Hi Iain,
England are the real favourites in this ashes.
Key players are Freddie,Swann,Broad.
Bowl Well in the Srilanka Test Series and you can get a chance to play in ODI Series.
You just need some gud luck man.
Surely u will be in Top 10 this year in ICC Test Ratings.
All The Best for next match against MiddleSex

Never discount Australia. Even though they have more Ashes newbies in their side and seem to have questionable selections, they know how to dig deep from near-hopeless situations. Being a recent migrant from NZ doing his OE in the UK, it would be great to see England win this series (so I could see a victory parade), but it will depend on the form of their squad. Can Freddie Flintoff stay injury free? Can Pietersen fire with the bat. Can the quicks do what they did in the last Ashes series in England? And can the extra specialist spinners make a difference? If yes, then I'd think England would have their noses in front.

I agree Ian, England are slight favorites just because the have the 2 spinners. Have a good holiday!

Who are you again?

Yip England will win the series hands down. Iain I thought you were hard done by not going to on tour, you had a good season, hard luck mate but as every NZ cricket fan knows NZC management are muppets.

Zane Webb. Now there's a good cricketing name. All those international matches... oh hang on...

my money is on the aussies. coz they ve gt few big match players who can turn thing around quite efficiantly.englang will desperately miss micheal vaughan's assistance coz he is one of the match winners.anyway mr ian o brian want 2 c u guyz in sri lanka next month.fingers crossed

No chance for England as far as this Aussie supporter is concerned - they just haven't faced enough quality opposition lately. Great, Bopara cashed in against the Windies but I reckon he'd struggle against the awesome pace attack of South Africa. When England won in 2005 it was a massive effort and everything fell into place for them. This time they don't have the talent to cash in on Australian weaknesses.

Sorry to disappoint you but Australia is going to take the Ashes 3 - 0 as England only rely on one bowler and one batsman. Australia are to balnced for England.

u a good blog writer than a cricket player,u must seek permanent job from cricinfo

Hey Zane. Another 6 for the nobody.

Looks like first test is going to be a draw. I believe England need Harmission back. He is the only player who seem to trouble Aussie Batsman.

By the way, congrtulations to Iain for second six-wicket haul in as many games.

At the start of the series...I thought it is a 51-49 situation and ADVANTAGE England. The reason is plain and simple and have been written or told by many experts earlier... The absence of a quality spinner in the Aussie squad. But the absence of maturity in KP while playing Hauritz has created a great chance for the Aussies to go up 1-0 in the series. English bowling was not at its best as both the spinners were disappointing. Monty was too short and Swan was too fool in his length. If Johnson & Co. can claim the wicket of KP early in the morning on the 5th Day...well...We can have a similar beginning like 2005 Ashes. If England wants to live up to Iain's prediction of 2-1 margin,they have got some serious thinking to do before the Lord's test. I guess Harmison will get an opportunity there. The intensity of the Australian team has been great. My money is on them.

Hoping for rain on day 5 pal and that will be your rain affected game, always takes Eng a while to get going! Top effort against Middlesex, see you Friday! :)

Yet again England are kidding themselves about the quality of their attack. On what planet do people think Englands bowling attack (which couldn't bowl the Windies out at the beggining of the year) is better than the Australian one that destroyed South Africa in South Africa not long ago. England do not have a single world class bowler, all the fast bowlers have averages over 30, Flintoff is Englands best fast bowler with an average of 32! Only Swann has an average under 30 and hasn't played anybody yet. The closest England have had in recent years was Simon Jones who people seem to forget was Englands best bowler by a mile in 2005 Ashes (average 21) not Flintoff (average 27) but sadly injuries have ruined his career. The last England bowler to produce consistent quality performances over several seasons was Darren Gough (Av 26). While I'm about it Harmison has had 3 good series for England in 2004 Windies twice and N.Zealand awful before then, awful since so please don't pick again.

Given how massively England have just been outplayed in the first test, that prediction looks mightily awry. Wishful thinking motivated by the desire to see your Antipodean neighbours defeated, Mr. O'Brien?

Might be a bit late as the 1st test has already finished. Are you all still so confident about an English victory now?

Congratulations on your excellent form at the moment keep it going and you'll be back in all the New Zealand squads for sure.

How good is Prague mate. Beer is cheap, coffee is cheap. Nice city. Love it.

Prediction is looking fairly sound now...

Bloody hell! That was Nostradamus-esque!