Ashes predictions pt II

Well, the hour is fast approaching. In a little over 3 hours as I write, the first ball will be bowled in Brisbane in the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series since, um, the last one.

As someone who likes to read cricket articles most days on cricinfo.com, I have to say I have been almost suffocated in potential reading material. Every newspaper has had a special pull-out supplement on the Ashes, and the aforementioned website has been creaking under the weight of online articles about Anglo-Australian cricket, from every conceivable angle. Everyone from Tony Blair to Johnny Borrell, lead singer of Razorlight, has been interviewed.

So the first session of the First Test is approaching fast, and I am still desperately trying to wade through the last supplement, as I confess I will feel underprepared for the series without consuming every word written on the subject.

However, I have taken some time out from my busy special-supplement-reading schedule to share some more specific predictions, bear with me and try to show some interest.

(1) Glenn McGrath will not last the 5 Tests

(2) Andrew Strauss will reprise Michael Vaughan’s excellent tour 4 years ago and plunder a lot of runs

(3) Ian Bell will do ok, better than last time. Alastair Cook I am not so sure about, I think he might struggle. KP and Flintoff will score big when it comes off for them, and get out cheaply when it doesn’t

(4) Warnie will take another 40 or so wickets in the series

(5) Hayden and Langer will get the Aussies off to much better starts than they did in England. But I think Flintoff will still have the wood on Gilchrist

(6) Harmison. Aaaaaaaaaggh. If Harmison bowls as he can in 4 out of 5 Tests, England will win the series. Otherwise Australia will take the honours. Which means I think Australia will take the honours.

I realise number (6) there contradicts my series result prediction in my previous post, but to be honest that one was more hopeful than expectant…

Come on the Poms

4 thoughts on “Ashes predictions pt II”

  1. Hey Andrew, here’s my attempt at showing some interest.

    (1) possibly not.
    (2) Strauss will be England’s top run scorer.
    (3) Ian Bell will do better than you appear to expect. I also think that Cook will do ok. As for KP and Flintoff I think that goes without saying for any test series. I don’t think it will be coming off for Flintoff too often though.
    (4) Glad to see you are not underestimating Warne in thinking he is past it, many folks thought that in the last series and he took a shed load of wickets and was Australia’s best player by far.
    (5)I think so too.
    (6)Harmison will not bowl as well as he used to. That’s why England will not win a single match, no decent on-form bowlers except for Monty and Mahmood and I’m not even sure they’ll play Monty as much as they should.

  2. I liked the BBC’s Ashes Awards after the last test where Ian Bell was awarded the “You’ll never play in an England shirt again” Award… brilliant.

    I’m predicting 4-0 to Australia. England just won’t cut it out there; they don’t have the bowling power and they don’t have the bats – which is a shame really as I would love to see them retain it

    Series top scorer: Justin Langer or Ricky Ponting.

    England top scorer: agree with Straus. Kevin Pieterson will be the big disappointment, prompting another autobiography. Perhaps entitled: “Pride Before Wicket”

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