The Ashes Hype: Who was right, who was wrong?

[Andy Mellon]

There's been a lot of talk over the past couple of months about famous cricketers and commentators building up or cutting down members of both teams. But after the first test, who has been right and who has been wrong?

Terry Alderman: "The reason he is suddenly getting more wickets now is that he bowls so negatively that batsmen get fed up, hit out and give their wickets away," he said. "I definitely believe if any of our batsmen get out to Giles in the Tests they should go and hang themselves. But I'm confident that won't happen."

Jeff Thomson: "The same goes for Hoggard. He's like a net bowler when you compare him to [Glenn] McGrath and [Michael] Kasprowicz." and "England will lose the five-Test series 3-0 and the margin will be worse for them if it doesn't rain"

Ernest: "Glenn McGrath is past it"

Glenn McGrath: "They [England] have improved, but I still feel they haven't improved enough." and "To me, this time, it's Vaughan and Strauss. I haven't decided on one. I'm targeting two."

Rodney Hogg: "This England attack is a really nasty mob - and they mean business."

Ricky Ponting: "We are more than happy to be talking to opposition players out on the field as long as it's not personal or abusive. I'm sure it will happen on this tour."

Chris Cairns: "Even my mother can lead this Australian side."

Richard Staple [USA Captain]: "I think some of the criticism was unfairly meted out. Ricky Ponting was especially sharp in his criticism, and now his team is having its share of problems with Bangladesh. It almost seems like what goes around, comes around."

From these quotes, it has to be said that the actual result of the first test does seem to support what the Aussie commentators were saying, and not backing up the England pundits. The individuals that the Aussies seem to have picked out (Hoggard and Giles) performed particularly badly and within the Aussie expectations in the First Test. I'm sure there were some Aussie pundits saying that England only had Harmison in their bowling attack, and apart from occasional sparks from Simon Jones and Flintoff getting Gilchrist, that also seems to have been bared out. Glenn McGrath's targeting of Strauss and Vaughan also appears to have paid off. The bowling of Harmison also seems to support Rodney Hogg's view.

I put in Richard Staple's and Chris Cairns' quotes to demonstrate the views of the neutral

So, Aussies, get your gloating in while you can. Can England improve for the 2nd test and turn things on their head?

Are there any other quotes that pundits have come up with that have been shown to be correct/incorrect?

[Beny]

Gezz Andy, I dont need any encouragment...

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Andy Mellon

Terry Alderman: "The reason he is suddenly getting more wickets now is that he bowls so negatively that batsmen get fed up, hit out and give their wickets away," he said. "I definitely believe if any of our batsmen get out to Giles in the Tests they should go and hang themselves. But I'm confident that won't happen."

Jeff Thomson: "The same goes for Hoggard. He's like a net bowler when you compare him to [Glenn] McGrath and [Michael] Kasprowicz." and "England will lose the five-Test series 3-0 and the margin will be worse for them if it doesn't rain"

Ernest: "Glenn McGrath is past it"

Glenn McGrath: "They [England] have improved, but I still feel they haven't improved enough." and "To me, this time, it's Vaughan and Strauss. I haven't decided on one. I'm targeting two."

Rodney Hogg: "This England attack is a really nasty mob - and they mean business."

Ricky Ponting: "We are more than happy to be talking to opposition players out on the field as long as it's not personal or abusive. I'm sure it will happen on this tour."

Chris Cairns: "Even my mother can lead this Australian side."

Richard Staple [USA Captain]: "I think some of the criticism was unfairly meted out. Ricky Ponting was especially sharp in his criticism, and now his team is having its share of problems with Bangladesh. It almost seems like what goes around, comes around."

Terry Alderman: Smack on the money; no man should ever get out to Ashley Giles.

Jeff Thomson: Wrong. Hoggard isn't a net bowler, he's more than that. Now talk of dropping him for one ordinary game? What a joke.

Ernest: Probably the most wrong view of them all. Who is this bloke?!?!

Glenn McGrath: The bunny business is rubbish but perhaps they haven't improved enough...

Rodney Hogg: Nah. Harmison does, but Hoggard and Freddie are still yet to convince me. As is Jones in the most important column of them all: W.

Chris Cairns: Yes. Anyone can lead or coach Australia, the lads do it for themselves.

Richard Staple: Stick to captaining the Yanks...

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Ernest: Probably the most wrong view of them all. Who is this bloke?!?!

No in one of my many posts to Rachael on the Ashes, I predicted that Australia would be favourites to win a Lords, and said England would win in the Shires.

I wrote England would be favourites at Headingly, only to find there is no Test there.

I think if England win next week, then a 2-1 Ashes win for England is still on.

Why do I say that?, we can't play as poor as that again, and drop as many catches.

And Englands batsmen must realise by now, they must not try and sweep Shane Warne, or I am afraid this series will be shane again, although I expect an England win soon, and a long way from not winning the Ashes.

