3rd edit!

Well the Ashes have gone 4-1 to Australia so now it's left to the One Day Series who do you think will win the Final?

No

Want to borrow Mark Waugh? We just cannot find a place for him in our team.. does that say anything?

yeah rite and India win the next World cup (soccer) and Namibia will win World cup(cricket)
actually all three have the same odds!

England will definitely win the Ashes. Australia really aren't that good.

England haven't played that badly recently, so we have the best chance we've had in years of winning it. Dropping Waugh? Sounds like over-confidence to me, and that can catch teams out.

wildheart... if England cannot even beat an invitation team from Western Australia, how are they going to cope with the full Aussie squad? Did you notice that Wisden's has rated Pakistan as the number 3 team (behind South Africa), and look what happened there! The first two-day Test match in over 30 years...

Did you realise that one of the world's best batsmen- Michael Slater- could also not get a spot in the team? Do you want to borrow him too..

It's just a case of holding back for the real thing. Look at Man Utd the other night. They knew they were through, so didn't bother playing. When the real thing happens, we may see England going for it. Or I'd like to hope they do!

Not exactly a Aussie fan but I will side with them for the time being (for the whipping they gave our neighbours - ah what Joy!!!)

But talking realistically, England has a good chance that they will lose at least 4- 0 (now Warne put it at 5-0)
If Aussies can't beat England by the 4-0 Margin, I would think England got off lightly!

OZZ my forecast- 2-1 - the last test going to the last day - last over. (I'll forecast the winners before the last test when it's 1-1)

Ahhh, the summer season is nearly here.

Mark Waugh hasn't been playing all that great lately so why shouldn't he be dropped to make way for other players? A few years ago we were all calling for his scalp anyway. I've thought for a while that all of the big names will retire within a couple years of each other (the Waughs, Warne, McGrath and so on) and leave quite a gap in experience in the team. It just seems that not to many younger players are being given the chance to have a game, even as 12th man. Why have Bichel come in when an up and comer, and indeed the team, would gain far more from it than an old player.

As for the test series ... well, I'm afraid that England don't have much of a chance. Darren Gough won't be playing in the hope his knee will be good enough for the second test and Gillespie has declared himslef fit for the Aust. team. On an up note, even though it was a draw against Western Australia a few of the English players did show a bit of form.

I reckon Darren Gough (on his day) is good enou gh to tame any of the worlds best batters (and that does include the Aussies). Whether fit or not, England do have other bowlers. Maybe clutching at straws, but they do, honest!!!

I personally think that this series will not be the walkover that it has been for Australia since 1989. I would have preferred to see Graham Thorpe in the ranks, as I regard him as one of the greatest players of the last 10 years, but guys like Trescothick and Vaughan are very good players, and I think that Mark Butcher will surprise a few people this time around (I just wish they hadn't picked the 'professional failure' - John Crawley!)
My only fear is that a player like Vaughan is the type of player that Glenn McGrath likes to analyse, and then dismantle (sort of like Mike Atherton). I hope he doesn't, because Vaughan will please a lot of spectators this season.

Dalgleish I fully agree with you - I don't think it will be a walk-over for either side. It will come down to the state of the wickets and the luck of the toss in most of the games. I'm really looking forward to the matches (and as an ex-cricketer) just want to see some First Class games not games ending after a couple of days.(And I don't really mind which country wins if I've been entertained by top class cricket)

PS I'm one of those cricket watchers who can watch over after over of maiden overs bowled by a spinner with no runs being scored and still thoroughly enjoy it!

As I write this, Michael Vaughan scored a century against Qld. So far, so good.
Martin Love knocked up 250 in the same game, and he just happens to be one of the players I would have had in the Australian team instead of Darren Lehmann (along with Jimmy Maher, Michael Clarke and Marcus North).
I wish Darren Lehmann all the best. Mark Waugh should be there, so it is up to Darren to prove that he is the best option. If he doesn't, then he'll find that he won't get another chance.

Well, Lehmann is the biggest scorer in the Pura cup (I think, perhaps it was just for SA) for last season so isn't so much a bad choice ... i just figure that if, at the age of 32, he hasn't cracked a permanent spot in the Aust. tema then he isn't ever going to and why not bring in another younger player to groom up for the future, there is the depth of talent in the state teams to be able to do this.

Adam Gilchrist is in hospital with an infected elbow but is thought to be fit by Thursday. From this site

In reply to:

---

Australian team physiotherapist Errol Alcott said the treatment was precautionary and Gilchrist was still expected to be fit for the first Test against England starting on Thursday.

---

England won the toss and have sent Australia into bat for the first day of the first test at Brisbane which is about to start about 5 minutes.

Ahhh, let the Summer begin.


Any night owls up watching it in England? What's the tv coverage like?

Early signs are that my confident predictions may have been premature. Ah well, there's always 2004.

Yep. I was one sad case that sat up watching the coverage. I've only just got out of bed again too! The coverage, as expected from Sky, is excellent. Ball-by-ball & analysis on overs, like where every ball was pitched, etc. I must say I was a bit surprised that Hussain elected to field. It's obvious the pitch will tear over the next few days, and it would have been good to get out to bat first. Too early to tell yet, but it's ominously looking like it was the wrong choice.

Why oh why can't the English catch???? What a difference it would've made in the first days play ... Hayden would have been out for 40 odd instead of being on his way to 200.
And would anyone want to be in Simon Jones' shoes today? I bet he's sore and sorry for himself.

So the coverage you get on sky, I wonder if it's the same as we get. Did you get the new toys? The 'no-ball' ruler was my favourite. I wonder who has sleepless nights trying to thnk up new toys for the next season.

First off- it's only the first day and I haven't managed to see a ball bowled, batted or dropped only heard brief radio clips, but the reports of the Simon Jones injury are that it is "Career threatening". I had knee surgery twice in my teens and he's not likely to be playing for a considerable time and the prospect of re-damaging the knee is very high given that he's a bowler. I hope he recovers as I did and has no further problems (other than stiff legs after sitting in narrow cinema seating).
According to my reckoning they should just be taking to the field for the second day's play (I'm off to bed) I look forward to the reports of the Aussie batting collapse and England Openers still at the crease for the third day rapidly closing on the Australian Total (LOL) (and LOL Copago)

Matty Hayden appears confident.. he is getting his face sun-screened

I saw the Simon Jones incident- it looks like it a terrible injury- you could see him fighting back tears of pain.

Tubby Taylor is predicting that the English will not bat until tea! Who knows how many runs we will have by then, with Waugh, Gilchrist, etc, still to come. A figure of 700 is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Sorry, Quizcall- I hope I have not spoiled your sleep

Hayden got out caught behind in the first few overs for 197. It must be scary to be in the English team and get out an Australian batter and then know that there are still Waugh, Martyn and Gilchrist to come in.

I really hope and pray Simon Jones is okay - that was a nasty bend in the knees while sliding.
The Aussies can't prepare a ground for hell's sake!