Australia Brett Lee, England on Andrew Flintoff

Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has a good chance of being fit for the fourth Ashes Test, captain Ricky Ponting said on Monday.

Lee has missed the first three matches of the series with a rib injury and with the touring side trailing 1-0 his experience could be a huge bonus in the match at Headingley starting on Friday.

“I`d expect Brett to be able to bowl,” Ponting told a news conference after the third Test ended in a draw on Monday.

“He`s been pretty keen to get out and bowl over the past few days so we`ll keep an eye on him and it would be great to have him available.”

Ponting Aims to Bowl Watson more in Ashes Series

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting is aiming to bowl all-rounder Shane Watson more in the remaining two Ashes tests at the Headingly and The Oval.

Watson passed his bruising initiation at the top of the order with flying colours as he followed up his 62 in the first innings with 53 to set up Australia`s match-saving performance in the third Test at Edgbaston.

But the recalled all-rounder looked some way off his best at the bowling crease (0-23 off three overs) as Andrew Flintoff feasted on his tame medium-pace offerings.

“I think he will do a lot more bowling in the next game,” Ponting said, adding “If I had have bowled him at different places he might have bowled more too (at Edgbaston).”

The Ashes 2009 – Can’t Wait To Get Started’ – Anderson

The hype surrounding the Ashes has been going on now for weeks on end and with the first Test in Cardiff just a week away, James Anderson just can’t wait to get the battle under way.

With the anticipation building running riot in the lead up to the much anticipated series, the England camp is itching to get going. Speaking to Cricket World TV, Anderson said:

I speak for most of the guys, we just want it to start now. There’s been countdowns left, right and centre and I can’t wait to get started.”

The Ashes is the oldest ongoing contest in cricket and in the views of many, it is the ultimate test for any cricketer. Anderson spoke of his ambitions of playing in the Ashes:

“As a kid I always wanted to play cricket for England, and the pinnacle of anyone’s England career is to play Australia in the Ashes.”