Ready for Ashes

[Trescothick]

I think if we win this last text match against South Africa we're defiently ready for Australia. I know we've discussed this 100s of times but i thnink its worth pointing out again...

Strauss has shown what a high scorer he is and so he can make a few stunning innings for England. Also Trescothick has showed hes certainly a great asset for England and can help overcome Australia.

We need two of Thorpe, Vaughan, Key or Flintoff to step up in this next game to prove that we can overcome Aussies.

Also with Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Giles 100%: We're definetly ready!

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Trescothick

We need two of Thorpe, Vaughan, Key or Flintoff to step up in this next game to prove that we can overcome Aussies.

That's an arbitrary number, surely, Tresco, but it may be right. Even so, we will need four of those guys to step up against the Aussies and another seven firing on all four cylinders as well. (And that's four cylinders each, not between them.)

Preparation phase requirement: win the present series. A drawn series will not have England's tails as high as they need to be going into the summer. On the day against Australia - which may mean on 25 days - we need 11 top class performances.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Trescothick

Also with Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Giles 100%: We're definetly ready!

But they are not 100% are they? Harmison is not even 10% (with the ball that is), whilst Flintoff with the bat is closer to 0 than to 100. Giles is his usual effective self but has not set the world on fire in SA. England will need more than two pace bowlers (Hoggard and Flintoff) to get 20 Australian wickets without conceding a bucket-load of runs.

[Beny]

I'm treading very softly here...

Ok... Harmison is... not bowling very well.

Flintoff... Is not batting very well and his bowling is only good rather than outstanding.

Strauss has been scoring runs... goody, goody he can't score 400 against a bowling attack far better than the S Africans.

You've had numerous middle order collapses.

Bowlers havent been able to apply prolonged preassure for days on end...

If you ask me (which I'm sure most of you wouldent), England have come out of this series with the only positive being that they know what they have to work on.

How was that..?

[Kirsty Harris]

Maranello, you make some intersting points about some England players in your post.

Yes, Harmison has not been at his best this series, but that does not mean he won't be back to his best by the summer. The same may well prove to be true about Flintoff's batting. If Giles remains his usual soild self, I'll be more than happy! I would only say that form of players will change a great deal in a 6-month period. Players who currently look in great form (like Strauss, for example) may be in less good form by the time the Ashes start and vis-versa.

Therefore, I would not say that winning this series will mean we are 'ready' for the Ashes, more that we have taken another step in the right direction. I think it's important to take every game as it comes - of course, one cannot help but speculate about what might happen this summer, but I honestly don't think we will know how competitive this England side will be until the series starts. And really, that's half the fun!

[Paoli]

Would someone be so kind to enlighten me on England's schedule after the South Africa tour, but before the home tests vs. Bangla and Australia.

If there is no test matches, then never has a series vs. Bangladesh brought so much importance for Stephen Harmison, Andrew Flintoff with the bat, and Michael Vaughan to get his confidence up.

By saying Harmison, i mean his rhythm

[John]

Fletcher and Vaughan have got a lot of hard thinking to do. They are faced with the problem SA were faced with England trying to find a new player who would make the difference or hoping a couple of players playing out of their skin ie Laxman 2001.
Firstly Harminson can't bowl like he has been bowling against SA. They can't afford even one Test.
Also Australia have got good warning of the way Giles has been bowling ( over the wicket) they will have worked out how to play this.
So Fletcher and Vaughan have got to think radically. They can't afford to wait for the team to fail they will have to take risks from the beginning because the present side will struggle.

[Zainub]

He he he! I was almost about to think "The Great Geriant Jones vs. Chris Read Debate" was the most widely discussed topic on the England forum untill I came across this...

[Trescothick's Footwork]

Based on the performances of England's players in the test series against South Africa, England are nowhere need ready to take on the Aussies next summer. We need two world class performers to step up, one from both from batting and bowling. Those world class performers are in the team currently (Flintoff and Harmison) but are not performing to that standard. If the present side plus Freddie and Harmy from last summer turn up against the convicts, we will be able to compete on an even keel. No way would that be the case at the moment, we should not be being thrashed as much as we were in the 3rd test against South Africa. Even Australia lose the odd test here and there, but not to the amount we did by South Africa.

We are getting by at the moment against South Africa, our team spirit, positivity and never say die attitude making up for the chronic lack of form in key areas. Only Strauss, Tres, Freddie (in bowling), Hoggard and Simon Jones have turned up. Which is a big step down from last summer, with Freddie (in batting), Harmy, Geriant Jones, Giles and Thorpe all looking a pale shadow of their 2004 home form. Both Key and Vaughan have been patchy (as they were last summer IMO). We could be looking at a couple of big defeats this year against Australia if we don't find some individual form from somewhere.

I for one wouldn't change the personnel, maybe considering Bell at number 3 and looking again at the Read/Jones debate. Presently, is Geriant Jones scoring more runs than Chris Read would? There is no debate in the actual keeping, Read is miles ahead. But I wouldn't even think of changing anything else, we have definitely got the best players in the country in and around the team imo. We just need some of them to perform a heck of lot better.

As for Australia, I think a lot of negative spin is put on the fact that the Aussies are generally of an advanced age. That will be a problem when they retire and if the younger replacements aren't as good. Look at Michael Clarke for christs sake! Superb player. Whilst these "veterans" are in the team and performing, their age isn't an issue. They will be able to raise their game for one last ashes tour, trust me. Maybe after some of them go, and this England team reaches it's peak, then we can criticise them. But while they are performing outstandingly (and Australia have been all winter), then age isn't even an issue.

[flanflinger]

TF,

Although I agree with many of your sentiments. I disagree with yout lack of optimism. Yes we have not played well, but by the end of this gaem we could become only the seconf team to beat SA in SA!! This is not a small feat. Did you ever expect that the Saffers with their pride would let us role up and win. No....

Yes the Australians are on a different level. But England do have a habit of turning games in thier favout. Now I am not saying the Ashes are there for the taking, but, we do have some batsmen to fear and a bowiling attack that if it fires (big if) will make the Austrlians worry.

Their batsmen do score runs at a great rate, but how many times do they come up against four Test-class seamers and a good (not great) spinner?

India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka all have one od two good seamers, but some very average back-up seamers and maybe a good spinner - England have possibly the best bolwing attack (outside of Aus)?

Look I am not saying we will win, but there is always some hope that we could win. Even if we don't win, their ages will become an issue in 2007, so lets juts beat them in their own-backyard!!