I never really called for Colly to be dropped. Honest!

Feeling inspired by the boys today to get this baby up and running again... was away during the summer so missed all of the ashes action and it’s taken a while to get back but here goes.

Where to start from the latest test? Couldn’t happen to a nicer set of blokes than the South African team, but they must be scarcely able to believe that they’re 1-0 down after dominating two out of the three tests, but if we know one thing about this England side under Strauss and Flower it’s that they’re bloody difficult to beat.

Being tough to breakdown is the first step to building a successful side in any team sport – ask George Graham – and lots of credit must go to the two Andy’s.

But they weren’t the heroes of the day – step forward Colly & Belly. It was an epic partnership of proper, old fashioned, test match batting of the sort that the experts keep telling us people can’t play any more. Well here it was in glorious tehnicolour.

It was just the type of performance that we’ve come to expect from Collingwood – he keeps living up to and beyond all those ‘nuggety scrapper’ stereotypes. There probably isn’t anyone in the world you’d rather see making his way out to the crease in a tight spot. But Bell was a revelation. Fourth innings, pressure cooker, a game to save and the last front line batsman – it was a recipe for another typically meek dismissal. But not this time. It’s too early to draw any firm conclusions but his 78 (213 balls) here was worth double the 140 he scored in the second test, and taking all factors into account Bell’s best and most important innings for England.

Hat’s off to them both, as well as Onions for seeing out the final few overs for the second time in three tests.

So what’s next?

England will go into the final test thinking they’re unbeatable, and the Saffers might just agree with them after this one. I think we’ll hang on to win the series now. But it won’t be easy. It’s a brilliant test series, one that if it was England vs. Australia would be getting the plaudits up there with the last two home Ashes series.