1st Test: England v Australia

[King Pietersen]

Originally Posted by .::Stevo::.

Its time to load up the coffee machine for some late nights. ASHES IS HERE BAAABBYYY!!

Interesting to see if the poms throw in Harmy since he has the wood over Hughes and Ponting. Would also like to see some odds for another first ball HARMY BALL!

Probably incredibly unlikely. If he does play he certainly won't get the first over, that'll surely go to Jimmy Anderson. Unless Jimmy goes to pot first ball of course.

[Howsie]

Yeah I love all night cricket to

When NZ was over there last year I don't think I missed an over, no ones up wanting to change the channel.

I'll watch the first test as we are still on holiday, but after that I don't know.

[piriyanth]

Good thing School holidays are nearer when the ashes start, I can watch it all night.

[Sureshot]

Originally Posted by aussie1st

Well at least this time round I don't have Uni to go to! Probably have to skip some post tea session unless a result is pending. And hopefully Hughes is making big 100s, love watching our new guys bat.

Won't you have to get up for your work commitments?

[hMarka]

5am for me, no more lurking on PC late night for the next month

[aussie1st]

Originally Posted by Sureshot

Won't you have to get up for your work commitments?

One of the plus sides at being unemployed But if I get a job during this time, my Ashes time would be cut back majorly. Can't turn up to work falling asleep like at Uni.

[Maney2k9]

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Onions
Panesar

That's Englands 13-man squad, just announced.

[Hooper]

Pretty straight forward, glad Harmison isn't included.

[King Pietersen]

Panesar? FFS. The England selectors continue to piss me off. Seriously, I'd love to hear them try and justify that inclusion. I'm guessing the reason for Onions inclusion is performances in Domestic cricket primarily, so how come Panesar gets in with 6 wickets at 86? If he plays I will be annoyed. Bell shouldn't have been picked either, he's not done anything to warrant selection. Fats should have been called up.

[karnog]

Would've liked to see Moore. Showed some class and unlike Bell converted a start. Same age too. And Monty. Lol. Please pick Monty and drop Anderson for Onions. Please. Anderson is rubbish

[King Pietersen]

Denly looked better than Moore. Samit Patel should have been picked in a 12 man squad, with Panesar and Bell taken out. Fats offers more than both of them combined, and could have played and batted 6 or 7 if the pitch was a Bunsen.

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Pietersen
Collingwood
Patel
Prior +
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson

That would have been a heck of alot stronger than a team that includes Bell or Panesar.

[mattfb]

Harmison was surely unlucky to not be picked but you can't really go off one good game. I'm sure Freddie and Anderson will study Harmisons bowling to hughes and replicate it.

[King Pietersen]

Broad's more likely to try and replicate it, not Anderson. Anderson's a pitch up swing bowler, he never looks anywhere near as effective when bowling back of a length. Hopefully he won't get sucked into bowling constantly short all series, will lose his main weapon if he does.

[nz0003]

Test squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar.

Pretty decent, disappointed they left out Sideass.

[manee]

Originally Posted by King Pietersen

Panesar? FFS. The England selectors continue to piss me off. Seriously, I'd love to hear them try and justify that inclusion. I'm guessing the reason for Onions inclusion is performances in Domestic cricket primarily, so how come Panesar gets in with 6 wickets at 86? If he plays I will be annoyed. Bell shouldn't have been picked either, he's not done anything to warrant selection. Fats should have been called up.

Fats probably should have been in for Bell, but Monty is a pretty standard pick. He has Test wickets and England need a second spinner for the squad, not really anyone else they could turn to.