Was Staying Up Until 2am Worth It

Hooray, hooray the Ashes are being played again.  Sadly they are being played in Australia, but like all good England supporters I predict that we will retain them, which as we haven’t won on Australian soil for 17 years is no easy prospect.

I wanted to be up for the morning session of the first day, so I decided to hit the sack early and wake up in time for the midnight start.  This didn’t happen as I would have liked as I couldn’t actually get to sleep due to late night text messages and a housemate with what I think is Bronchitis.

So I got up at midnight, to watch the masterful 3 balls faced by Captain Andrew Strauss, and Jonathan trot not achieving much more than a bit of ploughing outside of the crease.  When I went to bed again at 2 am, KP and Alistair Cook were doing alright.  When I got up again at 7am, we had a bit of a collapse in the late-middle order, with only Ian 2The Flamethrower of Eternal Justice” Bell putting up any meaningful resistance, but then getting himself out to a ball that he shouldn’t have played.

Anyway, Australia are just edging it at the moment, but I still think that England can win this test.  We have the better bowling attack and I think this is where the match will be won.  Apart from Peter “Very Punchable Face” Siddle the Aussie bowlers didn’t really look like that much of a threat.

As for staying up until 2am, I am glad that I did, it’s not very often that a Test Series causes this much excitement.  Besides if I wanted to watch the highlights programmes I would still be up until 11, so what’s an extra 3 hours between friends.  Plus I do like the live text commentary.  Where else would you get a man breaking up with his girlfriend just so he can watch the game.

Don’t Say It

The Ashes are over.  Boo.  England won it.  Yay.  Flintoff has retired Yay (Only me that thinks that then). All the talk now is of us becoming the dominant force in World Cricket.  Which is nice.

The game at the Oval was a masterpiece of theatre and excitement.  It was all set up for a classic and it didn’t dissapoint.  Englands first innings total didn’t look enough.  Broad taking his second 5 wicket haul in 2 innings.  The pitch braeking up like the top of a Creme Brulee.  Trotts debut century.  Punter (Ricky Ponting) taking one in the face and losing a tooth.  A massive total to chase in just over 2 days.  Australia looking like they could do it.  Fred’s run out.  Punters standing ovation.  Harmison’s 2 in 2 balls, and Swann finishing it off.

Friday was genius.  I have not been that excited since my 6th birthday party.  To hear (I was listening to Test Match Special)  those wickets falling one after another was great.  Saturday lagged somewhat in comparison.  I just wish I could have watched Sunday.  I missed the last time that we won the Ashes too because I was abroad.

Punter has gone up in my estimations too.  He gave some excellent interviews and for an Australian Captain losing the Ashes, was actually complimentary to the opposition.   England hadn’t played well in the Series.  He knew it, Strauss knew it, we all knew it, we had just played better when it mattered.

Its all good, I am on a high.  The One dayers will be interesting.  Just please don’t say that Stuart Broard is the next Andrew Flintoff.  He will be better.  He will be the First Stuart Broad.

Oh Bollocks (Haiku)

The Ashes Fourth Test

Oh for the love of god no!

England are Dire.

Oh Bollocks

First morning, 4th test.  England diabolical.  Oh for the love of God.

Draw

A bloody draw.

Now watch us lose the next 2.  I blame Bimbo.

How D’you Like Them Onions

I’m listening to the 3rd test from Edgebaston.  Graham Onions has taken 3 wickets in the morning session.  The sun is out and I finish early today.

Life is good, and Strongy, how do you like them Onions.

Excitement and Sledging

The Ashes start today, which I am very excited about.  I missed the 2005 Ashes, I was working in France and that was supposed to be the best one ever.  I listened to the final day, and couldn’t believe that we had won.  It was great.  I think  this one could have the makings of a classic too.

The sledging has started from my Aussie mate Strongy:

Whats happening boys? Ready for the big one? Thought I’d just get us started. Firstly, you boys must be happy Brett Lee is missing for us. Was going to be one of those things that England do well, eg invent cricket, ping pong and perfect reverse swing and we were guna come back and do it better..like always…now your team….

Will Flintoff score any runs? No. He’ll get his little start of 20 or 30, have a brain snap n throw his wicket away. Has be ever scored a half century…? Maybe in first class cricket i guess.

If Pieterson could get a score as big as his ego we couldn’t chase it down in 2 innings it would be so huge.

Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood are boring. And hopeless.

I won’t mention anything about your bowlers as I’m not sure you have any????

While this email seems to be brimming with arrogance, its not so much that I think we’re great, just that you guys are worse.

All the best boys, may the best team win……Australia.

 

My reply:

 Just building up to what should be an excellent summer. Thought you might like to know that Flintoff scored a century against you in 2005, the 4th test.

As for bowlers, Graeme Swann, top test wicket taker in the world this year. Luckily for us Bell has been dropped to make way for Ravi Bopara and I would back him to be top scorer in this series….

Now all of your decent players have retired (I don’t count Ponting in decent players) it looks like your selector have picked any old dross that begins with the letter H.

Should be good, shame you seem to be pinning all your hopes on Brett Lee though….

 

So here we go… Exciting isn’t it!