I missed most of today’s play because I was enduring yet another defeat for my village cricket team but, from what I’ve seen, it’s all set up nicely for the last day of the third Ashes Test. The convicts are effectively -25 for two with the weather looking like we’re going to get in probably 80 or so overs tomorrow.

As @Jason_Gillespie says on Twitter: “Only one side can hope to win now, and that is England” and, despite the fact he’s Australian, he’s absolutely right. There are now only two results available - England win or a draw. My pocket says the £20 I put on a draw at evens is the result I want but, of course, my head, heart, arms, legs and dangly toilet parts want an English win so, instead, I will be spending my day tomorrow at The Beehive in Vauxhall live Twittering/Tweeting/Twatting and praying for an England win.

Feel free to come along and join me. I will be the one, courtesy of a fielding injury today, walking like a man who has been fisted by Mike Tyson.

Talking of Twitter, I had planned to write a piece about cricket lovers on Twitter before this game began but, as a result of @PH408 announcing he had been dropped from the team before it was officially announced, the whole cricket blog world has been full of Twitter this, Twitter that.

Anyone who has been following this site for a while will know that I was planning on running an alternative to Twitter called Twatter (see below). Guess that’s dead in the water now that everyone is on Twitter so I figure I may as well just list the people I follow on Twitter who mainly tweet about his glorious game.

Please feel free to let me know in the comment anyone I have missed and I will add them to the list.

• @MikeBusson - that’s me, that is. I don’t just tweet about cricket. I have a real life. Honest.
• @philtufnell - Phil Tufnell. Happy days…
• @2009TheAshes - what is says on the tin
• @Jason_Gillespie - Dizzy gives a surprisingly unbiased view of the cricket
• @BumbleCricket - David Lloyd. Genius. On my ultimate dinner party list. I love this man despite his freaky eyebrows
• @DGoughie - Darren Gough. Heart like a lion full of English blood
• @AlisonMitchell - Alison Mitchell is female. She loves cricket. I think I love her.
• @Aggerscricket -Jonathan Agnew. The voice of TMS. (Note I will not include Blowers in my Twitter list. He annoys me so don’t ask)
• @JimmyAnderson9 - James Anderson. Occasionally brilliant England bowler. Too often not.
• @Swannyg66 - Graeme Swann. More deliveries like the one he got the window licker out with today and I might have his babies.
• @GeoffreyBoycott - Not convinced this is the real Boycott. He’s not bitter enough or harping on about how it was better in his day…
• @MissField - Astrid runs an Aussie cricket blog. She loves the game. I’d buy her a beer if she were in London.
• @BBCTMS - It’s Test Match Special. On Twitter. ‘Nuff said.
• @SledgerTW4C - The Wisden Cricket blogging guys on Twitter. Huzzah!
• @SuaveRepublic - Cricket blogger and toff.
• @StephenFry - If you’re already on Twitter then the chances ae you’re following him already but he’s a massive cricket fan as his recent speech suggests.

So if you’re on Twitter, follow me and endure enjoy a day of live tweeting the cricket from the pub. It could get messy!

Tags: cricket, the ashes, twitter

It’s raining in Birmingham. Now there’s a surprise. With no cricket is being played I thought it was a good time to catch up on some reading at my favourite cricket blogs.

You can imagine the whoop of joy I gave when I came across this wee video over at The Village Cricketer. Not only does it featured Frederick Ponsonby Flintoff but it also mocks Australians. Huzzah!

It’s all about an..ahem..abdominal guard that has been designed especially for Australian cricketers. However, it’s no normal gonad guard. Oh no. The Koala Box comes in the following sizes:

• Small
• Extra Small
• Extra, Extra Small

So proof, if you ever needed it, that our Antipodean cousins have got smaller genitals than us. And that’s why we’re going to win the Ashes. Because we have bigger balls.

That will be all.

