Boards
The Ashes are over. Here's a review...
So England did it (again). This victory was much different to 2005's though due to the gulf in class between that Aussie team, and this year's. England played some good cricket in places for sure, but we probably played just as much pretty awful cricket. As Potning rightly said, we won the key battles at the key times and credit to our boys for doing that. The selectors came good during the last test and should be praised for this, although it's now that the tough work really begins IMO. We're playing the best side in the world, on their home soil, this winter and will be destroyed if we turn up playing like we have this summer. The squad selection is going to be very tricky, and hopefully the selectors will have the balls to make some tough decisions. From this series, my starting XI (complete with question marks for unknowns) would be thus:
Strauss (c)
?
Trott
Pietersen
?
Prior
Broad
Rashid
Swann
Anderson
Onions/?
Strauss, Pietersen, Prior (who proved me very wrong with his excellent glovework throughout this series), Broad (who has showed some glimpses of awesomeness over the past 2 tests) and Anderson, pick themselves. Whilst Swann's last test batting/bowling display has saved him IMO (other than this he's looked pretty average). Rashid continues to impress in county cricket and should get the nod ahead of panesar for sure. Trott looks amazingly composed and will go on to be a great england player i reckon - as most south africans do. Onions has also done enough i'd have thought, although there'll no doubt be calls for harmison to make the squad.
Collingwood should never play a test for england again - he's just not up to it anymore (even his catching failed him yesterday). I'd also leave bell out, although i'm sure one of him and bopara will make the team. Rpb Key? I don't know.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS.?