I planned to go to bed last night in good time to prepare for the joys of the big match between India and ‘us’ from 4am onwards. Before turning in, I decided that I would take a quick look at one of the minor cricket Tests which are being played just now.
Still glued to the game. I must say that I do think that these colonial chaps from Australia and South Africa are putting on a fairly decent show. Advantage Australia as I type. Siddle still looks like Shrek but he is also a bloody good bowler. I’m not going to get a lot of sleep as I’m staying with this one to watch Kallis trying to avoid the follow on while playing on one good leg.
I may well end up watching the Adelaide game while listening to the Mumbai test on TMS. Said TMS coverage will be riveting, whatever happens to be happening on the pitch. Yesterday, Jonathan Agnew told us that Friday night’s edition of ‘Mastermind’ would be featuring a contestant whose specialist subject was the Blessed Geoffrey Boycott. Aggers gave us fair warning that he would be asking Boycott the questions from ‘Mastermind’ at some point in the TMS coverage today.
I watched ‘Mastermind’ and the eleventh question was:- ‘In 1998, Geoffrey Boycott was found guilty in a French court of assaulting which former girl friend, an accusation which he has always denied?’ I look forward to finding out if he gets that answer right.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Morning JM
I opened the conversation here at 02:45 with…
and what a shambles it turned out to be, wicket after wicket gifted to the Aussies.
Hats off to Faf and Jaques for adding some respectability, Jaques did look in considerable pain though.
Our bowlers have continued their woeful display from the 1st day, Aussies currently cruising at 5 an over š¦
But then two of your bowlers woke up and our guys forgot how to bat. Much to everyone’s surprise, it now looks rather like an SA victory is on its way. š¦
Good evening, fellow cricket devotees.
To update you, I admitted defeat to the need to sleep when Pup got Kallis’s wicket. Off I went to bed with TMS in my earphones at 4am. Fast asleep within 10 minutes but got dragged back to consciousness by said earphones in time to hear Boycott being asked the ‘Mastermind’ questions.
They did it at the tea interval. For some reason, they missed out one of the questions.The actual contestant got 8 out of 13 questions right. Geoffrey got 11 right out of the 12 which he was asked. They seem to have mislaid Question 11. Yet another BBC cover up!
Moving on, now settled in front of the telly to see if Pup and Hussey are going to win it for Oz or if the Proteas are going to take the game.
Where to start ā
I know, Twickenham. The records will show played 3 won 3 and that can’t be bad. none of the wins (Ireland, Scotland, England) were convincing but after a year in which key players retired and others suffered long term injuries a very good outcome, what on earth was Robshaw thinking with that final penalty decision?
Boks 2012 record – played 12, won 7, lost 3, drawn 2.
I see KP is up to his usual tricks (hits a 6 as I type) good for him. Can England bat just once and give themselves a chance at leveling the series?
Can our other Petersen & co hold off the Aussies? I doubt it, will they sacrifice any chance of Jaques playing in Perth in this losing cause?
I see that the Proteas are holding on! Only 5 down at tea, one session left, can they hold out and achieve a most remarkable draw?
India all out, setting England a mere 57 for victory! (What a knock by KP.)
A day of rather deep despair here! But, also one (well from me at least!) of admiration for the disciplined playing of the SA batsmen.
I didn’t watch it all – even paint drying would have been a little more exciting! I think that the Perth encounter will be quite exciting… š
I well know that feeling of deep despair.
I didn’t even bother waking at 2 am this morning expecting an early coup de grace! Imagine my surprise to see them still battling along when I awoke (perhaps an hour before tea.)
Talk here is that the Aussies are preparing flat tracks because they’re trying to nullify our pace attack, well then, if true it certainly came back to haunt them today.
But what a final session, a nailbiter for both sets of supporters, you’ve just got to love test cricket š
Soutie, g’morgen! I missed all the fun owing to a childful, TV-less sojourn in England when the floods returned. It’s gratifying though that ‘our lads dun good’ again and all the assorted colonists slipped off their respective pedestals. š