Wello's Ashes Blog

Perhaps it was the chilly conditions and overcast skies that brought the best out of England but a day of old fashioned test batting has given them every chance of getting into a position of authority come tomorrow evening. At 266 for 3, England have done everything they needed to do in drawing the early sting of the Australian attack and cementing a stable foundation for a really big first innings total.

The early loss of Strauss and Cook suggested England fans were in for another glum day, and many of the Aussie crowd around us sensed another England batting collapse. It was not to be, due in the main to another superb, professional performance from Paul Collingwood, a man completely at ease with his own game and always up for the fight. Though he scored slowly, Ian Bell's contribution was crucial, holding an end up and making the Australian attack work.

His dismissal to a poorly executed pull shot brought in Pietersen, who is recognised by all Australia as being a special player, one who can really take the attack to the bowlers. As the second ball he faced from Brett Lee raced to the midwicket boundary off a fiercely hit pull stroke, you realised that that was exactly what he was going to do.

The reputation of Shane Warne holds no fears for Pietersen, and he played the great leg spinner with relative ease, lofting him over the top when he pitched up, then cutting him for 4 whenever he dropped short. Pietersen's aggression also sparked Collingwood into pulling Warne for successive boundaries and it is to England's credit that both Warne and McGrath, the two legends of the Australian bowling line up, went wicketless in conceding 140 runs between them.

There are signs that the Adelaide wicket might begin to keep low as the game goes on and if so, England will look for LBW and bowled as their main method of dismissing the Australian batsmen, in conjunction with catches in front of the wicket. Their next task is to bat at least another two sessions and get somewhere near the 500 mark and with Flintoff and Jones to come, they have every chance of achieving it. The morning session tomorrow will be absolutely crucial in the outcome of this match.

Wello

How the game of cricket can change in the course of a week. Seven days ago in Brisbane, England fans watched aghast as their team produced the worst three days of test cricket it's possible to imagine. Now, at Adelaide, it is the Australians turn to suffer as England piled up a mammoth 551 for 6 courtesy of a quite stunning double century from Paul Collingwood. His application and concentration was Steve Waugh like, and at no time did he look like getting out, playing Shane Warne and the rest of the Aussie attack with great skill.

Supporting Collingwood was the irrepressible Kevin Pietersen, and his superb 158 demonstrated once again how little he cares for the reputations of Warne or Glenn McGrath, whose first over was belted for 12 runs and who regularly suffered the indignity of Pietersen running down the wicket at him as though he were a club medium pacer.

There are thousands of England fans at the Adelaide Oval, some barmy, some not so barmy. All of them though, stood and applauded the 310 run partnership between Collingwood and Pietersen and there is a real sense amongst those same fans that England can achieve a positive result in this game. Freddie's cameo 38 not out, including a flicked 6 off McGrath which landed just over my head at square leg (to general criticism from my group that I should have caught it), was just the boost the England Captain needed after a very tough week.

His decision to open the bowling himself was a masterstroke, and in his second over, his combination of pace and bounce proved too much for Justin Langer to handle as he tamely lobbed the ball to Pietersen at 4th slip. This prompted ecstatic scenes from England fans all over the ground, and the odd uncharitable word to the 'Boony Army' sitting in front of us in their canary yellow outfits. 'How's that for boring cricket you dyslexic alcoholics?' was one rather blunt question asked of the Boonies, who had been pillorying the England batsmen all day for their perceived slow scoring rate.

Day 3 of this match offers to be equally enthralling. England will look to have Australia four wickets down by lunch if possible, and then attack them with the reverse swing on offer as the ball gets older. The pitch is still good though, and Australia's batsmen will make it hard work for England's five pronged attack. The worry for the Australians is that the wicket may be starting to get a little uneven, with the odd ball keeping low. If England bowl straight, with discipline, and to well set fields, they are in with a great chance of levelling this series. Watch this space....

