No one, not even the Australian fanatics could deny England this crushing series win, an emphatic result which saw them consign Australia to three innings defeats in a home series.

What people may forget is that England had to battle back on two occasions, the first was in Brisbane when they were starring defeat in the face but they dug in and ground out a deserved draw with all top three batsmen getting massive century scores.

That turned the series a bit on its head, as to Ponting and the Australian team it must have felt like a defeat, but to England it gave them a huge surge of confidence that took them into Adelaide.

The second turning point was the heavy loss in the third test in Perth, totally outplayed and out classed by Australia some England fans must have got the jitters and memories of past collapses, not just on the pitch but mentally as well.

However England fought back and totally surprised the Aussies ripping through their batting line up to dismiss them for a humiliating 98.

Australia couldn’t claw their way back after that one, and with Clarke installed as new skipper Ponting sat out with a finger injury albeit a chance to hide away for a bit.

It was a sea of red, white and blue at the SCG on the final day which for England was purely going to be a formality, it almost looked like a home match for them.

And it didn’t taken them long to dispatch the tail and commence one of the biggest parties not seen in Australia since the England rugby team beat the Wallabies in the World Cup final.

Australia must have wondered what they needed to do, they played about with their line up far too much and made changes in every test. England only made two, one which was a forced change to replace the injured Stuart Broad, and the other to replace Finn who proved too expensive in Perth.

The Australian media circled Ponting like a Great White shark around a boat load of Aussie fisherman and the pressure was really on to do something to stop the onslaught. But at the end of the day England were just too good in all aspects of the game.

Batting they lead by example with Alistair Cook dominating at the front notching up 766 runs. He was supported brilliantly by the likes of Strauss, Trott, Bell, Prior and Pietersen who all got on the board with centuries plus.

In the field they looked sharp and took every chance, the only ones they dropped where to shots of the highest order. Not too mention the run outs in which they made the Aussie batsmen look like a possum with a bad limp.

The bowling was second to none, Anderson was brilliant with the ball getting it to swing both ways, he was aggressive towards the batsmen and that counted for a lot. His 24 wicket hall was the biggest down under for an English bowler since the 1950s.

Australia will need to go back to the drawing board, and they will probably be going through the same feelings that England experienced the last time they were here and got trounced 5-0, this will go a long way to eradicating that memory.

Next up will be the World Cup and a great chance for England to win it, I really hope they do but they will now feel the pressure of what its like to be a team that everyone wants to beat.

Firstly well done, you cannot take that performance away from them. They out played England in every department and our two innings scores of 187 and 123 were not good enough against any half decent test side.

I use the words ‘half decent’ because that I’m afraid is the long and the short of it for Australia. Let’s not forget that this side were in disarray a few weeks ago with sections of the media calling for Ponting’s head and the ludicrous wish to bring Warne back. Had the Aussie press taken lessons from the British tabloids?

Johnson could do little with the ball in Brisbane and was rightly dropped for Adelaide, but in Perth where the pitch is one of the quickest in the world and where most bowlers can get it to swing, he hit form at the right time.

This is probably one of the most competitive Ashes series for some time with both teams having dominated a test and a 1/2, if you count Australia’s first few days in Brisbane and then England’s second half to pull back a draw.

The key thing for England now is “don’t panic Mr. Mannering”, we may have been guilty of some complacency but what people forget is there are two tests to go. Some fanatics (Aussies) are walking around like they have one hand on the urn but that is the arrogance that goes with them I’m afraid.

England will no doubt make some changes and take a look at the damage report. Anderson put family first to fly back to the UK for the birth of his child, and rightly so. However, to think he wasn’t going to be a little tired from a 24,000 mile round trip was an understatement.

KP needs to stop winding the Aussies up with his poor attempts at sledging and concentrate on his form with the bat. His antics fired up the Aussies in particular Mitchell Johnson and what resulted was a tremendous bowling display from the paceman.

