Howzat?

Well, I am back in Crawley after my Christmas & New Year in the North of England. I think this was the first time that I had spent new Year in the North since I started working in 1963. As long as I had a job as well as the gym, no matter what, I had to be ready to work on New Year's Day.

Today is a good day - in the way that Sellar & Yeatman defined all things as good or bad in "1066 And All That" - comprising 105 good things, 5 bad kings and 2 genuine dates. The only genuine dates that anyone could remember - based on research conducted at an Eton & Harrow match - and you couldn't have anywhere more representative than that - were 1066 and 55 BC. My own research would suggest that 55 BC is falling out of memory - it is a long time ago, after all - and only 1066 and William the Conqueror survive. But, perhaps, 2011 will become a memorable date? Because today, the 7th January 2011, the England cricket team trounced Australia in Australia. You may think trounced is too strong a word but it is not. This Australian team lost comprehensively. They won in Perth but otherwise they were beaten in all departments by a united England team that was in another class. Four times England made over 500 runs in an innings and in Sidney they scored 644 to record the highest ever England total against Australia - exceeding, even, the 635 achieved in the timeless test 1928/29. In Sidney, three of the last five wickets accumulated over 100 runs - another record for any test match. The third highest England total against Australia was the 620 for 5 declared in Adelaide. Alistair Cook scored more runs in 7 innings that any man except Don Bradman and with an average on 127 again he exceeded every batsman except Bradman. He spent over 36 hours at the crease, which was a record for any batsman from any country in any 5 match test series. The England score of 517 for 1 declared in Brisbane was another record. And so it goes on. This series has turned over the record books and none of it to the advantage of Australia. England win the series 3 to 1 with one match drawn and each of those wins was achieved with a margin of an innings and plenty of runs. Everyone in the England camp must be very satisfied with they way that they have performed. They will enjoy their triumph and will be welcomed to 10 Downing Street when they return but there will be no bus tour - and that must be good.

I suppose that I ought to order a very big well-cooked plate of humble pie. I thought, after Perth, that this test series was going to be a close fought struggle in the last two tests. I had history on my side. England have a long established propensity for batting collapses and this appeared to be the case in Perth. But I was wrong. They batted like never before in both Melbourne and Sidney. But the end for Australia must have been set when they were all out in the First Innings of the 4th Test for 98 - their lowest total ever in an Ashes Test in Australia. England did trounce Australia and both teams got exactly what they deserved. I hope that I will be wrong again in the future when I appear sceptical of the prospects of English [or British] teams and individuals in international competitions.

So, you can see that today really is a good day.

And Good Day to you, mate

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