Strauss chipping in in the wicket column. None for Tremlett or Shazad.

He now has three first class wickets; one of the other two is a certain KP Pietersen

Don't read anything into that; according to the report on cricinfo it was an awfully slow pitch to bowl on.

Can't wait for this to start, shame it's 2:30am UK time though. Gotta expect and Aussie fight-back but I just can't imagine England's batmen getting stuck in again.

3-0 England!

Got to take our chane in this test. Let Aus back in and the loss of Broad will become far more significant and leave us very vunerable to another injury.

Well, less than 24 hours to go now before the start of the Third Test, and hopefully by the time it's finished we'll have the Ashes sewn up before Christmas for the first time ever.

Reading the media, all the signs are that Smith and Beer will both play for the Aussies, with Smith batting at 6, and with Peter Siddle missing out from the squad of 12. Interesting when the head curator at the WACA seems to be saying that it'll be a hard, bouncy, pacy wicket.

England being officially quite tight-lipped about Broad's replacement, but the word is that Tremlett will get the nod, which seems like the right decision to me if the curator is correct.

Pretty excited, though because of the more awkward timing I probably won't be able to watch anywhere near as much of this one live.

Thankfully Sky do show extended highlights

It's Tremlett.

Quite happy about the timing. Instead of losing sleep by going to bed really late, I'll get up early instead.

Wish Sky did shoter highlights. Two hours is just too long. ITV4 have one hour highlights but it's commentary from channel 9 which is pretty awful.

Sky do 1 hour long highlights twice a day, I think at like 10am and 2pm. Not the most convenient of times but I personally just record them and watch them later on.

Good news.

Early night now and rare use of the alarm clock. Its not ideal but I do feel like I used to as a child on christmas eve.

I live about 1km from the WACA ground. There are actually some clouds overhead at the moment which is a bit weird since the last two weeks have been almost cloudless.

That with the bouncy pitch could make for another team getting rolled within a day IMO...

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true...
All I want for Christmas is............................

Straussy win the toss, always a good move.

Decides to have a bowl, bit surprising, obviously a juicy wicket.

Let's hope we're batting by tea.

Ponting says he would have liked a bowl as well. Aussies pick four quicks, no space for Beer, which should save us from some jokes almost as weak as Aussie beer.

Last time we batted first on a massive greentop we got rolled by a Paki side trying to lose the game for 120.

Im dreading this first session, lets go Hughesy....

lolstralia

edit - gah

This could be a torrid session

BANG!

gg Hughes

loooolstralia

I just accidently let out a rather substantial shout, which may or may not have woken up my housemates

jesus ****ing christ what a catch by colly!!!!

Ponting playing **** or bust

And this^

except it was the neighbours that I just woke up

Wowzer

COLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

how the **** am i meant to go to bed?

Things look grim for our hero's

For ****s sake, what wrong with getting in behind the ball and hanging around for longer then 10 minutes.

hahahaha

now get hussey out and it's gg

Forgot about this. Just switched it on. 34-3 bwahahaha