So far England’s batting has relied heavily on the top order, and although Bell has chipped away with some good batting Prior and Collingwood are lacking in form right now. Coach Andy Flower will surely look at his options and there may be one or two changes in both batting and bowling, but it will be needed.

One player who will surely get a serious look will be Eion Morgan. The Middlesex left hander will no doubt draw on more jokes from the Australian’s for his Irish heritage but he is a batsman of real composure and skill.

He is a big hitter and his 67 off 34 balls against South-Africa shows he could be a viable replacement for Collingwood in the middle order.

Going to Melbourne is like heading into Rome’s Colosseum but it will be a chance to set the score right and that Perth was just a blip in form and that like any true champion England can bounce back.

Australia are a dominant force in any sport and should not be taken lightly, and when we first won the ashes back after an 18-year wait it was every wish come true. The return down under just over a year and a half later could not have been worse. A 5-0 whitewash, an even being safely back in the UK I was still peppered with emails and texts as my Aussie comrades basked in the glory.

This time its turning into a different story, but I am not going to get ahead of myself just yet. The innings and 71 run win in Adelaide was sweet, oh boy was it sweet. I turned off my bedside light the night before hoping to wake to a remarkable win, and it would have been too given what the weather was saying. I stirred in the night enough to put the earphones and radio on to hear the final delivery and impending Siddle wicket!

It almost felt like Christmas come early as I ran downstairs to check the bowling result and impressive statistics, and what a momentous occasion it was. But I refrained from sending a barrage of abuse 12,000 miles away, choosing to sit on that win and wait until the deal has been done.

The Perth test will go one of two ways, either Australia will turn up a different side ready to square the series or England will just once again be too good leaving the old enemy with no answer.

My prediction will be for the later, England are not going to be complacent. A few beers might have been sank after the 2nd test but in no way would they have been celebrating. The job is not yet done and Strauss and co know this. With Broad missing it gives a chance for another top end bowler to make a name for himself, one of Ajmal Shahzad, Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan and one hopes that they can fill the void.

Australia have been quite rightly ripped apart by the media sharks who are probably more used to singing the praises of the green and gold army, but not this time. The selectors will no doubt be making wholesale changes… again, in the hope that someone will be able to undo England.

Calls for the legend that is Shane Warne to come back is simply just clutching at the hope it would be the same Warney who bowled that mesmerizing delivery to Gatting all those years ago. I mean why don’t they go the whole hog and bring back Gilchrist, McGrath and Langer.

Either way England will be unfazed by these changes, if anything it will give them a surge of confidence that they have Australia rattled and against the ropes. But you should never under estimate them, they have an exceptional bunch of players and their form could turn at any stage.

An England win would retain the Ashes with two tests to spare, quite a feat on Australian soil. Mervyn Hughes was quoted in a blog as saying that after the draw in the first test Australia deserved to win on points (quite how he worked that one out I don’t know) and that it would be 4-0.

I think his predication might come true, but it won’t be the one he’s hoping for!

However the need of sleep beat me and I had to retreat to the warmth of the duvet only dreaming that when I awoke the following morning I would be greeted with some good news. That wasn’t the case, bleary eyed I checked my phone and saw to my horror that we had been bowled out for 260.

Worst was to come as I scrolled further down the page to see Peter Siddle had taken an all important hat-rick. I then avoided looking at the barrage of abuse from my Aussie mates on Facebook and headed downstairs to have a brew and catch the post match discussions.

It was expected that Australia were going to be fired up, in what could be Ricky Ponting’s last Ashes before he hands over the captaincy to someone else. It would be fitting to see him go out a winning one, Ponting couldn’t have asked for a better start really from a side desperate to avenge the disappointment of last summer.

Having had a good warm up the England team were in high spirits and with the Aussies coming off the back of a couple of test losses it would seem a solid start was on the cards. Winning the all important toss Strauss put the boys into bat, and three deliveries later he was out! The worst possible start.

