Is that a problem?? It's 11 v 11 and quite frankly I don't care if England hit 500 and 400 of them come from numbers 8, 9 and 10!!! It's a team game

Australia did it for years with the likes of Gilly coming in at 7, Warne at 8, Brett Lee at 9 etc etc. Jason Gillespie has a test match double hundred and even Pigeon Mcgrath hit a test match 50!!

And?

Aussies line up arent firing either and out lower order with the bat is a damn sight better than theres.

So if out top order get knocked over it isnt right for the bowlers to dig us out of a mess....its a 11 man game and if they all chip in with the bat then who cares where the runs come from.......

The tail can only wag so many times, I would back the Aussies top 6 to outscore ours over the course of the series. It's good to see KP and Strauss finding some form and Trott looks fairly good but Bell, Collingwood and Cook don't inspire at all.

We have a settled top 6 going in and the Aussies dont.....arent they on about moving Watson down the order,who has looked good at opener.

Who will there top 6 be?

Do we? Bell has just come in for Morgan and there are doubts over the form of Cook and Collingwood.

Probably no changes for the first test, Watson, Katich, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, North.

Yes we do. Morgan only got a shout earlier in the summer because Ian Bell got injured. The rest of the batting line up will consist of Strauss, Cook, Trott, KP and Colly just like it was all summer. It's a pretty settled line up for me, even though a couple are struggling for form that is what it will be in the 1st test, I have no doubt

As for the tail wagging, Prior is a more than capable batsman, Broad has come into some bloody good form with the bat and Swann can hang around or hit some quick runs too when he needs too. Australia are really struggling in the spinning department and hence may ensure their groundsman do not produce spinning wickets to keep Swanny at bay. If that is the case I believe our pace attack have more to offer then theirs do.....

Can't argue with that

I reckon we just have enough to sneak it....

That's a bold prediction and not one I'd say that recent history would favour. North's in all sorts of problems (him being talked about future captaincy material would rather hinge on him scoring some runs at some point) and Hussey, while useful in ODI cricket, is really scratching around. Ponting's under pressure, as is Clarke. The only one's to really be fearful of are Watson and Haddin, who can be destructive.

Their lower order isn't as formidable either, Johnson's batting has gone to pieces. This isn't to suggest I don't think they'll raise their game for the Ashes, I just get the feeling England have a more settled side, know what their best XI is, and are in better form than the Aussies. You only need to look at the sp attendances and recent losses by Cricket Australia to notice that the Aussie public is not confident and the Aussies have lost their aura - a massive thing ahead of any ashes series but particularly one at home. England will have few better chances to win in Aus.

Welcome runs for Colly and Bell but yet again we struggle our way to 300ish, this is England's problem, we don't post big scores often enough.

Yes, I agree, but to be honest, I don't see the Aussies posting many totals above 400 either....Both sides are struggling with the bat and with almost guaranteed good weather, this series isn't going to have many stalemates.

Swanny to be the star....England 3-2....

Good point but our Bowlers have been knocking teams over for fun...when was last time the bowlers got caned and we conceeded 400

I'll say it again, Bangladesh and a Pakistan team in which half had never played in English conditions before and the other half were on the take are a few levels below the players England will be facing this winter. The Kookaburra ball won't swing as much as the Duke does in England, so bowlers are going to have to get used to being patient and bowling disciplined lines and lengths.

Be a whole different ball game to the one we've seen this last summer.

Precisely!

That said they stuck at it today and eventually bowled them out cheaply, Swanny in the wickets again. Good opening partnership too, looks like we are trying to push for a win.

In fairness England have not only won the Pakistan series and Bangladesh home and away series. They also drew in South Africa, won the last Ashes and beat West Indies home and away too in the 4 series before that.

That is winning 6 of the last 7 test series and drawing the other, against 5 different opposition!!

Credit where credit is due