In the great series of 81, we only managed a draw at Lords with Botham as captain, and went on to win easy, although this Aussie team is stronger.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Do you know what paoli, and this might sound a bit harsh, if Giles bowls a top or middle order aussie bat I want them to hang themsleves outside Aldermans house and let that prick pick up the funeral expenses.

[greg]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Terry Alderman: Smack on the money; no man should ever get out to Ashley Giles.

Hoggard and Freddie are still yet to convince me. As is Jones in the most important column of them all: W.

Do you still stand by your comments Paoli? Only Hoggard has failed to come up with the goods so far.

[Paoli]

Freddie's convinced me; remember he went for five an over in the first test 2nd innings. Giles still hasn't, he might get a three fer in the first innings but hasn't bowled well in the second. And Jones has had a good game. Good on him. I hope the English media doesn't expect him to turn into God overnight.

[Moss]

Hindsight makes for interesting reading.

I liked Chris Cairns's quote! A touch of the Boycott's mum syndrome...

[Beny]

I also belive that Cairns suggested that Warne was past his best and that the likes of Kumble, Singh, Mushtaq and Murali were all much better than he is.

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Terry Alderman

"The reason he is suddenly getting more wickets now is that he bowls so negatively that batsmen get fed up, hit out and give their wickets away," he said. "I definitely believe if any of our batsmen get out to Giles in the Tests they should go and hang themselves. But I'm confident that won't happen."

Well, I would say he is wrong about that... witness the "ball-of-the-century" from el rey de España (assuming you forget all those bowled by Warne, Muralitharan and any other decent Asian spinners) to dismiss Martyn in the third Test.

Originally Posted by Jeff Thomson

"The same goes for Hoggard. He's like a net bowler when you compare him to McGrath and Kasprowicz." and "England will lose the five-Test series 3-0 and the margin will be worse for them if it doesn't rain"

Well, I think he's probably wrong about that too. How ironic it is, that had it not been for the rain at Old Trafford (and theoretically the Oval too) Australia would have lost 4-1.

Originally Posted by Ernest

"Glenn McGrath is past it"

Yes, well, a bit gung-ho probably. Certainly too much hubris. The quote will be correct one day... it is perhaps not entirely so at the moment. Richard Hadlee took match figures of 8-150 (including 5-53 in the second innings) aged 39 in his final Test at Edgbaston. Glenn McGrath is positively a spring chicken by comparison.

Originally Posted by Glenn McGrath

"[England] have improved, but I still feel they haven't improved enough." and "To me, this time, it's Vaughan and Strauss. I haven't decided on one. I'm targeting two."

You could read this several ways. It is possible that England have not improved enough to beat a full strength Australian team. However, that which just left these shores was meant to be "the best team ever to play Test cricket." What happened there then Glenn?

And all that nonsense about: "yea well mate, it'll be a really hollow victory if you beat us when McGrath's not playing... you know, reckon we won't have our best team."
Right, like England have never had injuries to their bowlers... Gough, Flintoff, Simon Jones etc., I mean who was our bowling attack in Australia on the last tour. I remember Chris Silverwood coming out as a substitute and getting injured practically the moment he stepped onto the pitch. Yea, really hollow victory by the Aussies in Australia.

Originally Posted by Rodney Hogg

"This England attack is a really nasty mob - and they mean business."

Well, that's a pretty good summing up from my distant relative (probably). But I do wish Harmison meant as much business as he promised to mean during the Caribbean tour.

Originally Posted by Ricky Ponting

"We are more than happy to be talking to opposition players out on the field as long as it's not personal or abusive. I'm sure it will happen on this tour."

I like the suggestion on Channel Four that Pietersen (on 15, or was it 60) might have turned to Warne and said: "Mate, you just dropped the Ashes." Though I guess he could have said it to Hayden when he was on naught as well.
Ponting's longest conversation - that I witnessed (though not live, but on video as I was in Norway at the time) - with members of the England back up staff, involved the word "cheating" and several other less savoury ones after Gary Pratt threw down his stumps.

Originally Posted by Chris Cairns

"Even my mother can lead this Australian side."

Shades of Geoffrey Boycott indeed. I wonder how Mrs. Cairns would've done. It is quite easy to "lead a side" though merely leading it, does not necessarily direct it to victory. Perhaps Mrs. Cairns wouldn't've made 152 in the second innings at Old Trafford. But you never know!

Originally Posted by Richard Staple

"I think some of the criticism was unfairly meted out. Ricky Ponting was especially sharp in his criticism, and now his team is having its share of problems with Bangladesh. It almost seems like what goes around, comes around."

Perhaps the truest words in this short list. Though I do feel that every list of ridiculous quotes should contain somewhere the idiotic and eponymous: "swings and roundabouts."

Oh yes. Now you're talking my language.