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As an England fan only two words come to mind when I think of our chances this summer against the Aussies, they are "we're screwed" and that is being optimistic in all fairness. We don't have any special weapons up our sleeves at all, the Aussies have plenty (Hughes, Siddle, Johnson with bat & ball) and lets be fair, our starting XI looks pretty suspect, let alone our reserves.
When Freddie gets injured we'll have to call on someone below par to take his place which will cost us dearly, if the Aussies lose someone they are likely to be able to replace them with either Brett Lee or Stuart Clark. As I've said, we're screwed...

Hmmmm, after watching the aussies dismantle, nay blow apart, the saffers at home, I suspect that if we are going to equate the upcoming ashes with any kind of collective noun, it would probably be a 'murder' of crows.

Cant even as England to prepare flar pitches as Aussies will still find a way to spin or reverse swing unlike England bowlers. Every 1 was happy to c Aussies loose, but they still put out a team which wins. No one gave them a chance with Bret lee, Watson and Clark injured. but there reserves managed to win.

Should be an enthralling Ashes series and hopefully as good as the last in England. The conditions in England found out some of the Aussies last time so a few of the Aussies will have to prove themselves over here ....And I can't see the pitches or conditions in England leading to flat decks and 500 plus scores like the Windies series.

Freddie Flintoff was the difference last time and England need him fit and firing to have a realistic chance of winning the 5 match series.

At this stage looking like a 3 - 1 win to the Aussies.

It really will be an exciting Ashes, so many questions, but you'd have to say there are more questions around the England XI - whatever it might be.

I really hope the ECB ensures that competitive pitches are prepared, but most of all I just hope for a great series.

On paper the Aussies are streets ahead but how many of the current young squad have experience of English conditions? That could be a 'leveller'. If James Anderson can continue his recent inprovement and Simon Jones can return and make the same impact he did in 2005 it might just be a bit closer than some are predicting. A fit Fred is also a must but we may have to accept that injuries will be a continuing factor.
As far as the wicketkeeping situation goes, I wish we showed more faith in proper keepers who can hold a bat rather than batsmen who 'keep'. Prior's excellent tour average in West Indies was let down by the number of byes conceded.

Katesbloke,

A lot of the players currently in the running for Australia's Test side have experience with English conditions. County cricket isn't the same as an Ashes series by any stretch of the imagination, but the Husseys, Katich, Tait, Ponting, Bollinger, Clark, the OTHER Clarke, North, Krejza Jacques, Watson...there are plenty of Australian players (including a few of the new ones) who have done a stretch for an English first-class club.

Your best hope is to set the pitches up right. Australia's major weak point right now is our lack of a consistent spinner, and at least two - possibly three - of the venues can be wheedled into giving up a bit more spin than we'd like...

I think the English fans make too much of 'English Conditions' since the 2005 Ashes.

You have to remember that Australia was decimated by injuries and bad form that series, but the big difference was that England had a balanced side with 4 quality seamers.

Now they have; James Anderson?

I think Simon Jones is gone, though Hoggard would have to be a shot. Who else? Onions?

The best English 'keeper Ive seen in a while is Chris Read. He might be able to bat, but he gives nothing away.

Australia currently has proven depth at almost every position (aside from a spinner) and have used the summer well to bring in new life. Stuart Clark, Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson could all still come back.

I do think that English conditions will affect the 2009 ashes series. Australias' new bowlers Siddle, Hilfenhaus and to a lesser degree Johnson have little knowledge of English conditions and it will take them time to get used to the lack of pace and exaggerated movment off the pitch. Again the first test will be pivitol. If we give the Aussie new boys confidence with a win who knows what might happen? If we should win the first test (unlikely I know) or even get a decent draw That could adversely stunt the new Assie bowlers confidence. Almost an impossible thing to do where the Assie psyche is concerned.

I get concerned by the absence of positivity from the English media. Eng and Aus have just played a string of comparitive test series (NZ at home, Ind away, and SA at home) and the results have been near to identical. It's a shame that Aus don't have to go WI before the Ashes, as I suspect they would get as little out of those venues as we did.

The same lack of perspective is applied to the individuals. Mitchell Johnson takes 40 odd wickets at around 26 in those games, whilst Anderson takes 38 at 28. Yet Johnson is the best bowler in the world and half the people on these blogs still talk about dropping Anderson. Hussey can't score a run at the moment, but still talk of him in terms of awe and fear, whilst half the English fans still want Collingwood dropped.