Wello

With Australia 312 for 5 at the end of day 3, this fascinating test match could conceivably go one of two ways. If Australia, in the form of Clarke, Gilchrist, Warne and Lee bat for another two sessions, the game will likely fizzle out into a draw on what is a very docile Adelaide pitch. If however, England can knock over the remaining 5 Aussie wickets and achieve a first innings lead of 150 or so, the opportunity for them to bat aggressively for another 50 or 60 overs and set the Australians a target around the 400 mark, will give them a chance of winning this match.

Yesterday belonged to three cricketers. For Australia, the brilliance of Ponting and Hussey, their two best batsman, and for England, the ever reliable Matthew Hoggard. As an England supporter sitting sideways on at the beautiful Adelaide ground, you could only applaud the totally assured batting style of Ricky Ponting allied to the crisp, decisive footwork of Michael Hussey. There are definite weaknesses in the Australian batting unit but these two players are not amongst them and England will have to prize both of them out during this series.

It could all have been so different if Ashley Giles had held a sweetly hit Ponting pull stroke at deep backward square off Matthew Hoggard, when the world's best player was on 35. Getting his feet into a bit of a tangle, Giles could only palm the ball sideways, much to the dismay of England fans around the ground. That catch would have seen Australia 78 for 4 and staring at a huge first innings deficit.

Hoggard, a loveable sheepdog of a fast bowler, was in the middle of a beautiful spell of new ball bowling, mixing outswingers with cutters and slower balls. His dismissal of Hayden was particularly pleasing, and he continues to cause the burly Australian left hander all manner of problems with his Terry Alderman - like fast medium seam. His figures of 27 overs, 4 for 76 (all of whom were top order Australian batsmen), are quite exceptional.

So another crucial morning session looms. Early wickets for England and it's game on - Freddie is an aggressive captain and if the situation requires it, I can see him changing the batting order, promoting himself and Pietersen in the hope of some quick runs. There may be a shot at redemption for Ashley Giles too. Ponting continues to play him with apparent ease but the tall left arm spinner did cause Hussey a few problems out of the rough, and he will enjoy the opportunity of bowling to the Australian left handers on a last day pitch.

Wello

With England 97 runs ahead going into the last day only 1 wicket down, the likelihood is that this test match will end in a draw. However, Shane Warne extracted prodigious turn from the overs he bowled late in the day today whilst England's Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell played him in positive fashion, meaning the game is likely to move forward tomorrow morning.

The Adelaide pitch will probably have the final say on this match, and it's lifeless nature only reinforces the view that this was a herculean bowling performance from Matthew Hoggard. His 42 overs brought him a haul of 7 wickets for the miserly cost of 109 runs, and provided ample proof that with all the modern training techniques available, there is still room for a good walk on the Yorkshire Dales followed by a pint of bitter or two, in preparing for the rigours of international fast bowling.

Credit too to Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist, who at one stage threatened to take the game away from England with a flurry of strokeplay after an excellent opening burst from Hoggard and Flintoff. Steve Harmison has looked much more like his old self in this game too, and though he has yet to take a wicket, he enjoyed encouraging support from the massive English contingent at the ground.

There are signs of concern for England's selectors though - James Anderson has been neither penetrative nor frugal and though he hasn't necessarily bowled that badly, Australia's batsmen have played him with considerable ease. Ashley Giles' woes continued, and though he snared Adam Gilchrist, caught on the midwicket boundary from a rash sweep-slog, he has lacked any real cutting edge and is clearly not troubling the Australian batsmen on these durable Aussie wickets. How Captain Freddie Flintoff must have wished he had Monty Panesar in his armoury, something that surely appears likely at Perth.

The Australians also have problems with their bowling attack, which is clearly imbalanced and much too reliant on Stuart Clark and Shane Warne at present. The events of tomorrow may give us a better indication of what changes might be made in time for the next test at Perth, and there is still a chance Australia will to have to bat again in this match. What price a very positive approach from England for 40 or so overs and a cheeky 4 hours for Australia to chase 280? Let's hope so.

Wello

In my short time as a trainee cricket correspondent, this is proving the hardest blog to write. That England have contrived to lose this 2nd test after amassing 551 for 6 at the end of day two, simply beggars belief. When it came down to it today, in what was still a 50/50 game, the Australians showed why having genuinely great players in your line up will guarantee you win more often than not.

