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Why are Ashes series in Australia more interesting than the ones in England?

Varun

Varun

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I think I'm speaking for most neutrals when I make this statement.

Is it because there is a constant template to the 5 Ashes tests in Australia? - hostile opener in Brisbane, followed by a relatively flat track in Adelaide that gives the tourists a chance to come back, the fast bouncy WACA, boxing day affair at the MCG and a rather spin-friendly SCG?

Meanwhile, the schedule in England is all helter-skelter - even Lord's doesn't have a set date or test match and can be shuffled around at will.

Or is it because of the pitches and the crowds that provide a more challenging contest to the English, much more than any of the English decks/crowds/media do to Australia?

Interested to hear your views on this. Of course, if you believe Ashes series in England tops the Australian one, do weigh in with your comments on that too.
 
For me it is the opposite. I prefer the English summer Ashes over the Australian Ashes by a good margin.
 
Both are equally entertaining. Its just that some tours to Australia are so one sided.
 
It's all down to the level of cricket. MJ was absolutely amazing to watch during the last Australian Ashes series which is why we are all looking forward to something similar from Starc and Cummins.

Whereas the last English Ashes series was a relatively boring one.
 
Commentators, Wickets, Crowd, Atmosphere. It's just better in AUS.
 
Matches in australia tend to be boring run fests, that's why I like ashes and cricket in general, in England more.
 
When was the last time there was a genuinely competitive Ashes series in Australia ? Infact, when was the last time there was a genuinely competitive, ebbing and flowing Ashes series in either country where the series was still on the line by the 5th Test ?

It seems both sides recently just take turns hammering each other at home. It also means the few series that are competitive like 2005 and 2009 stand out and are hyped a lot more.

Also given the OP's long history of antipathy towards anything English, I'm surprised he considers himself as "speaking for most neutrals" :))

Varun said:
Meanwhile, the schedule in England is all helter-skelter - even Lord's doesn't have a set date or test match and can be shuffled around at will.
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Lord's is usually the First or Second Test of an Ashes series so not sure where you got that from. The Oval is always the last Test, infact London is always guaranteed to host two Tests in an Ashes. Edgbaston always gets a Test.

ManFan said:
Commentators, Wickets, Crowd, Atmosphere. It's just better in AUS.
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Not sure how you can rate the commentators (post-Benaud/Greig) and the wickets in Australia (nearly every venue is a pancake) as better than England.
 
aloo paratha said:
You gotta be kidding about commentators...
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Their annoying and bias but they are more exciting than Beefy and Gower. Hussain, Athers, and Bumble are fun but I prefer Aussie commentators for some weird reason.
The wickets are flat highways but they have more bounce and carry than English wickets where all you see are medium-pacers carrying to slips.
Australia: Pace
England: Seam/Swing
 
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Markhor said:
When was the last time there was a genuinely competitive Ashes series in Australia ? Infact, when was the last time there was a genuinely competitive, ebbing and flowing Ashes series in either country where the series was still on the line by the 5th Test ?
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2010-11? Australia and Mitchell Johnson struck back fiercely at Perth to bring the series to 1-1 and had a chance to level it going into the last test. Close enough.

Markhor said:
It seems both sides recently just take turns hammering each other at home. It also means the few series that are competitive like 2005 and 2009 stand out and are hyped a lot more.
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2009 was a boring yawnfest and was decided by a session here or there. A shadow of what 2005 was.

Markhor said:
Also given the OP's long history of antipathy towards anything English, I'm surprised he considers himself as "speaking for most neutrals" :))
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You clearly have not read of my opinion on some recent Australian pitches, and batsmen who are considered legends for scoring on them.
 
I feel english summer gives us more entertainment than Australia's
but may be Australians sledge more when they play in front of their home crowd that surely entertain us(cricket fans over the world)
 
Australian commentators are rubbish, and for me the pitches and the atmosphere in England are unrivaled especially in Test cricket.

Obviously the time zone is also a factor. Test cricket in Australia not convenient for people based in Pakistan, although that isn't the case for me in this Ashes series.
 
Varun said:
2010-11? Australia and Mitchell Johnson struck back fiercely at Perth to bring the series to 1-1 and had a chance to level it going into the last test. Close enough.
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By the 5th Test, England were 2-1 up so had retained the Ashes.

You'd expect Australia to win in Perth though due to the pace and bounce of the wicket. However I don't know how you think Australia had any chance of levelling that series - they were an utter shambles as a team during that period. Their bowling attack was very weak as evident by England racking up gargantuan totals like 517-1d, 620-5d, 513 and 644.

