael Clarke top Australia series run-scorer @ 6.5 (Boylesports)

0.75 Points on Paul Collingwood top England series run-scorer @ 10 (Totesport, Bluesq)

0.5 Points on Mitchell Johnson Player/Man of the series @ 10 (Coral)

0.25 Points on Australia 2-0 Correct Score @ 18 (Betfair )

Good luck to you all and I hope it's an enthralling series.

Crafty Stan