posted Jul 2, 2009

tottenhaman - Swann is a better bowler than Rashid.

What was your point, again?

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posted Jul 2, 2009

what is it with people acting like Collingwood is on the brink of ejection? You lot have looked at his performances over the last 12 months?

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posted Jul 2, 2009

With a combined opening attack speed of 1.5 mph, England possibly have the most laughably poor and inept bowling force in world cricket.England will spend most of the time picking the ball from the boundary fence.Given that the entire England hope is with an unintelligible, unpredictable and thus far unimpressive Flintoff, a man who has done know of worth in the years between home ashes series other than drink and peddle,it wouldnt surprise me if it is another whitewash.

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posted Jul 2, 2009

Anybody saying anything resembling 'Collingwood's test spot is on the line due to his poor form' negates the credibility of almost anything else they write.

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posted Jul 2, 2009

comment by OldRegret (U6882370)
posted 2 Minutes Ago

Anybody saying anything resembling 'Collingwood's test spot is on the line due to his poor form' negates the credibility of almost anything else they write.
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thats just how it is, people will see 10-15mins of collingwood and think he is playing badly because thats his style not exactly picture perfect in that regard. He is however as most who have watched him more than once this year in good nick and a certainty to play in the ashes

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posted Jul 6, 2009

I think England will just about shave the series win and bring back the Ashes, basically because our bowlers will be able to get results on the wickets, with swing and pace.
Hope Freddies injury and alcohol liking is a thing of the past !!
As for Pieterson, it's about time he lived up to his hype imo, now is the time to get runs, stay in and be a team player.
Also, vital is that he and Freddie don't try to 'out ego' each other !!

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posted Jul 6, 2009

"Do you think England can win the series?"

Sadly no there will be no similar result by the end of the test series as there was in 2005. This Australian team looks really strong in the batting department with the left-hander Marcus North in particular looking like a Allan Border/Steve Waugh type of batsman when he scored that 191 not out against the England Lions the other day. I'm worried about Kevin Pietersen's lack of batting form with his low scores against Warwickshire in the warm-up game.

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posted Jul 6, 2009

As for Pieterson, it's about time he lived up to his hype imo, now is the time to get runs, stay in and be a team player.

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A quite ridiculous comment about a player that averages over 50 in the 4 years he's been playing test cricket. Only Don Bradman scored more runs in his first 25 tests than Pietersen IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME

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posted Jul 6, 2009

England's chances in this series is very much based on some sort of consistency.They often begin well,then it tails off with quick wickets leaving a huge job for the bowlers.Australia are not currently anywhere near their best,but neither are England,so this becomes a series between two pretty average teams.Anderson hopefully will take lots of wickets,currently among the best in the world.Although after last week I would have chosen Harmison,the selectors haven't so it's up to others to step up and I'm sure Stuart Broad will he's getting better all of the time.I'm very surprised Sidebottom's been again left out.Battling is absolutely key here and consistency with it.Strauss and Cooke are the best openers we have and have proved their value as is Bopara settling in well at the tricky no.3 spot.after that is anyone's guess KP could get 200 but also go very early on,his form the last few months has been patchy but some of that must be blamed on limited over cricket especially 20-20 which quite frankly is not his game.We all know that on his day he can destroy bowlers.Australia have a real problem here if Brett Lee is out,a real problem indeed,Lee looked in stunning form last week against the Lions team,but the rest of the Aussie attack really seemed to struggle to take wickets.The Aussie battling attack can be awesome there's a few bowler destroyers in there and so our bowlers must keep it very tight indeed.By Wednesday both teams will be ready and battle will commence.A first test draw followed by a close series with England like last time just scraping home to nick the Ashes by one Test.That'll do for me and I'm sure all of us.

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posted Jul 7, 2009

Can someone explain how a batsman with the 4 tons and 3 fifties in his last 15 test innings has his "place on the line"? Can anyone suggesting KP isn't a team player explain why he's the first to encourage Rashid and make him feel belonged and is the one still in contact with Simon Jones (oh yes, and he's still class).

These look like two evenly matched sides, but only because both have gone backwards since 2005; one thing, please no parades if England were to win.

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