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I cant wait, 2005 was the series that really got me interested in cricket and Mitchell Johnson is going to be a superstar after the summer!

With both teams as unpredictable as they get, I am expecting a draw.

Last time we had two teams at the peak of their powers (although we all naively thought that England would not rest on their laurels).

This time we have a mix of experience and newcomers in both camps creating some uncertainty in the betting.

If the Aussie star players come off (Ponting, Clarke & Lee - new boy Waner) England will almost certainly come second but neither team will have everything their own way.

All we want is a good advert for TEST cricket and of course an England series win to bring back the Ashes!

I think this could be a great series. There are so many 'don't knows' coming into the series that its tough to call. England can answer Warner and Johnson with Bopara and Broad, Brett Lee and Stephen Harmison seem at a similar stage. For Ponting, England have KP, for Stuart Clark, James Anderson. Mike Hussey has stopped his miracle run. England don't have to feel inferior, but do have to play up to their potential.

Warner is not even in the Aussie test side so I cannot make head nor tail of some the comments above?

Quite right Nick, Warner isn't in the touring squad and hasn't even played first class cricket. To me, from the Aussie perspective, it's more like how the senior pros will stand up rather than the more inexperienced players. Ponting, Clarke and Hussey didn't have great returns in Ashes '05 and will need to fare much better. Johnson is their most potent bowler now and his form, with Stuart Clark's, will be key. England definitely have the spin advantage - Swann getting better with each Test, Rashid looks promising. Katich and Clarke could be more threatening than the defensive Hauritz who doesn't get much turn.
Should be a cracking series, can't wait.

Oops - Hussey didn't play in 2005 of course.

yeh i think big players will be the key. australia having lost to south africa in austrlia is a learning curve for these young aussies. also whoever can bat the longest with the most runs will win this ashes as both sides bolwers are incredible talents(they will have to leave bolwers outin both sides that could win matches) having watch both the austrialian summer and start of the english. I am predicting a english win in cardiff (the picth will be turning) as england have got more spinners in their squad than australia and can cope with spin better than the aussies looking at the aus vs india series and they havent got krezja to pull them back but that is looking at it in black and white anything can happen it is the ashes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Just to say to a previous comment from 'hainba' (12.40pm) David Warner is not actually in the squad for Theresa, although he may be for the T20s...

Sorry I meant David Warner hasn't been picked for the test series...

No mention of Phillip Hughes yet from any posters.....? This guy is the most likely to make a BIG name for himself this summer and could prove to be the difference between two otherwise balanced sides.

He's scored buckets of runs wherever he's played, including 570 odd runs (@ 144 ave.!) in his 3 first class matches for Middx!! This included playing at Lords, Oval & Edgbaston this summer, so for a youngster he's unlikely to be too intimidated by the setting now either. I'm a Middlesex fan, but why Middlesex, why?! Surely winning the Ashes is more important to cricket in the UK than letting the Aussies' star youngster aclimatise to our conditions for the sake of winning a couple of early season games. Shame on them!

im not being funny, but this just shows how cricket is viewed in england

only 10 posts after a day

its a sad day when the home nation in a 20/20 match is outnumbered by indian fans

how must that feel. england are kidding themsevles if they think they'l be a top cricketing nation

firstly they do not encourage it at grass roots level. more emphasis is on football and rugby.

that ashes win which everyone bangs on about is from 2005. do they know there was a series after that which australia battered england 5-0

typical british media hype

also that 2005 ashes win was down to luck. australia having had one or two of thier bowlers injured. either warne or mcgrath cant remember which one. thats why england were able to pick australia off. not because england outplayed australia.

why do england football fans keep banging on about 1966 just like england cricket fans bang on about 2005. get over it. you got beat in the next series 5-0

aussies to win 5-0 :D

Compared to most recent Ashes, no-one seems to really know which way it's going to turn this time with so many unknown players.

Even in 2005 and 06/07 Australia were massive favourites beforehand, but not this time.

So much depends on how England's top order bat.

