SOMEONE HAS TO WIN:

High drama overrides flaws in Ashes quality: England and Australia have failed to match the sustained excellence of 2005 but the series is equally as compelling (Simon Barnes, 8/09/09, Times of London)

Instead of the hard-nosed gum-chewer, Matthew Hayden, at the top of the order, Australia started off with the twittering Phillip Hughes. Instead of shark-like Shane Warne, they have Nathan Hauritz, who looks like the boy on the Fruit Gums packet. Instead of the micrometre-perfect Glenn McGrath, they have Mitchell Johnson, who has all the accuracy of a Formula One driver with the champagne.

As for England, they are without the fearsome Stephen Harmison, the inspired Kevin Pietersen and the Andrew Flintoff, who, in that brief window four years back, really was the finest cricketer in the world. So the flaws are not something we can argue about. But here's Athers telling us that this doesn't matter all that much.

Rum thing to claim, when sport is supposed to be about the pursuit of excellence. But then I haven't been able to look away from this series, flaws or no flaws. And anyone with sporting blood in the veins will certainly be in the same state. This has been a terrific series and we are just, it seems, getting to the good bit. I shall be at the Brit Oval for the final npower Test - the decider? - and it promises to be a cracker.