WHO could ever forget that marvellous day last September when England pulled off one of the nation's greatest sporting victories to win back the Ashes after nearly 20 years.

The series against the Australians had everything from nailbiting finishes to heroic performances, which lifted the mood of the nation - at a time when England's football team was in the doldrums.

So we sincerely hope that the North-East can grab a slice of the action by winning an ambitious bid to bring an Ashes series test match to the region for the first time.

We admire the historic move by Durham County Cricket Club to stage an England v Australia match in 2009.

Let's hope the Ashes test will be the jewel in the crown of a five-year agreement of international games for the Riverside ground at Chester-le-Street.

This bid also includes an England v West Indies test next year, a one-day international against South Africa in 2008 and opponents for 2010 and 2011.

We're sure that all these games will be sell-outs - after all, a record crowd of 16,000 turned out for the England v Australia day-night international last June.

Here in the North-East we've gained a reputation for being passionate about all sports - last summer the influential Seve Trophy in the Tees Valley also proved a huge success.

And not only would the match be a feather in the region's sporting cap, it would also help develop the next generation of North-East cricketers.

Today, organisers of the bid being put to the England and Wales Cricket Board urge readers of The Northern Echo to back the campaign by logging on to www.signthebat.co.uk

The website features endorsements from sporting celebrities such as Ashes hero Ian Botham, former England and Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson, and Brendan Foster.

So let's all do our bit to bring the Aussies down to size again - down by the Riverside.