The Ashes 2017/18

[Panda]

The Ashes starts on Thursday morning with England looking to retain the urn down under after winning it back in 2015.

Australia go into the series as favourites, with the Aussie media labelling England's inexperienced squad "The Un-nameables". However, Australia's selectors responded by making 7 changes from their last test in Bangladesh and calling-up wicketkeeper Tim Paine after a 7-year absence. And their form is inconsistent, having only won of the last 5 series they have played.

Even in the series victories over South Africa and the West Indies during the summer (3-1 and 2-1 respectively), England's batting looked very fragile, while there are question marks over the durability of an ageing bowling attack - particularly whether the leading wicket-taker Jimmy Anderson's body can hold up for five tests at the age of 35. In addition, all-rounder Ben Stokes remains suspended pending a police investigation following his arrest in September on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.

England squad:
Joe Root (c)
Jimmy Anderson (vc)
Moeen Ali
Jonny Bairstow (w)
Jake Ball
Gary Ballance
Stuart Broad
Alastair Cook
Mason Crane
Tom Curran (replacement for the injured Steven Finn)
Ben Foakes (w)
Dawid Malan
Craig Overton
Mark Stoneman
James Vince
Chris Woakes

Australia squad for 1st test:
Steve Smith (c)
David Warner (vc)
Cameron Bancroft
Jackson Bird
Pat Cummins
Peter Handscomb
Josh Hazlewood
Usman Khawaja
Nathan Lyon
Shaun Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Tim Paine (w)
Chadd Sayers
Mitchell Starc


1st test: 23-27 Nov, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd test: 2-6 Dec, Adelaide Oval (day/night)
3rd test: 14-18 Dec, WACA, Perth
4th test: 26-30 Dec, MCG, Melbourne
5th test: 4-8 Jan, SCG, Sydney


The series will be broadcast in the UK by BT Sport, who agreed an exclusive deal with Cricket Australia in 2015.


Recent series:
2001: England 1-4 Australia
2002/3: Australia 4-1 England
2005: England 2-1 Australia
2006/7: Australia 5-0 England
2009: England 2-1 Australia
2010/1: Australia 1-3 England
2013: England 3-0 Australia
2013/4: Australia 5-0 England
2015: England 3-2 Australia


MrH's session-by-session series scores:
2009: England 29-27 Australia 
2010-11: Australia 20-40 England
2013: England 29-27 Australia
2013-14: Australia 42-12 England
2015: England 26-25 Australia


Odds to win series:
4/9 Australia
100/30 England
17/2 Draw


Series scoreline:
5/1 Australia 3-1
13/2 Australia 4-1
9/1 Australia 3-2
9/1 Australia 4-0
9/1 Draw 2-2
10/1 Australia 5-0
12/1 Australia 2-1
14/1 Australia 3-0
16/1 England 3-2
18/1 England 3-1
22/1 England 2-1
33/1 England 4-1

[raliverpool]

I'm predicting we'll (England) get tonked 4-1.

[Panda]

England win the toss and will bat first.

[Panda]

England:
Cook
Stoneman
Vince
Root
Malan
Moeen Ali
Bairstow
Woakes
Broad
Ball
Anderson

Australia:
Bancroft
Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Marsh
Paine
Starc
Cummins
Lyon
Hazlewood

[Panda]

Cook gone in the 3rd over. Could be a long 6 weeks...

[rewardman]

Wish it aired over here.

[Panda]

Nov 23, 2017 1:27:47 GMT 1 rewardman said:

Wish it aired over here.

www.willow.tv/tvchannel

[rewardman]

Thanks.

I've looked at Willow in the past but I'm not ready to commit to $11.99 a month

[Panda]

Nov 23, 2017 1:35:47 GMT 1 rewardman said:

Thanks.

I've looked at Willow in the past but I'm not ready to commit to $11.99 a month

Understandable. Still cheaper than BT Sport unless you have BT broadband as well...

[o]

Nice to see Stoneman and Vince get some runs, it hangs in the balance at the moment, our tail looks weak, cant see Broad, Ball or Anderson getting into double figures, so we need some half centuries now please.
I just hope that Cook and Root come good with the bat!
Real shame to lose Stokes, but he did what he did.
I'm hoping it's close, nice to have BT, get up in a morning and pop this on for 20 minutes before work, and see what's what.

[o]

I do think someone else should have been allowed to show the highlights though, not fair that BT get both

[Panda]

Session-by-session:

Day 1:
Morning: Eng 59-1 (England lose Cook early but Stoneman and Vince hold firm to see England through to lunch. England's session)
Afternoon: Eng 69-1 (Interrupted by rain, but Stoneman and Vince are impressive, almost seeing out the whole session. England's session)
Evening: Eng 68-2 (A late rally by the Aussies, with Vince run out and the key wicket of Joe Root. Australia's session)

[Panda]

England collapse. All out for 302.

[suedehead]

Nov 24, 2017 3:59:43 GMT 1 Panda said:

England collapse. All out for 302.

This is getting all too familiar again.

[o]

Bairstow and Waokes let us down badly, anyway, it's a score over 300, and we did have the Aussies struggling, but they've recovered and again it hangs in the balance, nice to see 4 different bowlers getting wickets, takes the strain off Anderson. Need an early wicket tomorrow.

[rubcale]

Oh dear, the inevitable England batting collapse.....................

[Panda]

Day 2, session-by-session:

Morning: Eng 106-6ao (Trademark middle order collapse but the tail gets England past 300. Australia's session)
Afternoon: Aus 76-3 (Excellent start for England's bowlers against the Aussie top order. England's session)
Evening: Aus 89-1 (A wicket straight after tea but Smith and Marsh's 5th wicket stand puts the test on a knife-edge. Australia's session)

[Panda]

Day 3, session-by-session:

Morning: Aus 48-3 (England make the new ball count and slow down the Aussie reply. England's session)
Afternoon: Aus 74-1 (Smith reaches 100 and there are question marks over Anderson's fitness. Australia's session)
Evening: Aus 41-2ao, Eng 33-2 (Australia take a 1st innings lead and grab two crucial early wickets. Australia's session)

[raliverpool]

Day 4 = disaster.

[o]

Ah the usual England showed up, my brother insists we will fight back in the 2nd test though!