cricket with balls

Variety

Australia’s attack is very good, except they lack one of those things, what do you call them again, spinners? England is probably a place you can get away without a spinner, unless it is a dry summer, and it has been a dry May.The first test is at Swalec, who recently got reported for having a substandard pitch; the substandard part being that it spun too much. It feels wrong that England have more variety than Australia, I feel dirty.

Mitchell Johnson

He might be a weapon of mass destruction, but he hasn’t played in England for 10 years, and one injury to him could completely end Australia’s hope of winning. More importantly who knows if his simplistic footwork when batting will hinder him in England.

4,5 & 6

Mike Hussey hasn’t been able to find a run in over a year now. Michael Clarke has never really conquered England, on his Ashes tour or playing for Hampshire. Marcus North made a decent hundred on debut, but he is far from established in test cricket, and his County form is in Division 2, and trust me when I say it does not count.  Not exactly the sexiest middle order Australia has produced.

England’s belief

They really think they can win, and so they should, all they need is a little bit of luck or Australia not playing at 100% and they win this. The teams are pretty close on talent, Mitchell Johnson apart. England gets the advantage by playing the first test at the sub standard spinning surface at Swalec. If they use it, Australia will have to come from behind. Perhaps they can do that, but when was the last time they did, or had to?

Graeme Swann

The Swalec advantage will be in his hands, and while he looks like a fairly innocuous spinner, to left-handers he has been poisonous in test cricket. Australia has 5 of them in their top 8. And there is probably no one who wants to be an Ashes destroyer than the shy and retiring Graeme Swann. By the end of the summer young English men could be asking plastic surgeons if they can have a surgiacally enhance chin so they look regal like Swanny.

Strauss & Cook

Sure they are a one paced duo, but Australia has no spinners, so if they don’t get early wickets England can set up big totals.  This could be the key to the series, as Ravi and KP won’t want to be batting against Mitchell and the new ball, and Australia doesn’t want to be starting at Strauss & Cook for a few hours at the start of every innings. Neither do most neutral observers.

Andrew McDonald

By picking him ahead of Symonds Australia is taking the defensive option. It is not really the Australian way. It worked for them in South Africa. Will it work in England as well?