Headline picture courtesy of Windell H. Oskay, www.evilmadscientist.com

Tags: andrew flintoff, australia, cricket, cricket blog, the ashes, unfeasibly small genitals

This summer isn’t all about Ricky Ponting v Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook v Philip Hughes or Graeme Swann v Nathan Hauritz. Instead, one of the biggest rivalries in this Ashes series is between Philip ‘Tuffers’ Tufnell and Jason ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie.

The former cricketers have been competing against each other all summer as part of Betfair’s FanvFan series. Both competitors attempt to drum up support for their respective nations before going head to head in a number of entertaining challenges!

There have been three so far and you can see them here - enjoy!

Challenge One: Tuffers and Dizzy compete on a pedalo.

Challenge Two: Tuffers and Dizzy take to the lawnmower!

Challenge Three: Tuffers and Dizzy try their hands at horse racing in the most recent event.

There we have it, three very entertaining videos I’m sure you’ll agree. Ian Bell’s cameo in the third challenge was especially good!

Next time, Tuffers and Dizzy take part in some ‘Zorbing’ in Leeds on the 7th August ahead of the fourth test match at Headingley.

Guest Post by Thomas Rooney, a sports blogger who writes about Ashes Test cricket.

Tags: fanvfan, jason gillespie, phil tufnell, the ashes

UPDATE 14:17 - BBC News website confirms that Pietersen will miss the rest of the Ashes series - BBC Pietersen Post. The ECB have confirmed that KP has had surgery on his Achilles and will be out of action for 6 weeks.

If you thought that was bad enough, the Beeb also suggest Ian Bell is likely to be drafted in as his replacement.

BREAKING NEWS: Kevin Pietersen is out of the rest of the 2009 Ashes series. After visiting a specialist about his Achilles injury, the decision has been made that he will not be able to take any further part in the Ashes battle.

More news when it’s available but this is a serious blow to England’s hopes of retaining the Ashes. Even though he’s not been in good form with the bat so far in this series, Pietersen is the one batsman that Australia fear because he has the ability to turn a Test match in one session.

Tags: england cricket, kevin pietersen, the ashes

After helping England comfortably wrap up the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Monday, Andrew Flintoff has insisted that he will be fit for the remaining three matches of the series.

All England fans will be praying that this turns out to be the case because let’s face it, without Flintoff, the chances of Andrew Strauss’ men winning the Ashes are reduced significantly. Even from a winning position.

This is because Flintoff inspires players around him like no-one else in world cricket. He carries this England team at times and perhaps most crucially, the Australian team fear him. These are unique attributes for an English cricketer and they are what makes Flintoff such a special player.

During his last three Test matches before retirement, we will hopefully see him at his absolute best as part of a series victory. This would be the perfect way for him to bow out and the thought of this is probably what made his decision about retiring at the end of the series.

What are the chances of him being fit for the remaining three matches though? He has clearly had to push hard to make it through the first two Tests, so surely there is a chance he might have to sit out some of the remaining matches?

Well, as previously mentioned, Flintoff believes he will be available for the remainder of the summer. He says it was never his intention to ‘bow out at Lords’ and that he wants to be ‘part of an Ashes winning team come the last Test at The Oval’.

This is, of course, music to the ears of England cricket fans. Everyone knows that Flintoff is going to have to really push himself and his body to get through these matches, but the thought that he will do so is extremely encouraging for England.

It sums up his character and his personality perfectly. Flintoff’s fast and accurate 10-over spell on Monday morning defied all logic considering his knee problems and perhaps there is more of this to come this summer.

Andy Flower revealed that Flintoff won’t play if he doesn’t pass the relevant fitness Tests, but if Flintoff says he is fit, I would be inclined to believe it.

After the way he bowled on Monday, who would stand in his way? Bowling on one leg or not, Flintoff is the best bowler in this England team!

By Thomas Rooney, a sports blogger who writes about Ashes Test cricket.

Tags: andrew flintoff, andrew strauss, andy flower, australia, england cricket, the ashes