Cricket's most celebrated rivalry resumes tonight, when England and Australia start their five-test Ashes series.
As regular readers will be aware, all of us at Keeping Stock (me, myself AND I) are cricket tragics, with a particular love of the test game. The last Ashes series in England produced some stunning cricket as the English team upset the Ockers to win back the coveted urn. The return series in Australia 18 months later was anti-climactic, with the English getting a towelling.
This series shapes as one of the more even Ashes in recent memory. Cricinfo, our cricketing Bible carries a preview of the first Ashes test to be played, of all places, at Cardiff. Both sides will bring good batting form to the series, but it will be the bowling where the Ashes are won and lost. Local wisdom suggests that the Cardiff pitch will turn, and with Panesar and Swann both likely to play, we reckon that the English might have an advantage in this first test match. Australia has yet to find a spinner who is even a shadow of Shane Warne, whereas Panesar has taken giant strides in the last couple of years, and is a genuine wicket-taker. And Andrew Flintoff's form and fitness will be critical to England's prospects of a series win.
Anyway, we are keenly anticipating the first ball being bowled tonight. Coverage from Cardiff begins at 9.30pm on SkySport 2, and best of all, it's in high-definition! Our MySky HDI decoder is likely to earn its keep over the next wee while!!
9 comments:
An interesting series is in store for those of us who can sit up late. I will probably watch the first session tonight and go from there.
I think the key to the series will be whether Ponting has regained control of his side. They were somewhat of a rabble at home last summer. In Michael Johnson I think they may have the best wicket taking bowler in either team but he can `go for a few'.
Batting is the question mark for both teams but with Bopara at three the poms could be exposed early. Pettersen will get runs at some stage but is he just a `flat track bully' like Hick?
Time will tell.
Witty, and informative preview of the series here
Ponting will be retiring in tears. And that is the way it should be.
I have posted on this at my place.
First blood to England - they've won the toss and will bat. More significantly, with the two spinners playing, they'll bowl last on a wearing pitch.
Bring it on!
Advance Australia fair, sung by some eejit ginga...
COME ON ENGLAND
Amen to that BB - I'm backing the Poms. It was a nice touch having the Welsh anthem too - a rather unique match - played at a "neutral" venue!
maybe rain from day three.
Honours pretty much even after day 1, although I doubt that's the message I'll receive when I get to our office in Melbourne this morning...
Inv2
You and your readers might enjoy this video
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