The "Ashes" are won again!!

Finally, after an absolutely enthralling series, the Ashes return to England after 18 very long years...

Great scenes broke out in England following the victory.. you could be forgiven for thinking that football was just a local game which few people enjoyed in England.. the players were taken on a open-top red bus thru' London cheered on by thousands and thousands of fans.. "Crickit" dominated all the major newspapers AND the tabloids.. many many ecstatic fans were collecting their wagers from unbelieving bet-takers.. beer was and still is flowing freely all over as England celebrates its re-emergence from the depths of Ashes humiliations..

Flintoff was of course the hero.. playing with his heart, giving his full 100%, he showed all and sundry how the game of cricket must be played.. he has finally come of age.. realizing his full potential.. glimpses of which he has been showing for a long time now.. Pieterson also did very well.. but I think he is too arrogant and showy-off for his own good.. lets see what the future holds for him.. The pace trio has also forged what could be a lethal combination for the future.. Vaughan has suceeded where all his precedessors failed.. and I am sure great glory awaits this team of great heroes.. any guesses on how many of them are going to be knighted??

The drawbacks.. G. Jones, the keeper.. he really needs to improve.. his performance can be compared to that of india's Parthiv Patel.. he is performing a little with the bat.. but he really needs to keep much much better than this.. the failure of Ian Bell also was surprising but I am sure he will hit back soon enough..

for the Aussies.. Shane Warne and Brett Lee shone through with fine whole-hearted performances.. both with the bat and the ball.. Warne especially proving why he is considered to be the worlds best leg spinner.. but ironically.. and rather cruelly.. he put down the once simple catch which could have allowed the Ashes to remain in Australia!!

I am sure a lot of questions will be asked of the Aussie team when they get back home.. but Ponting should stay on top.. he just claims that his team is not performing at full potential and that they would get back to their best soon.. and that these are just bad times for the Aussie team..

Talking of bad timing.. very very ironically.. it is at this juncture that the Super Series starts.. wherein the entire world combines to try and defeat the Aussie team when Team England alone would do!!

but all said and done it was a great contest and I am eagerly looking forward to England's next tour of Australia.. sometime in 2007... till then.. happy cricketing!!