Many were surprised when Ricky Ponting elected to bat again on Saturday afternoon. After all, the first innings lead (just 445) was more than would usually be set for a final innings target. Whatever the reasoning, I don’t think it will do the Aussies any harm. It certainly gives a fair indication of Ponting’s desire to grind the English into the ground. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman…”

Most of you may recall that Ian Chappell’s team handed out a 5-1 thrashing to the West Indies in the summer of 1975-76. The West Indies had a good team – in fact, many of that team went on to dominate world cricket for the next ten years plus. But the Australians were merciless. Several times over the years I heard Clive Lloyd refer to that series and he said that experience really steeled them as a team. They were determined never to be beaten like that again (or beaten at all, it seems). Perhaps the Ashes 2005 series has had a similar effect on Ponting and his geriatrics.

Or perhaps Ricky Ponting is a cricket historian. I not aware that his is, but perhaps. He could be exorcising the demons of Jack Ryder’s 1928-29 team. At the Exhibition Ground, Brisbane in November 1928, England made 521 and dismissed Australia for 122. England batted again and set Australia 742 to win. Sounding familiar? I would like also to point out that was Donald Bradman’s very first Test match. Not only did he witness this slaughter but he was dropped for the first and only time. He watched the great Walter Hammond pile on 905 runs for the series. One wonders what effect this series had on the young Bradman, and how it may have steeled him! Perhaps England paid the price for an act of sadism for the next 20 years. It was less than 18 months before Bradman had completed his famous 1930 tour of England where he scored 974 runs in the series.

Perhaps Ponting has a copy of “200 Seasons of Australian Cricket” like I do and England are still paying almost 80 years later!! It should be noted that Bradman returned for the third test of that series. Australia lost by just three wickets and then a meagre 12 runs in the 4th as Bradman piled on the runs. Australia won the 5th Test and turned the corner. I’m looking hard but I don’t see a Bradman in the English team.