Catches do indeed win matches and the current Aussie's rate of 'dropsies' is another reason why they will lose the series!

'Cause he's a Victorian that's why! Well played to England, they have deserved all the luck they have made for themselves and will** go on to win the Ashes. Geoffrey Boycott called it on before the first session of this test, and I think he's right. The Aussies and their supporters are in denial. They keep waiting for things to turn around... but it ain't gonna happen! I thought Boycott was right on the money last night with most of his comments and I'm really enjoying listening to him. I've been very impressed with the English bowlers ever since Lord's. They have essentially hunted in packs..and if one bowler is having an off-day, the others have always been willing to step into the breach. All of them have had 'big days' where they have turned the tide of a test, and yesterday it was Hoggard's turn to make his killer contribution. Contrast this to the Aussie attack, which has often only had one or two effective bowlers per match. Yes the Aussies have received some bad decisisions, but you don't lose a five test series on a few bad calls. You lose it because the opposition bowls and bats better than you do. Congrats to Lee, and Bryan and other long-suffering English cricket fans. I know how you must feel, as I had similar feeling of elation when the Waugh twins made hundreds in the last test of a series in the West Indies to beat them for the first time in my life. It's nice to finally put one over a team that has constantly smashed you and bullied you...now you can put the shoe on the other foot! Where to for Australia now? Will be interesting to see the fall-out. When Waugh lost 2-1 to India in a very close series (after thrashing the Indians in the first test and narrowly losing the third), the team didn't implode. Remember that the Aussies have just managed to beat India away, one of the toughest assignments in world cricket. Although it is interesting to remember that they did this under Gilchrist's captaincy. Ponting flew out for the last test (he was injured previously) and the Aussies lost the dead rubber. Howevery, they still have loads of talent at their disposal, it's all about putting the best XI out onto the pitch and getting balance right in the batting and bowling departments. I said at the start of the series that Australia's fortunes depended on our bowling attacks wobbly-old joints, and with McGrath missing two tests and Gillespie making almost no contribution to the series...its proved to be a hole too big to fill for the rest of the squad. Which is in contrast to Taylor's side which beat the West Indies away. They lost their two front-line bowlers before the series began, but with McGrath, Reiffel and Julian...still managed to bowl to a plan and maintain enough pressure on the opposing batsman to take wickets. So enjoy your success England, but don't get too carried away. After all, it's still only a 'home' win. Let's see how you guys fare in two years time ... and whether you can grab an 'away' ashes series to become one of the great English teams in Ashes history. **except if one or all of the following situations occur : a) Rain of Noah-like proportions over the next month The Aussies are subjected to the biggest form-turn around since Lazarus c) The Aussie selectors take a do-or-die gamble and completely re-jig the team for the Oval.

Well bowled Ponting! Mark Taylor used to have a knack of bringing on a change bowler when things weren't going his way and conjuring up a wicket. Good to see Ponting take a risk and get rewarded. Honours even after day one...onto day two!

Actually I thought that Vaughn could have been more daring and set a lower total. If he had set 398 to win, the Aussies couldn't have resisted having a go. So they would have gone for the win instead of batting out the draw, and IMO would have taken more risks and probably gone down swinging. He could have used their arrogance against them. The Aussies may have thought they had it in them, but on that pitch and against the English bowlers, they were dreaming!

My favourite 12th Man CD - "The 12th Man strikes again". The one where the Aussie play Sri Lanka...some fantastic lines there

Personally I think Lawry is a fantastic commentator. Very excitable and passionate, but knowledgable as well. He only gets one-eyed when Tony Grieg is sitting next to him You guys in England should be thankful that you don't have to put up with Ian Chappell I agree with that 'first VI' as well. Michael Holding is first rate...such a fantastic broadcasting voice. Who said fast bowlers were all angry thickos!?!?

Nice article here about the how a bit of competition has changed the Aussies from surly to smiling : http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/bras...3958181238.html

It's a cricketing renaissance!!

Well Lee, you got some of your birthday present... ...I suppose one extra wicket really would have capped it off for you!

I think it depends on who makes runs in the intervening county game before the Trent Bridge game as to who will get the nod.

Well played Ponting. I'm very tired this morning. This is the best series I've seen since India beat Australia 2-1 back in 2000. Like that series, it is a fantastic advert for Test cricket, and from an English perspective, it puts the national team squarely in the spotlight. I agree with almost everything mentioned in that BBC article. Cricket is still a 'sport'. Despite being professionals, they still treat the game with respect, and realise that you don't have to sell your sould to the devil and win at all costs to be a hero. England have a strong, settled team. It will be interesting to see what changes the Australian selectors make. Every Aussie batsman (except Ponting) failed again..although I did sleep through some of the dismissals so I'm not sure how many of them got great deliveries, vs. how may threw their wickets away.

Langer is gone, caught behind of Hoggard. Goodnight Australia!

