BRETT Lee and Andrew Flintoff have mercilessly attacked each other's bodies and made each other duck, dive and scramble.
They have hurt each other physically and mentally, and surely there will be more to come at The Oval tonight in the last cricket Test of the Ashes series.
Yet the two have embodied the spirit of this unforgettable series by the way they have played their cricket.
The image of Flintoff on his haunches consoling a shattered Lee after Australia lost the Edgbaston Test will remain the most poignant of the series.
"Flintoff consoling Lee at Edgbaston will remain in the memory like Muhammad Ali's quote when asked if he meant all those terrible things he said about Joe Frazier," said veteran commentator Michael Parkinson.
"He looked wearily at his inquisitor and said: 'Man, you understand nothin. Fact is we are two brothers trying to earn a living.'
"Fact is, as this series proves, the greatest sporting battles are fought between opponents who understand that respect is a much better ally than contempt."
Lee has become the most admired Australian player among the English team because of the way he applies himself.
Flintoff is the Australians' favourite Englishman, primarily because of his freakish ability but also because he's not showy.
- ROBERT CRADDOCK