Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07

[kevshat]

Starting this thread early as along with the Ryder Cup, The Ashes is the biggest other sports event of the year. We've got a few contributing to the cricket threads now so hopefully we can get some good discussion going before the series starts and hopefully have a good and profitable series (with England retaining the urn hopefully ;) ) Here's the schedule for England's tour of Australia.

November 2006
Fri 10	Prime Minister's XI v England XI Manuka Oval, Canberra
Sun 12 - Tue 14	New South Wales v England XI Sydney Cricket Ground
Fri 17 - Sun 19	South Australia v England XI Adelaide Oval
Thu 23 - Mon 27	1st Test - Australia v England Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
December 2006
Fri 1 - Tue 5	2nd Test - Australia v England Adelaide Oval
Sat 9 - Sun 10	Western Australia v England XI W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth
Thu 14 - Mon 18	3rd Test - Australia v England W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth
Tue 26 - Sat 30	4th Test - Australia v England Melbourne Cricket Ground
January 2007
Tue 2 - Sat 6	5th Test - Australia v England Sydney Cricket Ground
Tue 9	Only Twenty20 International - Australia v England Sydney Cricket Ground
Fri 12	Australia v England Melbourne Cricket Ground
Tue 16	England v New Zealand Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Fri 19	Australia v England Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Tue 23	England v New Zealand Adelaide Oval
Fri 26	Australia v England Adelaide Oval
Tue 30	England v New Zealand W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth
February 2007
Fri 2	Australia v England Sydney Cricket Ground
Tue 6	England v New Zealand Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Fri 9	1st Final - TBC v TBC Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sun 11	2nd Final - TBC v TBC Sydney Cricket Ground
Tue 13	3rd Final - TBC v TBC Adelaide Oval

I'll create a thread for the VB Series nearer the time but I don't think it's worthwhile yet with the ICC Champions Trophy upcoming. So we've got a 5 test series with 2 lots of back to back tests which is similar to last summer over here. England squad to go to Aus is: Andrew Flintoff (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Ashley Giles, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones, Sajid Mahmood, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Chris Read, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick. The selectors have also picked a 14 man "academy" squad as cover for the test squad. That squad is: Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Rikki Clarke, James Dalrymple, Steven Davies, Ed Joyce, Robert Key, Jon Lewis, Graham Onions, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Tom Smith, Chris Tremlett, Michael Yardy. So away we go. The countdown begins here :loon . I'll post up some current odds and original thoughts in a few minutes. If anyone sees any stories or markets feel free to post them up :ok

[TheRat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 I really can't see us retaining the ashes. We are missing Jones, and I'm starting to have reservations about Hoggard. The bowlers coming through lack experience, espcially in an event like this, and it will be a massive test for them. Vaughn, who was brilliant last time down under, allbeit without the captaincy burden if i recall, is missing also. Cook and Bell have both been great this summer, but I would question Bell's mental toughness in situations like this, and Cook also has not played in a series like this. The ozzie team is ageing also, but their experience on home turf will be key, and they still have some great players coming through like Jaques, and they will desperatly want to restore pride and win back the ashes on home turf. Just some early thoughs, but all the same I cannot wait!!!

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 My initial thoughts are that the squad is a bit lop-sided. Batting wise I've no problems, they are without doubt our best 6 frontline batsmen however we look very light in the bowling attack. I'm not sure about Plunkett in Test cricket yet and Anderson hasn't played for 9 months. Harmison is injured leaving us with Hoggard and Saj with Monty providing the spin. Having said that even Hoggard pulled out of Yorkshire's Championship match this week. I'd have thought rather than taking both Plunkett and Anderson, Broad or Lewis would have been better off going. Australia aren't the side they were 5 years ago though. Most of them are aging and although there is new talent there, it's not coming through yet and I doubt they'd go to them for this series anyway. I'm not convinced the 16 they've named as the squad will actually be the squad that arrives in Australia so there's a way to go yet but I'll be interested to see how the bowlers go in the coming weeks. It appears Anderson will get a 4 day game in for Glamorgan next week as part of his build up and he'll have the Champions Trophy but I'd like him to get a few games in for an Aussie side if possible. It's gonna be a great series and I'm sure there'll be twists and turns both in the lead up to the series and in the series itself!