Come of it phil, you're just fishing now

If Langer goes early I think it will be all over by tea. I'm praying for a draw, but which Australian batsman has it in him to bat for three sessions? phillipl - this is a great Australian side horrendously out of form. Late last year they were the first Australian side to win in India in 35 years. Martyn scored two hundreds and a 97, and Katich scored heavily and Jason Gillespie was the bowler of the series (20 wickets at 16.15) And suddenly, it's all gone tits-up in less than a year! What is interesting to remember is that Adam Gilchrist captained the side during that tour, and won the first three tests. Ponting was injured and only returned to the line-up for the fourth test, which was a dead rubber won by India.

Just as well I never felt optimistic then eh? Worried about Moko playing as a centre-back. He never impressed me there last season. To me, he looks far more effective in midfield. How many players at the club can actually play a decent game at centre-back? Nelsen? Todd? ..erm... who else?!?

Well, the Aussies look like they are about to lose the Ashes.... ..unless they decide to put some form players into the team. Shaping up as a very strange series. As it stands, both sides batting line-ups are rather fragile and prone to collapse. Whilst we've seen some good innings from some batsmen (Trescothick, Langer, Vaughn, Clarke, Flintoff and Warne), in general you'd say that it has been a bowler's series so far. I think the main difference between the teams at the moment is that England have five dangerous bowlers who can take wickets, whilst Australia only has three. As others have pointed out, the series has swung 180 degrees since Lords'. Suddenly, Giles and Jones are looking dangerous with the ball and the England bowlers are keeping things tight. Australia is dropping catches and paying for it heavily. The current batting averages for Australia tell a very interesting tale : Langer is top on about 38, followed by Clarke, then EXTRAS!!!... and then Shane Warne. BTW - who really doesn't care about the start of football season at the moment?!?

Tim May was a fantastic off-spin bowler. Statistically, Shane Warne took wickets at his lowest average when Tim May was bowling from the other end. May's only problem were his dodgy knees which kept him out of too many tests. Don't know why you are bagging him!?!?

I severely doubt that McGrath will play. Better to give him an extra rest (when is the 4th test?) to ensure he doesn't stuff it again.

Even I've started singing the Barmy Army song.... its just so catchy

I take it you didn't watch a single game of the 2000 series in India where Hayden was a man mountain who singlehandedly kept Australia in the series?! The first batsman in history to score over 1000 runs in four successive years?!? Out of form - yes. 'Weak character'!?! But I do agree. The Aussie batsman are underperforming. Having spent the last few seasons bludgeoning other nation's bowling attacks, they've forgotten how to construct a test innings and concentrate. Now they are facing a decent pace attack for the first time since the great West Indian sides, and they keep getting themselves out (Langer excepted).

Clarke isn't an opener. Neither is Hodge. If you wanted to get rid of Hayden, you'd probably promote Katich to open. He has deputised for Hayden in one-dayers. The aussies didn't take a traditional 'third opener' as they used to.

dave - I've read McGrath's ankle is still so swollen they can't accurately examine it yet. There is talk of him missing the rest of the series. Personally, I think he'll be back, although I suppose it will be a question of for how many tests.

Geez, I think you're a bit harsh dave. I think the standard of umpiring has been superb. They are never going to get everything 100% right, and even Hawkeye has its faults. I think what is worrying the Aussies is can they play Warne and MacGill in a team without McGrath? If you turn up to OT with only Lee and Gillespie (or Lee and Kaspa), what happens if Lee does a '1st innings' as opposed to a '2nd innings'? As you say, MacGill tends to be rather expensive, which makes the use of McGrath at the other end so much more important to keep the runs down.

Short memory eh Bryan? An exact replay of the Ashes Boxing Day test in Melbourne in '82, where Border and Thommo put on about 70 for the last wicket, only to fall about three runs short. Also very similar to the '93 Windes-Aussie match, where Tim May and Craig McDermott performed more tail-end heroics, only to fall one run short. Because of incidents like these, I never really thought we could win it. Honestly, I thought it would be all over in half and hour, but from an Australian perspective it was good to dig in a show some fight. If England went to OT on the back of a 100-run thrashing they would be rampant. Now they will be more circumspect, and the Aussies will realise that they can win matches without McGrath. Once it got below 50 to win my wife was getting very excited, but I kept reassuring her that we'd lose with about five more runs to get. The tail-enders certainly rode their luck, there were plenty of 'swing and misses' outside off, a dropped chance, and loads of skied balls that just fell short of fielders. But you have to give credit to the courage that the tail showed. But as Boycott commented, they just tightened up with less than 10 to go. Up until then, they were determined to 'go down swinging'. But once they realised that they could actually do it, they tightened up, as Richie said its as if they suddenly thought 'let's do it singles'. Not a criticism, just an observation of human nature I suppose. But I guess we gave you all a right good scare Brad Hodge (Australian reserve batsman and Flintoff's teammate at Lancashire) wrote before the start of the series that he regarded Andrew as the most explosive and dangerous cricketer in the world, and a superior all-rounder to Kallis. He said that he would be the only Englishman to walk straight into the Aussie test side, and he would have a major bearing on the outcome of the Ashes. Well, kudos to you Brad, and well played Andrew ... erm.. I mean England Onto Old Trafford now. Rumblings from down under suggest that MacGill and Shane Watson will come into the squad. I don't rate Watson, but I'm happy to be proved otherwise.