The Ashes. 2013/14

[doctordb]

So it starts all over again tonight.

Can Cook and the boys keep hold of the little urn? Confident or not? What are your predictions?

[ChillDoubt]

Very, very excited. The first day of an Ashes series is so very special and one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.
England will be quietly confident but the Aussies at home under Clark will come out all guns blazing.
I'm glad in a way that Lehmann has ramped things up a little with his poorly chosen comments after the 'Broad should have walked' debacle(he did the right thing IMHO, it's the umpires job to give him out), it's added a bit of spice in what was becoming something of a formality i.e. beating the Aussies, home and away.
I wonder if the Aussies have mastered the art of when to review yet, as they were dire at it in the summer?!
I'm sure the Barmy Army will be in fine voice and I can't wait for TMS to start at 23.30.
I fancy us to win 3-1, with a draw.

[weecalf]

Aussies 3 1

[ChillDoubt]

Shame we'll never hear the like of this again from CMJ:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7405686.stm

[ChillDoubt]

That's what I love most about TMS, the schoolboy-esque sniggering in the background when someone makes a ricket or a witty comment.
It's one of our greatest institutions.

[doctordb]

I'm going for a 2-1 england victory.

The aussie tracks will suit are batting better than this summer's pitches at home but I do have some worries about the bowling. We need Finn,Rankin and Tremlett to carry their share.

[doctordb]

Agree about Cmj chill. Tuffers is an excellent recruit though.

[ChillDoubt]

I like Finn but have to admit it irks me enormously when he does that just flicking the bails off thing with his knee.
He seems to have sorted it now, hope it stays that way.

I hope Broad gets some sledging first up, just to set the tone and give proceedings a bit of an edge!

[ChillDoubt]

Indeed doctordb, Tuffers is very good.
My favourite ever has to be (strangely) Graeme 'Foxy' Fowler, who was an absolute wag in the TMS box, I wish they'd get him back in now and again.

[doctordb]

Foxy was hilarious. He also had a keen eye for the ladies. :)

[doctordb]

Broady will love the chat and rise to it.

[ChillDoubt]

Apparently he is involved in this now doctordb, might give it a whirl later:

http://www.thecricketer.com/Home.aspx

[ChillDoubt]

And here's the toss......

Clark wins it and the Aussies will have a bat.

Tremlett and Prior play for England.

[jno]

Foxy, didn't he dump his girlfriend by fax? Classy.

Probably better weather down under than in an English summer (which was actually pretty good this year but enough bad light to get England out of the odd tight spot).

Yes, much depends on the Aussie bowlers. Harris needs to stay fit. Do they have a spinner yet? Last I looked they'd worked their way through the phone book as far as X.

[ChillDoubt]

Mitchell Johnson back in the Test side. He'll get some special attention from the Barmy Army I'm sure!

[ELVIS68]

Question from a non cricket fan, how often is the ashes played?

[Wharton]

From another non cricket fan - too often :-)

[ChillDoubt]

Used to be roughly every 18-20 months, home and away.
It's been brought forward this time because of the World Cup in 2014.

[ChillDoubt]

Hoping Tremlett will use that towering frame of his to offer up a little bit of chin music early doors, let them know we mean business.