Welcome to Time out - it's good to be back. Now it's time to remind ourselves how much fun cricket actually could be. With the dust barely settled on what was probably the most polite Ashes series ever - and England once again discovering the losing habit in the ODIs - it's worth remembering that it wasn't always like this (the lack of sledging, not the England losing bit).

So, in the spirit of true psychological jousting on the cricketing field (and long may it live on) here's some of the best verbal intimidation 'sledging' ever heard in England v Australia clashes...

Clean bowled! With the rather-well-endowed-in-the-nose-department Nasser Hussain in to bat, Aussie captain Steve Waugh told Ricky Pointing: "Field at silly point. I want you right under his nose."

Ian Healy: "That could be anywhere inside a three-mile radius." 

Stumped! England captain Douglas Jardine - who the Aussies just loved to hate because of his side employing bodyline tactics - complained that one of the Aussie players had called him a bastard.

Australian captain Bill Woodfull turns to his team, points to Jardine and asks "Which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?" 

Howzat! Aussie star Mark Waugh (whose twin brother Steve also represented Australia): "Mate, what are you doing out here. There's no way you're good enough to play for England."

England bowler James Ormond, in the finest moment of his disappointing two Test Match career replied: "Maybe not, but at least I'm the best player in my family."

And the big-hitting daddy of 'em all is left to England legend Beefy Botham... 

Hit for six! Aussie wicketkeeper Rod Marsh to Botham: "How's your wife and my kids?"

Botham: "Wife's good, but the kids are retarded." 

This one's hard to beat, although there have been many other fine examples of sledging, not just in cricket. If you have ever heard or know of a riposte that beats Beefy's - either one you heard second hand or even in a game you've been playing (not necessarily just in cricket) - let us know by adding yours to the comments. We'll judge the best one and have a good laugh in the process.

In the meantime, here's a bit of sledging from Freddie Flintoff. Seems pretty harmless stuff, but his reaction at the end of the clip is priceless.

Tags: cricket, sledging, ashes, botham, England, Australia,

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