What followed was an up and down innings in which the likes of Bell, Pietersen and Cook steadied the ship. With the exception of the blip in the middle in which Siddle claimed his birthday hat-rick causing scenes of massive elation from the green and gold crowd, the 260 scoreline was just about below average.

It would have been nice to get a late wicket but the Aussies at 25-0 look like they could be growing in confidence and control. However Australia shouldn’t be getting ahead of themselves, this is not the same team that was whitewashed 5-0 the last time they were on these shores and the home side will not have it all their own way.

This England side, despite showing early signs of nerves are a solid team and will come together sooner rather than later. There should be no room for complacency just yet for Australia, but you can’t deny their performance on the opening day was just what Ponting and the home crowd would have been looking for.

The main focus for tomorrow is for England to go out and get that first wicket, shut the crowd up and you start to get on top of the Aussies. We know that England have vastly improved in the field and they have some of the best pace bowlers in the world so the expectation for them to fight back is high. What they mustn’t do is to hit the panic button and slip into the England of old.

Spin wise Swann was knocked for two fours during his one over which would have delighted the home support. This however might not be a wicket for spin, at least not this early. But when it breaks up a bit Swann’s time will come don’t worry about that.

It wasn’t a good start but it wasn’t the worst either, this is a marathon not a sprint and there are still four tests to go and four very different grounds and wickets to play on. So for me its game on!

Whilst sport has never been 100% clean, there do seem to be an increasing number of stories in the press. In the four examples above, I think there is a varying degree of severity. The ‘Bloodgate’ incident was very tactical in that Harlequins wanted to get their specialist goal-kicker Nick Evans back onto the pitch as a blood replacement at the end of a European cup game to help clinch victory. A number of individuals were caught up in this scandal and have been dealt suitable punishment. So whilst this is not good for Harlequins, the game of Rugby or the professional reputations of the people involved it is very much an isolated incident and has been dealt with. This is in stark contrast to the Sumo situation in Tokyo, Japan where the local Mafia known as the Yakuza are now being banned from even attending tournaments in an attempt to uphold the integrity of the sport. This would seem to be a far wider and deeper problem.

And as for cricket, it has not been a stranger to match fixing controversies with many incidents taking place in the modern game, including the memorable story of South African captain Hansie Cronje fixing matches. After confessing in 2000 he was subsequently killed in a plane accident in 2002, which introduced a number of conspiracy stories.

It’s hard to say specifically why some of these incidents have taken place, but you can closely associated the greed for money with nearly all corruption. In the case of Harlequins, they were in a desperate position and went over the line of competitiveness to try and win a match that would have secured them more lucrative revenue. Other cases would seem to revolve around financial gain for individuals, whilst the association of the Yakuza at Sumo tournaments smacks of large scale organised crime. There are some rumours that the Pakistan cricketers are being but in the sad position of receiving threats against their families with dire consequences if the bribes are avoided. Aside from that though, there is an ever growing pressure for success. With greater amounts of money being invested from rich owners and global sponsors, losing is just not an option.

Part of this of course is speculation, but what is known, is that this is a sad side of sport. Many people follow sporting teams and individuals for reasons of passion, pride, honesty and integrity, (Think Bobby Moore) but the reality is that sport is now big business and business has to be profitable.

There is no doubt that it will be another exciting campaign, but who is going to come out on top. Will Manchester United reclaim their crown and pass Liverpool as the most successful British team or will the reds be rejuvenated under new boss Roy Hodgson.

There’s the somewhat under achieving Arsenal and can Chelsea produce another scintillating display to secure another league and cup double. At the other end Blackpool look to start their first ever campaign in the top flight with some success, as will Newcastle and West Brom.

There will be the usual battle for European places, can Fulham replicate their form of last season under Mark Hughes or will another club tell the fairy tale story. Either way we here at Sports Monthly can’t wait, so here are our predictions for the upcoming 2010/11 season.