A bit of perspective will tellyou that the upcoming series will be a hell of a lot closer than the doom-mongers here are suggesting (esp. with the Duke ball, reverse swing and spin (esp. at Cardiff, Lords and the Oval)

tass1968 - does live in a different world.....
Australia are improving as a team every hour they spend on field playing test cricket...while England seems to be slipping down....also England come into Ashes from loosing two away series while Australia come on a high from beating Safrica away.
Englands fast bowling attack is the issue...Ausssie fast bowling attack has got Johnson,Siddle,Hilfaneaus with Lee and Clark to come back...while England need to make up a bowling attack from Anderson,Sidebottom,Harmison,Amjad and an injured Flintoff....so if i were Aussie..i wouldn't loose sleep with that...
Swann/Panesar does give England an edge over whatever the Aussie spin team would be.
Now when it comes to batting...i think the teams are evenly balanced...Strauss,Cook,Pietersen,Colly etc...over a few new faces in Hughes,North and Ponting,hussey,Katich,Clarke
England doesnot have a recognised number 3 - Shah/Bell v/s Ponting is not a contest is it..?
The icing on the cake is wicket keeper issue...for the benefit of ECB - a wicket keeper needs to do his primary duty i.e keeping to win a test match...speak no more...

Curryboy.....
I don't dispute the fact that Australia are improving, but the point is, it is hard to identify just how much more Australia are improving compared to England slipping. If you had seen the Durban test, you will know that the entire test turned on one day when weather conditions changed the nature of the pitch - Australia lost six wickets for next to nothing, and S Africa were skittled for 138.

As for the closeness of the teams, it is impossible to compare Australian bowling performances in lively, seaming S African wickets compared to Englands' on the Carribean mattresses. The truth is this is not the perfect Australian attack of yesteryears. There is no extreme pace (yes, Johson can bowl quickly, but Anderson was bowling at 90+ on a dead Trinidad wicket), no clever spin option.

Personally, my bigger concern is the batting. Ponting and Clarke are genuinely world class, whereas Eng's only WC batsmen is KP.

As for the wicket-keeping, have you been watching Haddin in S Africa. He might not have conceded the byes, but he's dropped a lot more than Prior. And as a batsman he's nothing more than a club slogger.

stop allowing overseas players to play on our pitches so regularly then we can use conditions to our advantage

Tas 1968, in his last 10 matches Mitchell Johnon has taken 51 wickets.

In his last 10 matches, James Anderson has taken 27.

Were did you get your figures and averages?

Tass1968 is obviously either a mad dog or an englishman. Suggesting that Hadding is not much better than Prior is ridiculous. Haddin is a proven batsman-'keeper against genuine opposition whereas Prior is a slogger who couldn't catch a cold.

Saying the bowling attacks are comparable is incredible. While Australia's is relatively inexperienced, it is deep. Stuart Clark is to come back and he has done extremely well at Middlesex in the past, not to mention in the last Ashes, so there is your answer to 'English conditions'.

I can agree that KP is the only world class batsman in the English team and that spin is a conern for the Aussies, but I can't see Collingwood/Shah/Bell being match winners.

I really think that this will be a 3-1 win (at least) to the Aussies.

Interesting to read your blog about the Australians and how quickly you have changed your mind.Why is it Journalists like yourself write offf Englands chance before the Series start.Why dont you support your Own Country for good or bad,thats what its all about right.So we lose isnt it the taking part.That is what we are taught..Also I am staggered that you make light of someone breaking someones Jaw in a game of sport..Why do you find that a subject to be ironic about.I myself do not agree with trying to hurt someone in Sport.rather than play the game and use skill rather than intimidation..I personally think Australia are an avergae team that is prepared to go outside the rules of the game to win....They have destroyed the spirit of the game by becoming sloggers Gilchrist etc I mean they employed a baseball coach..Australia probably will beat England but England will play the game in the correct spirit they wont try to knock someones head off to win..and that to me makes them a far better side tha Any other because they maintain the spirit of the game -In reality you win you lose thats a fact so if you lose whats so bad

Thanks to all of you for getting involved.

electrictornadotom (message 16) - I don't think you'll find the phrase "Australia are certain to win the Ashes, England have no chance" anywhere in my piece. I was trying to highlight just how well Ricky Ponting's team have pulled together since their home defeat by South Africa and how England are going to have to raise their game, based on the evidence of their last three series, to meet that challenge.

