This is the Friends of History Debating Society. I'm John Bachelor visiting with my good colleague Jeremy Zuckus.

And we have examined the springtime approaching.

We've examined the snakes on the beach because springtime is approaching.

We've examined the cucumbers that are so hungry these socks.

But now we come to what's really important.

Ashes.

Preparing for ashes is a mental challenge.

The ashes are at the end of this year.

Deep summer for New South Wales, for Queensland, the ashes will be played in Australia in five cities, over many days, and the Captain is Ben Stokes. And now I can imagine all the pubs when they got this news Jeremy. What's happened?

Well John, it turns that the English player Ben Stokes one of our biggest rivals in the ashes really I should say he has done a hamstring and I shouldn't just say he's just done a hamstring

he's actually torn it quite badly which may require some surgery, going to require weeks of recuperation,

but all I can say is as far as the ashes preparation goes.

For us here in Australia is fantastic because it means the English team has

currently got one of their strongest players under the weather.

Now unfortunately it's still a long way out from the ashes so I dare say that

Ben's gonna make a full recovery but I mean as much as we don't like to see our

fellow human hurt and harmed in any way you can imagine that the Australian cricket teams

were you know shouting a little silent rejoice and celebrating a bit at the pub because Ben Stokes is

just one of those players that really brings the game to the ashes and is really

really difficult for our players to come against when he's bowling and when he's batting.

So you know what when he's batting.

So, you know, what, hopefully he wins well,

...