There is something more though - the recognition that an opportunity is presenting itself, and the ability to grab it with both hands. All the Australian bowlers did that today, bowling as accurately as it's possible to do, resulting in England's scoring rate stagnating whilst they continued to lose wickets - a terrible and ultimately fatal combination.

England still had a chance as Australia began their 2nd innings - if they bowled tight and fielded well, they might salvage a draw or just possibly, a miraculous win. Despite the loss of both Langer and Hayden early on, the class of Ponting and Hussey saw them to their target of 168 with relative ease, and the inescapable truth is that England have effectively fought these past two test matches with two bowlers, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff.

When a game is in the balance, the real competitor will win the day, whatever the sport. Shane Warne demonstrated that today, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. By contrast, Steve Harmison and Ashley Giles simply didn't do it when their Captain Freddie needed them most, bowling poorly under pressure instead of relishing the challenge of the occasion.

The England dressing room will be a desolate place this evening, and it will require a monumental effort to pick themselves up from this disastrous defeat. Duncan Fletcher has been a fantastic coach for England, and his key selection principle has been loyalty to his players. That principle must surely change now, and a different approach is essential for the Perth test match, starting in just over a week.

Ashley Giles has done a solid job for England over the years but he has bowled in this match with a complete absence of any threat. His dropped catch off Ponting on day 3 will haunt him for a long time. James Anderson has also struggled terribly, with his captain clearly reluctant to bowl him when it really mattered. Steve Harmison, though he bowled better than in Brisbane, still went wicketless and never really looked like winning the game for England.

Assigning blame is a natural thing to do, but in this case should be avoided by England. Instead, they should throw caution to the wind - they have nothing to lose now - and pick Panesar, Mahmood, possibly Plunkett and, if he's definitely fit, Michael Vaughan, to open with Andrew Strauss.

Thus, on the back of another awful loss, it's goodbye to the beautiful city of Adelaide and a night of solemn reflection on a match I'm still struggling to believe we lost.

Wello

There is a school of thought that says England will be so distraught to have lost the 2nd Test at Adelaide from what seemed to be an unassailable position, they will be unable to lift themselves for the remainder of this Ashes series. Thus a 5-0 whitewash is, some would say, inevitable.

That Australia have turned up the heat when the deciding session of each test was being fought is undeniable, and in Shane Warne they clearly have the one player on either side who can change the course of a match with a flurry of wickets. That said, and in the spirit of an England supporter who believes in the 'Team England' that Duncan Fletcher has helped create, there are grounds for optimism - if England can show the nous and courage to grasp the opportunities that come their way.

The first test apart - when for the first three days England simply failed to get any footing in the game and were dead in the water before their spirited 2nd innings effort - there are real signs that these two teams are closer to each other than you might imagine. Both Australia and England will have noticed how flat their bowling has appeared at times, and both sides have key batsmen that have failed to make a significant score in the series so far.

Australia have made one enforced change for this Perth test, with all-rounder Andrew Symonds coming in for the retired Damien Martyn. Will England make the necessary changes to boost their bowling attack, which has thus far been completely reliant on Hoggard and Flintoff? England fans throughout Australia, and quite a few Aussies for that matter, are desperate for Monty Panesar to play tomorrow. They yearn for him to lure an over confident Australian batsman down the wicket, only to see him beaten in the flight and smartly stumped by Geraint Jones (however unlikely that outcome may seem to some of them, or even you).

The thought of Monty then rushing off on his mad, skipping celebration gives comfort to England fans who apart from the warm weather and chilled beer, have had precious little to cheer about in this vast, sports mad country. The bottom line is that England can only get back into this series by playing some seriously positive, wicket taking cricket - and playing Monty at least gives them a chance of achieving that aim.

So there you have it. As Lord Melchett says to Captain Blackadder in the legendary series 'Blackadder Goes Forth', when all else fails, you can rely on mindless optimism to see you though.

C'mon England, win this one....for all our sakes

Wello

At 51 for 2 in reply to Australia's 244 all out, England probably have a slight advantage after a thoroughly gripping opening day in Perth. The eagerly awaited announcement of the England team was greeted with cheers from all around the packed WACA ground, when big Freddie confirmed what all England fans had hoped for - our beloved Monty was indeed playing.