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Current series odds:

Best odds/All odds
Australia	1.33	1.33	1.36	1.36	1.36	1.4	1.4	1.36	1.33	1.36	1.36	1.36	1.4	1.36	1.36	1.33	1.41	1.41
England	5	5	4.5	4.75	4.5	4.5	5	4.5	5	4.5	4.5	4.75	4.5	4.33	4.5	5	5.8	5.74
Draw	6.5	6.5	6	7	6	6	6	6	6.5	6	6.5	7	6	6.5	6.5	6	7.3	7.34

Current 1st Test odds:

Best odds/All odds
Australia	1.5	1.5	1.44	1.5	1.5
Draw	3.6	3.75	3.75	3.75	3.4
England	6	5.5	6	6	6.5

England to retain the Ashes:

Best odds/All odds
No	1.36	1.36	-
Yes	3	3	2.87

Will be interesting to see how these odds change in the coming weeks.

[trevor8]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Hi dont like to say but siding with Aussie victory have put a bet odds of 1.44.Ever since the ashes loss they have been plotting their revenge new players plus a record of 11 wins and 1 draw in their last 12 tests.They will be strong, us we have a number of injuries the key one i think Vaughn out which i think is massive.Will see what odds change in the next few months depending on fitness Giles Hoggard Flintoff etc.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Jimmy Anderson is playing for Lancs in the Championship this week. He's only allowed to bowl 12 overs a day but at least he's got a bit of cricket. Currently bowled 10 overs but yet to take a wicket.

[davidmphill]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07

Jimmy Anderson is playing for Lancs in the Championship this week. He's only allowed to bowl 12 overs a day but at least he's got a bit of cricket. Currently bowled 10 overs but yet to take a wicket.

Good to have Jimmy back bowling. Big fan of his. went off the boil a bit but came back well of late.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07

Good to have Jimmy back bowling. Big fan of his. went off the boil a bit but came back well of late.

I think he was poorly managed tbh. I see the ECB haven't given him a central contract for next summer which I think is a good idea but the lad showed what he's got in the ODI series out in India. If he reproduces that in the ICC we might yet have an outside chance.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 It appears Fred could bowl in the ICC Champions Trophy after all http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/260698.html He reckons in the best shape ever. If that's true that's a massive plus for us this winter.

[davidmphill]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Great news if Freddie's able to bowl cos do fcuk will we need him fully fit down there.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Couple of interesting side markets from Expekt.

Best odds/All odds
Australia -1.5 Tests	1.75
England +1.5 Tests	2.1

Who will score the first Ton of the Series

Best odds/All odds
Hayden, M	5.5
Ponting, R	5.5
Hussey, M	7
Langer, J	7
Pietersen, K	8
Jaques, P	11
Martyn, D	11
Strauss, A	11
Trescothick, M	11
Cook, A	17
Bell, I	19
Gilchrist, A	21
Collingwood, P	26
Watson, S	26
Clarke, M	29
Flintoff, A	34
Symonds, A	34
Read, C	101

[Mr Flamboyant]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 I wouldn't despair if I were an England fan just yet .. I'd love nothing more than for Australia to get back to it's old winning ways against the old enemy, but I think all this talk about Australia gaining revenge is a far too premature. For all the troubles England is having at the moment with regard to injuries and form of certain players, Australia has a couple of grey areas too. Our middle order is still suspect to say the least. Batting positions 4 to 6 have been a big problem for Australia since the last Ashes series and the selectors seem no closer to solving the puzzle. Ok we know Mike Hussey will be there somewhere, but who will bat around him? Surely Damien Martyn won't be recalled (again) while Michael Clarke has hardly set the world on fire at any level since his dumping from the test side. With England's bowlers capable of getting the older ball to move, Australia's middle order is crucial. A fit Andrew Flintoff is also capable of posing huge problems to Australia with the ball in particular. He and Steve Harmison will relish the faster, bouncier bowling conditions out here. Australia's fast bowling stocks still have a couple of question marks attached to them as well. How will Glen McGrath, at 36 years of age, aim up in this series after missing a lot of cricket in the last 12 months? Will Brett Lee be a strike weapon once his initial burst with the new ball is over..? Who will be the Aussies' third seam bowler? Jason Gillespie was recalled for the series against Bangladesh and did brilliantly against the test minnows with ball and bat, but he's surely carrying some major mental scars from the 2005 series in England. I just hope it's somewhere near as brilliant a contest as last year's series was. If both teams bring their best it surely will be.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 :welcome Mr Flamboyant. Hope to see you around the cricket threads mate. I agree with you entirely. Your middle order cost you bigtime over here. Normally when you was in trouble Gilchrist would come in, bash it to all parts and rescue the situation but that didn't happen over here. Quotes I've seen today suggest Shane Watson is pushing for a starting place. I'm a big Hampshire fan and while I like what he did for us I don't see him strengthening a middle order.

