The Ashes, baby!

[Sweder]

Terrific match; well played both sides.
And well played Ricky Ponting. He seems to be the man we love to hate here but he fronted up in the aftermath and paid warm tribute to his opponents when he may well feel his side got a few tough decisions in the game. Class.

Flintoff: irresistible, irrepresible, irreplaceable, immense.
He deserved his five-fer. I can just hear the sound of pub doors slamming in terror all accross London NW8 from here. God help England if they can't keep him fit. The back-up bowlers looked ordinary (Anderson bowled well but Onions was mediocre and Broad, Ponting's scalp aside, poor). This is 'game on' - we'll enjoy a historic victory but tomorrow is another day and England must side-step the laurels and get to work. Australia will bounce back.

Time to 'rest' Pietersen and get a form batsman in the middle order, look for a back-up strike bowler and keep that foot on Oz's throat.

I'm off to the pub