The most eagerly awaited Ashes series since the last one is almost upon us – and the question on everyone’s lips is whether England have what it takes to win in Australia for the first time since 2010/11.

With the first Test due to start in Perth in the wee small hours, Merseyside Cricket Online surveyed a number of local cricket figures to get their predictions and thoughts ahead of the series.

What will be the score? Who will be the key players? Where will the series be won and lost? On condition of anonymity, they answered those questions and maybe more.

We’ve grouped them into three categories based on how patriotic/realistic they are. 

ASHES COMING HOME!!!!!!!

I’m going for 2-1 England. I think it’ll be something like 2005, there will be games, innings and spells that get spoken about for decades again. Fitness in the England team will be a huge factor, but Aussie pitches offer more for the ball now so that’ll help England’s injury worries. I think Steve Smith will score a shedload, Mark Wood will hit 99/100mph… and there will be some English retirements if England win.

Going patriotic this time and it’s our year. 4-0 England, with a washout draw. Root 100 in the first Test and leading scorer. Stokes player of the series for batting, bowling, fielding, captaincy. Archer leading wicket taker. Head to cop some stick, average 20 all series and throw his kit everywhere on at least one occasion. Innings win in Perth followed by them being four down early in Adelaide, and never recover from there. Too much pace, bounce and aggression with the bat for the Aussies. Come on England.

3-2 England. Brook to have a stormer.

I’m backing England to edge the series 3-2. Their pace attack with Wood and Archer could be the difference, and Joe Root plus Harry Brook should have strong series with the bat. Stokes’ leadership and England’s aggressive style might put Australia under real pressure. I think it’ll be won through England’s fast bowlers hitting hard early in each Test and setting the tone. Australia are always dangerous at home, but if England stay fit and stick to their positive approach, they’ve got a real chance.

3-1 England. Crawley to outscore expectation and have a massive innings (and hopefully more) in him. ⁠Root to correct his previous poor form in Australia and end up as leading run scorer. ⁠Fitness of Wood and Archer is key. If they stay fit, we will win. For Australia, Steve Smith needs to score big in what looks a fragile batting line up. I think England will have them a few for not many a few times and the middle and lower order will have to get them out of jail. ⁠Cummins and Hazelwood’s injuries will play massive part in the series. If they miss the first two, I think England will go 2-0 up.

3-1 England. I expect Root and Smith to score a lot of runs but I think the series will be won and lost depending on the form of others. Brook is a key player for England and if he can find form early he would give us a big chance; the same can be said for Labuschagne and Australia’s chances. If one of those two fire then they could swing it either way. The openers will be key as well, I’m backing Crawley and Duckett to outperform Khawaja and Weatherald. There are fewer question marks over the bowling for both sides, in my opinion. Both teams have great options even with a couple of injuries.

If England can keep this bowling attack fit, I think we’re favourites but I’m prepared to eat my words… Smith has to score runs for Australia, the rest of their batting is, on form, average. England have three or four lads who can and probably will share the runs, so there’s more pressure on the Aussie batters. 

I think England might win 3-2. Archer is the key player for us, if he stays fit! Stokes will do something unbelievable to win a game at some point. I’m not quite sure on the Australian team other than the standard view that Smith with be the key wicket.

They will need to win three Tests, which is a big ask. But it’s the first time I have really believed England can turn the Aussies over on their own patch. I think Duckett and Crawley will be the difference, if they can outscore Khawaja & whoever they partner him up with throughout the series, that will go a long way to securing victory. Key players are obviously Root and Brook, Smith and Head on the batting front. Bowling wise if Archer and Wood play three Tests each minimum, England will fancy their chances. The key is that England have managed to take five seamers who can bowl at 85+mph and rotating them efficiently will be key. It also helps that the Aussies are struggling with some injuries, so you would have to say England are favourites for the first Test.

England 3-1, Brook is going to fire, Alex Carey for Australia, won day four of the last Test with Stokes hitting the winning runs.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL/FENCE-SITTERS

The outcome will rely heavily on England winning the first test in Perth and the fitness of the Aussie quicks over five tests. My score prediction is 2-2; key players are Stokes with bat and ball, Travis Head and Nathan Lyon.

Very close, I think. 2-2 with one draw. I think England need to win at Perth, when Australia are missing Cummins and Hazlewood. Steve Smith is crucial for the Aussies and Wood and Archer vital for us. Our bowling against their batting is the key for me. 

I’m going for a 2-2 draw. I think England not having a proper spinner will be a factor later in the series, and I’d personally put Jacks ahead of Bashir as he can bat better. I think Root will finally get a Test ton Down Under and him and Archer will be the stand-out players for England. I think Harry Brook will flop. For Australia, I think Marnus Labuschagne will be the batter for them to watch but also Head will come in and be destructive.

2-2, with a New Year washout at the SCG. Joe Root to get his early Christmas present at the Adelaide Oval. Archer to be amazing in one Test and get injured. Jake Weatherald to announce himself on the world stage and Harry Brook to put his hat in the ring for “best in the world”.

I think 2-2 again! Think for England the two openers will be key to building a platform for the rest to do what they do. Australia are heavily reliant on that 3,4,5 of Marnus, Smith and Head for runs. There is still a little inexperience in England’s side Down Under – Duckett, Smith, Carse, Atkinson, Brook – but that may not be a bad thing!

