The Ashes 2013

[Sir Velo]

I thought Aggers missed a real chance with a sitting duck target to nail RW with latest RAJAR figures; puerile texts and tweets; bleeding chunks; and dismantling of a once great station.

[amateur51]

All rather exciting this end of a rain-curtailed match - Australians have declared their second-innings on 111-6 leaving England to get 227 from 44 overs.

Will England go for the win or hang-on for the draw? (other results are available )

Some wag on TMS twitter doesn't think much of the idea of England going for the win ...

"Wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Tavaré and Mike Brearley stroll out to open"

[Belgrove]

A sporting declaration by Australia saved the last day degenerating from a tedious draw to an exciting run chase. In the end the daft regulations for the light thwarted an England win. The draw was almost a certainty from the moment England's debutants bowled, although Woakes' batting has probably earned him a tour abroad.

The final 3-0 tally flatters England and they have work to do before the return rubber, the opening batsmen especially. The turbulence surrounding the Australian lineup has subsided somewhat. Clarke's captaincy is altogether more dynamic than Cook's. But England's quality players can press home an advantage at crucial moments.

So it did not turn out to be a vintage Ashes series in the end, but the opening match at Trent Bridge is the best Test I have attended.

The next instalment commences on 21st November.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

exciting anti climax to the series ... England managed to prevail whilst not at their best in the series, some memorable individual performances though .... and quite unsportingly stuffing the Aussies is as good as it gets in cricket

[DracoM]

Oz came within 10-15 minutes of going 4-0 down.

Wonder how Clarke's captaincy would have played out in Oz on that basis.

Shane Warne's ominous comment on Sky that he felt that the series would get nasty in Oz and that the team had been too nice. We know that Warne is very much in Clarke's ear as seen by a number of practice etc clips, so is the egregious Warne deliberately manipulating the Oz team + Lehmann to be more confrontational on the field much as he was? Indeed we saw far more rank and pointless nastiness in this Fifth Test than at any other time on the tour?