Combined Ashes Team

[Brett Li]

Here would be my pick:

1. Hayden
2. Strauss
3. Ponting
4. Vaughan*
5. Martyn
6. Gilchrist+
7. Flintoff
8. Warne
9. Gillespie
10. McGrath
11. Harmison

(Question to self: Who'll be the first Wag to choose an all-aussie XI?)

 

[The Gunner]

looks pretty good to me!

 

[Unwritten_Law]

I take it the asterisk is for the weakest link

 

[thurgood33]

martyn is a joke other than that looks good.

 

[thewhippersnapper]

Vaughan shouldn't be captain.

 

[silky-smooth]

I'd go with Ponting as captain, if the * means captain.

 

[eddiesmith]

Langer
Trescothick
Ponting
Vaughan
Martyn
Gilchrist
Flintoff
Warne
Gillespie
Gough (I dont care if he is retired from test cricket)
McGrath

 

[Dipper]

Had to justify Vaughan's inclusion for me, his stats over the past year or two aren't great, he's still dining out on one stellar year.


It'll be interesting to see who the real Harmison is.

Saw recently that he's only taken something like 12 wickets in his new ball spells in the last 17 tests & that includes his series in the Windies.


He's hit & miss, can bowl bad spells & take a wicket with the odd stonking delivery, bowls the odd amazing spell & as in SA too many crap spells.

Flintoff would probably make the team for hsi bowling alone, I still don't think he's ever scored heavily against a good attack or when the ball is doing a lot.


For me the key to the series will be how the English second tier players fare, particularly Giles, Jones S, Trescothick.

 

[DaveW]

(Question to self: Who'll be the first Wag to choose an all-aussie XI?)

Damn!

But in all seriousness, I would start with the Australian line-up and ask: which spots would be better filled with Englishmen?

And thinking about it, I find that the only area where England complements Australia would be the late middle order. i.e. Flintoff could be the allrounder we lack. It's about the only spot where we have players who've yet to fully establish themselves.

Other than that, England's strengths are areas Australia has covered - opening batsmen and pace bowlers.

 

[mrcracker]

Here is the combined team based on ICC Test rankings, the players with asterisks are definite choices, those without asterisks are debatable:
Trescothick (9)
Langer (14)
* Ponting (4)
* Martyn (6)
Strauss (15)
* Gilchrist (7)
* Flintoff (30 bat, 11 ball)
* McGrath (1)
* Warne (5)
Hoggard (9)
* Gillespie (10)

On the cusp: Harmison (12), Hayden (16) and Thorpe (19) just miss out. It is interesting to note Flintoff would make the team on his bowling alone. I would make one change to this - replacing Hoggard with Harmison. Back on English pitches Harmison is red hot in county games, warmup games and the first Natwest game.

Hayden would have been an automatic selection 12 months ago when he had averaged over 70 for three years in a row, but since then both Langer and Tresco have overtaken him. Langer averaging 54 in 2004 and 50 this year, Trescothick is 43 and 74 while Hayden is 43 and 34.

The next choice is Strauss v Vaughan v Thorpe for the remaining middle order spot. Vaughan's average dropped to 34 last year and this still counts against him. Strauss has been Englands highest scorer over the last 18 months and gets the spot. Thorpe averaged 79 last year but hasn't had many chances this year and just misses out.

 

[quam]

Dont rate Strauss, has played 3 games against the aussies and has not done anything worth bragging about, has struggled against brett lee and leaves a big gate when batting.
My Team
Langer
Hayden
Ponting *
Vaughan
Martyn
Flintoff
Gichrist +
Warne
McGrath
Gillespie
Harmsion
12. M.Clarke

 

[Ricketts]

1-Langer
2-Hayden ----- (better than Trescothick and Strauss)

3-Ponting ---- (one of the best in the world)

4-Martyn ----- (see Ponting)

5-Clarke ---- (Flintoff overrated slogger, Pietersen unproven)

6-Katich ---- (Flintoff can stick to pyjama cricket)

7-Gilly - (obvious)

8-Warne (Giles! HAHA)

9-Kaspa/Lee
10-Gillespie
11-Glenn --------- (all better than pom bowlers)

 

[eddiesmith]

Trescothick
Langer
Vaughan
Martyn
Pietersen
Gilchrist
Flintoff
Warne
Kasper
Harmison
McGrath

 

[sinepari]

Trescothic is a dog against quality bowling.

