What summers were made more, the Ashes! 5 days per test, 5 test matches, and if 2005 was anything to go by, get your snacks in, your comfy chair out, sit back and enjoy.
The last ashes series was an embarrassment, so we will not reflect on the past, but in true British style as we won in 2005....lets talk about that instead! We had a captain who lead from the front, and a set of bowlers who, if one wasn't performing, you could call on another to get that important wicket or breakthrough.
Instead of Michael Vaughan, who today announced his retirement, we have Andrew Strauss as captain. Strauss was in the 2005 winning team which will bring valuable experience of the pressures involved in an ashes series and has got a few test matches under his belt as captain against the West Indies. Strauss has a good international average with the bat, and lets hope he don't fall into the trap of when someone becomes England captain they forget how to hold a bat. Strauss can lead us to victory, he has a good knowledge of the game, I'm not sure he will be as tactical as Vaughan was in 2005 but Strauss definitely can lead from the front and can be trusted.
Englands bowlers in 2005, Harmison, Hoggard, Jones, Giles and Flintoff were a strong unit, they all backed each other up when needed. Now we have Broad, Anderson, Onions, Sidebottomm, Swann, Panesar, Rashid and Flintoff to choose from to be our main bowlers with probably one spinner to be picked. I'm not as comfortable with the depth of bowling as we had in 2005 but Anderson has come along way in recent years and so has Broad. I think this series will truly show how good they both are, they both picked up wickets against the West Indies recently but to be honest, that doesn't mean alot at the moment in test cricket. The real test will be the Australians.
So, who would i start in the first test in Cardiff? Here we go:
Strauss (C), Cook, Bopara, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior (Wk), Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Sidebottom, Anderson.
We have to stick with some experienced players, mixed in with the players on form. Bopara has to stay at three, he has been in form in test cricket and there is no reason why Bell should come back in to the squad when Bopara has been in the form he is in. The batting line up for England goes down to number 9 now with Broad and Swann both being capable of hitting runs and England will need a long tail. Sidebottom just edges it for me at the moment ahead of Onions because Sidebottom has the left arm variation that could be useful. It might not be, but i think Sidebottom has proven in the past he can take test wickets. Onions in the County Championship this season has taken over 50 wickets already, being ahead of the wicket takers by a long way, so he will be right on Sidebottom, or any of the bowlers if anyone has a bad test match.
Some people might think, wheres Good ole Monty? i love his beard and dancing. Sadly for me, everyone has realised he bowls the same ball at the same pace. He is being found out and even struggles in the County Championship. Until he realises that i think he could even be overtaken by young leg spinner Adil Rashid. Swann can bat, and had a good test series against the West Indies and should be in. He can mix it up and take chances which is what Test cricket is about, you have to mix it up.
The other players in that team i don't think need explanation. They all are of the highest quality and if in form, and on there day could probably destroy the Australian bowling attack. Flintoff is still a question mark over fitness, but when fit, he is a devasting bowler and has got to be in aslong as he is fit, if he isn't, then i think it would be a bad decision to put him in just on reputation, we got to have 11 fully fit players ready to play.
A prediction is hard to do, with Australia now without there veteran go to guys, i think they will find it tough with some less experienced players. Hauritz is trying to fill big shoes in Shane Warne and Brett Lee will have to be the main strike bowler who can be very good, or just manic. I think it will be just as close as 2005 for a different reason. 2005 was because both teams were playing at such a high level that mistakes were rare. In this test there are players that could be prone to some mistakes through inexperience, but i will be optimistic and say 2-1 to England.
July 8th to 25th August, book it off work, ditch your friends, and order sky now if you don't have it! Its going to be great...(that could be understatement of the century) Come on England!
