Gets under way tomorrow in Cardiff.
Test 2 - Lords, 16 July
Test 3 - Edgbaston, 29 July
Test 4 - Trent Bridge, 6 August
Test 5 - The Oval, 20 August
Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi
Hon the Baggy Greens
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Great to see you starting the thread and getting used to the new forum lay-out, pal.
What are the expected first test teams, chaps?
ALASTAIR COOK (Captain)
Overtook mentor Graham Gooch as England’s most prolific run-scorer in history earlier this year and has looked close to his relentless best since the turn of the year. Still yet to persuade doubters of his captaincy, but he leads best when piling on runs from the top of the order.
JOE ROOT (vice-captain, 24, 27)
Now firmly established as one of the best young batsmen in world cricket, Root is an undoubted three-format star. Averages 33.18 against Australia, compared to a career mark of 54.11, and will be looking to put that right, while also one-upping old sparring partner David Warner.
MOEEN ALI (28, 11)
A potentially defining series for the richly talented Worcestershire man. His work-in-progress spin was a revelation against India last year but has gone backwards, while his batting prowess is compromised by his slot at number eight in the order.
JAMES ANDERSON (32, 104)
The gift that keeps on giving to England captains. Anderson has surpassed Sir Ian Botham as the country’s most successful Test bowler and become the first Englishman to 400 scalps already this year. Lethal in swing-friendly conditions.
GARY BALLANCE (25, 13)
The third fastest England batsman to 1,000 Test runs and already the proud owner of four centuries. Has faced questions over his technique of late but record suggests he has the answers.
IAN BELL (33, 110)
England’s man of the series when the Ashes last came to these parts in 2013, Bell will be hoping for another big performance. Struggled for form since a ton in Antigua, making 44 in four subsequent Tests.
STUART BROAD: (29, 79)
Still a bowler of peaks and troughs, who can appear innocuous when off the boil and unplayable when in the zone. His status as a three-time Ashes winner will stand in his favour, but his batting is now an afterthought.
JOS BUTTLER (24, 8)
It is a testament to Buttler’s progress that the retirement of Matt Prior has not considerably harmed England. A batsman of staggering range, but his glovework requires more consistency.
STEVEN FINN (26, 23)
An established part of the limited-overs set-up but not seen in the five-day game since the opening match of the 2013 Ashes. His natural attributes make him hard to let go but faces a struggle to force his way in.
MARK FOOTITT (29, 0)
With a decade of first-class cricket behind him, the Derbyshire seamer finally has the chance to fill England’s left-arm void. Has enough pace to succeed but Division Two to the Ashes could be a steep learning curve.
ADAM LYTH (27, 2)
Inked his name into the starting XI with a fine century in just his second appearance against New Zealand in May. A prolific scorer at domestic level but goes into the series short of top-level experience due to the botched Jonathan Trott recall.
LIAM PLUNKETT (30, 13)
Restored by Peter Moores last year with some success only for injury to force him out of the reckoning. A quick, hit-the-deck seamer with the ability to rattle batsmen, but may have been overtaken.
BEN STOKES (24, 11)
The Durham all-rounder bristles with the kind of ‘X Factor’ that makes Botham/Flintoff comparisons almost obligatory. Bold, brash and often brilliant, he stood tall as a rookie in the 2013/14 whitewash Down Under.
MARK WOOD (25, 2)
Impressed as a non-playing squad member in the West Indies before taking his chance in the New Zealand series. Has a natural trajectory that seems tough to read and can crank up the speed. Body may not be up to back-to-back Tests.
ADIL RASHID (27, 0)
It’s six years since England first toyed with the idea of handing a Test debut to the Yorkshire legspinner; he and we are still waiting. There is a school of thought that his loopy leg-breaks are too slow for the biggest stage. Also a capable and inventive lower-order batsman.
MICHAEL CLARKE (captain, Age 34, Caps 110)
This will be his fourth attempt to finally win the Ashes in England. A modern great, Clarke can do without a wipe-out like that to blight his brilliant career. He has 9,000 Test runs in his sights - the exact current tally of opposite number Alastair Cook. As captain, Clarke has the nous to bring the best out of a pedigree attack and a steely resolve to get what he wants. The urn in England is top of his list.
CHRIS ROGERS (37, 20)
A fixture since winning just his second cap at the age of 35 at the start of the last Ashes here, until having to miss two Tests in the Caribbean because of concussion. The opener has three Ashes hundreds and is on a run of six successive Test half-centuries. Australia will want to see him prove his recovery, though, after being hit in the nets last month.
DAVID WARNER (28, 38)
Rogers’ grit and Warner’s aggression have proved a winning combination. Warner has talked about toning down the chat and confrontation, but he will not be putting the big shots away. He missed the first two Tests of the last Ashes here after apparently being riled in a Birmingham bar by Joe Root, so will be wary of any false start this time.
STEVEN SMITH (26, 28)
A revelation over the past 18 months, and currently the world’s leading Test batsman. Best known for his dressing-room banter before becoming a run machine, and some retain doubts despite the overwhelming statistical evidence. Smith still has a homespun technique. But quirky methods, if allied to great talent, are no bar to lasting success - as Kevin Pietersen demonstrated for a decade.
ADAM VOGES (35, 2)
A middle-order Rogers in that, despite a prolific first-class career, he had to wait even longer than the opener to play Test cricket. It came ironically because of Rogers’ injury, and Voges responded with a man-of-the-match maiden century on debut last month. He is probably just ahead of Shaun Marsh for the last batting spot.
