Sleepless nights

And so the halfway point has been reached. Day three of the 3rd Test and with the series seemingly set for one-all with two to play there are still far more questions than answers. Which is exactly how it should be. And finally everyone realises just how much is at stake and what an achievement it will be for either team to win what's turned into a classic Ashes contest.

As much as an England win would have been rejoiced here and at home it would still have been greeted almost with an air of diffidence. It's a very English thing to rubbish the national team when they lose. But then following victory concentrate on the weakness of the opposition. And that's what would have happened if we'd wrapped this up in Perth.

But now the Aussies have bared their teeth and shown their fighting & cricketing qualities an English victory (if it happens) will surely be treated as the remarkable achievement it really would be. Australia have lost a home series once in eighteen years. Then when they did lose (2-1 to South Africa) they promptly went to Graeme Smith's backyard and returned the favour. This is a tough team in a tough country. It's just that they, like we, forgot it for a couple of Tests.

Knowing this series is now set to run throughout Xmas & NYE through to Sydney is fantastic for the Ashes 2010/11 spectacle and will make winning or losing it much more of an emotionally heightened experience. But it also makes sleeping difficult at night.