Ashes 2009

[bennymacca]

not implying you are silly david, i just assumed you were talking about the one day squad as symonds and ferg are going to be a big part of that squad.

i think 4 pace bowlers will have to be the way to go - johnson, lee, siddle and clark will start i think.

thats a pretty decent pace attack, good batting there (no need for mcdonald's batting), and 2 stock bowlers in siddle and clark who can bowl all day, and then some raw pace (all except clark) and some variety.

i doubt watson will play unless he can bowl - north seems a more rounded option with the bat, and his overs will be handy as well


looking forward to the ashes, englands squad has been gutted, so they will have some young players rearing to go as well

anyone wanna bet on this team being different? hughes, katich, ponting, hussey, clarke, north, haddin, johnson, lee, siddle, clark

clark or hilfenhaus will be the difficult one i reckon. if its gonna swing a bit, hilfie might get the nod, and lets face it, swing bowling won the ashes for england last time it was in england, so that might end up the way they go

[Bacon]

Why mention Clarke when you are discussing pace bowlers?

And you forgot Clark.

[bennymacca]

Why mention Clarke when you are discussing pace bowlers?

And you forgot Clark.

lol my bad, typo. ill edit it now

[Scotty]

clark or hilfenhaus will be the difficult one i reckon. if its gonna swing a bit, hilfie might get the nod, and lets face it, swing bowling won the ashes for england last time it was in england, so that might end up the way they go

Swing bowling is the first thing I think of when the ashes on UK soil come around. Terry Alderman is the prototype - if only cloning was legal.

For mine - and this is predicated on him being in really good form - it's Hilfenhaus and Lee that should be fighting for a spot. A fully fit Stuart Clark is essential in my books to an Ashes campaign.

If Hilfy is in form, and has remembered how to swing the ball consistently, I'd pencil him in a shade above Lee.

[bennymacca]

clark is an insanely accurate bowler that doesn't get a lot of movement in the air, maybe a bit off the seam, but mainly gets his wickets through putting pressure on the batsman

judging on siddle's recent test performances (20 overs for 30 something, career RPO or 2.57 and 29 wickets at 27), he is in the same mould, but can do it at a consistently good pace.

i like siddle as a bowler more than clark, and i think they are fighting for the same spot.

after giving it some thought, i think hilfie lee johnson and siddle will start

then again, i just looked at clarks record, 90 wickets at 22, 2.54 rpo.

good selection problems for once.

does anyone think hauritz has a snowflakes chance in hell of playing? i just cant see it happening in england

[Scotty]

The growth I had removed from my left testicle last week is a better test bowler than Nathan Hauritz.

[David]

We need to select someone who has a name of food.

I'll be damned if England has Onions and we have nothing.

[Bacon]

I declare myself available.

They have Mustard as well

[maccatak11]

If only the had a guy called hotdogs.

They got plenty of spuds if that makes a difference.

[maccatak11]

I wouldn't discount McDonald's bowling in english conditions either, for all of the reasons mentioned about stuart clark above. I think taking Brett Lee into a test match having only played a few twenty20 games is a risk - i reckon he might be saved for later in the series. And that means that i think McDonald or Hilfenhouse will secure the fourth bowling spot alongside johnson and siddle and ahead of lee.

Thats just my feeling though.