Manchester United – Champions

I just can’t see past them, having slipped up a few times last season, most notably against Chelsea I don’t think Ferguson is going to let that happen again. New signing Javier Hernandez looks set to continue his form that saw him impress at the World Cup. Rooney once again will hold the key and will be hoping to overshadow his summer of disappointment. If the rest of the squad stays fit then the title will be heading North.

Arsenal – Runners Up

Silverware has not graced the Emirates for some time, and I’m afraid they are going to miss out for another season, at least the Premiership anyway. With a squad of relative youngsters they are going to have to hope that the likes of Fabregas and Arshavin can deliver. A good FA or League Cup run could be their best chance of a trophy.

Liverpool – 3rd

Roy Hodgson has got his work cut out to impress and win over the fans, he has managed to keep hold of talisman Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres as well as bring Joe Cole to the club which is a great signing. I feel that yet again they won’t have enough for that elusive title, but a good European cup run is on the cards and I expect them to reach at the most the Quarter-Finals.

Chelsea – 4th

There is no doubting Chelsea’s star quality but I think they will struggle this season to hit form. The Champions League will be Carlo Ancelotti’s main focus and that will take one eye off the title, giving their rivals the chance to pass them in that race. Anelka and Drogba will no doubt be a winning combination and the likes of Terry and Lampard will continue to impress, but not enough to keep the title in London.

Manchester City- 5th

The money bags club has got to deliver, and this time there is no excuse. Aston Villa’s James Milner looks set to link up with former team mate Gareth Barry which could see a dazzling midfield. Roberto Mancini will look to rinse the club for more cash for big name players, but the expectations now will be higher than ever before.

Tottenham – 6th

If they make it into the Champions’ League group stages Spurs are going to find life tough in the league, mid week games will no doubt take their toll. It may mean Redknapp rotating the squad for those important European nights leaving fringe players to pick up the pieces in the league.

Everton – 7^th

David Moyes, who has recently been linked with the vacant post at Aston Villa will look to guide his team into Europe, anything less will be seen as failure as the home fans expect big things. Front man Yakubu looks set to leave the club but they have retained the services of Mikel Arteta who is an instrumental figure in the squad. If they can hit the ground running I would expect a positive season from the Toffeemen.

Aston Villa – 8th

With no manager, and a seemingly impending exodus of top players Villa could be in a spot of bother this season. Martin Jol, USA coach Bob Bradley and mercenary of the footballing world Eriksson have all been named as possible replacements, whoever it is will have an uphill battle to keep them in the top half of the table.

Blackburn Rovers – 9th

An up and down year last season but Allardyce seems to be steering the ship in the right direction, a new striker is on the top of his wanted list and if the likes of Pedersen, Dunn and Kalanic can get into some form then there is no reason why they can’t push for a Europa League spot.

Newcastle United – 10th

After a season kicking their heels in the Championship the Toon Army will be hoping that situation doesn’t happen again, Chris Hughton has a tough job ahead of him if he wants to keep Newcastle in the top flight. Young striker Andy Carroll has a lot on his shoulders this season especially since being handed the coveted number 9 shirt his goals hold the key to staying up.

Fulham – 11th

The Hodgson era is over, and after a fairytale season which included an amazing Europa Cup run ending with an agonizing loss in the Final it’s going to be up to Mark Hughes to carry on the high expectations. Zamora is going to be the go to guy and he’ll need to repeat his goal scoring exploits of last season.

Sunderland – 12th

With Newcastle back in the Premiership Sunderland are going to have to improve on last year if they want to surpass their rivals once again, they got a lot of joy from watching the Toon Army go down last season but if Steve Bruce doesn’t get it right in 2010/11 it’ll be roles reversed this time out.

