Sport - The Ashes Third Test Days Two and Three. Alarm bells ring out for England.

"Now what do you say you Pommie bastard?"

Er, I said sorry Mitch. Sorry for dissing you, sorry for doubting you - and sorry for thinking this was going to be anything other than a bloody difficult job down under. Back in England we had all watched the games, saw the shambles that Australia had become, and tempted fate by trying to assess things truely. What I obviously meant to say in the last blog was words to the effect of 'never write off a wounded Aussie team'. Or never, ever, expect England to match expectations. It's bound to go wrong. It always does. It certainly has.

As you all know by now, England folded to 187 all out and Johnson took the small matter of 6-38 on his home turf at Perth - a bouncy, green, 'results' pitch. The MCG and the SCG can't hope to be as bouncy as this but if the green tinges stay then England have every right to be worried. 501-1 seemed a very long way away from what happened here. By the end of the third day Australia had amassed 309 in their second innings (Hussey with another century, Watson with another nervous 90's dismissal to add to his career stats) and smashed England down to 81-5 at the close. Can't take 20 wickets? Johnson and Harris were to finish the match with 18 between them. Even Siddle and Hilfenhaus can manage the other two. Yes, I was wrong. On a green pitch at least this lot can take 20 wickets. Of course, England took 20 too. It's just that they ended up scoring some 267 runs less.

A happy Harris removes Bell.

81-3 chasing 391 would not have been impossible on this pitch. England made sure they had no chance though with the dismissals of Trott and Collingwood in the last seven balls of the day. Collingwood's dismissal was particularly stupid given that he had a chance to take a single off the previous ball which would have left Anderson to face the final ball of the day. They didn't take it, Collingwood edged to slip and the rest is now Ashes history. Collingwood must now be sweating on the loyalty of the selectors to make sure he isn't Ashes history. On current form he deserves to be history. Though shortly before the series started we should remember the same was being said of Cook.

England have a wonderful batsman sitting on the sidelines waiting to make his mark. Step forward Eoin Morgan, your time has come. On the bowling side the talk is of 'resting' Steve Finn. There has to be a chance England will keep the batting packed with Morgan for Collingwood and A.N.Other (i.e probably Bresnan) for Finn. Bresnan can bat. I'd like to see Monty back for at least one of these last two tests. I have my doubts England are brave enough to risk that.