Sajid Mahmood also came in for James Anderson and in conjunction with the selection of Panesar, the England attack had a much more potent look about it. Still, Australia had first use of a good looking WACA pitch and there was considerable concern that they might accumulate a formidable total. That they failed to do that can be attributed to England bowling as a unit for the first real time in this series, maintaining pressure on all the Australian batsmen.

Steve Harmison found the Perth conditions much more to his liking and he posed a threat thoughout the three spells he bowled today. His dismissal of Ricky Ponting, LBW playing around a full ball after an over of lively paced off stump channel deliveries, was greeted with a massive roar from the huge British contingent. After two desperately disappointing matches, it was a delight to see the Durham paceman back to something like his best and he thoroughly deserved his 4 wicket haul today.

As for Monty Panesar, any praise he receives for his magnificent performance today is probably not fulsome enough. Despite the attempts of the Australian batsmen to get on top of him, his Ashes debut was nothing short of sensational. His 5 wickets included 3 batsmen defeated whilst playing defensively - the sign of real class in a slow bowler. He caused problems for all the batsmen and whilst they will be ecstatic with the performance of the Northants spinner, the England management will secretly be thinking what might have been if only they had had the courage to play Monty previously.

A word too for Mike Hussey, who must surely be one of the top 5 batters in world cricket. He combines a superb, compact technique with the mental toughness of Michael Bevan at his one day best. He appears to have no identifiable weaknesses in his game and has the priceless ability of playing exactly the right stroke for each ball bowled to him which, simple as it sounds, is beyond the scope of almost any current player you might think of. He is truly a very special batsman and his test average of 85 is no fluke.

Tomorrow promises to be another absorbing day. England are roughly 190 runs behind Australia meaning that if they can bat till tea, they will be close to level if not ahead of their first innings total. Warne's drop of Collingwood, who nicked a fast leg-cutter from the excellent Stuart Clark at catchable height to 1st slip with 3 overs to go, may prove to be crucial. Andrew Strauss looked in good touch and perhaps tomorrow will be the day he registers his first sizeable score of the series. Wish him luck..

Wello

After the euphoria of the opening day, England now face the prospect of losing their grip on the coveted urn as Australia closed nearly 150 runs ahead in their 2nd innings with the loss of only Justin Langer, bowled first ball by a peach of an inswinger from Matthew Hoggard.

A terrible opening hour saw them lose Paul Collingwood to a loose back foot shot and Andrew Strauss to another questionable decision from Rudi Koertzen after seeming in fine touch. Worse was to follow as Andrew Flintoff, looking hesitant with the bat and unsure whether to occupy the crease or attack his way back into form, edged a routine delivery from Andrew Symonds to Shane Warne at 1st slip.

Geraint Jones came and went immediately, out to a weak off side drive for the third innings in a row. England's biggest problem in this series has been an over reliance on a few players for each test, with no significant contribution from others with bat or ball. Kevin Pietersen does not fall into this category of under achievement and as usual, he decided attack was the best way of getting England somewhere near the Australian total. A series of spectacular drives, pulls and rustic whacks followed, enabling England to attain a respectable total from the perilous position of 120 for 7.

Some good old fashioned tail wagging assisted KP - Hoggard with his stout defence, Harmison with his long handle and Panesar, with a touch of class in making 16 not out at no.11. Harmison and Monty had a last wicket partnership of 40, the highest of the England innings and the ability the Sikh of Tweak showed surely means he is destined for true all-rounder status sooner rather than later. Ok so that may be a trifle optimistic but Monty is definitely worth a punt on making a test 50 within the next 12 months.

Matthew Hayden showed great mental fortitude in making 57 not out at stumps and in conjunction with the assured Ricky Ponting, seems to have put Australia in a position of dominance going into day 3. Unless England can produce something exceptional with the ball tomorrow morning, the Ashes appear to be heading back down under.