 

[Minotaur]

Would be interesting to compare teams with after the series.

1.Langer (On recent stats a sure starter)
2. Vaughan (Hayden been out of form for sometime, Tres hopeless v. good bolwing, Strauss still unproven and not looking good)
3.Ponting (NO brainer)
4.Martyn
5.Katich (Not much justification for this, just a feeling)
6.Gilly
7.Flintoff
8.Warne
9.Lee (would normally say Gillespie, but seems terribly out of form and not really convinced by other Pom bolwers ... possibly could go to Jones))
10.Harmison
11.McGrath

 

[Nathan Brown #7]

1)Langer
2)Strauss
3)Ponting
4)Martyn
5)Vaughn
6)Flintoff
7)Gilchrist
8)Warne
9)Lee
10)Mcgrath
11)Harmison

12) Haydo's - couldn't find a spot for him in recent times. same with gillespie.

 

[ECHUCABOY]

eddie smith u wud have to be the biggest ******** stirrer!
Petersen hahahah

Strauss, trescothick who wat????
Strauss is unproven, trescothick ******ed.Hoggard goes to same special school as trescothick. No need for vaughn, he'd just whinge too much. Petersen playing with his cockyhead.

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Katich
Hussey
Gilchrist
Flintoff
Warne
McGrath
Harmison

Good luck bowling those guys out!

 

[eddiesmith]

B-B-B-BB-B-B-B-B-BUMP

Bit of fun now that we are 4 tests in, all those bagging Trescothick and including Hayden? What fools. I never had Hayden in my side, although Marto would be gone from my side

Middle order is tough as neither has really fired, but the 2 skippers can retain their places for the 2 highest scores of the series. But I think Vaughan gets the captaincy, despite some baggers, he is still better than Ponting on the field. Clarke and Pietersen is the only dilema I have found in the middle order for the 5th spot. Very tight there

Strauss v Langer is a tough one, Strauss has been alright this series and he and Trescothick have got much better starts than Langer and Hayden

Flintoff is a guarantee, as is Warney. Jones would likely take the 3rd seamers spot. 4th and 5th is hard, do you include Hoggard and Harmison? Or does McGraths first test efforts earn him a place ahead of Hoggard who has been inconsistent? I have included McGrath but that is up for debate

And I hate to say it, but on runs alone, Jones would have to get the keepers spot

Trescothick
Langer
Vaughan*
Ponting
Clarke or Pietersen???
Flintoff
G.Jones
Warne
Harmison
S.Jones
McGrath

 

[eddiesmith]

BTW, If you're wondering why I dragged up an old thread, I was going back through the old threads having a laugh at some of the crap people came up with

The one day threads were delightful reading, who cares its only one dayers. We are rusty. Come the tests we will smash the Poms and no one will remember the one dayers. And many similar comments, and that was just from the Bangladesh match

 

[skipper kelly]

which one dayers?

 

[Stafford678]

Strauss
Trescothick
Langer
Vaughen
Pieterson
Flintoff
Jones
Warne
Lee
Jones
Harmison

 

[Dipper]

Trescothick
Strauss/Langer
Ponting
Vaughan/Pietersen
Clarke
Flintoff
Haddin/Read
Warne (captain)
Lee(or Harmison...tough, Lee has batted well & has been really fired up at times, Harmison rarely fired up but takes wickets & tends not to get carted like Lee)
Jones
McGrath

Hoggy in there if you think it will swing for long periods

Basically for me 3 or 4 Aussies have stood up & kept their side in it: Warne/Lee/McGrath/Clarke, whilst for England most people have made a reasonable contribution that's why the side isn't packed out with Englsih players.

 

[eddiesmith]

On runs and wickets the side would be

Langer
Trescothick
Ponting
Clarke
Pietersen
Flintoff
G.Jones
Warne
Lee
S.Jones
Harmison

 

[skipper kelly]

Penney (12th man)

 

[andrewb94]

I'll take

Langer
Trescothick
Ponting
Martyn
Peiterson
Flintoff
Gilchrist
Warne
Hoggard
Lee
McGrath