In an interesting article in Melbourne’s The Age newspaper, Keith Dunstan has jokingly called for a Government inquiry into the placidity of cricket pitches in Australia. On a similar note, Peter Roebuck, in describing the first Ashes test as “ultimately a dud”, also bemoaned the state of the pitch, and wondered whether we may get to the Boxing Day test at 0-0. Whilst I think a Government inquiry may be going a bit far, I am certainly of the persuasion that it is high time the ICC takes some serious steps to rectify the docile nature of cricket pitches around the world.

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Ashes 100-1 Countdown: 6 Days Until the Ashes

Daniel Gray takes a stab at what memorabilia Channel 9 will be flogging this year.

With the sea of voices discussing everything in Australian cricket even remotely Ashes related, there has been one key area where the critics have remained strangely silent. For the good folk at Channel 9, the action on the field may be important, but as anyone who’s watched a Test or two in their life will know, the network sees the matches primarily as a great opportunity to sell overpriced cricket memorabilia.

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Ashes 100-1 Countdown: 7 Days Until the Ashes

Matthew Wood, the brains behind Balanced Sports urges Australia to think outside the box and consider a four pronged shape for their bowling unit.

By picking two spinners in a squad of seventeen, Australia has shown its hand: they’re going to play a tweaker in the first Ashes Test next week.  Hardly startling news, but it leaves the question: why not play four fast bowlers?  The ‘Gabba traditionally takes pace very well and there is a convincing argument that the best four bowlers in the country (perhaps even the best seven) are speedsters.

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Ashes 100-1 Countdown: 8 Days Until the Ashes

David Green aka The Reverse Sweep looks at 10 possible contributing factors to Australia regaining the Ashes.

Yesterday we gave ten reasons why England will retain the Ashes. Today it is the turn of Australia as we provide the same number of reasons why they will regain the urn come January in Sydney.

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