Wello

Today was the day Australia gave England their punishment for having the temerity to unexpectedly win the Ashes last year. The evening session, in which Australia scored at over 7 an over, saw Adam Gilchrist unleash a form of batting carnage upon the hapless England bowlers, who had hitherto bowled quite respectably.

The England attack was occasionally able to control the areas of the WACA ground Gilchrist hit the ball, but unfortunately not the distance. All of them were treated to some spectacular clean hitting from the under pressure wicket keeper, and his three 6's in an over off Monty Panesar caused mayhem in the crowd at deep midwicket. To growing realisation that he might break the world record for the fastest test century in history, held by Viv Richards for his 56 ball destruction of - guess who - England, in 1985, he failed by 1 ball to accomplish the amazing feat.

'Mr Cricket' Mike Hussey also made an excellent hundred along with Michael Clarke, who has clearly become a better player after being dropped from the Australian team last year. England did create some opportunities when they bowled and were on the wrong side of several close umpiring decisions which might have changed the course of the day. But, when all is said and done, there can be no argument that Australia are a better cricket side than this current England team, and they are determined, to the point of obsession, to win back the coveted Ashes urn.

England have been hit hard by the absence of Marcus Trescothick, Simon Jones and Michael Vaughan. Asking Andrew Flintoff to be captain, though supported by many learned observers, has proved to be the wrong decision and the similarities between his forlorn position and that of Ian Botham in 1981 are striking. Both players are natural, instinctive cricketers with good cricket brains but to ask a man to be the key all-rounder with its batting, bowling and fielding roles as well as being the biggest personality in the team is too much.

Big Fred has the weight of the world on his shoulders at the moment, and all true cricket fans, even those of Australian descent, are probably feeling a little sorry for the loveable Lancastrian at present. So tomorrow looks like being the day Australia regain the Ashes. Chasing 557 or more realistically, with 2 days to bat to save the game, England have the chance to show some pride and character with the bat before the inevitable comes. When it does, don't be too hard on them - they have been out-matched by a superior force whose motivation to undo the heartbreak of last year has been too much for this young England team.

Wello

Arriving in hope rather than expectation, the massive British contingent at the WACA were given a demonstration of real grit and determination from England's two youngest batsmen, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell. England only lost 4 wickets for the whole day, and it was a great shame to see 2 of those go in the last 15 minutes when on another day, they might have been offered the chance to go off due to the increasingly bad light.

England closed at 265 for 5 requiring another 292 to win this 3rd test, or more realistically, to bat out the final day. After the despondency of Saturday, it was a joy to see the best of England's batting youth display such application. Ian Bell fell for a lovely 87, which is considered the devil's number in Australia due to it being 13 short of 100. He had an excellent battle with Shane Warne, who refers to Bell as 'The Sherminator' because of his resemblance to the character in the American Pie movies. His willingness to use his feet against Warne resulted in him hitting the wily leg spinner for two straight 6's in addition to some neatly clipped onside 4's. Bell has a lovely balance at the crease in addition to a flowing drive which unfortunately contributed to his dismissal, caught on the drive after Warne had deceived him in the flight.

As for Alastair Cook, he has work to do on his technique against quick bowlers outside the off stump but there is no doubting his temperament or courage. His first Ashes hundred was Athertonesque in style, and for a 21 year old to resist a rampant Australian attack for more than 6 hours is rare indeed.

Glenn McGrath's late wickets with the second new ball have probably sealed England's fate, and the chances of them getting any positive result tomorrow are all but gone now. That won't prevent thousands of England fans turning up at the WACA tomorrow morning to witness what might be the last rites, but at least they now know that with Bell, Cook and Pietersen, the future is not as bleak for English batting as it might have appeared.

Wello

The dream of retaining the Ashes is over for the England team and their loyal hordes of supporters, who came in their thousands today in the hope of a cricketing miracle. When England's last wicket fell, the Australian team hugged each other like long lost brothers giving a true indication of how badly they wanted to regain what they forfeited in England last year.

The first 90 minutes of the morning session saw a rather different mood amongst the Australian fielders, as Kevin Pietersen progressed in untroubled fashion and Andrew Flintoff launched into a gutsy attack on their bowlers, hitting Stuart Clark for 12 in one over and smiting Brett Lee over midwicket for a mighty 6. With 17 overs of the day gone and with England needing another 220 to win with 5 wickets left, the optimists in the Barmy Army started to talk of history in the making.

