Ashes 2013/14

[OzVilla]

Going on Thursday and starting to get a little nervous.  All the Aussie batsmen scoring heavily domestically.

Hope we select Rankin personally as the Aussies haven't seen him and he's probably the quickest of the trio. They'll look to go after Finn while Tremlett is nowhere near his best.

Aussies not lost at the Gabba for 24 year. They call it the Gabbatoir.

[paul_e]

The figures from the 2nd innings sum up Finn for me, got 3 in 20.3 for 88, rankin got 3 for 44 in a similar number of overs.  Without seeing the game I might be wrong but I'd guess there will be a 20 from overs in there from Finn, which happens a lot.

I'd play Rankin if I'm honest, he's looked the best of the 3 from what I've seen and his figures are good.

[tomd2103]

Tremlett was very good on the last tour in Australia- I think he's pretty much odds on to start in Brisbane - Finn can be too wayward at times - the Aussies have a great record at  the gabba - we need to  stop them winning this test and I think we will go on to take the series - defeat in Brisbane for us would give the Aussies a huge lift - I'd be happy to take the draw and move on.

Regarding prior - I think he will probably be fit -

Cook, carberry, trott, pieterson, bell, root, prior, broad, swann, tremlett, Anderson .

Yep, I too think that will be the line up.  Still got my concerns about Carberry, but he has earned his chance.  Very confident of a series win.   

[PaulWinch again]

Tremlett was very good on the last tour in Australia- I think he's pretty much odds on to start in Brisbane - Finn can be too wayward at times - the Aussies have a great record at  the gabba - we need to  stop them winning this test and I think we will go on to take the series - defeat in Brisbane for us would give the Aussies a huge lift - I'd be happy to take the draw and move on.

Regarding prior - I think he will probably be fit -

Cook, carberry, trott, pieterson, bell, root, prior, broad, swann, tremlett, Anderson .

Yep, I too think that will be the line up.  Still got my concerns about Carberry, but he has earned his chance.  Very confident of a series win.   

The good thing for Carberry is that it would be hard for his partnership with Cook to go as badly as Root and Cook went in the summer. They're both fine players, but they didn't produce any solid partnerships in the summer.

[eastie]

Agreed, root seemed a better batsman at number 6 , and Bairstow failed to make the spot his last summer .

[spangley1812]

The weather is going to play a part......We need to come out with a draw at least, I would go with Rankin but Tremlett looks like he will play, lets hope Prior is fit

[peter w]

I think that they may spring a surprise and name Rankin. all 3 are in shape and I don't think that they would drop him for the last game if he was going to play. They may still pick him, but a bowler who hasn't been in good form would surely benefit from another game if he was going to start the test.

[paul_e]

I think that they may spring a surprise and name Rankin. all 3 are in shape and I don't think that they would drop him for the last game if he was going to play. They may still pick him, but a bowler who hasn't been in good form would surely benefit from another game if he was going to start the test.

I hope so, he's the form player of the 3 for me and deserves the chance, Tremlett doesn't look like the same bowler who came in and did so well against them last time, his pace is down and they're not spitting up out of the pitch now like they did in that series whereas Rankin appears to be getting those.  Finn I'm still not confident of his amended action (to avoid the stumps), it just doesn't look like it feels natural to him, we should've sent him  back to his county in the summer and let him have a full program bowling as many overs as he could, as is it just looks too raw, which leads to some really bad spells from him.

[OCD]

It's not stopped Finn taking the most wickets out of the warm-up games.

[PaulWinch again]

Compton was good on 5live last night, he seems to have lost is bitterness and is adopting a much better attitude.

[Simon Ward]

Compton was good on 5live last night, he seems to have lost is bitterness and is adopting a much better attitude.

Will Truman and Edrich be fit to play though?

[PaulWinch again]

It would be nice if we could start a series well and really go at the Aussies.

[bertlambshank]

No work till Monday.I just can't wait.I still expect England to pull a rabbit out by playing Rankin.

[eastie]

Some heavy rain and torrential storms forecast for the middle 3 days - I fancied the draw before seeing the forecast - even more so now.
I think if the Aussies want to win the series a win in Adelaide is a must for them - think it will be a draw and England will win the series 2-1.
Bring it on!

[taylorsworkrate]

Some heavy rain and torrential storms forecast for the middle 3 days - I fancied the draw before seeing the forecast - even more so now.
I think if the Aussies want to win the series a win in Adelaide is a must for them - think it will be a draw and England will win the series 2-1.
Bring it on!

Must be looking at a different forecast. No rain first 3 days, slight chance of rain on the 4th, no rain on the 5th