Count 'em In Again

I have been quiet for over two weeks; not because I had lost all interest in the world around me. No, it was simply a loss of internet connection. The modem went down and then the computer played up a bit. Everything seems to be working normally again now. You know what normal is? Periodic Windows crashes and lock-ups and unexplained deletions etc.

Well, having counted them all out, we will now have to count them back in again. I am talking cricket, of course. I did warn at the end of November that predicting an easy ride and an Ashes test series win in Australia was asking for trouble. So many articles in newspapers about how we were going to trounce the Aussies, etc. Now England are back to their usual form of dodgy bowling and batting collapses. They were over confident and dismissive. Aussies do not take well to that sort of treatment and came back with a vengeance to win this third test by 267 runs - and a day to spare. Mitchell Johnson took nine wickets in the match and scored a wild 62 for Australia in the first innings. England bowling was not superb but the batting was pathetic. In the 2nd innings when they were all out for 123, only Trott managed to score more than 18 runs. I don't think the wicket was that treacherous.
So now the England team need to either draw both of the last two games or win one of them. Ricky Ponting is looking happier, even if he has an itchy ear and a broken little finger. Now I think his team will come to the next test feeling far more confident. Hopefully England will play with a full squad available and no one away on paternity leave. Anderson and co nipping back to England for long week-ends because their wives are having babies is not acceptable. I am with Bob Willis on this. These are professional cricketers, well paid and playing for England against Australia. They are not part of a week-end team of part-timers playing for a team cobbled together by Social Services where political correctness is a greater priority than being able to do the job. The liberal do-gooders and the Guardianistas are the people that draw up regulations for maternity leave and keeping jobs open etc etc. Great for public sector non-jobs but not very good when you are part of a small team where what you are doing matters.
Anyway, i will still wish the England team well. They now know that they are going to have to work at it. They should be going out to win this series, not cobble together draws.
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