Shane Warne - who else? - had other ideas, and a beautifully flighted leg break deceived the England captain's flicked drive and spun into his off stump. Out came Geraint Jones, disrespectfully nicknamed 'The Club Pro' out here, under what could be described as a bit of pressure, having made 0 in the first innings and 0 against Western Australia a few days before that. Cricket being the game it is, he survived half a dozen or so balls before attempting to sweep a Shane Warne delivery which prompted the usual theatrical appeal from the crafty spinner. 'Shut up Warne you ----' (use your imagination) cried the Barmy Army only for the alert Ricky Ponting to notice that Jones's back foot had slid forward during the shot. His underarm flick at the stumps left the Kent keeper short of his ground and so he ends this game, probably the series, and quite possibly his England career, on an ignominious pair having previously set the world test record for going the greatest number of matches before recording a test duck.

The England tail fell quickly, allowing Australia to record a thoroughly well deserved 206 run victory. Though they have been tested at times this series, when the crucial sessions were there to be won, Australia's class and experience has seen them through. Their top 3 of Langer, Hayden and Ponting have over 80 test centuries between them and the bowling stalwarts McGrath and Warne have dismissed a combined total of 1250 test batsmen.

Such experience cannot be bought, and when combined with the intense desire to regain the Ashes after the pain the Australian team felt at losing them in 2005, it makes for a very formidable opponent.

A last word for the Barmy Army of England supporters who cheered their team to the end and beyond in true British style. An hour and a half after the game had finished, nearly 1000 England fans continued to show real Dunkirk spirit, singing their songs and applauding the England team who came over to say thank you. The Australians, who have no real singing culture in their sport, were simply astonished that fans of a team that had suffered such a heavy defeat, could carry on cheering so passionately. This show of defiance won them huge admiration at the ground today, and the sight of police officers and security men taking pictures of the army on their mobile phones and cameras is really the ultimate compliment.

Well done Australia, they played the better cricket and deserve to have the Ashes back...for a couple more years at least.

Wello

The rumours that began to circulate in Australia yesterday have proved to be true: leg-spinning genius Shane Warne is to retire at the end of this Ashes series. Shocked Aussie cricket fans are still digesting the news here, after Warne gave a very candid press conference at his beloved MCG today, explaining that he wanted to call time on his international career whilst still at the top.

It's hard to put into words the effect Warne has had on Australian cricket, and the worldwide game in general. In a recent poll, Warne came second only to Don Bradman himself as the most influential Australian cricketer ever and his contribution to the 15 or so years of domination enjoyed by the Australian cricket team has been simply immense. He revolutionised test cricket by re-inventing spin bowling as an attacking, match-winning art.

All England fans, and most England players come to think of it, will be breathing a huge sigh of relief that the fizzing, dipping, spinning deliveries Warne has produced against them since his Ashes debut in 1993 will not exert such huge influence on another series. The irony of Warne's decision is that he is arguably bowling as well as ever whilst scoring crucial lower order runs and catching almost everything that comes to him at 1st slip. Though some people will say he should have continued to play test cricket due to his skills and fitness levels being as good as ever, he has done what England rugby captain Martin Johnson did and retired at the very peak of the game.

To listen to Warne's admission that he would have liked to retire at the end of the 2005 Ashes series but couldn't due to there being 'unfinished business' gives a clear insight into why Australia have regained the Ashes after 3 tests down here. Ricky Ponting, and the Australian team felt they had let their country down by losing Australia's grip on the prized urn. The pain of the 2005 defeat has manifested itself in an unstoppable determination to win the Ashes back - and Warne has been a key factor in this, knowing full well that he could never retire on the back of a losing series, especially to England.

Warne's behaviour on the pitch has not always endeared him to opposition cricket fans and his off-field antics have sometimes strained his relationship with the Australian cricket authorities and public alike. Despite this, he commands a respect from both team mates and adversaries that is without parallel in the world game, for his ability to influence the outcome of any match he plays in. Without Warne, England would arguably be only 1-0 down in this series and might have beaten Australia 3 or 4-1 in the 2005 series.

