Cricket: MELBOURNE AGAIN; Birthday boy Al bids for victory CRICKET: FOURTH ASHES TEST.

Byline: By Ted Tracey

BIRTHDAY BOY Alastair Cook hopes to enjoy a double celebration by helping guide England to victory in the fourth Ashes Test.

Although cricket's most famous series has already been regained by Ricky Ponting's side, who hold an insurmountable 3-0 lead, England hope to regain some lost pride by winning the remaining two Tests.

The Barmy Army may have had little to cheer Down Under thus far but Essex left-hander Cook found time to celebrate his 22nd birthday on Christmas Day by travelling down to the massive Melbourne Cricket Ground for one final training session before the start of the penultimate Test in front of 100,000 people.

He was then planning to sit down with the rest of the touring party for Christmas dinner.

The schedule is very different to that which he used to experience before becoming an established member of Duncan Fletcher's side but it's one Cook hopes will bring him and the tourists success.

He said: "Normally back at home you have a few glasses of wine and have a big roast dinner and sit back on the sofa knowing for the next couple of days you don't have too much to do.

Out here there will definitely be less eating and drinking going on because we're playing the next day.

"I always think I got conned a bit as a kid because I didn't realise I had a joint Christmas and birthday so I'm pretty sure I got less presents as a result.

"I know I didn't have too many presents under my tree this morning when I left - I've got to go and open them after training and hopefully a few more will have sneaked under there while I've been away."

Cook has already asked for a Test century and a victory in Melbourne as his presents for birthday and Christmas but to receive both he believes England must produce their first all-round team performance of the series.

There has been success for individuals, with Cook, Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen scoring centuries while Monty Panesar claimed eight wickets on his first Ashes appearance in the previous Test at Perth. Cook said: "Some of us have done okay at certain times, we just haven't put in a full performance as a team together.

"There's no point in sulking about it because that's only going to affect the performances now.

"We want to make sure there are no hangovers from Perth."

England were forced to use the indoor nets at the MCG yesterday.

Showers ruled out anything but a short outdoor practice and sent them scurrying inside to continue their build-up.

They are set to axe under-fire wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who has scored just 63 runs in the first three Tests, including a pair at Perth, and re-instate Chris Read.

Hometown boy Shane Warne, who announced his retirement from international cricket last Thursday, will be the major focus of attention on the Australia side.

Glenn McGrath's last Test will also be series finale in January, although he will play in the World Cup before calling it quits.

Australia are aiming to become only the second team to win a five-match Ashes series 5-0 -Warwick Armstrong's Aussie team was the other team to manage it back in 1920-21.

Captain Ricky Ponting said: "This might be something that might be spoken about. If there's an opportunity there for that to happen, it would be nice if this team could be the one to do it. Even with Warney and Glenn finishing I think it's something they would like to say they had achieved in their careers as well. The rest of the guys would love it too."

England captain Andrew Flintoff expects to be fit for the match after needing ongoing treatment and injections for his ankle.

He said: "There is no secret. I've had some discomfort in it over the past week.

"Having an injection is just a precaution. I'm not envisaging any long-term problems and have no fears about the next two Tests."

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SOMETHING'S COOKING: Alistair Cook enjoyed a century in Perth but insists England need a team performance at the MCG