How is that, dear chap?

With the Ashes on the brink, I can't help but think - how many more will there be? The glitz and glamour of Twenty20 cricket has revolutionised cricket to such an extent that 'experts' are constantly talking about the extinction of the game's most traditional format.

In mid-March, 1877, Charles Bannerman of Australia faced up to the first ever delivery in test cricket, from England's Alfred Shaw. Bannerman went on to get an unbeaten 165, before retiring hurt. Australia's 1st innings runs came at a run-rate of 2.16, followed by 2.29 in their second innings, to go with 2.15 and 2.44 in England's respective innings'. Take today, and the most recent test match between England and the West Indies. In the three innings played in that match, the lowest team run-rate was 3.66, In West Indies first innings. Clearly, the introduction of One-day cricket, and in particular Twenty20 cricket, has influenced batsman's attitude and game play in the longer format. Chris Gayle, arguably the world's most destructive batsman, was quoted as saying he wouldn't care if test cricket died out. This can't be good for our game.

Clearly Twenty20 is a very exciting, gripping form of cricket. It fills the grounds, brings in the kids, shows off the world's best cricketers and creates high drama at the most competitive level. But it's not all about hitting sixes and scoring huge runs. Test cricket brings excitement, and thrills and spills in a very different, yet equally enthralling way. To see Andrew Flintoff pound in, over after over, peppering Adam Gilchrist with short balls, making Simon Katich and the like play and miss with reverse-swinging 'jaffas', hitting Matthew Hayden on the helmet at 95mph, surely gives the most satisfaction to a cricket fan? To sit in the crowd and see Glenn McGrath walk back to his mark, fuming after being smashed for four by Kevin Pietersen is simply the most satisfying feeling for a Englishman. And not only does test cricket bring superb cricket, but the atmosphere, and the banter brings things only test match cricket can bring to a group of people.

Yes Twenty20 brings dancing girls. Yes it brings loud music and partying. But these are things that belong in a nightclub, not on a cricket field. The fact is, test cricket is in danger due to the multi-millions Twenty20 brings in, and in particular IPL. But as lovers of the game, we should not be allowing this to happen. The players themselves seem happy to take the million pounds they get for playing for the Rajasthan Royals or such like, but is there no better thrill than walking out in front of a packed Lords crowd wearing the whites of your country, with the words of 'Jerusalem' ringing in your ears?

It seems that gone are the days of prawn sandwiches, and pimms on the terrace, and upon us are the days of big money tournaments, spiritless, bathed in the riches of foreign billionaires who don't know the first thing about cricket (e.g Allen Stanford). Lets just hope that the entertainers of the game - the Kevin Pietersens, Jacob Orams, Lasith Malingas- continue our great tradition of test cricket, and lets encourage the next generation of great cricketers to bat for 2 days and earn themselves a double hundred. To bowl a ten over spell and earn two or three big wickets in a session. Test cricket is the ultimate test. We need to restore it's place as cricket's best format. Please - we love test cricket!