Getting back to the Ashes themselves, I really don't see where all the confidence for an English victory is coming from??
Most of it seems to stem from the absence of the likes of Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, etc from the Aussie line up, as though this makes them a mediocre side.
The way I see it (And yes, I am an Englishman hoping we can win), we have a lot more question marks over our side than they do.
Batting wise I admit there isn't much in it, but personally I have reservations about Collingwood, who never convinces me as a Test class batsman, Cook, who during his previous Ashes series was found out by the Aussie bowlers, and Bopara, who though he has started well in his test career, may discover that facing a poor West Indian attack is slightly different to an Aussie attack.
As for the Aussie batting, well Ponting, Clarke and Hussey are as good as it gets, and I have a feeling that Katich may have a big series, as he has plenty to prove after being a poor number 6 back in 2005, but now establishing himself as a good, steady opener.
Bowling wise, in my opinion, 1 man stands out a country mile and that is Mitchell Johnson....Left armers bowling swing both ways at 90 mph+ are about as difficult as it is to face, and I fear he may be the star of this series....He reminds me a lot of Wasim Akram, and England never ever quite got to grips with him...
One thing nobody seems to have mentioned, that certainly bothers me is Matt Prior.....This man simply being in the team shows just how lacking in confidence England are with their batting line up....He is an absolute liability with the gloves, and should never ever be playing Test cricket....at some point in this series his inclusion will come to bite England on the backside.
Finally, I fail to understand all the confidence considering this is an Aussie side that just beat South Africa in South Africa....The same South Africa that last summer battered England....
