England Victorious in Ashes Battle, but the War is Still to be Won!

Could the Ashes have gone much better so far? One up after two with three to play means Australia need to win two out of the remaining three tests to regain the urn. On current evidence the only team likely to be winning test matches is England.

Let's consider the evidence. Five out of the top six English batsmen have scored big runs: Strauss with a century, albeit also with two low scores; Cook has gone runs mad with a double century, a century and a half century in just three innings; Trott has a century and a half century to his name; Pietersen re-discovered his world class form with a big double hundred in Adelaide and Bell, arguably the classiest batsman of the lot, has looked imperious in striking two half centuries.

The bowlers have then managed to bowl Australia out twice at Adelaide, hitherto unheard of. Swann is back to his best with his five-for, Anderson is defying all those who suggested he was ineffective down under and Finn's looking like a worldly-wise fast bowler, not the newbee that he is.

In contrast only Hussey, Haddin, Watson and, in their last innings, Clarke, have scored any runs for Australia, with only Hussey and Haddin hitting tons. Captain and lynchpin Ponting is out of form, as is North, while their bowlers, after Siddle's hat-trick exploits in the first innings of the first test, have struggled to bag any wickets at all. Johnson's already been dropped and the experiment with Doherty didn't work.

But ... and there is always a but with Australia. Stuart Broad's injury means his Ashes are over and whoever England select to replace him - Tremlett or Bresnan - is not in the same league. Meanwhile Australia are sure to make more changes but, this time, they may be changes for the good. Steve Smith and Nathan Hauritz may find themselves involved in the third test and that, judging by what we have seen, will be an instant improvement.

Australia are down but they are wounded and past experiences will tell Andrew Strauss and his men that while England have won the last battle, the war is not over - at least not yet.