Hoggie writes for MA as Ashes gets underway

In the second of a regular series, England cricket hero Matthew Hoggard gives his view on cricket, beer and life.

This week he reports from the Second Test.

Playing catch-up is never fun. But that's what we'll be

doing when the second Test here in Adelaide after being well and truly stuffed by the Aussies in Brisbane.

The England camp felt devastated by our performance, as if we'd let down everyone back home. For those who stayed up all night, it must have made pretty nightmarish viewing.

It felt like a very long Test match: it was bloody hot, the Aussies seemed to bat for ever - and then, just to cheer me up, thousands of their fans started singing "Hoggard is a w****r". A witty bunch, those Aussie fans.

But we still shared our beer with the Aussies in the dressing-room later. In an effort to convert them to proper English beer, we offered them Marston's Resolution, but moving on from fizzy, tasteless slop is clearly a slow process.

So the cricket was tough in Brisbane, but we haven't been moping around and we're determined to put things right.

After all, we lost the first Test to the Aussies in England last year and ended up winning the series, so there's no reason why we shouldn't do it again.

We've practised hard in the nets and enjoyed chilling out at the hotel. Everyone's had a go at Steve Harmison's dart board and Alastair Cook reckons he's a hotshot.

But as undisputed darts champ of our squad, Harmy will take some beating - we northerners always seem to beat the southerners at darts.

First Test Blog​

In the first of a regular series, Hoggie's Down Under Diary, England cricket hero Matthew Hoggard gives his views on cricket, beer and life.

This week he reports from Down Under as the First Test against the Aussies kicks off.

"So this is it, then - the Ashes roller-coaster is up and running all over again. After all the hype of the last few weeks since we arrived in Australia, most of us in the England squad feel that it's actually something of a relief when the cricket starts and the talking stops.​

Of course, playing in front of 41,000 people for this first Test in Brisbane will give us our initial taste of a stadium full of Aussie fans. We have already been given an idea of what to expect, though, in some of our warm-up matches.

You wouldn't believe some of the Aussie spectators - for their own players, they just chant relentlessly: "Go Aussie, go Aussie, go!", or "Go McGrath, go McGrath, go!"

They only seem to have one tune and they just think up different words to fit in appropriately.

There have been a few other - more colourful - chants aimed in the direction of England players, but I'm not sure they're suitable for a respectable publication!

For some of the younger England lads who are on their first tour of Australia, it has been an eye-opener. But you soon get used to the banter.

You can see why we're so grateful to have the Barmy Army and hordes of other England fans following us around Australia - at least they can answer back on our behalf.

I know how happy the England supporters are to have Marston's as the official England beer, supplying some of the pubs out here with proper English ale.

It goes without saying that most of them will be having, shall we say, more than just the occasional drink on their way round Australia.

And it is perhaps not the best country for a real-ale connoisseur to tour, so well done to Marston's for providing our supporters with a much-needed decent pint.

We need them to be in good voice over the next few weeks!"

Click back throughout the series to see more from the England hero.

Also check out www.marstonscricketclub.co.uk​ where you can download a desktop Hoggie who'll give you all the Ashes news as it happens.