Should Australia be kicked out of the game?

[Leafy Seadragon]

I'm not so sure that taking on the world's best all-round bowling and batting attacks on a pitch most suited to them (he Oval is probably most suited to Warnie's leg-spin) is England's best chance for victory. I'm confident that if the series is not dead, the Oval test is the one we'll definitely win. I think that England has far more chance on wickets where the ball doesn't come on to the bat and moves a round a little in the air and does something off the seam, a traditional English wicket. Aussie bowlers have had a tendency to bowl a little short on these wickets and our batsmen have shown that they may struggle to contain attacking tendencies when required. I think for these reasons, the upcoming tour of NZ is perfectly timed.

The bottom line is still, if you bowl and bat poorly, regardless of conditions, the Aussies will destroy you.

Slightly more on-topic, as an Aussie that still has strong memories of the the early eighties, I have no qualms with the Aussies continuing to play great cricket. I just want the rest of the word to catch up. The little kid in me wants to relive those late eighties and early nineties years of Australian cricket, but the fat, middle-aged man in me doesn't want the slump (trough? gaping chasm?) that preceded it.

[Beny]

Ashes could be interesting now... If we keep going the way we are the Poms are going to be outnumbered on this foum!

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Chuck Palumbo

The Oval has been a happy hunting ground for us in recent years and if we go into that match level, I would be quite confident. This is because the pace and the bounce of the Oval pitch will suit our taller and faster bowlers-Flintoff and Harmison more than it will the Aussie bowlers.

This might have been true not that long ago Chuck, but the Oval has not been as pacy as in times gone by, we could end up with the ball just coming onto the bat.

Originally Posted by Chuck Palumbo

It is also a pitch that a number of our current batsman enjoy. Trescothick has got a career best 219 at the oval plus a whole host of good ODI scores there. Thorpe has been playing there all of his career and some of Freddie's most devastating innings have also come at the Oval.

This could be the case, the only bowler to worry about to any extent would be Warne, if there is any bounce.

Originally Posted by Chuck Palumbo

I'am more confident of us giving the Aussies a good game at The Oval more than any other ground in England.

Well had we been playing at Headingly this time, I reckon that would have been in the bank for England.
Close to call, but I don't like the thought of England going into the last Test at the Oval all even.

[Chuck Palumbo]

Originally Posted by Ernest

This might have been true not that long ago Chuck, but the Oval has not been as pacy as in times gone by, we could end up with the ball just coming onto the bat.
This could be the case, the only bowler to worry about to any extent would be Warne, if there is any bounce.

True it might not have the same venom as it once had but it still has as much bounce and pace in it as any other test playing surface in England. Look at Harmison's spell against the WI there last year, he was getting trampoline bounce out of the pitch and England won within 3 days...he also come into his own against SA in 2003 there. I reckon if Harmy's on song, him and Flintoff will get a lot of success from this Oval pitch, as will Mcgrath and Lee if he plays.

[Glyndon]

I am still not convinced about Brett Lee. Kasper would be unlucky to lose his spot as his form over the past 12 months has been career best for him, and a great back up to McGrath and Gillespie. I do believe that Lee will get the nod this week against New Zealand as his sheer pace in the one day series has certainly worried the kiwis. For that reason alone I think he will make his test comeback this week. As for the Ashes series, time will tell, but I would still prefer to see the quicks be McGrath, Dizzy and Kasper.

[Leafy Seadragon]

Originally Posted by Chuck Palumbo

I reckon if Harmy's on song, him and Flintoff will get a lot of success from this Oval pitch, as will Mcgrath and Lee if he plays.

Agree with you (include Gillespie & Warne in this lot), but even if Harmison & Flintoff are on song, which batting team is really going to manage it better. The English may have been playing there a lot (& well), but pacy true wickets against anything but the best should be bread and butter for batsman (even I enjoy batting under those conditions). Against the best, all bets are off. McGrath, Gillespie & Warne are the best. The English batting lineup is not.

Having stated the above, if the series is still live at the Oval, then either the English are playing above themselves, or the Aussies form is in the toilet. Under either of these conditions, things would be interesting. Either that or the Ashes belong to the Aussies, in which case, you couldn't predict the outcome, 'coz we suck in dead rubbers (my system of beliefs doesn't allow for another possibility at this point in the series - maybe in some alternate universe?)

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Beny

Ashes could be interesting now... If we keep going the way we are the Poms are going to be outnumbered on this foum!

Exactly!!! We now have 2 members in the top 30, myself and you Beny, we have Seamer whose fast approaching, acker whose coming out of nowhere, Leafy Seadragon and quite a few others....Watchout England!!

[AussieCricketLover]

LOL I dont know what to think of this article, but found it humourous nevertheless particularly this part:

England's prospects of being competitive in the Ashes in a few months have been talked up but, frankly, even the dodgiest of bookmakers could not expect anything other than a crushing series victory to Australia.

I've said it before an I'll say it again 5-0 Australia's way.

[Ernest]

Remember 1981, at least you got a draw then .

[Beny]

Unfortunetly I can't Ern, as I had'nt been born yet.