[Mr Flamboyant]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07

:welcome Mr Flamboyant. Hope to see you around the cricket threads mate. I agree with you entirely. Your middle order cost you bigtime over here. Normally when you was in trouble Gilchrist would come in, bash it to all parts and rescue the situation but that didn't happen over here. Quotes I've seen today suggest Shane Watson is pushing for a starting place. I'm a big Hampshire fan and while I like what he did for us I don't see him strengthening a middle order.

It's amazing ever since the Ashes loss Australia has talked itself into believing it too needs a world class allrounder like Flintoff .. But it's no good wishing for something you don't have .. I don't think Watson is ready to provide a significant contribution with either bat or ball at the moment (at test level). Australia would be better served shoring up it's middle order with specialist batsmen and going with three in-form quicks and Warne .. or two spinners where the conditions suit .. Watson would be a big gamble to throw into an Ashes series as even as this one ..

[swooperman]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Those Expekt odds on the 1st ton make interesting reading :unsure I have to think that odds of 17.0 & 19.0 on Cook & Bell respectively are pretty big when you compare them with people like Jacques @ 11.0 When you consider what Bells done this summer then he'll go into the series full of confidence, albeit I guess he has to prove he can score against attacks other than Pakistan & the Bangles. Looks very one eyed & lop sided to me :unsure

[miguel_hamburglar]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Ok nothing to do with betting but, the talking VB beer Boonie doll (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Boon) has a partner in crime this year for the ashes, or tashes. Check out https://www.boonanza.com.au/ Boonie was the hottest thing in Aus last year, some of the things he would say were so funny and often at the most inappropriate times. Can someone let me know if it looks like these will be released in England for the Ashes?

[davidmphill]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Gobshite Glenn McGrath has opened his mouth again and gone for another 5-0 prediction in favour of Australia! When will he ever learn to keep it shut. All Fletcher has to do is pin that up on the dressing room and get the guys to shove his words back down his throat. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/australia/4801737.stm

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Aye keep talking Glenn, we've made you look stupid once and I'm sure we'll be happy to do so again. And keep your eyes open for startegically placed cricket balls this time eh?! :rollin

[Mr Flamboyant]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07

Gobshite Glenn McGrath has opened his mouth again and gone for another 5-0 prediction in favour of Australia! When will he ever learn to keep it shut. All Fletcher has to do is pin that up on the dressing room and get the guys to shove his words back down his throat. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/australia/4801737.stm

Yeah I'm sure McGrath's teammates are quietly cursing over that .. This is typical of what I mentioned in my earlier post in this thread .. There's a cockiness about Australia that concerns me. The attitude almost seems to be that it's Australia's "right" to regain the Ashes this time :lol because it'll be the swansong for quite a few of our senior players. Like I've said all along, Australia has plenty of work to do to shore up a couple of weaknesses .. namely the third fast bowling spot and the middle order. If the Aussies go into this series with anything less than a ruthless hunger they'll get rolled again ..

[davidmphill]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/6099330.stm Some good archive footage to get you in the mood, especially 1981! Don't think members outside the UK can view!