His combination of supreme skill, razor sharp cricket brain, and astonishing competitiveness created the greatest bowler the world has ever seen, and he fulfilled the one category that determines all true sporting greats - produce your best when it's needed most. If you want an example of that, take a look at the 1999 World Cup semi-final between Australia and South Africa. Chasing just over 200 to win, South Africa had rocketed to 48 without loss after only 10 overs and seemed certain to win easily. The introduction of Warne to the attack changed everything, and in his 10 overs he dismissed Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Hansie Cronje and Jacques Kallis for just 29 runs. The match was eventually tied, and Australia won by virtue of beating S.A in the round robin stage. Without Warne, their 1999 World cup win would never have happened.

The last two Ashes tests promise to be historic even though the series has already been decided. One senses the end of an era for Australian cricket with Glenn McGrath likely to end his test career at Sydney too. For Shane Warne, his legacy will be not only the massive contribution he made in making Australia the pre-eminent cricket team of the last decade, but also the thousands of youngsters throughout the world now bowling leg-spin after being inspired to do so by the finest bowler the world has ever seen.

Wello

As any Brit who has celebrated the birth of Christ in the southern hemisphere will know, the prospect of having a white Christmas is small indeed, unless you include the sandy beaches of Cottesloe, on the Perth coastline.The traditional routine of wrapping up warm whilst delivering family presents is a rarity here. Instead, suncream laden and scantily clad, people drop gifts off at various friends houses before heading to the beach to cool down. The relaxed and easy going lifestyle of West Australia is distinctly unhurried, apart from the times you take your shoes off and make the journey from your car to the waters edge.

The 45 metre journey from 'Cott' car park to the sea is akin to walking on a fully operational radiator, and is generally made to the sounds of 'ahh', 'bloody hell' or 'ohh-ohh-ohh' from the multitude of bathers performing their own version of walking on hot coals. Such is life in Australia, a place that some decidedly short-sighted politician decided would be an ideal place to send Britain's criminals in the late 18th century. 200 or so years later, Brits in their thousands pay enormous sums of money to follow in the footsteps of their misbehaving ancestors, enjoying all that this vast country has to offer. That is unless you're following your national team in your favourite sport.

As expected, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have announced they will retire at the end of this series and Australia are now on a mission to provide England with a morale-destroying 5-0 whitewash, which would be the first in Ashes history. If England lose the toss for the last 2 tests, the unthinkable may happen but with any sort of luck, there's a decent chance England might sneak a win at either Melbourne or Sydney. For a selection shock, there might be a debut for Jamie Dalrymple at the MCG - his combination of off-spin and useful lower order batting could be just the present England need.

A merry Christmas to all,

Wello

Australians will tell you that Melbourne's climate can give you four seasons in one day, but even the most imaginative weather forecaster could not have predicted temperatures below freezing in parts of Victoria yesterday. Bizarre newspaper front pages showing Christmas day snowball fights in the hill regions reminded homesick England fans what might have been, if only they had not decided to spend their hard earned wages watching their nation's cricket team get a good humping down under this winter.

Thus with temperatures hovering around 12 degrees centigrade, cloudy skies and a damp pitch, a crucial toss loomed in conditions ideal for bowling. Spontaneous cheering erupted from the thousands of England fans when Mark Nicholas announced that Andrew Flintoff had won the toss. 'Yes' we thought. 'We'll have a bat I think Mark' said big Fred. 'No Fred, change your mind' came the cry.

Too late. The rest was sadly predictable. With the ball zipping around off the spicy Melbourne pitch, England did well to get to 101 for 2 with Strauss and Collingwood playing well against some impressive Australian seam bowling. However, Australia have one cricketer who has influenced the outcome of more Ashes battles than anyone in living memory, and standing on a total of 699 test wickets, it was time for Shane Keith Warne to enter the fray.

