VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER - The Mel Farrell Column

I’m currently sitting in a country New South Wales cafe on a freezing autumn day – there were flurries of snow here this week – wondering if I’ve ever been so excited about an approaching England summer. Putting aside any cheap weather jokes, has there ever been so much anticipation for an Ashes series? Not one that I’ve experienced.
And not just one Ashes, either. The men’s and women’s series, the MAshes and WAshes if you will, are now the DAshes; a double helping of wall-to-wall rivalry that will scarcely leave room to refresh scorecards...