[BAM]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 wayhahay :ok:ok http://www.punterslounge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37101

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07

Specials: England To Win A Test Thursday 23 November 2006

Best odds/All odds Yes 1.72 No 2 Now that the ICC Trophy is coming to it's conclusion it's time to begin the countdown to the Ashes which after all is only 18 days away :cow Time for my 1st bet on the series. 10pts England to win a test 8/11 Coral This is a silly price. I refuse to believe that no matter how the series pans out in Australia that England won't win a test match. Glenn McGrath keeps on chirping about Australia winning the series 5-0 but that's never going to happen. England have more than enough firepower to win a test match whether it be a live test or a dead one.

[Beejayville]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Chinks in England's armour AUSTRALIA is plotting to target England's inexperienced trio of Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Monty Panesar as it insists the Ashes holders are the team under the most pressure. Skipper Ricky Ponting has turned up the heat on the trio who have played just 37 Tests between them. The Australians believe batting hopes Bell and Cook will be jolted out of their comfort zones on bouncy pitches, while spinner Panesar could be unsettled by rowdy crowds. "We are going to scrutinise their games pretty heavily and try and find their weaknesses and faults," Ponting said. "I think in Australia, with the sort of pace and bounce we are going to be able to get on our wickets, that might hopefully bring Cook and Bell undone." Bell was completely befuddled by Shane Warne in the last Ashes series, in which he averaged just 17. But the plucky batsman has reinvented himself and now boasts the impressive average of 47 after 18 Tests. "Bell is technically pretty sound and it's going to be how he reacts to the pressure we put on him through the series," Ponting said. Australia claims its post-2005 Ashes record (winning 11 of its past 12 Tests) shows it is back on track, while England has been set back by major injury blows and troubled by fluctuating form. Asked who would start the Ashes under the most pressure, Ponting said: "It's definitely England. There's more questions being asked of them and their team and their fitness and everything at the moment than there is of us."

[Beejayville]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 It has been confirmed today that Boxing Day Test is a sell out on that day. That means around 100,000 or so people will be at the ground and that is going to be a magic day. From what i can gather the remaining 4 days of the test are close to sold out too and only a few remaining tickets left. Going to be an amazing experience for those that are there, especially the English team themselves playing in front of so many people. Imagine as 98,000 people roar when an English wicket falls :nana Imagine the long walk back to the dressing room for the English cricketers after losing their wicket with 98,000 Aussies screaming well meant insults all the way to the boundary fence :cow

[davidmphill]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Here comes the Aussies trying to psychologically intimidate us again. Signs of desperation if you ask me! Ian Bell is a lot better a player now than he was last time he faced the Aussies. He proved that this summer. Monty Panesar is fast becoming the best finger spinner in the world and if Pakistani's and Sri Lankan's struggled to come to terms with him in England then hes heading in the right direction. Alistair Cook looks a solid player who values not giving away his wicket. Any youngster who can score centuries on the sub continent on debut is ok with me. I'm sure these guys can cope with the Aussie bully boy tactics. My main worry is Sajid Mahmood, for me he's not the finished article and we're really going to miss Simon Jones who had the Aussie batters tied up in knots in England. Another concern for me is the wicket keeper with Read seemingly out of form and Jones having struggled last summer. For the Aussies Jason Gillespie has been ruled out of the warm uo match against England on Friday with a shoulder injury.

[Beejayville]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 I might take a keener interest as it gets closer to game time, and might update the thread with some of the news coming out of Australia for you english punters with an interest. I was one Aussie who was glad England had a win in the last series cos at least it breathed new life into it and that's great for cricket on the whole. At least the English took it up to the Aussies and that was good to see. The Boxing Day test will be a big event over here, bigger than usual, as it is big here whoever we play. The MCG is completely renovated now to seat 100,000 and the atmosphere will be electric. Should be something to look forward to for players off both sides, and the crowd that are there.

