Paul Collingwood

This is why we play cricket

Sun Aug 23 08:31PM

Winning the Ashes is the best feeling in cricket.

At the moment I'm sitting in the dressing room with my team-mates, our families, our mums and dads. We've got the music on and are having a few beers, and it's absolutely fantastic.

This is what it's all about, it's the reason you play cricket. When you think about all the hard yards you put in, the hours on the training ground and in the nets, and all the bad times; this makes it all worthwhile.

This means everything, it really does.

Once we got the last wicket, everything went into slow motion for me. You think about what the team has achieved, and all that has gone into it.

From a selfish point of view, I've now had two Ashes wins, and there are not many players who can say that.

2005 was unbelievable, against an Australian side with the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden; all those legends. It was uncharted territory and something perhaps we didn't even know we could do.

This time, to play all five Tests, go through all the ups and downs and come out on top; it just gives you a sense of pure satisfaction.

When you've got the opposition chasing a target of 546, of course you think you are going to win, but the Australians are the top team in the world for a reason, and they never give up.

When Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey were putting together their big partnership, of course you started to get a bit concerned that they might do something absolutely unbelievable.

If you've ever done a driving test, think about the nerves then and multiply them by 10 - that's what we were feeling today.

We're human beings, not robots, and the closer we got to the finishing line the harder it got. I think that's why some catches went down, and as time goes by you're thinking: 'Surely, no, they can't do it?'

But throughout the season we have had players who have put their hands up and done the business at crucial times, and Freddie Flintoff's run-out of Ponting was massive.

I've still got major ambitions in the game, and the next big challenge is winning in Australia. I'm under no illusions that I'll need to put in a lot of hard work to be in the side, but that is the biggest thing left for me as a player - to retain the Ashes away from home.

I'm one of those people who is always looking forward. I think you need that drive, to always focus on the next goal.

For now I'm just going to enjoy the moment, though. I'm still in my whites, with my medal around my neck, and the Aussies are going to come and join us for a beer in a minute. It doesn't get any better than this.

