Amazing this morning.

The MCG reverberating to hundreds of fans singing.

Dunno if any Ockers are singing, most likely tears in their beers.

This game is like the ALL BLACKS being beaten.

Nobody unbeatable.

Great watching Haddin and backup, Siddle defy the Englishmen, when their peers were virtually ineffective.

Yup.

Well done England.

Now for Sydney and make sure we win the series.

Then Strauss will join Len Hutton, Ray Illingworth and Mike Gatting as the only captains of winning tours since WWII. And that's what it's all about.

It's hard to win when your Capt and V. Capt, the side's two premier batsmen, who had career averages in the 50's, average 16 and 21 for the series.

Siddle has a better average for the series than Ponting! The wicketkeeper is averaging over 50, so it can't be that hard.

News today is that Ponting is now considering his future.

It's hard to win when your Capt and V. Capt, the side's two premier batsmen, who had career averages in the 50's, average 16 and 21 for the series.

Siddle has a better average for the series than Ponting! The wicketkeeper is averaging over 50, so it can't be that hard.

It's hard to win when your Capt and V. Capt, the side's two premier batsmen, who had career averages in the 50's, average 16 and 21 for the series.

Siddle has a better average for the series than Ponting! The wicketkeeper is averaging over 50, so it can't be that hard.

DUNNO WOT HAPPENED HERE>

Anyways.......

News today is that Ponting is now considering his future.

The captain goes down with his ship.

Mind you, he had plenty of help scuttling the "SS Oz".........

Not to blame him alone.

It's hard to win when your Capt and V. Capt, the side's two premier batsmen, who had career averages in the 50's, average 16 and 21 for the series.

Siddle has a better average for the series than Ponting! The wicketkeeper is averaging over 50, so it can't be that hard.

DUNNO WOT HAPPENED HERE>

Anyways.......

News today is that Ponting is now considering his future.

The captain goes down with his ship.

Mind you, he had plenty of help scuttling the "SS Oz".........

Not to blame him alone.

Perhaps he could become a sportsman ?

It's hard to win when your Capt and V. Capt, the side's two premier batsmen, who had career averages in the 50's, average 16 and 21 for the series.

Siddle has a better average for the series than Ponting! The wicketkeeper is averaging over 50, so it can't be that hard.

News today is that Ponting is now considering his future.

Yesterday morning (pre second innings), when asked about his form and future, he trotted out his usual comment that he had no intention of giving the game away. If he's now 'considering his future', it's fairly clear that it's a matter of jumping before being pushed. It would be a pity to see him go out while he's in a slump, but if he does go, he'll be remembered for the great contribution he has made during his career overall. Can Oz win in Sydney to draw, as some consolation?

This morning Ponting's reported as saying that he wants to go to Sydney but accepts that he may have to bat further down the order. I think it's probable he'll be selected, but the knives are definately out...

Cricket Australia has just now announced that Ponting will not be playing in the last Test, due (they say) to 'injury' (his pinkie, of course). That leaves an interesting dilemma. If the Oz squad should happen to win at Sydney, without Ponting, that would certainly not help Ponting's cause. In any case, given that Ponting had claimed that he was fit to play, I suspect his test level future is in doubt.

Cricket Australia has just now announced that Ponting will not be playing in the last Test, due (they say) to 'injury' (his pinkie, of course). That leaves an interesting dilemma. If the Oz squad should happen to win at Sydney, without Ponting, that would certainly not help Ponting's cause. In any case, given that Ponting had claimed that he was fit to play, I suspect his test level future is in doubt.

Serious point. If he continues to play, should he remain as Captain after the disgraceful petulance he displayed during the Test. To me a Captain representing the great sporting nation, I begrudgingly accept you are ( fingers crossed, and whistling ) must live up to the highest ideals of sportsmanship and honour the tradition and history of his post. If it's just the winning that counts, get an East German doctor in to do the job..........

Maybe you may care to recall Sachin Tendulkar was nearly hounded into retirement during his slump and went on to play some of the best cricket of his career.

The latest report is that doctors have found that his fracture 'moved' during the last game and 'worsened'. As to his on-field antics, I agree, but he did eat humble pie afterwards. (And he's not the first to have a go at the umps, although I agree that it is unacceptable.)

Maybe you may care to recall Sachin Tendulkar was nearly hounded into retirement during his slump and went on to play some of the best cricket of his career.

Yes, and he's not alone. Unfortunately, these days the knives tend to be sharper...

Team selection by media... (Not to mention forum posters).

Yes, but nclude within those media people former captains of England and Oz.

(And include within nclude an i)

Probably the worst offenders.

The bad boy of the AFL, Brenden Fevola has stated he is turning over a new leaf in 2011 and staying out of trouble.

He has been in the news before for variously beating up a barman in Ireland, pissing on a restaurant window in full view of diners, allegedly exposing himself to a woman in a park, distributing photos of Lara Bingle ("where the bloody hell are you")taken in the shower, and he apparently owes bookies about $200,000 in gambling debts.

