Sorry about the sparseness of posts here lately, people. But I already told you why. Things should be returning to normal soon enough. Today is the last day: last day of my summer holiday, and - it could be - the last day of Australia's hold on the Ashes for the time being. Technically, of course, that isn't so. Australia can lose this Test and still come back, keeping the urn even with just one win and one draw. But if they lose at Old Trafford, I don't believe that can happen. Theirs now looks like a team with the wheels about to fall off; only a tough rearguard action today, securing the draw, could bring them back. And if these predictions are confounded I'll be happy enough to bear the embarrassment.
Why, against the expectations of practically everybody, is it happening - England playing like Australia, Australia reminiscent of so much of England's Ashes cricket in recent times? The first and most important reason is that England now have a bowling attack without a weak link, and a toughness tempered by belief in their capacity to take on anybody. But one still has to explain why so much talent and experience on the Australian side have suddenly come to look so forlorn. I wonder if at least part of it is that Australia have been winning so much, so easily and for so long that they've forgotten what defeat - and particularly defeat for the Ashes - really feels like. Some of their cricket has looked like that, notwithstanding that last day fightback at Edgbaston just over a week ago. Ricky Ponting's decision to bowl first on a good batting wicket there, with Australia one up in the series, was of that kidney. Bring Steve Waugh out of retirement, that's what I say. Come back the spirit of Allan Border.
Anyway, that's where I am today, hoping to shore up Australian defences, and expecting the worst.