2009 was a boring yawnfest and was decided by a session here or there. A shadow of what 2005 was.
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Don't know how much of that series you watched then but I can assure you it was a far better spectacle than 2010-11.

In Cardiff, Panesar and Anderson for the tenth wicket partnership batted out just under an hour to save the Test. At Lord's, Clarke and Haddin had a right go at pulling off a huge 4th innings chase. Australia levelled the series with a big win at Leeds in the 4th Test with great spells from Siddle and Johnson.

The series was 1-1 and the Ashes still up for grabs by the 5th Test which England won to regain the Ashes after the 2006/07 whitewash. The only borefest was the Edgbaston Test interrupted by rain. Better contest than 2001, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2010/11, 2013 and 2015 all of which I've seen.

You clearly have not read of my opinion on some recent Australian pitches, and batsmen who are considered legends for scoring on them.
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Yes that's fine, and its fine to dislike England (I can't stand the football team for example) but please don't pretend to be a paragon of neutrality on matters relating to English cricket. You're not kidding anyone.
 
Markhor said:
Yes that's fine, and its fine to dislike England (I can't stand the football team for example) but please don't pretend to be a paragon of neutrality on matters relating to English cricket. You're not kidding anyone.
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I'm very much a neutral in this case because if you claim that I'm dismissive toward the England cricket team, I'm equally disparaging about Australian cricket. So there.
 
England is way better, nice chill environment, no pancakes for breakfast, plus love Athers, Bumble and Nas more than the OZ commies
 
I like test cricket in Australia the most. I think they have the best grounds in the world.
 
I like cricket in Australia but I prefer the ashes in England due to the fact I can watch the games and also I enjoy the English atmosphere for the ashes.
 
I actually like Ashes in UK (unless it's too wet summer). Aussie commis are bias, indecent; in home Umpire era their Umpires were biggest cheats (it's a collective effort - their Umpires will do the dirty thing exactly when needed and commis will justify that), and their players are extremely unpolished for a gentleman's game.

Besides, it's true that Ashes in UK should be closely contested rather than other way. For example, this year also I am expecting 5-0 .......
 
It really doesn't matter. The point [MENTION=132715]Varun[/MENTION] is that for folks who love watching England getting smashed 5-0 the Australian ashes is always better :D since that scoreline only ever happens down under. Also I think there's a bit more sledging and the crowd really gets into unlike boring English crowds. Also English weather at times can look miserable even on broadcast television :facepalm:
 
I love the cricket played in Australia, Ashes or not. I remember as a kid growing up in India, getting up at 5 AM in the morning to watch games in Australia. The Australian grounds are beautiful and in spite of the dull pitches sometimes, the games are entertaining as well. Cricket in England is good but for some reason I get bored watching test cricket in England, even when India is playing there. I don't know if it is the weather or the crowd.
 
Ashes in England is much more entertaining , competitive and has excellent test atmosphere .In Australia , everyrhing appears like in a video game .
 
Australia has the potential to completely flatten England in Australia. There have been two such whitewashes in living memory.

However, England cannot seem to be able to do the same. They just don't make them with that killer attitude to the Poms eh.
 
Marshland said:
Australia has the potential to completely flatten England in Australia. There have been two such whitewashes in living memory.

However, England cannot seem to be able to do the same. They just don't make them with that killer attitude to the Poms eh.
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English people are too nice for that. We don’t do this total commitment thing. Too much like trying too hard! There are a few exceptions such as Sir Bradley Wiggins, Sir Mo Farrah and Lewis Hamilton.
 
Markhor said:
When was the last time there was a genuinely competitive Ashes series in Australia ? Infact, when was the last time there was a genuinely competitive, ebbing and flowing Ashes series in either country where the series was still on the line by the 5th Test ?

It seems both sides recently just take turns hammering each other at home. It also means the few series that are competitive like 2005 and 2009 stand out and are hyped a lot more.

Also given the OP's long history of antipathy towards anything English, I'm surprised he considers himself as "speaking for most neutrals" :))


Lord's is usually the First or Second Test of an Ashes series so not sure where you got that from. The Oval is always the last Test, infact London is always guaranteed to host two Tests in an Ashes. Edgbaston always gets a Test.



Not sure how you can rate the commentators (post-Benaud/Greig) and the wickets in Australia (nearly every venue is a pancake) as better than England.
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Didn't the 2013 Ashes go down to the 5th Test?
 
