yes handy andy muppets . we dont want to lose 5-nil

In which case the top 6 better score a ton of runs...

He didn't make much difference last time.

If he only plays one decent innings in three, having Flintoff at 7 makes a massive difference to the England lineup. Without him the tail just looks too long. Even if we get to 300-4 the Aussies will know they're only a couple of wickets away from finishing of our innings.

Even if you had Bresnan in though, the top 6 need to make big scores. Bresnan's first class average is 27 and to be honest I can't see Bresnan making a Test fifty against the Aussies so he's hardly going to contribute massively.

He may have a bit more staying power than the rest of the tail but if he's not going to get many runs, I'd say there's more benefit in having an extra front line bowler.

In agree with your point though, the top 6 are going to need to make some runs.

that's their job, in 05 many of the team stood up at different times and put in a performance - we need more of the same

If at any point we are 100-6 then I wouldn't have much hope of winning to be honest...

we will see. we aussies can handle pommy conditions

Hauritz looks ike it

Whatever criticism people level at Flintoff, the fact remains, that along with Pieterson, he is one of the few players that the Aussies actually fear.

Yes, 2005 was a long time ago now, but the massive influence that Freddie had over that series still haunts the Aussies to this day....It does baffle me that Ian Botham got an Ashes series named after him when taking on a pretty average Aussie outfit, yet, in my opinion, Flintoff's 2005 contribution, against the World's best, was much more impressive a feat.

Simple fact remains that if England are to win (and I believe they won't), then Flintoff will have to have a big series, because England do not possess anybody close to him in terms of sheer presence.

Hughes and Ponting already back in the hutch, Aussies 30-2 against the Lions.

One each for Onions and Harmison.

England experimenting with two spinners in the Warwickshire game...

Harmison 6-2-6-1

Onions 6-1-16-1

Dont rate that Hughes at all im just glad hes in the squad and not a Hayden/Langer they are a young team with hradly any expeirance of the english conditions the variable bouce and the swing (Orthodox and Reverse) 2-0 englanmd for me Pieterson or Flintoof MOS

pameson onions on toast please

but freddie is a drunk

all aussies are drunk after 3 pints of your kangaroo . Lightweights

Good job Mike Hussey is holding the innings together, Michael Clarke gone cheaply to Bresnan.

Mind, KP has gone and got himself dismissed by Rikki Clarke for just 1 at Edgebaston, so nothing to gloat about there,

Wouldnt worry about Pieterson hes going to give us a real big series

Aus 284-6

Eng 268-7, good job Cook got a ton.

The same Phil Hughes who has an average of almost 70?? Yeah he's turd him!!

And as for them being a young squad - pffft, its one of the oldest squads to come over for a long while...there's just 3 players 26 and under, 7 who are over 30 and 4 who are 28/29...and a few of them have played CC over here for a fair bit of time - M Clarke, S Clark, M Hussey, S Katich, M North, S Watson not to mention others such as Ponting and Lee who have toured here at least once before.

Is it just me that's starting to question oggy123's knowledge of cricket?


I think we've got a good chance, but it won't be a walkover. Say what you like about this Aussie side, it's still a very talented squad. And I do feel some people have unrealistic expectations of this England squad as well.

Yes, and Sir Ian Botham was an upstanding, teetotal gent, who wouldn't say boo to a goose...



Seriously, I'd take a drunk Freddie Flintoff over a sober Shane Watson...

From brief discussions I have had with people who aren't really cricket fans but are ready to jump on any bandwagon that gets going they seem to think that the sport was suspended in September 2005, and England are just as good now as they were then.

I have to agree, he seems to lack a certain grasp of the game, the most obvious one his prediction that 3 of the tests will be draws???...



Unless the weather takes a drastic turn for the worse, then I can't see there being many drawn tests, as the recent trend for test cricket suggests that most matches now reach a positive conclusion....Even back in '05, the 2 drawn tests were arguably only so becuase of some poor weather.

My own prediction??...3-2 or 3-1 to the Aussies.

Good day batting wise for Alistair Cook, not so good days for just about all of the others.

Good day bowling wise for Bresnan, Harmison and Onions, whereas Mahmood and Rashid haven't done much to advance their claims.