You say you don't agree with "trying to hurt someone in sport" but short-pitched bowling is legitimate part of a fast bowler's armoury - think about Bodyline, think about the great West Indies team of the 70s and 80s, think of Lillee and Thomson - and you don't hear top-class batsmen complaining about having to face it. Indeed, Kevin Pietersen was all smiles after Fidel Edwards almost knocked his head off with the final ball of the fourth day's play in Trinidad.

You also say that England will play the game in the "correct spirit". Presumably therefore lessons have been learned when it comes to excessive appealing.

P.S. I'm not an Australian.

Strange at it might seem, England's best weapon against the Australians this summer will be spin. England have two Test quality spinners in Swann and Panesar, and I'm sure that both will play in at least one Test if not more. England need to get Flintoff fit and keep him so, which will enable them to play him plus four more bowlers - Broad, Anderson, and then either Panesar and Swann or Panesar/Swann plus another seamer - Simon Jones? England need a bowler with genuine pace (we all saw what Steyn did to them). It would appear now that Prior is the first choice wicket keeper by the strength of his batting, but the likes of Ambrose, Foster, Read and Davies should be closely monitored during the early part of the summer.
The only real selection issue in the batting is no. 3. My gut feeling would be to play Shah through the West Indies home series, or certainly the first three Tests at least, but to have back-up options like Bell, Pietersen up to 3 and Bopara at 4, or even Michael Vaughan.

This Ashes could well be very close. Remember, before the current series Australia lost at home to South Africa and were comprehensively outplayed by India.

I agree with the comments that say this Ashes series will be a lot closer than what people think.

Jimmy Anderson is an OK bowler but nothing more than that, but he can swing it both ways which is a good advantage over what the Australians have.. Johnson is working on it but is still inconsistant and Siddle can only provide the odd outswinger and Hilfenhous can only genuinely swing the ball away and has to bowl the offcutter as a way to get the ball to come back in to the right hander rather than genuine swing.

I back England to win this series, but i fear that the first test match in Cardiff is going to be anbondand, because of the rain that is prone to Wales.

The england bowlers need some work. They should go in with 5 bowlers (6 inc Flintoff, in my opinion as the Aussies can bat for days) on the turning pitches or just 5 inc flintoff.
Swanny
Panesar
Flintoff
Jones
Broad
Hoggy - Should get a recall.

I also think that Vaughany should get a recall if he gets runs for Yorkshire because he has a terrific record against the Aussies and has a very good stickability at the crease.
Always thinking, always probing,a smart cricketer.

From what I saw last summer The Protea's are good, but not that good.

England will need to get a penetrative bowling attack sorted.

I am looking forward to a close, competitive Ashes series - on some juicy wickets with the ball moving around ... for a change

we need a rapid rethink to compete with australia, mitchell johnson's swing will thrive on our wickets, we need to redress our batting line up, Strauss and Cook are both fine , but they are both left handers, we need to force the bowlers to change his line. I believe Strauss is the natural number 3, its a righted handed opener we need, Vaughan, Shah or Bopara should be tried opening, but I guess its too late now to start experimenting.

The fact is Australia are more ruthless and quite happy to give other players a go when the current lot aren't performing. It's about time the England set up got a kick up the backside and got sorted out - it's far too much like an old boys club - talk of bringing Vaughan back or playing Harmison again sums that up.

Can't see it happening for a while though.

Can't help thinking that SA and England have both made the same mistake in their current series of massively underestimating the tenacity and mental strength of the opposition - SA by thinking they'd done the hard work by beating Aus away, and therefore they could roll them over at home, and England by thinking it would be a repeat of the Caribbean tour of 2004. Neither Aus or the Windies gave an inch (to quote Ponting) - with sensational results. England could learn from both of them about bouncing back from adversity. One thing is for sure - neither England or Australia will be underestimating each other this summer, and I think another hugely intense and close series will ensue.

Electrictornadotom has a slightly myopic view of who is or isn't playing fair in the rules of the game.

I seem to recollect a crucial Ashes test where the England bowlers were cycling on and off the field after short bowling spells for a quick rub down before being back on again refreshed to bowl again.