As a neutral, you do not follow Ashes to see a well contested series. You follow it to see the team supported by you hammering the opposition. I have been an Australian supporter in Ashes. That way my fondest memories of an Ashes series are about the 1974-75 Ashes in Australia.
 
Sadevdesai said:
In Australia, crowds are not as well behaved as they are in England !!!!!!
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Because unlike England, cricket isn't an elitist sport over here. Even a poor man can attend a Boxing Day Test.
 
I prefer English Ashes more. It is a bit more competetive, atmosphere is electric, commentators and analysts are brilliant in England and Sky Sports, and it always brings back the memory of the greatest Ashes that I have ever seen ie 2005 one.
Plus I have more inclination towards cricket in England than any other place as a neutral.

English pitches have something for everyone, some of their pitches have good seam and swing, some are flat roads that encourage run making for all batsmen, spinners have a big role to play in England as opposed to Australia, which is a minefield for visiting spinners for some reason. There are dry slow pitches in place there as well which encourages grinding and sub continental cricket. Plus England aren't very strong in their fortress as Australia are. England lose Tests more frequently at home than Australia do, so it makes it exciting. Plus Australian timezone doesn't match with Pakistan.
 
For me nothing beats the cricket in England. Perfect test wickets, coverage (Sky) and good crowd. Usually it's cricket at its best.

I like tests in SA as well but the coverage and crowd can not be compared to the ones in England. But SA has some good test wickets especially for genuine fast bowlers.
 
England all the way

Noone can beat the ashes in 2004,2010 and 2015..

The only good ashes series in Australia was in 2010
 
Varun said:
I think I'm speaking for most neutrals when I make this statement.

Is it because there is a constant template to the 5 Ashes tests in Australia? - hostile opener in Brisbane, followed by a relatively flat track in Adelaide that gives the tourists a chance to come back, the fast bouncy WACA, boxing day affair at the MCG and a rather spin-friendly SCG?

Meanwhile, the schedule in England is all helter-skelter - even Lord's doesn't have a set date or test match and can be shuffled around at will.

Or is it because of the pitches and the crowds that provide a more challenging contest to the English, much more than any of the English decks/crowds/media do to Australia?

Interested to hear your views on this. Of course, if you believe Ashes series in England tops the Australian one, do weigh in with your comments on that too.
Click to expand...

2005 Ashes series was the second best cricket series I have witnessed in 30+ years of watching cricket. Second after the 2000-01 India-Australia series. While watching cricket played in Aus is fantastic (television coverage is outstanding, grounds are awesome, weather is brilliant), none of the Ashes series played in Aus have been that great to be quite honest.
 
I think the best thing about ashes in Australia (for a viewer in India) is that when you wake up there is already some cricket on TV, and you can brush your teeth, get ready or just stay in your bed hearing the commentary, the buzzing crowd, and the sound of bat hitting ball.
 
I think cricket in general in Australia is just something special, not just the Ashes. The huge stadiums, the good weather, the broadcasters, the commentators make it so exciting to watch and I'd love to play a match at a big stadium in Australia. I love when cricket is in Australia apart from the time zone.
 
I take back my words a bit since the time I made this thread.

England are so listless that it's not a contest when they tour down under. The Australian crowds that turn up need to have their motivations questioned.

Australia in England don't droop their shoulders after 1 or 2 defeats, and this contributes to the series excitement even at the time of the 5th test. For example, their last series was 2-2.
 
Varun said:
I take back my words a bit since the time I made this thread.

England are so listless that it's not a contest when they tour down under. The Australian crowds that turn up need to have their motivations questioned.

Australia in England don't droop their shoulders after 1 or 2 defeats, and this contributes to the series excitement even at the time of the 5th test. For example, their last series was 2-2.
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I don't know why you liked Ashes in Australia before.

Its way more interesting in England. In Australia its mostly one sided.
 
Ashes is a boring series and it's more boring in Australia. In England atleast some spicy pitches get rolled out unlike in Australia where there are flat pitches all 5 days.
 
Kaddy said:
I don't know why you liked Ashes in Australia before.

Its way more interesting in England. In Australia its mostly one sided.
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I made this thread after 2 great series in Australia - one was England's victory in 2010/11, then the next one in 2013/14 which though a whitewash, was fantastic to watch as Australia and Mitchell Johnson were clearly the underdog going into that series.
 
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