To win a test you need to bowl a side out twice and with England currently only going in to games with four bowlers they are going to struggle to win games. The selectors need to take a gamble and drop a batsman and play two spinners.
Both sides bat a long way down but the one thing in the favor of the Aussies is that when they get a score they go on to get a BIG score, in general our guys get 50 and get out.
Sorry to say it but with home advantage the Aussies will regain the Ashes.
Not convinced we need to have 5 bowlers. Swann does a great role meaning we can get away with not having a 5th bowler. Australia did it for years with Warne doing that role. Granted Swann is no Warne but he does the role well. Monty hasn't done enough for me to give him the 2nd spinner role in an Ashes series. But the worry will still be bowling the Aussies out twice. I don;'t care what people say about Australia being in decline, a top order that has Clarke, Hussey and Ponting in is still a formidable line up and Watson is in great form at the moment and Katich is a nuggetty sort of player. I am sticking with my 2-2 prediction though with us retaining the Ashes.
Sat watching the game against SA and even with damp overcast conditions Anderson looking laboured. Finn looked good but Swan getting zero turn, could be a long summer down here. Prior looking solid behind the stumps though.
Edit : whoops Jimmy just took a good wicket... . Make that 2
I am more optimistic than I have been for many a year that we can win over there> Swann is the key. If he plays well we will demolish them. I can see old Punter a broken man by January.