No one else has started one so I may aswell...

According to the BBC, Vaughan should be back in the side so hopefully we won't choose to field first if we win the toss this time, but as day/night games are always won by the team that bats first in england i'm not sure this is a cricketing contest or just who can call the coin correctly.

People say this one day series is insignificant as far as the ashes go, true enough it won't matter very much and our one day team is a poor cousin to our test side, BUT, I do feel that it's the nature of how we win or lose these games. The first game was a good one, the second seemed to be a return to the bad old days of our bowlers having to claw back a poor start and our batsmen collapsing and leaving a bowler to slog to get the top score, not very inspiring as i thought we'd got past this stage. It does beg the question of whether england have improved since the last ashes or whether it's just everyone else has got worse, I suspect the truth is somewhere inbetween.

It's important for us to play well today, the result doesn't matter, it's how we get to that result that matters. If australia play amazingly well and beat us by being better that's fine, but if, like last time, we don't even turn up for the contest then it would suggest nothing's changed and won't do for another few years yet. Hard to be sure because of the day/night aspect, I suppose the jury will have to remain out until Lords, the first innings of either side will give some pointers though.