With chances invariably expected to be few and far between, Australia has long been regarded as a place where "catches win matches".... but this series has dad's army" on one side.... and the other side have already omitted their star 'keeper and set to waste their best outfieders in slip positions... so the odds on some shambolic fielding look high!

In the closing innings of this last warm-up game Pietersen apparently dropped a low chance whilst fielding at point... a position where Collingwood excels and where Strauss is first rate: this strikes me as the biggest issue... and the sooner England train up folk like Giles and Harmison as slip fielders and get the more athletic fielders into their prime positions the better.

I think we may well see some poor fielding by both sides and also some inspired catching by the better fielders from both nations.I expect a mixed bag of stuff over the next few weeks.

Rachael it was a good point you made over Read - Jones made a gritty 33 in the warm up, but I think leaving Read out (could) lose the Ashes for England - drop Ponting on 10, and a second chance is not likely to be given.

But your other suggestions IMO are not workable, neither is athletic enough to field in the slips, a specialist possition, Harmison is also not fit enough for diving IMO, nor is Giles.

__________________
Ern

Rach, I really have to disagree.

With the loss of Trescothick we've lost a slip expert but brought in a master of close fielding (and boundary fielding, but with Tres gone we need someone in close who knows what they are doing). Colly proved against Pakistan, especially with that catch off Iqbal, that he knows what he's doing at slip and can slot in for Tres, or he can go to point and let Cook stand in the slips instead of shelling chances at gully. Anyway, we have options and I'm encourages by that. A slip cordon of Collingwood/Cook, Flintoff and Strauss gives me confidence, as well as the thought of Colly slipping for Monty whilst Bell keeps short leg/bat pad as his own or patrols the gully and mid off/mid on where he has held a number of good catches.

KP will drop the odd one, but has effected a good few run-outs in the past and is constantly encouraging people even when drops happen.

In short I'm encouraged by our close fielding, and I reckon that Monty can probably do a good job of covering those miles between long leg and third man on a regaular basis! He did show real signs of improving his fielding in the latter couple of tests if we ignore the bloomer at mid on . Harmison is a good catcher, as is Anderson mostly and I'm not sure when Hoggy last dropped one. So the boundary fielding will be alright, I reckon.

I'm sure Collingwood could field anywhere... and suspect that with a season behind the stumps he could be a better 'keeper than Jones... but I maintain that having anyone as athletic as Collingwood in the slips is a crime: that's a place for good hands.... but athleticism is wasted. I want to see Collingwood prowling at backward point and making it tougher for batsmen to rotate the strike.

Similarly with Strauss: like Collingwood, he's a great fielder with a fantastic arm.. but when did you last hear of someone being run-out via a direct hit from the slip cordon?

Slip fielding does NOT demand all-round fielding skills. Beefy was brilliant at it even when massively overweight and out of condition (and could probably slot in there next week as substitute fielder and do the job effectively). Flintoff is about as lithe a your average prop-forward but is a fantastic second slip. It's actually a perfect place to hide folk who can't run, slide, turn and throw!

Glenn McGrath made a very good point about wicketkeeping in today's Daily Mail Ashes guide. That he would always pick the better keeper because taking 20 wickets in a match is the only way to win it.

__________________
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

True I am repeating myself but if you don't pick the better keeper, if the one selected scores 50, but drops a chance when a players is on 20, and that player goes onto make a ton, that's a net loss of 50 runs.

It happened in the first warm up match when Jaques was dropped early on, he scored over 100.

__________________
Ern

I think Andrew Symonds ran someone out with a direct hit from 2nd slip during the ICCCT final against the West Indies. Though, unlikely to happen in a test match - granted.

I can't really see any reason for saying the Australian or the English fielding is going to be being bad, im not sure about English fielding if Panesar plays.

__________________
Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Guys, you can bleat all you like, but the choice of keeper has been made, and some of us recognise the huge improvement the incumbent has made over the years which is a credit to him considering the stick he gets from his supposed supporters. if every thread is just gonna turn into a "lets have a pop at goJo before the series even starts" then this series might just be somewhat tedious. Remind me again which two players had the single biggest partnership of the last series?

As to the fielding, Giles has always struck me as a very useful gully fielder, so i see no reason to make him a slipper.

Of the current side, Collingwood is a class apart, but Ian Bell is a highly accomplished fielder also, Pietersen drops a few, but is second only to collingwood in general athleticim. Strauss is a usually fine second/third slipper. Flintoff too is a fine slipper.

Cook is a worry, as is Monty. the bowlers are generally not expected to be too useful, but all have decent arms from the outfield, and jimmy anderson has improved a lot as a fielder.

The aussies are a good side, but not all brilliant by any stretch. Justin Langer is adequate at best, whilst the others range from the good (Martyn, McGrath, Lee) to the outstanding (Ponting, Warne at slip usually)