Having never been a cricket fan I only ask in the interest of logic, but how was it that we technically 'retained' the Ashes after winning the third of four games and what is the point of having an even number of games in a 'test series'? It seems like we could have technically drawn the 'series' but still won/retained the ashes.
Oh and what's the big deal with 'retaining' the ashes rather than just winning them?
It's done like that to make cricket fans think it's special, when it's really just some game you can't play in the rain...
there were five games, greg, keep up
Same as the Ryder Cup innit. At least golfists play their game in the rain. (this year's Welsh monsoon conditions excepted 
)
There are actually 5 ashes tests, England drew 1, lost 1, and won 3. I don't know much about cricket at all but basically if there is a draw at the end of the series whoever won the ashes the previous year retain them! I don't know why this is such a great thing though! Plus retaining them is very different from winning them. I did hear though this is the first time in 20 odd years that England have won in Australia! Let's face it a lot of it is do with rain! If it rains and no-one plays...then it's a draw .... weird system 
Australia were all offside and England got a hole in one.
I fail to see how anyone can gt excited about England playing cricket, it seems like they play every other week!
In a game you can draw, it doesn't matter whether you have an even number of tests or not, a drawn series would still be possible.
In a drawn series, the ashes stay where they were, hence retained once defeat in the series no longer possible.
5 matches
They don't 'count' the draws when summing up
Hence won 3, lost 1, drawn match discarded.
Or, if you are a convict, *YOU LOST THREE GAMES ON YOUR OWN SOIL*
You forgot to mention bad light.
I fail to see how anyone can gt excited about England playing cricket, it seems like they play every other week!
"Depends on what you like. Some people can't see the point of watching blokes riding around on bikes in France all summer."
The crashes are good.
The Ashes: A small terracotta urn was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, a bail.
Not worth flogging round the world to fight a cricket tournament over really!
The crashes are good.
it doesn't matter whether you have an even number of tests or not, a drawn series would still be possible.
So there's no penalty shoot out then?
Or scissors, paper, stone? Best of three?
At professional cricket matches do they have the girls doing PE on the running track round the outside of the pitch like they did at my school?
Cricket was invented in 1981 by Clive Sinclair.
At least the cricket team can win things...... Occasionally, more than the over paid tarts that "have a 'ard week" if they run around a bit more than three times in a week 
I like woolly jumpers.
Apparently the only good thing about cricket is being able to sit in the sun and drink beer. But even thats not tempted me to go to a match... I find that beer gardens are perfect for that and they're free.
the TDF lasts several months, how hard is it to follow a game that only lasts several days?
DaveyBoyWonder, I agree entirely.
I used to live next to a cricket ground and whenever England used to play loads of people would descend on the town with those stupid corked hats and that white paint across their noses.
I used to do a rain dance. Or pray for cloud.
I guess a certain level of intelligence is needed to understand the game.
Unless you bat from the pavilion end you'll never understand.
I guess a certain level of intelligence is needed to understand the game
The same 'level' of intelligence that is required to memorise phone books?
not quite...
(and that would be a test of memory, rather than intelligence)
Particularly the last sentence.
Clearly the Ashes are something that can be swayed by the might of... POWER BANDS!
It was the Australian advertising authority that forced the Power Band manufacturers to apologise and change their marketing. Concidence? I think not!
ALL HAIL THE POWER OF RUBBER AND HOLOGRAMS!
Greg - speak to my wife, she'll explain it to you, including why she felt the need to stay up and watch the end of the last test then waking me up at midnight when she finally came to bed!!
ahwiles... and you don't have to memorise the rules to be able to understand them? I think the failure on your part to grasp this point proves me correct. 
What's to explain?
5 Tests in each Test you have 2 sides; a team that's in and a team that's out.. two men in the team that's in go out and when one of the men who's in is out; the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out; the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get man still in and not out.
When a man goes out to go in; the men who are out are trying to get him out; and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decided when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out; and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game. If you win 3 Tests you win the Ashes, if you each team wins the same amount of Tests then the team that won last time keeps them.
Rain can change everything though
I understand cricket, I just think it's shite
Having never been a cricket fan
Cricket goes completely 'over my head'.
However I do enjoy the lovely yummy cricket 'teas' they serve after.
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