Anyone fancy having a stab at guessing the outcome for the forthcoming series?
The winner can take a warm smug feeling with them as a prize:
1) Series outcome (Aus wins first)
Score:
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name:
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name:
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name:
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name:
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline:
0
Comments
Score: Aus 1 Eng 3 Draw 1
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Trott
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Tremlett
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: KP
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Monty
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: KP goes nuts as aussie bowlers have him sorted (salted!)
1 - Australia 1 England 2
2 - Australia - Ponting, England - Strauss, Overall - Strauss
3 - Australia - Johnson, England - Swann, Overall - Swann
4 - Australia - Hughes, England - Pietersen, Overall - Hughes
5 - Australia - Hauritz, England - Finn, Overall - Hauritz
6 - Whinging Poms (in some dirty Aussie rag)
I don't want to over complicate it, that's all. That's for people to enter and me to put the results up!
Sides tend to dick around with who plays after the top 5.
By basing it on average for worst players you can include a hilariously bad stat for a one game (non) wonder. Be lucky!
The winner can take a warm smug feeling with them as a prize:
1) Series outcome (Aus wins first)
Score: Aus 1 Eng 2
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Strauss
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Cook
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Hauritz
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: Broad shoulders the England attack.
Score: 3-1
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Watson
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Johnson
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Bell 5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Broad
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
For whom the Bell tolls - after Bell fails to get past 30 in first 3 tests
Living here in Perth WA, really looking forward to this summer down here, and (hopefully!) smashing the convicts all around their own back yard!
Am at Perth and Melbourne for the 4 days at each venue, so keep an eye out in the stands for my 10' x 5' Ensign flag with the addicks badge in the bottom left hand corner ( Three lions top right and ECB bottom right).
Hopefully be able to get it seen easier than in 2006 at the gabba, when it wasn't allowed to cover any signs at all!
Anyway with regards to Sco's prediction game:
1, Aus 1- 3 (Australia - Brisbane. England - Adelaide, Perth, Sydney. Draw at Melbourne) - Hopefully something like this!!!!
2, Strauss - Really think he is going to have a good series, even after getting out early yesterday against the A' side. Crucial he gets off to a good start at Brisbane.
3, Swann - The skips really are worried about him and hopefully if the England first 4 attack (Anderson, Broad, Finn and Swann) can share the wickets around then hopefully Swann will come into his own at Sydney!
4, Hard one this! seeing as the skips dont know their best 12, let alone top 5! Watson, Ponting and Clarke (if back injury clears up by next week) are a given but the other 2 could change by the squad announcement on Sunday.
Still think Hussey will get a spot despite a duck in the shield game against Victoria yesterday, but dont think they will keep him if recent poor form continues. So for question 4 am going:
4, Ponting! - Really think if he gets off to a bad start, the press over here are going to give him belters! and is probably the only one of the top order (apart from Clarke) that wont have to look over his shoulder!
5, Hauritz! - Could never back against an Englishman down here! and although they have a few spinners available, hope that they continue to persist with Nathan Hauritz!
6, No chance that the West Australian could come up with a decent headline if their life depended on it! so haven't seen any for a while to get the brain thinking!
Anyway over here if England get ahead in the series they wont even report on it!!!!
Hopefully by the middle of January, The Addicks will be top, in the 4th round of the FA cup and that little urn will still be in our hands!!!
2. Strauss
3. Swann.
4. Would like to go for North but as you are not a recognised batsman unless you are in the top 5, I'll pick KP. Suspect he may be dropped though. Certainly deserves to be.
5. Hauritz
6. Bell: end! for reasons given by One Lung, akthough I actually think Ian Ronald Bell will come could at last.
1-3
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Bell
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Bollinger
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Hussey
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Steven Smith
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Bollinger's champagne moment
Score: 2-2
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Ponting
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Watson
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Johnson
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: Poms o'clock
Score: 1-2
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Strauss
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Hilfenhaus
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Michael Clarke
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Hauritz
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: "Cook serves up victory"
Score: 1-3 (one draw).
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Ian Bell.
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Graeme Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Mike Hussey
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Steve Smith (if he plays) if not Nathan Hauritz
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline:
Strauss waltzs to Ashes victory
Score: 1-2
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Andrew Strauss
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Graeme Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Michael Hussey
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Peter Siddle or Steven Smith (whoever plays more)
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: "Strauss Sm-ashes England to Victory"
Not sure how long but MOG will know!
Score: Aus 1:3 England
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Ponting
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Cook
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: SIddle/Panesar
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline. Englands sm ash and gabba in Brisbane.
Score: England 2 Aus 2 draw 1
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Strauss
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name:Hussey
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name:Siddle
Score: 3-1 Aussies
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Ponting
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Strauss
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Anderson
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: God Knows!
Score: Aus 1-4 England
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Ricky Ponting
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Finn
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Cook
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Siddle
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: You've Urned It!
I'll substitute Xavier Doherty for Nathan Hauritz then.
Australia: 2(Brisbane, Melbourne)
England: 2(Adelaide, Sydney)
Draw: 1(Perth)
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Australia: Ponting
England: Collingwood
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Australia: Johnson
England: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Australia: Katich
England: Trott
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Australia: Hauritz/Doherty/Any other spinner they decide to bring in by the end of the series.
England: Finn
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline
Bowled over by Broad. (after we win the final test in Sydney by 26 runs, thanks to a fantastic final blitz from Broad/Swann on day five with the Aussies losing their last 7 wickets for just 37 runs as England retain the Ashes)
Score: 1-2
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Pietersen (faster tracks will suit and he really ought to be able to see off any left arm spinner the Aussie's produce)
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Swann
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Cook
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Hauritz
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Ashes Defeat Is Ponting's Swann Song
Score: Aus 1 Eng 2
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Strauss
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Anderson
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Pietersen
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Siddle
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: GABBA DABBA DO!
"We've Urned It"
Surely that is close enough, I look forward to my Charlton Life badge in the post.
I would also like to retract my 1-4 prediction :)
must be close!
1) Series outcome (Aus wins first)
Score: 1-3
2) Leading batsman (based on total runs)
Name: Alastair Cook
3) Leading bowler (based on most wickets)
Name: Jimmy Andersen (24)
4) Worst recognised batsman (based on average, must appear in top 5 of order)
Name: Collingwood 13.83
5) Worst recognised bowler (based on average)
Name: Officially Bollinger (130.0) but only 1 test, Doherty (110.0) 2 tests, Hilfenhaus probably worst (59.28) 4 matches. I guess the competition creator will have to decide on this one.
6) Who gets closest to a punned headline (you'll have to provide your own proof here!)
Headline: No idea for this, I don't have time to trawl through every piece written
Who is claiming the title then?