Testing Times

I can't remember the last night I've had two mancolds inside a month, at times I've doubted whether the first one had gone before the second struck. I struggled through Saturday making it to the Arsenal game, but realising that sleep would be difficult and knowing that I could watch the cricket I decided to stay up. Sunday was a restricted day here, the snow may have all but dispersed but the pavements have turned to ice making walking a dangerous pastime, Feeling sorry for myself I ventured out to get a paper but scuttled back home as quick as I could.

With Monday my day off I could again put myself again on "cricket time". Woke at 4am but for a period few wickets seemed to tumble, and I began to think that Australia might hang on for a draw especially as the likelihood of rain was increasing by the minute. After a rain delay KP changed the game, with the ball, dismissing Michael Clarke with the last ball of the day.

I was cheered during the day by the news that BBC Radio 4 presenter James Naughtie had introduced Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt as Jeremy Cunt. Apparently the error was confounded later in the day when Andrew Marr committed the same error. Not surprisingly Naughtie found it hard to contain himself coughing and spluttering as he tried to read the 8am news. This follows on from the news that students marching on Parliament had adopted the chant of Nick Clegg - Dick Head. It seems that politicians need to look more carefully at their names before they venture into government.

Almost by magic, I received a message to say that school had to be cancelled because an electrical surge had dismantled the alarm system. Immediately I realised that Day 5 became viewable. On Tuesday morning in the UK cricket fans celebrated. England won by an innings in Australia. That's a result that many of us have waited a quarter of a century to see. Graeme Swann who by his own admission had underperformed at the Gabba, produced a spell of 41 overs and took 5 wickets to send the Aussies to defeat.

It's a great time to be an English cricket supporter, the Ashes are very special and the Aussies hate losing. Good to be a Pom.