Ashes Diary: England on Song Thanks to an Aussie

The England players are motivating themselves by playing the song Time for Heroes, soon to be released by the up-and-coming rock band Juliet the Sun. Their lead singer, Steven Crook, is a professional cricketer for Northamptonshire, from where he knows Monty Panesar, and has struck up friendships with Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson. The only thing is that Crook is an Australian, born in Modbury, South Australia. "It's great that the lads in the England team have taken Time for Heroes to their hearts and everyone in the band is really hoping that it will become equally popular with England's fanatical supporters, the Barmy Army," says Crook. "The only problem is that, being a proud Australian, I'm taking a real ribbing from my band mates that we're playing a part in helping England regain the Ashes. England are already 1–0 up in the series and if Time for Heroes sweeps England to victory I may never be able to show my face in Australia again."

Freddie slips up

Can You Beat Freddie Flintoff In The Slips? The invitation, from Suremen at the City End of the ground, was certainly attractive. Spectators were asked to test their reaction skills by hitting with their hands as many of the eight lights as they could as they flashed on in a 30-second period. Most people had a look and walked on. But when our Fred dropped a sitter at second slip in the morning there was renewed interest in the competition. "My mum could have caught that," said Barry from Kiddermister. At Cardiff, Fred's total was beaten. But, to be fair to the England all-rounder, by the end of the lunch interval yesterday no one could beat Fred's record of hitting 57 flashing lights in 30 seconds.

Security lapse

"I've been here since six o'clock this morning," grinned the woman from the Green Team, which handles the security in this Test series (if you carry a bag into the ground these days you can add about 10 minutes to your journey time, so thoroughly do they go through your belongings). The early start might have explained why one of them dozily shuffled in front of the sight screen yesterday morning just as Jimmy Anderson was coming in to bowl. The inhabitants of the Eric Hollies Stand, needless to say, made their feelings known.

War of Buzzwords

During the lunch interval the former Ashes fast bowlers Bob Willis and Jason Gillespie, below, conducted a Q&A session. Someone who was dressed as Buzz Lightyear said he didn't rate Marcus North. Gillespie came back well. "Look mate, he's scored two hundreds in four Tests and taken wickets, too. If I were you I would be more worried about your dress sense." Buzz buzzed off.