Nothing to do with tomorrows game (I'm going, by the way, just in case somebody tries to bite my head off), but I'd just like to point out that I've been to pretty much every game in the last two seasons, and I haven't seen Scotty at any point during those games he has supposedly "been" to.

About as relevant as quoting (well, paraphrasing) Shakey. If you sat enough monkeys at enough typewriters then eventually they'd write Shakespeare. Perhaps that's what's happened with the Lancashire idea? For all the fact that you've at least come up with some kind of suggestion, it doesn't make it a very good one and people shouldn't be allowed to criticise - much the same as you feel justified in mocking BRISA without coming up with your own suggestion or adding your own input. One rule for one, eh? What a piece of work is man!

How many monkeys are at your computer?

The gloating of Jim and the celebrations in London seeming very over-exaggerated. It must make your Australian blood boil.

Some excellent points made (struggling to comprehend how England were marginally better but Australia didn't deserve to lose 2-1 though). Nobody has really congratulated Ian Bell though, and I admit I was screaming at him yesterday. When the pressure was on and we needed a hero, Bell wasted no time in bringing in Kevin Pietersen. At the time it looked like a bad decision but now his deliberate edge to slip turned out to be the masterstroke of the summer. Well done Belly. Every one of the lads was magnificent, from Tresco right down to Pratt. We bowled better than Australia, we batted better than Australia and we fielded better than Australia. It's a testament to them, therefore, that at about 3pm on the final afternoon they were favourites. I'd have loved an unsuccessful Aussie run-chase in the final over of the match because the series really deserved that. However, I'll take the batting performance of lions when the faint-hearted would have crumbled. Well done England.

KP brings up his 150 in style by battering Warne around. What an innings under the circumstances. He has been called into question lately but he has answered all his critics with this knock. The same cannot be said of Ian Bell, but that's a different question for a different time.

Collingwood and Giles both justified their places now, when it mattered. The knives were out for Giles after the first test. Look at how important he's been since then. Brilliant stuff.

I think he meant that the Aussies would struggle to bat in the fading light, hence it would be harder for them.

Australia must now be massive favourites. Flintoff gone for 8.

The Aussies still pretending not to care?

One last attempt at psychological warfare from the Aussies "Ooooh it's over, congratulations on the Ashes". You know as well as we do that both teams have a good chance today. We're a good team (on our own soil) who have outplayed a good team (who have been amazingly out of form) and won (through the use of several very dubious umpire decisions). That the best you can do, Neekoy?

I didn't say anything to the contrary, Don.

Martyn gone for 10 failing to deal with a bouncy ball from Flintoff. England need to go in for the kill now whilst they're still ahead.

The Aussies have decided to go off. Looks like the sensible decision for them and as an England fan I'm not too disappointed that they're going to need to bat out a few more sessions to make a defendable target. Looking ahead to the England innings, I'll repeat that we need at least two centuries in order to last anything more than four sessions. If we can bat out four sessions then there shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, the situation of the entire match is tailor-made for Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

From BBC.co.uk: 1514: GOAL Newcastle 0-1 Fulham A defensive shambles which starts with a poor Steven Taylor backpass allows Brian McBride to tap in. Not the start Owen or Newcastle wanted. 1510: Ten minutes into his debut and Michael Owen has yet to touch the ball.

I was talking about your dad, not Shearer!

A good prediction but surely there are more suitable candidates for knighthoods?

Jeeez, get over it!

The key now is having Giles and Hoggard dig in and allow Jones to just keep the run-rate ticking. Collingwood failed to improve the batting side of things but I'm sure we'll see what he can do with the ball and (especially) in the field. If the match is going to end in a draw then we need another fifty in this innings (from Jones) and two centuries in the second innings. To win we'll have to skittle over the Aussie top-order fairly sharpish so that they can't build a platform for a big first innings. I'd say it's 60-40 in favour of the Aussies at the end of day one. P.S. Neekoy is hilarious.

Ironically, the clauses most likely include international appearances.

I've done pretty much the same thing. Checked Soccerbase for any transfers between £6m and £15m since 1995. Nothing.

Stop crying

Sutton actually played for England.