On 12 September 2005 at the Oval in London, after 5886 days, eight series and 44 tests against Australia under seven captains, England won back the Ashes. On 23 November 2006 at the Gabba in Brisbane, and after only 437 days, the battle will be renewed. the Ashes' loss severely jolted Australian cricket: players were discarded, tactics reviewed, and a chastened team then began an impressive run of test wins. By contrast, England's record since that September day's been poor: several key places were sidelined through injury, including the inspirational captain. And so their task is enormous: playing on Australian pitches, in front of local crowds under the hot sun, presents enough of a challenge, but they face a regrouped Australian team whose absolute focus is on regaining that little urn. As before, David Frith, recognised as one of the best cricket writers and historians, will record and analyse every ball, each nuance.