The Ashes are back...

....and would you believe it: one day down and the Aussies are ahead (albeit slightly).

The biggest rivalry in world cricket is back and what a topsy turvy day it has been. Australian legend Glenn McGrath unsurprisingly backed his home team although a 5-0 whitewash is a bit far-fetched for this Ashes considering man for man England have the advantage.

Morning looked like advantage Australia but after a powerful partnership of Pietersen and Collingwood in the afternoon the shift swung back into the hands of England only for the evening session to end on a sour note.

The wickets of cheeky partnership Flintoff and Prior was broken first by the Prestonian hitting into his own stumps and then Prior in the penultimate over to make England's score of 336 look a little less promising with seven wickets down.

Tomorrow Strauss will hope to reach 400 before losing the final wickets and seeing Australia in to bat.

"It was that sort of day. Just when one side looked to have forced the other close to the ropes, the opposition would slip away and come back counter-punching", were the words of BBC analyst and blogger Tom Fordyce and that's what it was.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.