4th Ashes Test: Trent Bridge, 25-29, August: Pre-Match Thread

[Ernest]

Hi,
Sort of a deciding Test this at Tent Bridge, if England lose then they can't win the Ashes.
If Australia lose, then they can't win the series, but will still keep the Ashes with a win at the Oval.

A draw wil leave it all to play for at the Oval, after Old Trafford-what bet the draw?.

England have dominated this series up to now, even parts of the Lords Test, before they where thrashed.

Thing is, Australia can get better, can England?, well possible in the batting dept.

So who has the best chance of winning at Trent Bridge?.

Post your Pre Test Match Comments here please.

Thank's

[greg]

I think England will go in full of confidence and thinking they can win but Australia will come back hard in this game.Going to be very interesting to see who comes out on top.Just hope the weather doesn't interfere with the result this time.

We know what team England will pick but Australia have a dilemma for the back up seamer and maybe one batting slot.Are they brave enough to take a chance on Tait in such a huge match and will Katich or Hayden get the chop?One thing is certain Gillespie should only be on drinks duty this week.

[Beny]

England have dominated this series up to now, even parts of the Lords Test, before they where thrashed.

Ohh Please Ern... You got smashed at Lords. Nearly lost the un-loosable test at Edgbaston when we were minus McGrath, and drew the third test At Old Trafford...

[Sean Beynon]

I would argue, quite strongly, that England hold the initiative in this series. That is not to say that the Aussies won't come back, of course. I think the nine day break will have helped England a great deal more than Australia. The whole team looked so gutted after Old Trafford that another back-to-back game looked like it would have been a bridge too far. With the break though, they will have had time to prepare mentally and physically for Thursday. They will almost certainly be unchanged for Trent Bridge - can anyone remember when England went through a whole Ashes series unchanged. Injuries in this Test aside, it may well happen.

Australia, on the other hand, can't have gained too much in the week. Some runs for Hayden, Clarke, Langer, Martyn and Katich are obviously good for them, but scoring runs against Wright, Phillips, Jones, Brown and Panesar is not an enormous achievement for international batsman.

It seems, above all, that the series hinges on reverse swing. If the Aussies can master playing it, and if either Tait or Lee can start bowling it accurately and at pace, it will be difficult for England. If the ball doesn't reverse much at TB, it is vital that Hoggard and Harmison bowl well. If on the other hand, the ball is zipping around all over the place and the Aussies still have no idea how to respond England will, finally, take back the Ashes.

Mind you, long range forecast is rubbish for Thursday and Friday. What odds a draw and a shoot-out at the Oval?

[Sean Beynon]

Oh, and the other thing which must be good for England - McGrath and Warne's ridiculous over confidence. McGrath suggesting England had blown it was typical of him, but it seems that the Australians are ratcheting up the mind-games because they are desperately worried that they are in danger of losing.

[Trescothick]

Originally Posted by Beny

Ohh Please Ern... You got smashed at Lords. Nearly lost the un-loosable test at Edgbaston when we were minus McGrath, and drew the third test At Old Trafford...

Although Ern was at one extreme, you have now responded to his comment with the other extreme!! I think its a lot closer than both of you two think...

England did well in the bowling department at Lords however were never really on top for a substantial passage of play.
Edgbaston it varied however England had the more dominating passages of play and did deserve to win
Old Trafford was close however again England again were on top for MOST. Aussies played well to claim their draw so a close match...

This next test is too close to call.. I think we're evenly poised bar Mcgrath and Warne we just have to play better that the rest of the team.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Ernest

England have dominated this series up to now, even parts of the Lords Test, before they where thrashed.

Oh, I can face the world with a smile on my face having read that.

Side that's performed to date:

Langer
Clarke
Flintoff (bowling)
Warne (ball and bat)
McGrath (lords)
Jones (only when the ball's reverseing)

PPonting's been a one innings wonder... looking rank in between times... as have Vaughan and Strauss. Tresco's been exposed on technique and on temperament. Katich started well and has been struggling, as has Pietersen. Hayden's just been rubbish. Martyn's looked vulnerable but with signs of form. Both 'keepers have been ****. Gillespie's been a disaster. Kasprowicz was no better. Giles has been up and down. Lee has struggled.... and Hoggard might as well have been playing county cricket.

The question is... which team's actually going to actually start playing first: my guess is that one or the other will actually play 4-5-6 sessions in their first innings here.. and perhaps both... but I'm not going to bank on it!

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Oh, I can face the world with a smile on my face having read that.
The question is... which team's actually going to actually start playing first: my guess is that one or the other will actually play 4-5-6 sessions in their first innings here.. and perhaps both... but I'm not going to bank on it!

England did have some good sessions at Lords, with the ball.
The batting was rubbish, capitulating, helping McGrath get his wickets, any decent county attack would have bowled England out at Lords.
England dominated at Edgbaston, make no mistake about that, with tail ender coming to Australia's rescue, and it would not have gone down to 3 runs, had Simon Jones took that catch.

At Old Trafford, England bowled well enough to get 9 Aussie wickets on the last day, despite being handycapped having Hoggard in the team.

All credit to Australia for hanging on, but I thing had Chapple or keedy from Lancashire been bowling those last overs when our bowlers were knackered, it would have been a different tale, I bet a lot of members on this board could say the same.

England are still 1-1 despite loesing Thorpe, despite a skipper who has only made one real score, despite the handycap of Hoggard.
On those tracks where was Rob Key, what did you call him Rachael, a flat track bully.

[Collyisamackem]

I think that, after doing so well in the first test but not taking many wickets in the last two, Harmy could be due a big performance. If he hits top form then he could be a matchwinner in what I reckon will be another tight one.


England to win, but Australia to play well and make us fight hard for it.

[Pietersen24]

Im worried about this test. Im worried this will be the test in which the Aussies fire on all cylinders and win the test