Australian Ashes Squad

Or are the state teams just following what the TAB has ordered them to do?

Poms just better prepared than a lot of the tourist teams that have come here

no question who has the momentum going into the first test

Dominant England win by 10 wickets. Tremlett bowled well. Nice knock by White (111).

Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin, Xavier Doherty, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger (one to be omitted, 12th man to be named).

It's quite clear which side Australia will go in with

1. Katich
2. Watson
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. North
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Dougherty
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

Either that or they take out Dougherty and put in Siddle.

But, it wouldn't surprise me by test three if this is their squad.

1. Hughes
2. Katich
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Smith
6. Watson
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Dougherty
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

Hussey has saved himself probably for the summer. Watson will not drop down the order for Hughes.

yes Hussey timed his knock

Not if he gets low scores he hasn't.

Mind you, they will probably persist with him if he keeps getting single figure scores.

If Australia are down in the series and Watson, Hussey and North are still posting low scores, they will change the batting order around.

Exactly, the selectors have always been persistant. I can see all the players in danager, making one score that will make a case for there repeated selection. Only for them to crumble once again.

That's why England will win the Ashes. The Australian selectors live in the 60's.

What do you think about Trott more runs than Ponting 1st Innings @ $2.10. Seriously down on Ponting right now.

Nah, Trott is shit. Me and Ace were giving him shit not that long ago. I think it was Ace.

I like Clarke more runs than Pieterson

Yeah I got you. Was thinking about Strauss > Ponting but worried about a fired up Aussie pace attack given all the shit they've coped recently. Probably just leave it to in-play stuff.

Just watching the highlights and the catch by Strauss to dismiss Hughes was brilliant.

The match commentators discussed the Gabba test probable sides and concluded that both sides were equal on batting. They gave a tick to Ponting, and a tick to Bell over North, and that balanced out the batting.

They had Mitchell Johnson & Stuart Broad as equal.

They had Ben Hilfenhaus & James Anderson as equals.

They had Ben Hilfenhaus  & Steven Finn as equals

They had Graeme Swann winning the Spin matchup.

They concluded  batting  Equal.

Bowling to  England due to Swann.