I don't either. It's the comfort of the familiar.

Sorry - no direct veetle link tonight but the VIP link is pretty good

Watching Sky on VIP, but the Pepsi Max asteroid rape adverts are giving me the creeps, (don't remember seeing it in the states).

280 all out. Now let's do that 515-1 thing again.

Collingwood's a dope.

But Bell is doing OK and the incredibly boring but incredibly successful Cooke trundles on to glory.

But 11 short of making Nasser Hussain wear a pink suit.

Bell got away with one. I think he was out.

My favourite quote of the series taken from Australia's Telegraph at the end of the second test.

"If there were still timeless tests England would still be batting in Brisbane".

Ian Bell's selection has pretty much amazed me since 2005. High batting average with runs amassed against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and then under any sort of pressure never really scores anything.

I am not surprised his first ashes hundred in his fourth ashes series has come when the contest is all but over.

In 2005 Bell was a passenger in England's victory very similar to Collingwood this time out.

Have you been actually watching the cricket? Ian Bell's strokeplay was fantastic to watch yesterday, as it has been for the most part of the series.

True he scored runs against Bangladesh (who hasnt?), but never against Zimbabwe. His technique is good, he has scored at an average of 65 this series - in Australia, with the majority of his runs being in the 1st innings.
He is a key component for England and one of our best batsmen in the last 20 years.

http://bit.ly/hjFbGV

7th on your list which features Paul Collingwood at 13th. We'll see where his average actually sits when his career his done.

Batsman like Trescothick, Robin Smith and Vaughan have all contributed far more significant innings when it mattered against real opposition in live tests.

Perhaps you would like to find the statistics of Ian Bell versus Australia.

This article sums up Ian Bell's distorted batting average:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine...ry/454970.html

He's done alright this series but i generally agree that also not a big fan of Bell. They all bang on about his wonderful technique but often when the pressure is on he usually cacks his pants. Hopefully he's got over that with maturity as the England selectors seem to love him.

Paul Collingwood has just quit test cricket.

13th best batsman of the last 20 years what a blow.

A declaration at lunch? Lets put the Aussies in and have a bash at them.

This is the first time ever in a Test match innings that partnerships 6, 7 and 8 have all produced 100 runs. Unprecedented.

Now let's put these mutants into bat and finish the job!

Prior did the job, but that was the worst attempt at a stroke I remember seeing.