Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
Start time 10:00 Qld time (00:00 GMT)
Team news
Michael Clarke's back is the major worry for Australia but he has proved his fitness and Ponting does not consider him a risk. Peter Siddle will play his first Test since January after beating Doug Bollinger for the final bowling spot, and Xavier Doherty will make his debut. Usman Khawaja and Doug Bollinger are heading to Perth after the toss to play for New South Wales.
Australia 1 Simon Katich, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Xavier Doherty, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.
England have known their best XI for months and there will be no deviating unless someone trips over a sprinkler head, or slips in the nets. No touring team since the great West Indies outfits of the 1980s has been so assured before a series in Australia.
England 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn.
Pitch and conditions
Watch out for...
The destination of the Ashes almost relies on Mitchell Johnson's left hand. If he can bounce and frighten, and hurry and worry, England's batsmen then Australia will be more than halfway towards regaining the Ashes. If he is as loose as he was in the 2009 series, the locals will struggle to contain England's complementary batting order. The signs were good last week when he mixed a five-wicket haul with a century for Western Australia, but now he's back in the big time.
Stuart Broad was responsible for turning the Ashes last time and he carries the same power again. A bowler first, he is capable of bowling full for swing or changing his length to force the batsmen back. As a run-maker, he is strong and entertaining, and it is a shame his century against Pakistan at Lord's was sullied. His father Chris was responsible for lifting the urn in 1986-87, and the family name will never be forgotten in England if Broad can do it too.
Post automatically merged: [time]1290641909[/time]
Toss won by the poms & they will bat
Team news
Michael Clarke's back is the major worry for Australia but he has proved his fitness and Ponting does not consider him a risk. Peter Siddle will play his first Test since January after beating Doug Bollinger for the final bowling spot, and Xavier Doherty will make his debut. Usman Khawaja and Doug Bollinger are heading to Perth after the toss to play for New South Wales.
Australia 1 Simon Katich, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Xavier Doherty, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.
England have known their best XI for months and there will be no deviating unless someone trips over a sprinkler head, or slips in the nets. No touring team since the great West Indies outfits of the 1980s has been so assured before a series in Australia.
England 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn.
Pitch and conditions
Watch out for...
The destination of the Ashes almost relies on Mitchell Johnson's left hand. If he can bounce and frighten, and hurry and worry, England's batsmen then Australia will be more than halfway towards regaining the Ashes. If he is as loose as he was in the 2009 series, the locals will struggle to contain England's complementary batting order. The signs were good last week when he mixed a five-wicket haul with a century for Western Australia, but now he's back in the big time.
Stuart Broad was responsible for turning the Ashes last time and he carries the same power again. A bowler first, he is capable of bowling full for swing or changing his length to force the batsmen back. As a run-maker, he is strong and entertaining, and it is a shame his century against Pakistan at Lord's was sullied. His father Chris was responsible for lifting the urn in 1986-87, and the family name will never be forgotten in England if Broad can do it too.
Post automatically merged: [time]1290641909[/time]
Toss won by the poms & they will bat
