Ashes to Ashes

[Sweder]

I'd love to catch the nail-biting conclusion to this tense encounter but I, er, have to run

OK, time for my confession/ apology.
I may have given the impression that recalling Harmison may in some way improve England's bowling performance. I might also have called for unfit players - regardless of talismanic qualities - to be dropped/ rested. Clearly in the case of the former I have been cruelly led astray by a parade of whimpering Aussie pundits claiming they 'hate' facing Harmison. The cheeky giggle-meisters ...

As for the latter, it is clear that as auras go Strauss and his band of bungling buffoons were way at the back of the line and dipped out. England clearly need a mascot, a rallying point, a bloodied, battered foot soldier bravely raising the flag amongst the battlesmoke and carnage. A Butcher, an Ince, an obdurate, redoubtable Atherton. We need this damaged colossus, this hamstrung icon, this mortally wounded yet somehow invincible talisman; this Flintoff. The stage is set, the odds stacked against us, yet this could just be our finest hour ...



And so to the Oval.
Flintoff may have to play on one leg to get some fire back in the belly of the side. Sidebottom in for Anderson (Jimmy's our best bowler this series but is clearly wounded - hamstring knack it seems)? And surely Bopara must be consigned to the counties and Rob Key given the three spot? Key is an opening bat and a serious pie-muncher with thicker skin than Richard Millhouse Nixon. Just the sort we need against bushwhacking Johnny Foreigner Ponting and his grinning, sledging Sheileroos.

Ooh, I can feel the green shoots of recovery already ...






... just need to stay clear of the radio for the next couple of hours and the newspapers for the next week or so ...