SHANE WATSON (34, 58)
Back for his third attempt to win the Ashes in England. He still balances the team from number six and with his nagging medium-pace. Others are more obvious headline acts, but Watson’s effectiveness could be a barometer of the tourists’ fortunes.
BRAD HADDIN (wkt, 37, 65)
Haddin was the man England simply could not dismiss for most of their miserable campaign Down Under two winters ago. In front and behind the stumps, he personifies Australia to many. One of the old stagers in the ‘Dad’s Army’ identified by ex-Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie, but Haddin is the toughest of nuts for England to crack.
MITCHELL JOHNSON (33, 66)
‘Which Mitch’ remains an Ashes imponderable. England lost 37 wickets at under 14 each to the irresistible version Down Under last time. Johnson was not even in the team, though, in 2013 and had a hapless time here four years earlier. If he fails to deliver, Australia have others who can in an outstanding pace attack.
MITCHELL STARC (25, 17)
‘This Mitch’ may well be the right answer. Left arm like Johnson, Starc operates at a fuller length and can swing the ball late. Many good judges believe Starc - in his second Ashes and fast improving - could hold the key this summer.
PAT CUMMINS (22, 1)
Called up as a replacement for the retired Ryan Harris, Cummins is a tall fast bowler who can cause plenty of problems. Had a sensational Test debut as an 18-year-old, taking a match total of seven wickets to set up two-wicket win against South Africa at the Wanderers.
NATHAN LYON (27, 41)
The groundsman who became Australia’s most successful off-spinner. Lyon looked in fine form on responsive surfaces in the Caribbean. England are being urged by some to target him if they can. It might not be a bad option in home conditions.
JOSH HAZLEWOOD (24, 5)
The tall seamer averages under 20 after five Tests, and made hay against some ‘mediocre’ West Indies batting. Those performances put him right in the mix to be part of a pace attack with plenty of competition for places.
FAWAD AHMED (33, 0)
Born in the far northern reaches of Pakistan, the leg-spinner had his Australia qualification processed in time for the last Ashes. Should he make a belated debut this summer, it is more likely to be as a final-straight punt than at Cardiff or Lord’s.
PETER SIDDLE (30, 56)
‘Bananaman’, as he was dubbed after revealing he eats up to 20 said fruit a day, is not the super-hero of the Australia line-up. But he is a reliable, combative, skilful and tireless seamer - and has an Ashes hat-trick on his CV too. He is no slouch with the bat down the order either.
MITCHELL MARSH (23, 4)
Brother of Shaun and son of former Australia opener Geoff, his present role is as Watson’s younger understudy. The former under-19s World Cup-winning captain has a bright Test future.
SHAUN MARSH (31, 14)
Probably the third man, behind Rogers and Voges, to fill the last batting spot. He could be carrying a few drinks with his little brother first, but has two Test centuries to his name - including on debut.
PETER NEVILL (wkt, 29, 0)
Another who will start in the reserve position behind driving force Haddin. He has a first-class career average in the mid-40s, however.
England will be unchanged from NZ series for the first Test at least. Cook, Lyth, Ballance, Bell, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Ali, Wood, Broad, Anderson. Ballance and Ali under most pressure there.
Two choices left open for the Aussies with Harris gone. I’d expect both Marsh brothers to miss out. Warner, Rogers/S Marsh, Smith, Clarke, Voges, Watson/M Marsh, Haddin, Johnson, Starc, Lyon, Hazelwood.
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Controversially, having spent some time in the company of Andrew flintoff, and being dismayed by the pathetic attempt by that loud mouthed fool David Warner, to pass off his punching of a very young Joe root, as a defence of Muslims, I hope England stick it down their arrogant wanker Aussie throats. The Aussie cricket team appear the equivalent in persona of the English rugby team at the last World Cup and come across as a bunch of pricks.
Brad Haddin is an intensely dislikable person. They are a team in the image of their coach, which works on the pitch but isn’t very pleasant.
Can this not be discussed in the Test Match Cricket thread?
We always have specific Ashes threads.
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hopefully we do this, ever since David Warner bet the shit out of Joe Root for being an islamaphobe Ive loved this oz team and hated the brits
Aussie Aussie Aussie-oi oi oi
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Its a huge test for this group of Australian players to win a test series in England something they’ve failed to do since 2001. Australia will probably have 7 starters tomorrow from the side that collapsed in Durham two years ago (losing their last 9 wickets for just 77 runs ) to hand England a 3-0 series win. That’s an awful lot of mental baggage in a team. They do have some promising young quicks in Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood but they should have been bolder in selection in their batting line up and cast aside the likes of Rogers, Watson and Haddin, all in their mid to late 30’s and all of whom have been serial failures in England.
Punter in with Sky.
It’s raining.
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
“If Cook can bat all day - stay there like I did - blunt the two attacking fast bowers, Johnson and Starc, then it will make us all feel better and think we really have a chance against this lot.”
England have won the toss and elected to bat. Teams confirmed.
England Team
AN Cook*, A Lyth, GS Ballance, IR Bell, JE Root, BA Stokes, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, SCJ Broad, MA Wood, JM Anderson
Australia Team
DA Warner, CJL Rogers, SPD Smith, MJ Clarke*, AC Voges, SR Watson, BJ Haddin†, MG Johnson, MA Starc, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon
Christ, get the fuck on with it.
Starc to Lyth, here we go.
Maiden over. Pretty dead looking pitch.