Ashes to Ashes, cricket's oldest rivalry endures

MELBOURNE:

While ever more hostage to Twenty20's global carve-up, cricket will take a breath from next week to indulge its most time-honoured rivalry as Australia and England battle in the Ashes.

For more than 140 years the bilateral series has kept the heart of test cricket beating even if the five-day format appears on life support in certain nations.

Attention spans have shortened in the era of smartphones and social media, making long-form cricket with its lunch and tea-breaks seem something of an anachronism.

But generations of fans remain enthralled by the Ashes, a sprawling, five-test grudge match steeped in tradition, myth and cultural identity.

Huge crowds will pack out Perth Stadium when the series launches on November 21 and thousands of British fans will cross Australia's