England Cricketers' XI

Some of you may be aware of the impending series defeat of Australia at the hands of the old enemy.  In Test Cricket, that is.

Although an Australian by birth and general nature, your correspondent applauds the English cricketers on their performance, and for giving the Australian team the kick up the arse it's needed for a couple of years now.

To commemorate this, I've decided to nominate a Cricketer's XI; a mixed near-dozen of my favourite English beers.

• Marston's Double Drop English Bitter
• Black Sheep Brewing Black Sheep Ale
• Meatime Brewing India Pale Ale
• Fuller's 1845 English Strong Ale
• O'Hanlon's Thomas Hardy Ale
• St Peter's India Pale Ale
• Greene King Abbot Ale
• Durham Brewery Bede's Chalice Strong Ale
• Timothy Taylor Landlord Pale Ale
• Banks Barley Gold Strong Ale
• Young's Special London Ale

If pressed to nominate a twelfth man (to complete the carton), I would throw in Shepherd Neame's Spitfire, which pretty well summarises the English spirit over the series.