THERE’S something special about a winter Ashes series, particularly now all of us Poms go into such events with a real sense of excitement and expectation.

Not so long ago, you’ll remember, a trip Down Under over Christmas meant inevitable defeat and English cricket fans would be readily reaching for their flak jackets to survive the subsequent mocking from our all-too-happy Aussie friends.

Now we’re the smug ones and boy doesn’t it feel good? It’s not often British sports fans are so confident.

In accordance with public opinion, our footballers are always destined for World Cup obscurity, for years Andy Murray was never going to win a Grand Slam tournament. We’re natural born pessimists and proud.

With cricket it’s a different matter. Maybe it’s a complacent attitude to take, but listen to English people talking about their cricket team and winning has become the norm to the extent victory in Oz is the only option.

That is some seismic shift in perspective in less than a decade. It’s as though we’ve picked up the sport in this country and thrown it through a black hole into an alternative universe.

Regardless, it’s the reality in which our cricketers now live and work. They are expected to win this series, maybe not comfortably but they are expected to win. It’s far from a foregone conclusion, however. Australia may be a fraction of their former selves but they bost international match-winners. If they all fire at once, England could be flying through turbulence without a seatbelt.

Michael Clarke is perhaps the most accomplished batsman in world cricket but how will he juggle his nation’s collective frustrations with his responsibilities with the bat and in the field? He’s already had to recruit Shane Warne to do his dirty work for him.

Mitchell Johnson, one part fearsome left-armer, three parts Mr Tickle, is prone to bowling to third slip every fifth over. If he gets his line right, the likes of Joe Root and Ian Bell will be in for a stern examination of their back-foot strokeplay.

And then there’s spin - not as a weapon but as a stifling tool. Graeme Swann won’t let Alastair Cook down. Australia don’t have a finger-spinner in the same postcode when it comes to ability. It seems all set up for another away win. But don’t get carried away just yet. Try to enjoy one of the most engaging sporting events of the year.

And best of all, the other halves can’t have a dig at us for watching six consecutive hours of Test match cricket on an almost daily basis. Because they’ll be asleep.

PS - I’m going for 2-2.