The Ashes were first competed for in 1882, and underline everything great about England and our younger, convict-inhabited colony. The only problem is that Australia seems to win more regularly than we do. Never mind, this year is our year (it can't get worse than last time) and preparation by the England camp has been flawless.
Of course, this translated into a slightly nervy start when our captain was out third ball. Third ball! Still, with five days left to go in this match, and another four matches after that, there's plenty of time... (yes, American readers: cricket).
Live cricket, from my chair, courtesy of a dodgy website from Pakistan (including adverts).
