The great battle between the English and the Aussie’s is back. Yes you heard it; the Ashes test series has landed back on home soil for the first time since 2013. Well, kind of. The first test is being played in Cardiff, Wales. But it still counts!
The England will be looking to dispatch the bad memories from the last campaign in Australia, where they were pretty much embarrassed from the off – eventually losing 5-0 as the home nation turned on the gas.
England enters this series with an Aussie in charge for the first time in our history. Trevor Bayliss is the man to take charge, but he has reassured English fans that his allegiance lies with us, and not his home country.
England captain Alastair Cook challenged his teammates to attempt to generate the atmosphere that was created during the 2005 series – whilst also gaining the same outcome too.
2005 saw England triumph over Australia in the Ashes for the first time since 1987, after coming back from losing the first test to win the series 2-1.
2005 was a great year for English cricket, as the players of that time managed to grip the nations hearts. The English fans idolised their heroes of that Ashes series, as a near 25-year gap of not holding the Urn was ended.
England has been the more successful of the two nations since the historic 2005 series, having won three out of the last five Ashes series.
2011 saw our boys create history as they won on Aussie soil for only the second time in 30+ years.
Australia have improved again as of late, and will be the favourite to take the Urn back home – despite England playing with home advantage.
Captain Cook is excited for the series, and commended a great summer of British sport:
“We’ve got an opportunity, that’s the exciting thing. This is the biggest series you want to play in as a player. With Wimbledon going on, it’s a great summer of sport and we want to be part of that.”
Sports bookmaker Betway have priced Australia at 8/15 to win the series, whilst England are 13/5.
With the same bookmaker you can currently get an England win in the first test match at odds of 9/5, whilst the Aussies are 2/1.
The only remaining Aussie player from the 2005 test series is Michael Clark, but he is hoping to erase those nightmares for good this year:
“I’d love to see similar cricket, see the people of England get right behind the series, and the people back in Australia to be glued to their television sets. Any competitive series like that is great for the game.”
England won the first Test by 169 runs, with more than a day to spare, at Cardiff on Saturday to go 1-0 up in the five-match series heading into Thursday’s second Test at Lord’s. Anderson said England and New Zealand had shared drinks, regardless of results, following both matches in their drawn 1-1 Test series in England earlier this season.
England captain Alastair Cook invited Australia counterpart Michael Clarke and his side into the home dressing room after England’s emphatic fourth-day win but was rebuffed Australia refused to share a drink with England after their thrashing in the first Ashes Test.
James Anderson confirmed that Michael Clarke rejected an invitation by Alastair Cook for the tourists to join the hosts for a beer following their 169-run defeat inside four days at Cardiff. Shane Watson must stop bowling like he’s running on eggshells and be prepared to go down swinging with the bat, says Allan Border.
The former Australian captain on Tuesday backed under-fire all-rounder Watson to retain his place for this week’s second Ashes Test at Lord’s but said he should be put on notice. After the comprehensive defeat to England in Cardiff, calls have come thick and fast for 34-year-old Watson to be dropped in favour of younger all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
