THE Ashes is obviously the most absorbing series any cricket tragic could ever wish to follow.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And with the Australians taking what many predict will be an insurmountable 2-nil lead courtesy of demolition jobs on the English in both Brisbane and Adelaide, there’s no better time to be a true blue Weet-Bix kid than right now.
But some, and Cricki Leaks will gladly be the first to admit we were among the many, thought the current standing after two Tests would be very different.
Let’s face it, after homework-gate in India and a 3-nil loss in the last Ashes series in England, Australia had about as much hope of winning the urn this summer as Merv Hughes has of walking straight past the buffet at the MCG.
There is, however, one whose faith never wavered.
Proving he could well be Australia’s answer to the Football World Cup-predicting phenom that was Paul the Octopus, Orange District Cricket Association Player of the Year turned Speedblitz Blues star Chris Tremain is taking to Twitter to predict the outcome of each and every test.
Correctly, so far, we might add too.
Tremain, almost fearlessly on the eve of the first Test, predicted the Aussies would “annihilate” the Poms in Brisbane.
Based on what, who knows.
But unbelievably the big fast bowler was right on the money.
Led brilliantly by Mitchell Johnson, Australia went one up in the five-Test series with a 381-run win at the Gabba.
On somewhat of a roll, Tremain, or @trem91 as he’s know by over 500 Twits, bit the bullet and went again, exclusively revealing Ian Bell would be England’s best batsmen in Adelaide.
Surely not.
Not the Sherminator.
Alas, Trem the Octopus nailed it, with Bell top scoring with 72 for the Poms in an otherwise disappointing first innings total all out for 172.
Of course Australia won by 218 runs, but Tremain has indeed been the big winner.
Today, ahead of the third Test in Perth, Cricki Leaks went straight to the Yeoval squid himself to get another fearless prediction for what could be the deciding Ashes Test in Australia.
Here they are: Boyd Rankin to play for England and Australia to play four quicks, with James Faulkner coming in for spinner Nathan Lyon.
Only a brave man - or a manatee - would back against Trem the Octopus.