Toughest series to call in a while so I’ll go straight down the middle and go 2-2 with a rain-off at Sydney or Melbourne. Key player for England is Joe Root and how long they can keep Jofra Archer and Mark Wood fit. Key player for Australia I think may actually be Nathan Lyon. With England having no quality spin option, the hosts could go down the spin-friendly pitch route. Travis Head is my pick for player of the series though. I think England need to win one of the first two or it will go really downhill really quickly. 

Let’s go for a 2-2 draw, Joe Root top run scorer for England, Head for Australia. Boland top wicket taker for Australia, Stokes for England.

2-2. Australia retain. Khawaja axed by the fourth Test. Root hundred at Adelaide. Wood and Archer both injured by fifth Test. Lyon leading wicket taker. Jamie Smith leading run scorer. Every test finished in four days unless it rains. Can’t wait.

Another moral victory: 2-2. With history against them, injuries to Australia’s quicks and the last three tests back-to-back, England have to be ahead after the first two tests to have a chance of winning. Who bowls the most overs out of Archer and Wood or Cummins and Hazlewood could well be a deciding factor. England have a chance, but having won four of their last 30 tests in Australia, I’d say then need everything to go right: Fast start, luck with injuries and one of Root and Brook to have an all-time series.

I’m going 2-2. Both teams are well matched. Could be that England get on top early on with Australia missing key bowlers, but I can see Australia coming back at Melbourne and Sydney when these players are back fit and firing. The sides are well matched I think but England have the edge in the all-rounder department whereas Australia have an obvious edge in spin bowling. For me though, the key player will be Harry Brook. He’s amazing and infuriating in equal measure! He can take England from the verge of defeat to the brink of a win in a single innings but then throw it away again by doing something brainless! I think this series could be career defining for him.

WE’RE (VARIOUS SHADES OF) DOOMED

Everyone who’s into cricket will have a cheeky prediction… I asked asked AI to make my life easier. 3-2, Australia to win the Ashes. Root to score his first ton in Australia; Steve Smith highest run scorer; Starc highest wicket taker; England to hit more sixes than Australia in the series.

4-1 to Australia. Australia’s key men will be Smith,Starc, Cummins, Marsh and Khawaja; England’s  Stokes, Brook, Root, Wood and Archer. The winner will be the team with the best bowling unit and who wins the most sessions.

3-2 to Australia. England’s key player will be Jofra Archer; Australia’s will be Nathan Lyon. Joe Root will have a good series, but it’ll be won and lost by the spinners.

Australia will win it 3-2. With Cummins and Hazlewood missing the first Test, England have a great chance to get off to a strong start. The two pace attacks are going to do serious damage to the respective batting line-ups over the five matches as I believe the wickets are more sporting than previously and the new Kookaburra ball is a lot more helpful for longer. Australia have the slight edge because they have a better spinner in Lyon. At some point, spin is going to be needed and their spinner is better than ours. And that is if England even play Bashir. I think Root will get that elusive ton Down Under, while the key players for the Aussies are Smith and Lyon. Cummins is key too if he can get fit. The match-up between the two wicketkeeper-batters will be fascinating to watch and could tip the balance if one has a great series with the bat. I really hope I am wrong but can see Australia edging it after a strong England start.

I think England have as good a chance as they have since 2010/2011. A lot rests on the fast bowlers for both sides and keeping the fit over the five games. I think Jamie Smith will do well with bat and gloves, while for Australia I think Mitchell Starc will produce some match-winning spells. I still think Australia will have too much for England and they will win 3-1. It could be 1-1 going into the fourth Test, at which point the Aussies and their fast bowling group will all be fit and firing on all cylinders to win them the last two tests. But I hope I’m wrong.

3-1 Australia, unfortunately… Good series incoming from Smith and Hazelwood for Australia and Smith and Carse for the visitors. England, if they’re to do well, need to win in Perth. I’m not sure England’s top five will get enough runs but I’m hoping I’m wrong.

2-1 Australia. Brook and Atkinson will be the big players for England; Labuschange and Lyon for Australia. It’ll be lost by England with the bat – Crawley is not good enough, nor is Pope – and having no good spinning option. Bashir is not good enough. Root will hit a ton and shut them up!

4-1 Australia. We might win the first for hope, or they’ll throw us the last. Root will get his ton down under and be England’s only shining light. Labuschagne will regain his best form and bat for two months. Stokes will play at least two Tests solely as a batter after aimlessly running himself into the ground and getting injured but the media will call him a warrior. At some point, an Aussie will get the headline “a debut to remember”. Probably a seamer after we celebrate their injuries. England will bring Bethell in on the brink of losing, he’ll do nothing.

Australia 3-2. The key players who could swing it are Labuschagne, Root and Archer. But Australia will win it due to more experience in those conditions if Cummins and Hazlewood play six Tests between them.

3-1 Australia. For England, Ben Duckett will have a really strong series in Australian conditions and will take the attack to the Australian bowlers. For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne is in incredible form scoring freely in the Sheffield Shield and seems to have worked out his issues. I think it will be the second wind of his career and he will be a real frustration to England. Jofra Archer, is the key to England winning this series, over the last few years the weakness for England has been their bowling and against this Australian side I think if England can get Archer firing and taking wickets and bowling sharp, he gives us the best chance to win the series. Nathan Lyon plays such an important role in this Australian side, keeping it tight and building pressure and I think the England attack are going to go at him to try and take that strength away from the Aussies. The first Test is crucial for England, no Hazlewood or Cummins is a huge blow for Australia and England simply have to capitalise on that.

I make that 10 England wins, 10 draws and 10 Australia wins… so overall we’re on the fence. As it should be. Now get that alarm clock set – and remember, sleep is for quitters.