[Beejayville]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 England arrive in Australia to defend the Ashes England's cricketers have arrived in Australia for their three-month tour and Ashes defence. The squad of 16 players and 10 support staff, led by captain Andrew Flintoff, left via a side exit at Kingsford-Smith Airport at 8.30am (AEDT) and boarded a bus for the team hotel. About 30 fans, including a small dedicated group bearing Barmy Army t-shirts and St George flags, met the group and cheered as the players boarded the bus. Flintoff and his team remained tight-lipped upon arrival, despite a large contingent of reporters and photographers there to greet them. However most of the England players appeared in good spirits, and bowlers Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard recorded the group's arrival on their personal video cameras. Flintoff will hold a press conference at the team's hotel at 4pm (AEDT) today, while the rest of the squad will be available for interview tomorrow during a team media session. England officially starts its Ashes tour on Friday with a one-day match against the Prime Minister's XI, in Canberra. The first Test against Australia will be played in Brisbane, starting November 23.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Just how much shit are the Aussies going to come out with? We've already had the monotonous 5-0 crap from McGrath (just like last year eh Glenn) and now Ponting's come out with "with us being the favourites that puts the pressure on them" What is that all about? You being favourites last year did you a fat lot of good didn't it? Pillock. When are the Aussies going to realise that we are not going to give a shite about the stuff they are blurting out? Fred and the gang will be sitting in their hotel laughing at them! Anyway it's time for bet 2 - Top England Bowler.

Best odds/All odds
Harmison, S	3.25	3	3.75	3	3.5	3.6
Flintoff, A	3	2.87	3.75	3	3.5	3.65
Hoggard, M	5	4	5	4	4.5	4.7
Panesar, M	4.5	6	4.5	4.5	4.5	5.6
Mahmood, S	9	9	11	9	10	8
Anderson, J	10	13	11	13	11	11.5
Plunkett, L	15	15	15	15	21	14
Giles, A	17	21	15	21	15	15
Pietersen, K	151	-	-	-	-	-
Collingwood, P	101	-	81	-	201	-
Bell, I	101	-	251	-	-	-

3pts S.Mahmood Top England Bowler 10/1 Expekt Sajid Mahmood has taken 15 wickets in his 5 tests so far. As a young guy he's taken a fair amount of stick in his international career already but there is talent in him. I think this price is silly really. Sajid currently has the no8 spot in the side and given the way Fletcher likes fast, aggressive bowlers it's pretty much booked in barring him getting injured. I think the conditions in Australia will suit him and he's a tall guy who will get lots of nounce oout there and can sling it through at a fair old pace as well. The reason England did so well in the Ashes last summer was on the back of unplayable reverse swing from Simon Jones. Sajid Mahmood, who is quicker than Jones can also extract reverse swing and will trouble the Australian batsmen. When we look at the competition for Saj from England's other bowlers we can draw more confidence for this bet. Harmison - many people's (not mine I must say) tip to win this market hasn't been bowling well probably since The Oval last year and apart from the Caribbean tour has never gone well away from home. Hoggard, probably England's best and certainly most improved bowler of the last 2 seasons is only likely to find conditions allowing him to swing the ball while he has a new cherry in his hand and Flintoff is walking wounded these days. No doubt he'll have a big series but whether he has the effect of last summer is open to doubt. Monty Panesar will be right in the game at places such as Sydney and Adelaide but whether conditions suit him for the other 3 tests we will have to wait and see. So having gone through the contenders and the conditions, I think Sajid is well worth a punt.

[ads25]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 Too be honest, the only thing stopping England losing this series 5-0 is rain. But given the fact that it hasnt rained in Australia for months and its the biggest drought probably ever, theres a fat chance of that happening...:D

[888]

Re: Cricket: The Ashes 2006/07 :D:D Gotta love the Ashes rivarly spirit ! Btw I think Freddy isn't laughing at us, maybe hes searching for a magician in Africa :loon through his agent to summon rain on the test matches :lol The Spell : Azdasduukadabraa.. Azalakama.. :notworthy RAIN :notworthy RAIN :notworthy:notworthy RAIN !! Dunno if the spell works or not thou :rollin Anyway I'm just jkz Barmy Army, lets not get too deep but gotta love the rivarly and banter prior to Ashes. Anyway back to cricketing side, its interesting to see if we really need younger guys on the team as Dennis Lillee said. But I do think this is not a white wash by us. I would say something like 3-2 and should be pretty tight as long as England bowlers can hit top form again, like Harmison who had been vital last ashes but yet he has been out of form recently. We shall see ! OH ! And I forgot it could be 2 - 1 or 2 - 0 if the mage Freddy hired managed to get his/her spells right :tongue2