That time is once again upon us - that time that English, Australian and diehard cricket fans look forward to every 4 years now.
This time, they're set for 9 Ashes tests before the end of the 2013 calendar year plus one at the start of 2014 with the Ashes series to be played back-to-back - there might be a chance of fan and player fatigue by the time both Ashes series are completed early in 2014.
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| England want to try and avoid this scene at the Cricket World Cup in 2015 |
The ECB has reiterated that this will be a one-off as they try and give themselves a better shot at the Cricket World Cup which has always come on the back of a hard Ashes tour in Australia - especially with the 2015 one being in Australia and New Zealand and likely to have been straight after the 2014/15 test series in Australia which if the usual scheduling format is followed would have featured an Ashes series.
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| Australia's last test series involved a 4-0 walloping to India |
Perhaps the back-to-back series might actually work in Australia's favour - they're yet to win a test match overseas in 2013 and with England hot favourites to retain the Ashes at home, Australia's best chance of getting the Ashes back might rest on returning home and taking on the English bowlers who may be fatigued from the hard summer at home.
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| Mickey Arthur and Robbie Deans have shown that Aussies can't have foreigners coaching them |
Even then, that is considered quite fanciful thinking of this Australian side which is quite a pale shadow of itself, with a rookie as a coach, even if he is a highly respected one in former test cricketer, Darren Lehmann, and a test side so unproven, untested and disunited - the antics of David Warner and Shane Watson epitomize the lack of discipline in the current Australian test XI.
Contrast that to the English who look a very well drilled unit and have quite a bit of depth, and it is quite hard to give Australia any hope of avoiding a whitewash on enemy soil, let alone get back the Ashes. The odds have never been greater against any Aussie touring side in England - 5-0 to England is not as far-fetched as many might think.
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| England's bowling got them out of pickles in the home series against New Zealand earlier in the summer |
While the English had a mixed winter in India and New Zealand, they came back to the home turf and were back to their best in the test series against New Zealand - particularly in the bowling led by Jimmy Anderson who looks set to be their ace card in this series.
Once again, the side has been refreshed with Joe Root, the newest star down the batting order and providing some part-time spin. And there's still Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott to count on with your mortgage at the top of the batting.
Settled is one word you can describe this English test team and one that I wouldn't put near this current Australian team.
And I dare say that the Wallabies might very well be lucky in avoiding the walloping that the cricketers might face from the motherland.
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| More of this this summer? |
I'm going to stick my head out and say 5-0 to England, to continue what has been a golden summer for British sport, with retaining the Ashes to be the icing on top of the British & Irish Lions, Chris Froome's and Andy Murray's cake come the end of August.
2013 Australia Tour of England -
10-14 July 2013, 1st Test, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
18-22 July 2013, 2nd Test, Lord's, London
1-5 August 2013, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, Manchester
9-13 August 2013, 4th Test, Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
21-25 August 2013, 5th Test, The Oval, London
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