He lasted until about 4.30 am on 1/1/11 when he was arrested for being a public nuisance and obstructing police.

His future with the Brisbane Lions is again under scrutiny.

Fev's an embarrassment to himself, the sport and Australia in general.

The media should just ignore the idiot - he can't stay away from the sauce, or drugs, and has no personal control whatsoever.

(And three or four years ago I reckoned he was one of the best footie stars of them all).

Australia 134/4 and rain interrupts play again.

Sydney Cricket Ground - Day 1

06.52am Oooh, that little bit of petulance did the trick. As it so often does, sadly. That's play off for the day and Australia close on 134/4. Play will resume half an hour earlier tomorrow to make up for some of the lost overs, with the first ball at 11pm UK time, and Jonathan Liew will be here from about 10.30pm to bring you the build up. I'm Alan Tyers, thanks for reading and for your Tweets and emails on a slightly frustrating day. The Aussie bats will feel that they threw it away after some starts, and England must think they are now a good bit closer to a draw, at the very least. We shall see. Cheers!

06.50am Still no word but I think we're hanging on for the sake of it now.

06.29am Now it's carting it down. Stupid Australia.

06.15am Still got nothing to tell ya. Covers on, lights on, umps in middle, bit of rain. NO CRICKY. In the meantime, check out these two fools with their video diary of the series so far (contains the bad languages).

(UK time - of course!!)

And the video diary can be found here:

WICKET! Siddle c Strauss b Anderson 2 189/8

Low edge to Strauss! Australia eight down! Siddle edges his first ball down through third man for two runs, but he can't hang around for long, offering another regulation edge to first slip that just about carries to Strauss! Hilfenhaus in now, and Beer to come, who according to David Lloyd is "only just better than the roller".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/8233873/The-Ashes-live-Australia-v-England-fifth-Test.html

To be fair the tail is wagging, they may make it to another drinks break at this rate............................

To be fair the tail is wagging, they may make it to another drinks break at this rate............................

WICKET! Hilfenhaus c Prior b Anderson 34 AUS 280 all out

It takes Anderson one ball to clean Hilfenhaus up! Short, at the throat, Hilfenhaus sways out of the way and as he tries to hook gets a thick edge that looks like it's about to loop over Prior, but he takes a superb two-handed catch above his head! England have finished off the innings, after around an hour and a half of forlornly chasing the ball around the outfield with all the composure of schoolboys playing against Laxman and Tendulkar on a shirt-front at Mohali. Remarkably, it's the highest score by any side batting first in this series.

Pitch maps paint ugly picture for Australia's bowlers

ONE look at these pitch maps and cricket fans will quickly realise why Australia's bowlers made it mission impossible to win back the Ashes.

The Aussie quicks failed to bowl a consistent line and length at the SCG, a problem that has haunted them all summer and was clearly illustrated on day two by a series of red, white, blue and yellow dots spread far and wide.

By contrast, Pommy pacemen James Anderson, Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan forever hammered the same area to great effect and kept Australia quiet, except for a brief cameo by Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus after lunch.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/the-ashes/pitch-maps-paint-ugly-picture-for-australias-bowlers/story-fn67x4c9-1225981906013

Same is being said by the English press, with the 'Hawk-eye' thingy showing the placement of every ball.

Anyway, early stumps through bad light and this is the day's review from the DT

Close of play: England 488/7 (Prior 54* Bresnan 0*)

Well, there were two big talking points in that day. Did Phil Hughes claim that catch at short leg when Cook was on 99? And if so, did he know that it wasn't legit? The second incident: did Ian Bell inside edge that ball from Watson behind? And if so, did he know that he did? And if so, was it wrong to ask for a review? Furthermore, should Aleem Dar have overturned his own, perfectly reasonable, decision to give Bell out? Much to debate and ponder.

What is not up for debate is the state of the game: England are all over Australia like a nasty pink suit. They lead by 208, and with Prior in touch and three in hand, I don't see why they shouldn't get a lead of 250 or more. Aussies will them have to bat very well indeed to set England much of a total, and the bookies make them about 33-1 for the win. England will bat until they are out and then hope that the pitch behaves badly for Swann and the seamers, and surely the third day here has handed England a 2-1 series win at the very least.

By the way, has anyone seen Shane Warne in his nasty pink suit?

I think it's Breast Cancer Day or something, but that's not an excuse to make a spectacle of oneself, is it?

Not cricket, don't ya know?

Piccies!

Today's highlights

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/8242704/The-Ashes-Australia-v-England-fifth-Test-day-four-in-pictures.html?image=2

Stumps Australia 213/7 (Smith 24* Siddle 17*) trail by 151

What a day! England are on the brink of glory. Matt Prior's ton earlier in the day made an already solid position totally impregnable

To go with the piccies above.

Yes, congrats to Blighty. Their victory is a combination of generally superb play by them and generally woeful play by the Aussies. Who to sack? The Aussie selectors...