Yes i agree that we should just have a pace attack and throw in Clarke for a bit of spin if necessary.
I think the reason they pick a spinner is because Watson is basically included as the fourth pace bowler, not many sides have the luxury of having your opening batsmen as part of your pace attack.

John, I'm tipping Mitchell Johnson to reclaim his form from South Africa a couple of years ago. Plenty of edges to slip/gully from attempted cover drives to balls going across the right hander. Hilfenhaus and Bollinger will take care of the left handers.

I'm more worried about our batting, I think we'll be able to take 20 English wickets with our attack but whether we can get the runs on the board is the big question. Thankfully Anderson, while England's best quick, is not really suited to Australian wickets or the kookaburra ball and will get smashed like he did last time. And as I already predicted...I think our batsmen might just ruin Graham Swann's reputation. Off spinners haven't done so well in Australia in recent times and if Murali couldn't get wickets, Swann will struggle.

And I don't necessarily think we'll win 5-0 again...I just said we'd have to play really well to win 5-0 this time, whereas last time we could have sent the players Mum's on the field and they would have got the job done. I'm thinking 3-0 or 3-1

I'm not counting out that we can win 5-0 its just that form of our players doesn't suggest that, our pace attack needs to lift a notch or two, Johnson is the key for me, if he finds rhythm and gets wickets, it will take the pressure Bollinger and Hilf or Siddle.
Actually Smith is in the Squad too my bad, i hope he gets a go the experience will help him immensely.

Murali's problems were between the ears though - getting no balled and horribly treated by sections of your crowds were a significant factor in his undoing in Australia. Also, having at least one left armer in your line up creates footmarks for Swann.

As for the prediction I know you're being silly about the Mums comment, but I'll take it semi seriously for a second and say to you that the point of the 5-0 whitewash wasn't so much that we were unbelievably awful (we were a mess for sure though) or the worst England touring party ever, but that arguably the greatest test side to ever take the field had a massive peak.

Nah, it was Harmison's first ball of the series going to 2nd slip coupled with the Adelaide capitulation. Our great side was on very old legs. To lose 5-0 was pretty embarrassing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nol94jVqCXk&feature=related[/youtube]

Love the mention of Derek "Arkle" Randall.

Some cracking stuff on youtube.

Ah they don;t make them like this anymore. 125 from 579 mins at the crease and 430 balls.

Absolute bloody class.

Thank god for that! How boring.

I'd like to see Sehwag bat for 430 balls. In somewhere like Adelaide.

Though preferrably against England, so I could laugh.

You've been reared on your 4.5 runs an over nonsense, Mint. Those of us reared on painstaking MA Atherton innings know better.

4.5 an over is pretty rare, but teams that score less than 3 an over these days in a first innings are crap.

If I was a selector and a top order batsmen got 100 off 400 balls I'd drop them immediately (unless it was to save a test chasing 500-600...you'd have to be chasing an awful lot to be playing for a draw when you've got 400 balls to face!).

It would never happen though, as once they'd scored say 35-40 off 150 balls I would order them to try and hit every ball for 6 until they either a) got out or b) got another 25 runs.

Make us proud, Ricky.

Its not Ricky that we should be counting on its a few others.