The big question of the winter is “will England win the ashes?” I don’t claim to be an expert on cricket, but like everyone else I have an opinion on who’s going to win. In short, I think England will win in Oz for the first time in while. Carry on reading if you want to find out why!
Graeme Swann
Swann is definitely one of the top bowlers in the world at the moment, and he definitely can make a huge impact in the ashes. I predict that he’ll score some handy runs down the order to, which can make the difference between a win or a loss. The great thing about Swann is that he has a knack of picking up wickets in his first over, which means that he’s very good at breaking partnerships. On flat wickets, he could make the difference. The other factor is whether or not we play another spinner – which is something that will be decided on a game by game basis.
Australia Aren’t What They Were
I’m not saying that Australia don’t have any good players, because that obviously wouldn’t be true, but the great ones have all gone. Warne, McGrath, Hayden etc have all moved on, and in their place are good players, but not great ones. Ponting is a very good player, but he seems to be in a run of bad form and may not make the big impact that’s required of him. Other players seem to be making improvements to their game though. Hauritz, for example, is developing into a good spin bowler, although he probably isn’t up to the same level as Swann, so this is where England will hold an advantage.
Kevin Pieterson
KP has been a disaster recently, but I really believe that he plays best on the big stage, and there is no bigger than the ashes. He was injured for most of the last series, so he’ll be desperate to make an impression. I hear that he’s playing in South Africa leading up to the series to, so hopefully that will allow him to get some form back. England desperately need him to be playing well, because he’s too good to drop, but when he’s playing badly the team have to carry him more than they should.
There are a number of other reasons why I think England will win the Ashes. I think the team has finally developed a winning habit, and truly believe they can go there and have a good chance. This hasn’t been true of all England teams. Also, this time the team are properly preparing with matches beforehand, and I think that will make a difference.
There are some things that go against England though, so it is definitely going to be close. Home advantage always plays a part, and Ponting will definitely not want to lose another series to England as captain. The lack of a top class pace bowler in the England squad may be a problem, as the lack of variation can work against us if the ball isn’t swinging. Either way, it should be a fantastic series and I can’t wait for it to start.