Warne refers to Andrew Strauss as 'Daryl', after Daryl Cullinan, the South African batsman who simply could not play the master leg spinner. Strauss had played well to reach 50 in difficult circumstances but could only stand in amazement as the beautifully flighted, dipping spinner beat his intended clip to leg and spun into his middle stump, and he has now been dismissed 8 times in tests by the blonde wizard. 700 test wickets is a quite astonishing tally and when he does retire, Australia will feel Warne's loss very deeply. The whole of the MCG, numbering nearly 90,000 spectators, stood to applaud this once in a lifetime cricketer.

England lost their last 8 wickets for 58 runs in depressingly familiar pattern to finish their 1st innings 159 all out. Two late strikes by a rejuvenated Flintoff at least got England back into the game but the real talking point amongst England fans was Rudi Koertzen's failure to give Matthew Hayden out to Matthew Hoggard when to all eyes he looked stone dead LBW not once but twice. If he goes on to get a big score tomorrow, there will be some unpleasant comments directed his way.

Wello

It is hard work being an English cricket fan in Australia. On my 17th consecutive day of hoping against hope that perhaps finally, England could get themselves into a position to beat the old enemy, my prayers seemed to be answered as Australia slumped to 84 for 5 against some excellent England seam bowling.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and the 'undismissable' Mike Hussey were all back in the pavilion during a morning session when England bowled with great purpose and control. A first innings lead, you sensed, was on the cards, particularly as the previously unconvincing Andrew Symonds was next in. 'If Symonds gets 50, I'll eat my hat' was reported to be the comment from the always forthright Geoffrey Boycott, sitting in the back of the BBC radio commentary box.

I'm not sure what white straw boaters taste like, but I imagine the Yorkshire legend could be suffering from a severe case of indigestion this evening, after Symonds made his first ever test century in front of an ecstatic MCG crowd. A superb player in one day cricket, Symonds had failed to convince in tests so far, and with a batting average of 18, there was talk that if he disappointed again here, it could be curtains for his test career. After a nervy start, he decided to play the way he knows best and in conjunction with Matthew Hayden, began to pummell a shell shocked England attack.

The mid-nineties can be a fretful time for any cricketer contemplating his maiden test century but Symonds decided to follow his instincts by clubbing Paul Collingwood's medium pace over the long-on boundary to reach a hundred rich in character and notable for its fearsome power. Hayden did the same to Monty Panesar's spin to bring up his century, and their 279 run partnership for the 6th wicket has put Australia in a very formidable position. The late dismissals of Hayden and Adam Gilchrist to a deserving Sajid Mahmood gave England a slight lift, but they must know that they are staring at another morale-sapping defeat here unless their batsmen can produce something special in their 2nd innings.

So a third day of more pain looms both for England's players and their long suffering fans. Keeping your chin up is a very British thing but it can prove increasingly difficult to do when your team is playing Australia away from home. Must keep going though....

Wello

After the early competitive exchanges in this series, the games between Australia and England are now taking on a very familiar feel. The 3 days of the Melbourne test, resulting in a win for Australia by an innings and 99 runs, had a bizarre feel, almost to the extent that it was a non-event.

Some truly awful bowling to Shane Warne saw England fans patience tested to the limits, as he relished the opportunity to demonstrate his favoured stay leg side of the ball method to the plethora of short, wide long hops proferred to him by the erratic Sajid Mahmood. A deficit of over 250 runs on 1st innings was an almost impossible burden to cope with for the England batsmen and for the first time in this series, they batted like players who knew they could not win.

Where they go from here is anybody's guess, but with a one day series lasting until the middle of February after the final test at the SCG, this tour is shaping up to be about as much fun for the England cricket team as the Battle of Stalingrad was for the German 6th Army. It isn't much better for the suffering supporter too, and the envy on show when informing friends and family of my intention to watch the whole series in Australia is now being replaced by stunned looks and repeated comments of 'My God, I don't know how you've put up with this.'

Things will get better. England are a young, developing team and the bulk of their current side will be there as better players in 2009 whilst Australia will lose at least half of their world beating team, including the irreplaceable Warne and McGrath. That said, it doesn't make for a better mood on December 28th 2006 when defeat is the only thing on show.

Wello