Stoke City – 13th

A club still keeping their heads above water, Tony Pulis has done a fantastic job with a limited budget and squad, I think they’ll stay up once again but it will be a long season for them. You can’t rely on Rory Delap all the time. With a possible move for Kenwyne Jones and Liam Lawrence staying at the club they might just have enough fire power to continue their Premiership status for another season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 14th

McCarthy had a good season last year by all accounts and was unlucky not to finish higher, the club were expected to go straight back down and now the pressure will be on to deliver another solid season. With Michael Kightly nearing a return from injury and a possible loan move for Mancienne Wolves could go one better than last season.

Birmingham – 15th

A good season for Birmingham last year, and one of the surprise packages, they put on a couple of good runs that saw them climb into the dizzy heights of the top half. This year they’ll have to build on that and Lee Bowyer and co will be the key again, they won’t have Joe Hart this time and I think they’ll ship goals, but McLeish will do enough to keep them up.

West Brom – 16th

In the seasons West Brom have gone down they’ve bounced straight back up like a rubber ball, but for some reason they don’t appear to hold their own with the big boys. Manager Roberto Di Matteo has made a couple of signings including Spanish defender Pablo Ibanez,

Bolton – 17th

Owen Coyle might not be the most popular figure up North, especially with Burnley fans, and there are a few Bolton supporters that probably feel the same way. But Bolton have a habit of performing when it counts and they’ll be up and down all season, but it’s only going to be a bottom half finish for them and if they’re not careful it could be Championship football.

Wigan – Relegated

Manager Roberto Martinez is going to struggle again this season, and I’m afraid he’s not going to be as lucky as he was last year. Wigan won’t have the stamina to survive another season in the top flight, and despite being linked with a few signings it’s going to be another disappointing season for them.

West Ham – Relegated

Escaped just barley last year and were very lucky not to be sucked into the Championship. Avram Grant did a brilliant job at Chelsea and was halted by Portsmouth’s financial issues. He may have one or two stars in the side such as Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Calumn Davenport but that’s not going to be enough to keep them up this time around.

Blackpool – Relegated

Blackpool are not going to be able to carry the form that has seen other newbies have a fantastic first season. Ian Holloway will certainly be a favourite but he is going to have his work cut out keeping them up on a limited budget. They might get the odd win here and there with maybe a shock upset of a bigger club but that is about all the fans will have to shout about in 2010/11.

• Youth Olympic Games, Singapore. 12th-26th August

Cricket

• Friday, 06 August 2010 – Second Test Match -England v Pakistan, Edgbaston, 11:00
• Wednesday, 18 August 2010 – Third Test Match – England v Pakistan, The Brit Oval, 11:00
• Thursday, 26 August 2010 – Fourth Test Match – England v Pakistan, Lord’s, 11:00

Athletics

• London Grand Prix – 13-14th August
• Berlin IAAF World Challenge – 22nd August

Golf

• Wisconsin US PGA Championship – 12-15th August

Tennis

• US Open – 30th August – 12th September

Formula 1

• Belgian Grand Prix – 29th August

Football

• FA Community Shield – Manchester United vs. Chelsea, Wembley – 8th August

Is it a cruel sport, is it even a sport?

You decide.

“Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter’s honour.”
Ernest Hemmingway, from Death in the Afternoon, 1932

As far as we can tell he has nine:

Beck of neck – winged cross
Lower back – “Brooklyn” 1
Down the spine – guardian angel
Between the shoulders – “Romeo” 2
Left forearm – “Victoria” 3
Left foream – “Ut Amem at Fovean” 4
Right forearm – “VII” 5
Right forearm – “Perfectio in Spiritu” 6
Right triceps – angel, with the text “In the face of adversity”

1 – The name of his first son
2 – The name of his second son
3 – The name of his wife, although this is written in Hindi, and some people have pointed out it might contain a spelling mistake.
4 – So that I love and cherish
5 – The Roman numerals for 7. His shirt number at Manchester United
6 – Spiritual Perfection

Photo by Aypho under license