Maybe.... maybe we're not actually that good any more.

500+ to get and Root and Pietersen play shots like that.
Might as well surrender right now.
No balls and not prepared to graft.
Despite a mini revival England are dreadful.
Losers!

Extra.....
I rose to find we were all out for 170+.
A tail of six batsmen who don't muster a handful between them and Johnson creaming himself in delight.
It's a shambles and complete humiliation
Man up or ship out.

Mitch Johnson is on fire.
17 wickets at an average of about 8 so far, and he gets to bowl at Perth next week.
He could turn to crap at any time though. He is the most hot and cold bowler in the game.

I don't understand the shot selection in the slightest. Cook gets out to one going over his head - just duck out of the bloody way!

One day, English batsmen will learn how to bat properly again.

And once again we let the Aussies off the hook after a great start. Where's the ability to finish a team off gone? Dreading tomorrow.

If we aren't batting in the morning session, this game is over!!

We are fooking useless at bowling, field placing and catching.
We let the opposition play the same shots in the same gaps and never close them and the bowling, tailor made to put through the covers or pull.
Terrible!
5-0
Can't even win a toss ..... they are toss!

If I am any judge it won't take much more for England to give in.
Mice.

And another thing the sight of Root all rigged up in a helmet ducking and cringing like a coward before he even sees where the pull shot is going makes my blood boil.
Would a kitted up Aussie do that?
Mouse!

Lehman has really turned the Aussie side around.

Micky Arthur was the worst coach possible for Australia. He actually dropped our best allrounder for not writing an essay he had given them for homework.

Lehman has got them being aggressive and told them to enjoy themselves.

The turnaround since Arthur was sacked has been massive. It took 3 or 4 tests to get back to a more natural Australian style, but it's great to see.

Siddle owns Pietersen ... pathetic!

106 degrees in the old money.
That should be fun.

Meh. Four of six series still ain't bad.

Nothing like looking to the past.

On a personal note there comes a point were anger is replaced by contempt and then comedy.

I'm enjoying it more now as I view it as some bizarre comedy.
Try it, it's just a mindset.
It's really funny the worse it gets.

Cook is like a rabbit in headlights, he's as proactive as the captain of the Titanic.

Not for the first time, I found myself exclaiming this morning "Pietersen, you insufferable imbecile!"

Just give them the urn now and come home for Christmas, save the embarrassment of a 5-0 whitewash!

Indeed. Ridiculous shot. Bell not much better, either. No need to be aggressive all the time, especially when you're severely on the back foot.

Just think, a few more sensible innings like Stoke's and we'd be looking fairly comfortable.

They are already doing it but when it is 3-0 I can see the Aussies really tearing into the English attack like one day stuff and compound the humiliation.
It may backfire if they do, but there is always such as Haddin to bail them out if it does.
It's the Aussie psyche ...attack!

It's a funny series.
It's not a particularly strong Australian side, and the English side does look pretty strong on paper, but it's like they have no fight in them.
Hopefully they show up and make a game of it in Sydney and Melbourne.

Meh, I can't remember being as apathetic about an Ashes series. The Ashes have become stale, and the poor standard of the cricket has taken some of the shine off it as well. The Aussies deserve it, but I'm not sure anyone in England really cares.

Swann is retiring from all cricket - rats off the sinking ship.

I was reading yesterday that Ben Stokes is the son of former Kiwi Rugby League player Ged Stokes, and that he moved to England in his teens when his father got a coaching job and still talks with a Kiwi accent.

I was reading yesterday that Ben Stokes is the son of former Kiwi Rugby League player Ged Stokes, and that he moved to England in his teens when his father got a coaching job and still talks with a Kiwi accent.

Really? This must be a first in world sport.

I reckon a first in world sport would be if they could find 11 actual poms good enough to play cricket for England, instead of a mix of south Africans, West Indian, Welsh, Irish, Zimbabwean, Kiwi and even the odd Aussie player.

It's the way our multicultural world is going. I know you're Australian and live out in the sticks but racism isn't cool anymore in civilised society.

Merry Christmas, it's only a game.