Cricket years featuring an Ashes series are the best cricketing years. Years featuring two Ashes series, well those are just better than Bradman.
Luckily that is what we have to look forward to in 2013 and with it all getting underway in just under four months, and with England and Australia both having played their final Test series before these colossal cricketing contests begin, now seems as good a time as any to compare how each side is faring and see who will come out on top.
Batting: Ed Cowan versus Alistair Cook
Ed Cowan grinds away but regularly fails to build on a start, as his average of 32.81 shows.
Luckily for him though, Australia’s reserve batting stocks are in a rare period of drought and so he will almost definitely get to pad up against Anderson come July.
On the flipside, Alistair Cook is arguably the greatest batsmen in world cricket and his consistent century scoring, particularly since becoming captain, beats Cowan’s consistent thirties.
Plus, Cook loves an Ashes series. Cook to continue to show everyone how it is done. 1-0 ENG.
David Warner versus Nick Compton
Warner is one of the most enigmatic batsmen in world cricket. He lights up the arena and could easily change the complexion of the entire series with one lightning fast, run-heavy innings.
Nick Compton may be new to the England fold but he showed real steel to support Captain Cook in India. Still not enough runs on the board to terrify Australia though and he will be their first target with the new ball.
Warner smashes Compton over the fence. 1-1.
Phillip Hughes versus Jonathan Trott
Who knows what Phil Hughes will show up, if he shows up? He fixed his technique, only to show us all in India that he cannot play spin.
Swann and Monty should have a field day, if he stays in long enough.
We all know which Trott will show up though – the same one as always, the one who plunders runs consistently while taking as long as possible to take strike.
Trott in a canter. 2-1 ENG.
Shane Watson versus Kevin Pietersen
Shane Watson would usually rate highly here, even against KP. However, he isn’t bowling at the moment, meaning his value as a batsmen is all we can really consider.
For that reason KP wins as he remains one of the most dominant batsmen playing cricket today.
Pietersen takes it out, so long as he doesn’t text Australia England’s plans. 3-1 ENG.
Michael Clarke versus Ian Bell
Despite Bell becoming one of England’s most reliable scorers over the last few years Captain Clarke wins this contest easily. Clarke is the best batsmen in world cricket at the moment, only getting out when he feels like it.
He will threaten to win the series almost by himself. Pup to eat Bell, then regurgitate him and eat him again. 3-2 ENG.
Joe Root versus Moises Henriques
The two babies of the Test teams, having currently only played one Test each. Both with a healthy average so far, and both with the ability to bowl but Henriques takes this one out as he is far more of a threat with the ball than Root.
Victory to the most Portugese-sounding name on the field in Ashes history. 3-3.
Keeping: Matthew Wade versus Matt Prior
The battle of the Matthews in gloves, and it is a tight one. Wade has made the position his own since Haddin was left out of the team, making regular contributions and having steady hands behind the stumps.
However, Prior is far more likely to play a game changing innings and so takes it out.
No Prior opportunity for Wade here. 4-3 ENG.
Bowling: James Pattinson versus James Anderson
James versus James. Pattinson has stormed onto the scene and if he can overcome his niggling injuries he will challenge McGrath’s records.
Anderson wins here though through sheer weight of numbers and class, leading arguably the world’s best attack over the past three years. Anderson rips out Pattinson’s stumps. 5-3 ENG.
Peter Siddle versus Stuart Broad
Peter Siddle will charge in all day whereas Broad will not and recently patriotic Peter has proven more than handy with the bat. Siddle to sizzle. 5-4 ENG.
Mitchell Starc versus Tim Bresnan
Starc seems to be leading the race for the final spot in the Australian attack due to injuries. However, he is still wayward enough that batsmen can just wait for the bad ball, as it is guaranteed to arrive.
Bresnan is the exact opposite. He may not seem like much but he has a full range of deliveries to leave batsmen always unsure how they will score their runs. His work reaps rewards for the English attack and will replace Finn as soon as he is fit. 6-4 ENG.
Nathan Lyon versus Graeme Swann
Two off-spinners with great respect for each other. Lyon may be the first spinner since Warney to make the spot his own but he is starting to struggle to penetrate even the tailenders, while Swann continues to claim wickets as he chooses.
Here is to hoping he never sings his Swannsong. 7-4 ENG.
12th man
There are plenty of players out there who could play in any of the ten back-to-back Tests but here are the pick of the batting and bowling back-ups:
Usman Khawaja versus Jonny Bairstow
Khawaja was nominated by Michael Hussey as his direct replacement but it has not gone that way so far. When Phillip Hughes gets dropped he will slot straight in.
Bairstow is the unlucky one who just doesn’t fit in a dominant batting line-up. Khawaja just edges out Bairstow, but it is the closest out of any contest so far. 7-5 ENG.
Pat Cummins/Jackson Bird versus Steven Finn
Cummins is meant to be leading the attack with Pattinson but since his breakout series in South Africa he has been dogged by injury, robbing the world of the fastest and most exciting opening attack seen in years.
Bird more than suitably filled in recently against Sri Lanka and was harshly left out in India before getting injured. Both deserve a spot in the Aussie line-up ahead of Starc, but Finn still wins this contest through sheer weight of previous numbers.
And we have reached the Finn-ish line and England win 8-5.
So there you have it, England should run away with both of these Ashes series, especially now that Ponting and Hussey have retired.
However, cricket is an odd game, especially an Ashes series and, with the bad luck of Ricky gone Australia could finally win a series again.
So quit work, book your necessary flights, get your best Richie Benaud voices going and tune in for the most glorious six months of colonial cricket contests ever. I’m predicting England to win 3-1 in England, and 3-2 in Australia.
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