Inshallah me too. I hope it goes well for you and family.

Likewise Amir. Watching the Ashes should hopefully kill a big chunk of the time.

Ooops seem to have taken my predictions off... I'll post em' here...

Top Run-Scorers for both teams: Jonathan Trott & Steven Smith (If Smith doesn't play more than 3 matches then Watson)

Top Wicket-Takers for both teams: Graeme Swann & Peter Siddle

Series result: 4-1 to England. 3-2, if there are seaming wickets & rain

Top Run Scorer: Jonathan Trott
Top Wicket Taker: Jimmy Anderson

Series Result : England 3-1 Australia

Managed to get a small radio so I can listen to it at work

Bumble better be on form

Can see us winning at Trent bridge, we have a much stronger bowling attack,

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Taking the rest of the week off to watch the first 3 days ( will be playing Saturday )
Toss will be important,hopefully win it and bat ttem out of the game
Not as confident of Joe Root opening as everyone seems to be,hope I'm wrong but he appears to follow a ball that's nipping around bringing the slips into play ratter than just playing for his off stump
Time will tell

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
CRY 'GOD FOR ELIZABETH, ENGLAND, AND SAINT GEORGE!'

COME ON!!!!!

Morning Guys

Well the start of the Ashes, weather s great and hope we are in for some great Cricket, I think Cook will want to win the toss and try and get a big score, but I think England will regain the Ashes but never wright off the Australians

Morning lads

Amazing day, gutted to be in the office but the next month filled with cricket

Looks like Steve Smith is in for the Aussies, going with spin

Win the toss, get a big score, our bowling attack is so strong, Swanny to be the match winner, Jimmy to reverse it, we're huge favourites!

Morning gentlefolk

Australia will win this test - mark my words

lefty

Our record at Trent Bridge isn't the best vs Australia, it's a great wicket today, glad we've started in Notts! get this one out the way

Durham will be the decider for me! no Ashes test played there to date!

I used to live near Trent bridge. Lovely ground.

I feel England have a psychological edge, however also think England are slightly over confident.

Bit of both lefty, confidence going into an Ashes test is amazing to have!

Predictions?

Lefty have you just cursed Australia

No honestly I think there will be nerves on both sides, but if England play to there best which we know they can then I think they will be to strong for the Austalians

Is Botham overestimating England? Is he underestimating the Aussies? One thing is for sure he’s got more confidence in the English weather than I have!

3-0 in the series.

Come on me babies!!!

My perdiction is

England 2-1

Anderson leading wicket taker

KP to be the leading batsman

We have a strong position considering we can win or draw the series to retain the Ashes, a nice 3-0 would be great

Think this test will set the tempo, Aussies are rank outsiders at the moment, dangerous to consider them just here to make up the numbers

Swanny will be key today

This is probably the first time in history that England are going into an Ashes series with such confidence, expectation and favouritism. On the other hand Australia have something. Their seam bowlers have the pace to do damage.

I for one think England just need to get over the first hurdle. However, a bad performance is around the corner for England. They won't perform in such a solid manner throughout the series. They will slip up somewhere. It's a case of when. Hopefully not today.

Win the toss today and get a good solid 1st innings in

There seems to be overcast conditions in Nottingham. But allow that would still bat first. Intent has to be positive.

Cook and Root to open Adot?

Stick Bell at 3 and Trott at 4

Cook and Root to open. Leave Trott at three. He'll bat all day long and all week long. I'm backing him to be top-run scorer. He's in some good form, but then again when isn't he. Bairstow will play it seems, so it makes this batting line-up a lot stronger.

Bell can nick a quick 50, KP and Bairstow Adot?