I guess it's because they've given it their all, and I recognise an underdog trying their bollocks off to be greater than they are.

You've got Chris Rogers, a veteran County Championship journeyman, going toe to toe with established internationals in the twilight of his career. Watson, struggling to be the player he can be. Warner, troubled off the pitch. Smith, never having fulfilled the expectations placed on him. Haddin, epitomising the Australian 'never say die' attitude. Siddle, an honest bowler, not blessed with searing pace or big swinging ability, but will toil for days. And Clarke, a gifted cricketer but, by quirk of timing, deprived of the standard of player his predecessors have had at their disposal.

On paper, it was no contest, and there've been spells when England's class has come to the fore and they've taken a game away from Australia. But equally there;ve been times when Australia have had England looking inept, clueless, and on the ropes.

When the games have been on, I've wanted England to pummel the convicts into the dirt. Embarrass them, just like Australia have done to us. But these aren't the same players. They don't have the sneering, swaggering arrogance of a Waugh, McGrath, Ponting, Warne or Hayden. They're just ordinary cricketers trying to be, and just falling short of being, greater than the sum of their parts.

And that's something to admire.

But I still want us to win the last Test, then go Down Under and retain the Urn in front of a home crowd of convicts.

England have a ruthless streak. They only need a sniff of victory and they are on it. They win even when - as in this series - they are not firing on all cylinders.

I am loving seeing the convicts battered in absolutely everything. And now the Chinese have stopped digging a giant hole in the middle of their country, even their economy is going down the pan. They've just woken up to the fact that their 'boom' was built on mineral extraction and that they have no manufacturing and no financial sector worth talking about. And their politicians are so odious they make ours look like Mother Theresa. 

Everything is cyclical and they'll be back but for now nothing is going to spoil this humiliation of the most jumped-up and arrogant bunch of tosspots in the English-speaking world.

Totally agree with the above, the sign of a very good side is one that wins when it isn't playing well, hopefully it will all click at the Oval and there is another Lords style thrashing. England need to keep their foot firmly planted on Australia's throat in the final game.

Broad should be at about the peak of his career now, Jimmy and Swann are a bit further down the track, although spinners can go on a bit longer. In the next 12 months England need to start looking around for who might replace the likes of Anderson and Swann in the years to come. I don't keep such a close eye on county cricket these days, any young rising bowling stars? I think we are lookign ok for the batting, nice blend of experience and youth there but not so sure on the bowling? I recall Broad was thrown is to a test just out of his teens? Time to start brinign through the next generation of bowlers whilst things are looking good. If we stay still and don't bring youngester in we will go the way of Australia when some bigger names go, it is about keeping English cricket at a high standard not just this year but over the next 10. Afterall we owe Australia another decade of thrashings yet.

It is a real bonus that we have been able to blood the likes of Root and Bairstow in a winning ashes series side, they should take a lot from this.

A great series win considering how many players are out of form and that, as Yorkie mentioned, we have blooded two quality young lads that can only benefit from such an experience.

As for guys coming through, I still think Finn has a lot to offer, he just has to go away and work on a stock ball that he can go to so that he can build pressure. Chris Wood, down at Hampshire looks a real prospect, Stokes is still improving and seems to have put his 'problems' well behind him.

Simon Kerrigan looks like a potential replacement for Swanny, he has taken a stack of wickets this season and really come on. I would like to put Scott Borthwick in there too, but he seems to have been really working on his batting perhaps at the expense of his bowling??? It might be that he is only 23 and good spinners seem to develop a little later.

Either way, we have plenty of bowling waiting in the wings for when the likes of Anderson and Swann hang up their boots.

Good stuff Ian, thanks for that, I would tag a few of those names on to the tour down under in the coming months, let them carry the drinks and so on and experience what it is all about.

English cricket it would seem has much more in the way of depth right now. The state level cricket is Australia is rubbish, if they want the younger Aussies to improve they should send them all to the county level in England.

A little reminder for Matty ( and others of course )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f18gf  

A little reminder for Matty ( and others of course )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f18gf  

Originally Posted by: Matty H 

Agree with others about the conveyor belt of talent. English cricket is certainly far better placed than the convicts for a very long time to come.

Not too many months and we'll be celebrating another Ashes series win. They have pretty much no chance of beating us, even at home.

Originally Posted by: pnepaul 

Agree with that. Given that our top order has been misfiring, I expect Flower and Cook to use the three months before Brisbane to really get to work and sort this out. I sincerely hope they stick with Root as I think the guy has got massive potential as part of an opening partnership.

Australia's problems are far too deep for them to be sorted out in three months and I am already excited about England giving them another hiding. Gawd, what I wouldn't give to be at the MCG on Boxing Day!

For anyone claiming England don't deserve to be 3-0 up I would say that test cricket is played over 5 days (usually seems to be 4 nowadays) and winning some sessions won't win the game if you don't get over the line. Some people seem to think that England got lucky in the first test - I disagree. Agar was clearly out stumped and the aussies all out with a huge deficit on first innings. That poor decision, and I still cannot undertand how it was made, nearly cost England the game, but they showed enough gumption in the 2nd innings to get the job done. Yes Broad should have been given, but on balance in that game the bad calls favoured the Aussies (ask Trott). The second test was a thrashing. Yes the rain helped England escape with a draw at Old Trafford but the rain had also helped the Aussies get England 3 down. I fancied Eng batting out under the day in sunshine. The toss was also massive in that game - more so that in the other matches. Perhaps it was the order of results that has upest people- if the draw had been first and then two wins to secure the ashes would it have felt 'better'?

I ran down the batting averages of the two top sevens. England average 43.33, Aussie 35.79. Only one England batsmans avergaes less than 40 (Bairstow) only one Aussie more than 40 (Clarke). Totals for the top sevens - 303 vs 251 runs. People don't trust statistics but if the data set is big enough it gets more reliable. On this basis England are around 100 runs better than the Aussies in a test, and what do you know that's what happening more or less. Khawaja and Smith are simply not test class batsman. Ask yourself if Hussey and Katich would make them a better side, right now, for the Oval. I say yes. TBH I think Ponting would still be there.

I rate the Aussie bowlers, but TBH Watson and Harris are like a declining Flintoff - great, but their bodies are never going to let them bowl a full series.

The Aussies have fought magnificently, and Clarke is one of the most gracious losing captains I have seen. They were never going to roll over and let England have 500, before rolling over twice for 50 in every test. Enjoy it for now - all sport is cyclical.

A little reminder for Matty ( and others of course )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f18gf  

Originally Posted by: Justin W 

Agree with others about the conveyor belt of talent. English cricket is certainly far better placed than the convicts for a very long time to come.

Not too many months and we'll be celebrating another Ashes series win. They have pretty much no chance of beating us, even at home.

Originally Posted by: Matty H 

 

 Gawd, what I wouldn't give to be at the MCG on Boxing Day!

Originally Posted by: pnepaul 

I am going on the 3rd day 28th December  Cricket / beer all day then Melbourne Victory V Western Sydney Wanderers in the evening, going to be an epic day!!!!!! 

Presume you're talking Test career averages, because in this series, only Bell has averaged over 40

Incidentally, two Aus batsmen are averaging over 40

OK.

Well I guess the stats suggest Australia have played above their averages, whilst England have played below.