England fear Brett Lee much more than Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, but Lee has to find some rhythm before the first test to warrant selection.

England must be favourites. While both sides have a well publicised mix of experience and youth, the England side is far more settled and mature and has played better and more consistently in the last 6 months. Australia has lost Test series away to India and at home to South Africa and of course exited the World T20 in disgrace. They did win away to South Africa, but didn't do particularly well in the ODIs and T20s there. And while I know T20 and test cricket is very different, I was amazed when I saw Australia play WI at the Oval recently how many of the (likely) Test team were playing. As eveyone else here notes, though, Australia remains dangerous, and if Ponting and HUssey get amongst the runs they have a top and middle order to back them up and make it count. Australia's weakest links? The bizarrely over-rated Watson (who the Australian selectors actually say is there for his batting and that his bowling is a 'bonus') and the ever disappointing, expensive, unsuccessful and over-rated Brett Lee.

Cudnt agree more with Post No.11. Cant for the life of me think what Middlesex we're thinking giving a very promising aussie rookie time at the crease in english conditions and visits to most of the test venues. Hope they're very happy with themselves when he's sitting top of the averages at the end of the series!!!

At 10:05am on 24 Jun 2009, Don't Argue With Me

What a typically charming aussie. It is hard not to love them, isn't it?

England seemed so much more assured last time, easing themselves up to it over time, West Indies, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Bangladesh, then the one day series, it all seemed to be leading up effortlessly to the Ashes, and we seemed to have a more settled side, Vaughan, Trescothick, Pietersen, Straussy, Preddy, Hoggy, Harmi, the Joneses, the England team just don't give off that sense of confidence or of being a settled side this time, it just seems so much more hectic and last minute, results haven't gone our way, plus we've had injuries, the captaincy saga and the fact that more and more cricket is being forced into the calender. it's a pity and rather frustrating.

Don't Argue With Me
It's funny you say England didn't outplay Australia in 2005.

On the current trailers, running on Sky, Shane Warne is on them talking about how England outplayed Australia in 2005.

Who are we to believe? Him or you?

Timaku

Your right the England side was much more settled last time around but just a couple of things.

There were quite a few people questioning Simon Jones's place in the side at the time (but he came good)

There was a large debate as to whether Pietersen should be included for the 1st test as he hadn't played Test cricket. Graham Thorpe retired after Pietersen wa given the place.

But the side certainly didn't choose itself, just probably more so than this time around

And how thoroughly refreshing to see atleast several posts before Mr Frederer comments on a 'typically charming Aussie'.

Nothing at all to do with the article.

I hope England give a good account of themselves. Such a wonderful nation.

England's batting is a cause for concern for me. Their record over the last few years compared to that of the Aussies is poor. Bowling-wise, if he stays fit and gets picked, I think that Graham Onions could be the surprise package of the series, and I expect Swann to make some good all-round contributions. Don't know too much about some of the Aussies, but it's irritating to see that the tiresome baiting and bitching by some of their fans has started in this blog. Cut it out, please, lads. Not big, or clever. I

Hi shiverschanders, well-put,couldn'tagree more.
Understand that a few rogues don't represent the overwhelming majority of the Australian cricket community, But it works both ways,I doubt that pompous patronising comments aren't typical of English fans either.

Huge congratulations to Sussex. Less than an inspirational start to the tour for the Australians. All a bit upin the air at the moment. Can't wait for Sophia Gardens, looks like some sleepless and nervous nights ahead!

I can't wait untill end of this summer, because Australia will be hammered by England and will regain The Ashes, this time not after almost two decades but within a half decade.

Calm down lads. It's not a war; it's cricket. We're all related anyway if you go back just a couple of generations. Let's all just look forward to a good Summer of cricket between two old rivals.

England have more than a chance than usual because we have finally dropped some of the players that we used to pick even though their attitudes and form were poor (Bell, Panesar, Harmison). Some good young players in there now that really should have been given their chance earlier.

Can't wait for it to start!