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Well done to all the England players all 14 of them.
Let us hope we can move forward from this unlike 2005.
From manafromheaven on Sun Aug 23 08:59PM
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Exellent blog! It's seriously humbling to think you're taking the time to write this from the Oval after just winnings the Ashes. Thank you! When you lifted the urn to the crowd today I could see how much it meant. I hope you're there in Australia in just under two years lifting it again. All the very best!
From osullivanar on Sun Aug 23 09:18PM
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So good to have a drink with the Aussies afterwards - cricket is a great game.
From soul.limbo on Sun Aug 23 09:28PM
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can England retain the ashes down under or will they lose them like last time in 2007
From bluehaven2262 on Sun Aug 23 09:37PM
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Lets hope we can avoid another 5-0 in 2010-11!!
Good on you Colly!
From hussaifa on Sun Aug 23 09:37PM
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There have been quite a few people who have called for Colly to be dropped. I would remind them of the second innings at Cardiff. Without him the Aussies would still have the Ashes. It may not have been a good series for him with the bat, but even so he was absolutely vital to the outcome. Good on you Colly.
From bob.edge64 on Sun Aug 23 09:40PM
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Absolutely fantastic sport, just like 2005.
amazing to get this blog straight after the game, but the line that "and the Aussies are going to come and join us for a beer in a minute" sums up why this is such a fantastic contest! Thanks to both teams for making it so!
From deardenpad on Sun Aug 23 09:51PM
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can you believe this blurb.?..colly forgets that 99.9% of us do jobs as well ....some of which are slightly more boring than playing cricket for a living...so he should get real and remember this team are doing this for the vast majority of fans who did not have their talent or opportunities..and be grateful
From geofflangton on Sun Aug 23 09:55PM
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It was truly a brilliant finish to the Ashes. I'm an Indian,and even though its doesnt concern us directly, I can guarantee that we were watching the game full of nerves and awe. Great game England, nice try Australia. Looking forward to the next one !
From sunil_mufc on Sun Aug 23 10:21PM
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geofflangton, what a miserable git you are, if this win today did not give the whole country a lift, i dont know what what would.well donr to all the lads , you did us proud.!!!
From champcol200 on Sun Aug 23 11:18PM
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My congrats to you all, you worked hard and you made us all very proud. No Australian team is a push over and you did well, and Swann and Broad give us optimism for the push in oz. Great
From james.keats on Sun Aug 23 11:59PM
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Easy to be magnamious when you've won, but full marks to the Aussies. Ponting today showed himself not just to be a great player, but also a great cricketeter in the full sense of the word. The rest of the side too played in a great spirit. I noticed that at the end of day 3, Katich and Watson stopped on the pavilion steps to congratulate Trott on his ton. Only in cricket. Just like 2005, the Aussies could have won easily, but luck was with us. Great series and well done all.
From cpskilton on Mon Aug 24 12:15AM
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well done boys was proud as punch to be english today you done us proud in tough times we are in now well done again lads
From thorndaletransport on Mon Aug 24 12:17AM
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Australia have dominated the Series enjoy the success while it lasts, Poms will have something else coming to them next Summer or for you the Winter. England haven't won it more like Australia gave it away. Next time in 2013 we will smash you to pieces, It's not like England are the best in the world. We lose the Ashes and still ahead in World Rankings. Australia will always be a better Cricketing country than England. Australia. England will always be the second best. In their prime Australia will have the best team.
From shameer.razaak on Mon Aug 24 12:25AM
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Eat willow shameer....
From ainsley.stones.t21 on Mon Aug 24 12:31AM
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Cardiff turns out to be the turning point after all! England didn't play fair and got away with cheating. No doubt Australia were the better team on that day and fair play at Lords and the Oval England were clearly the better side by a mile. The truth is without getting away with what happened at Cardiff the ashes would have been a draw. I am English but think that we are kidding ourselves we have won because if it was the other way around most of us would be going nuts. In all honesty England didn't win and got away with cheatting and only a draw reflects a fair result hence Australia should of been taking the ashes back home.
From ste_is2003 on Mon Aug 24 12:53AM
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Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I met a man who are 40? now on a dating service. he wants to see me and even? have fun with me. but i am 18 now. I don't know? whether i should go to see him. he ever said to me that? all girls on that site ~~ sug ar match maker,com~~ are? seeking fun.. why am not I??????????????????????
From dfke4ridfelk on Mon Aug 24 02:35AM
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Strauss is right. Australia has lost it's aura. Don't believe Australia threw the series away; England not only matched them in every department but bettered them. End of era for Australia just as it was for the Windies. England has its best balanced team for a long time with Broad the next Botham and Swann proving to be amongst the top 3 spinners in the world amongst the other talents it has. The future is bright; the future is England!
From shermanhilluk on Mon Aug 24 03:52AM
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England won the Ashes, period. Gripers stop griping. Cynics stop moaning about how it happened. It's over. Done deal. We move on. Well done lads.
From oyster250 on Mon Aug 24 04:22AM
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Lifting the cup in Australia in years time is impossible
From nadal.khan on Mon Aug 24 05:24AM
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Bloody lucky poms !!!!
From pj.richards on Mon Aug 24 05:35AM
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England are the best Australia suck
From redmondsdelights on Mon Aug 24 06:13AM
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Congratulations to South Africa for winning the Ashes! Oh no, wait, Australia played ENGLAND...
From jcverm on Mon Aug 24 06:15AM
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Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I met a man who are 40? now on a dating service. he wants to see me and even? have fun with me. but i am 18 now. I don't know? whether i should go to see him. he ever said to me that? all girls on that site ~~ sug ar match maker,com~~ are? seeking fun.. why am not I??????????????????????
From slkjerjkfd3kri on Mon Aug 24 06:58AM
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oh,dear, oh dear, a number of Ockers seem to have spat the dummy. THIS is what gets Australians widely disliked - not their bumptiousness, or their loud-mouthed bragging, but their complete inability to accept defeat. It was a close series and it could have gone either way to near the end; England won it in the end because, even with reduced resources in terms of first-choice players, they managed to win the sessions that really counted and the Aussies didn't. Simple as that. Grow up.
From bretorne on Mon Aug 24 07:07AM
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well done england all the haters shut up and go away this is englands time
From ryan3mandy on Mon Aug 24 08:15AM
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Nice one, Colly. Always wanted you in the side long before '05. Hope you'll be there in '10 along with Strauss, Cooke, Bell, Trott, Anderson, Broad, Prior, Swann and Onions. Just PLEASE sort your grip out, it's killing your ability with the bat.
From phillcoe66 on Mon Aug 24 08:29AM
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its amazing what 4&1/2 inches can do. well done england. there was good days and bad days. but australia only won 1 match out of five.not good enough, you could argue they had the same bad luck last time here with mcgrath,and this time with lee. please dont go down 5-0 next year.
lets all enjoy the moment
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From ipodwiips3 on Mon Aug 24 08:56AM
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Here we go again. We will never hear the end of this for another 4 years. What next? Make them all Lords/peers? But can anyone explain something to me, given that the Queen is the head of the Australian State, why werent the Aussies given MBE when they whitewashed England 5-0 two years ago?
From stardustafricanus on Mon Aug 24 08:59AM
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