England play Australia in the 1^st test at Glamorgan’s ground in Cardiff on Wednesday July 8^th. There are five tests this ashes series, with further tests at Lords (London), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Headingley (Leeds) & the Oval (London).

After their comprehensive victory over the West Indies (Two Tests), England will go into the series with a bit more self belief then they might have had after their winter defeat to the West Indies not to mention last summers series defeat to South Africa (2-1), where England only won the last test when the series was lost. I have to concede that they beat New Zealand comfortably earlier in the summer but with all due respect to New Zealand, they are not Test heavyweights. The same I am afraid applies to the West Indies. Therefore I am afraid that this seasons early boost of beating the West Indies will prove to be a false dawn.

I suspect that Andrew Flintoff will be unavailable due to injury, which is a shame as he might have made some difference. We have a reasonable batting attack led by the best test batsman in world cricket at present. Take a bow Kevin Pietersen. Sadly, I feel our bowling attack is not up to the task and against the world’s no 1 team I don’t rate our chances.

What can you say about the Australians that hasn’t already been said. They are the world’s number one team and have been for some years now. They have been slipping a bit recently though with series defeats to India & South Africa. They did make up for the home defeat to South Africa however, as they won the return series in South Africa. (2-1). Ricky Ponting is still captain as he was in 2005 when Australia last visited England. Several players have retired since then, including, Shane Warne, Justin Langer & Glen McGrath. I consider Shane Warne to be the best Slow bowler in my lifetime & probably all time. He will be missed by all cricket lovers but not I suspect by England’s Batsman. It is noticeable that Australia beat the West Indies 2-0 away last summer in a three test series, something that England failed to do.

The Australians appear to be rebuilding and this coupled with England slightly improving might make this a closer series than many people are thinking. Crucial to England’s chances is the fitness of Andrew Flintoff . If Flintoff is able to play then he will give England a slight chance, not only in the bowling stakes but batting as well.

England’s weakness I believe is their bowling attack & despite a improved performance against the West Indies I can’t see them being strong enough to make the difference between the sides. If only Simon Jones was back to his pre injury best of 2005. A player sadly lost to long term injury.

The last series in England was & has been billed as one of the greatest series ever & who am I to argue with that. I was lucky enough to remember & watch Botham’s ashes of 1981and I never thought we would see a test series as good as that again but thankfully I was wrong. Every Test match was a classic with both sides giving their all. If only football players & managers behaved with half as much decency as most international cricket sides. Take note Alex Ferguson & a lot of overpaid Premiership footballers (Too many to mention)

While I don’t expect This series to match 2005 or 1981 I still think it will be a good series which to be honest are most Ashes’s series. They are always played in the right spirit, which is a credit to the general way the Australian cricket team carries itself which has always made losing to them just that little less painful.

One minor complaint. It is disgusting that in order to watch this series I have to pay for Sky TV as they have the rights. Cricket home tests were on the Sport Protected list until some little shit took it off & surprise, surprise Sky then bid for and won the right to show England Cricket. Channel Four & the BBC were the outbid parties. Who says Politicians are corrupt?

My prediction is for a narrow win to Australia by two to one. I have also taken in to consideration the English summer (or lack of it) in my decision.

Have fun this summer.

Douglas Martin

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