Might be the right time for Colly to retire. It's the right time for Bell to have a prolonged run at 5 imo. 1-4 are nailed on following this series. Prior looks to have nailed himself on too.

Bresnan would be the debate but i'm please to see he's started to take wickets. nice position to be in.

Morgan in at 5, straight swap.

Not convinced Morgan is a Test player, there are other options though knocking on the door for selection like Gale, Bopara and several others.

Not convinced by Bopara at all, too inconsistent in all forms of the game.
Haven't seen anything of Gale tbh.
Morgan is fearless exactly matches the mind set of the rest of the team.

He is certainly an option along with a few others, the problem is his best batting comes when playing one day games.

I'm not convinced about Bopara either, lacks the temperament for test cricket imho. Morgan would be ok on the odd occasion but i think by and large he's a one dayer and Gale doesn't have the technique to be consistant at test match level. Gotta say i disagree with Bothams comments about Hughes as well, thought they we well over the top. To call someone a cheat on live international TV is pretty low and totally unnecessary imho.

He just said how he saw it and to be fair it looked the same to me. He knew he hadn;t caught it as did their vice captain. But they still let it get referred, after Ponting moaned about the catch he did/didn't make it seems highly hypocritical from them. The Bell out/not out was a dubious one from our side as well, if he felt the nick he should have walked, but hard to say if he did or didn't.

Collingwood retires then. (from test cricket at least)

Does that make Bell a cheat then??

Hughes knew he never caught it and his face showed it, he then suddenly started celebrating. Cheating or not it was a very low thing to do.

As for Bell, batsmen don't walk these days and he said he felt he had not touched it which hotspot confirmed.


Great day for England, the barmy army were going mental!!

Think the Aussies should forfeit overnight, just to save face. They are woeful.

Yet snicko said otherwise as did the umpire Problem with Botham though, is he opens his mouth before he engages his brain. Great player, terrible pundit.

To retain the ashes in Oz was immense, to win the ashes series in Oz is incredible, but to win the ashes series in Oz with potentially 3 innings victories is unbeliveable.

Like i said earlier in the thread Aussie cricket is in turmoil and most of us saw this coming. Without taking anything away from England the aussie batting was very fragile and the bowlers were completely inffective, this series was only going one way. I think they have only scored more than 300 twice in the entire series and to think England still have Broad, Finn, Panesar & Shazad waiting in the wings.

Good times lie ahead me thinks for Englaish cricket.

How many times have England gone up to a man for a catch behind the wicket yet not referred it when the umpire has given not out?? Were they cheating?? The word 'cheat' is a powerful word and Botham may have a history of saying it like it is, but he should use his words with more care so as not to get a reputation for bias and double standards, particularly in his position as a pundit and one of the greats of the sport.

Your right though for all Aussie have been poor, England have been superb and couldn't have won anymore convincingly.