The Ashes kick off in Australia tomorrow, and with the excitement building, so is the banter. And let’s be honest – nothing brings Aussies together quite like a summer of cricket, a cold drink in hand, and a few good-natured digs at the old rivals in English whites.

While the England cricket team is gearing up for another crack at reclaiming the urn, Aussie fans are sharpening their wit just as eagerly as the bowlers are polishing the Kookaburra. To help you get into the spirit of the series, here are five harmless, tongue-in-cheek jokes about the England cricket team – the kind of friendly Ashes humour we’ve been tossing back and forth for more than a century.

Because if there’s one thing we know for sure: win, lose, or rain delay … the banter always comes out on top.

When would an English cricketer ever have 100 runs against his name?

When he is bowling.

What’s the England version of LBW?

Lost. Beaten. Walloped.

What do you call an Englishman who’s good with a bat?

A vet.

What is the height of optimism?

An English batsman putting on sunscreen.

Why don’t English fielders need pre-tour travel injections?

Because they never catch anything.