While it is permissable to leave the field for short periods that is supposed to be for nature break, not massage and rest. That is definitely not in the spirit of the game.

The English swing bowlers were unable to get any swing in Australia in the return Ashes so thinking that the Aussies won't be able to get any swing in England is just foolhardy.

I think it will be a great series and I hope England are able to put up some resistance.

electrictornado, you must have thoroughly disapproved of Harmison roughing up the Oz bowlers in 2005. How dreadful that the English team ceded the moral high ground there.

First off I didn't think cricket was a blood sport! Why are so many celebrating the disgusting bowling of the Aussies? The Saffers came close to winning that 2nd test and likely would of had the Aussies not hobbled their captain! How would they like it if Harmy throuws a beamer at Pontings ugly mug first ball of the new series and he's out with concussion for the rest of it? They would be outraged! As usual the Aussies opt for agreession when they are lacking in skill, the believe that simply being more agressive makes you better, then they get annoyed when others do it back, their attitude to cricket disgusts me! The entire team who contested the last test should be banned for a year for bringing the game into disrepute!

Contrast the Aussie "blowing away" of the saffers to the revers is Aus a couple of months ago, SA harked back to an earlier era of the sport being played by gentlemen and we all loved it, until some people saw blood, then they forgot about it as fast as they forget about the first swallow when june once again turns out to be the wettest on record!

First of all, laughingdevil, your a jackass. Normally i wouldn't reply to garbage, but im in an argumentative mood.
There's a pretty big difference in good fast short pitched bowling, and in your words "throuws a beamer". One's a legal delivery thats part of this beautiful game, the other is...well what you probably do when you don't get your way.
Batsman know and expect to be given short balls, some thrive on the battle between him and the bowler. While the bowler uses it as tactics to eventually get his wicket.
By the way i'd like you to cast you mind back to the 2005 Ashes when Harmy hit both Langer and Ponting on the helmet, with Ponting requiring stitches. Did you hear any of the aussies complain?? No they except that as part of the game.
So grow up, and get an education...

Totally agree mcam21

After a winter-long diet of bland, predictable, boring batsman-friendly cricket ... give me aggressive fast-bowling anytime.

Huge slip-cordon's, the ball passing the bat, plenty of chin music. A high-skill battle between bat and the new ball. It's what Test Cricket is all about.

I'm surprised some of the folk on here can type, such is the size of the chip on their shoulder.

Whats all this talk of Australia turning it into a bloodsport while the English play like gentlemen? Poppycock! They're all as bad as each other! If anything, the English are far too reserved or lazy whereas the Aussies can be too aggressive.

And fair play for pointing out the fielding rotations and bouncers fired in by England in the 2005 series, the bouncers are fine in my book but those fielding switches really do stretch the rules. Imagine Monty was off and his substitute took a catch!

Still, I think bringing back Vaughan would be a mistake - it would only add to the captaincy question and is hardly a step in the right direction, he's 34 and only has one knee. Well done to him, he won the ashes, but England need to look at the bigger picture!

South Africans got too big for their boots, someone needed to remind of a great old saying "it is easy getting to the top, but a lot harder staying there".

There is still hope for all other nations, Johnson is a quality bowler. But the likes of Siddle and Hilfenhaus are pretty ordinary.

I reckon it's not going to be fairly even. I'd rather have Strauss and Cook than their brand new opening partnership. The absence of a number three's a problem for us (Vaughan?) but Ponting and Hussey are both relatively out of form, while KP's looking good. Haddin and Prior are much of a muchness - good batsmen, iffy keepers. There are runs in their tail, and there are runs in ours.
The Aussies have no decent spinner but their fast men do look very good, so I think it's going to come down to how good our quick lads are.
Flintoff's a great bowler on his day. Broad and Anderson are accurate but they're probably not strike bowlers (although Michael Holding said he'd pick Anderson in most teams, and that's good enough for me).
I think it may come down to the fitness of Simon Jones. I watched him play last year and he destroyed everyone I saw face him, just the same way he destroyed the Aussies in 2005. I don't think Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson and Jones is a bad bowling attack at all.
You can talk about the Aussies' pace but there's three men there, plus Harmison, who can and regularly do bowl over 90. That's not too bad.

personally i think england are really improving on the batting part of things, but there still struggling wid the bowling, but we have good bowlers that i think will start coming hard soon it just a matter of time. personally i think were going to take home the ashes!