Summer is here - the Ashes and the Proms

Yes, I am talking about the Clashes for the Ashes, so if you are not interested in cricket then go and do something useful and put the kettle on and make yourself a cup of tea because you will not want to read this post.

First test at Cardiff, England were so bad it was embarrassing and for once I was thankful that I did not have Sky as I knew that I would torture myself by watching every ball.  I just had the one hour highlights in the evening on Channel 5 and thank heavens for that channel for taking it.  I will not start here about my feelings on the Beeb allowing Test Cricket to be lost by them as it is pointless.  I have written as have others and the BBC, as usual, don't take any notice of what the viewers and licence payers want, and arrogantly ignore us.

OK I Must Not Rant.

The amazing thing about the first Test was that, despite being awful and despite all our so called leading batsmen being bowled out, we managed to hang on for a draw.  Now I know that some people say 'Hey you played for five days and didn't get a result, what sort of mad game is this?" and yes, I agree that is sounds barmy but this is where Test Matches are so wonderful.  Holding on and not getting out was, in this context, as interesting and nail biting as a superb win.  The Aussies were furious and made all sorts of comments about time wasting (which we did and so have they in the past) and also various snide remarks about England celebrating a draw as if it was a win.  Well, they  have pretty short memories as in 2005 when the position was reversed and Australia hung on to frustrate England, McGrath and Warne and the rest of the team were high fiving and yelling and shouting with joy - goes without saying that the Press have reminded them of this fact...  lots of gleeful comments on all the forums and noticeboards as well along the lines of 'whingeing Aussies'. 

What it boiled down to was that Australia did Not Win the Match, and we did not lose it,  and this was because having out bowled and outplayed us comprehensively, at the end of the day they were unable to bowl out Monty Panesar and James Anderson, two tail enders who doggedly defended for 11 overs.  And out of those two, they were bowling at someone who really is the Worst Batsman in the World.  Sorry Monty.  No wonder they were mad.

Anyway we are now in Test Two and as is the norm the England team started off brilliantly and then came the inevitable middle order collapse which follows as surely as night the day. Once more this morning we had James Anderson and another tail ender who managed to hang on and add another 40+ runs to bring us up to a respectable 425 and then the Aussies came out to bat.

  

No need for me to go into a match report - at close of play Australia were 158 for 8 (Stuart Broad above taking the most sensational catch and diving full length to get it) and need another 70 runs to avoid the follow on.  Oh what joy it would be if we could enforce this and bowl them out twice.  They would then be in the same position as us in Test One and I can tell you now, if the Aussies manage to force a draw in this Test, they will be rejoicing and leaping around and the boot will be on the other foot...

OK so a great day and I am now sitting here watching the First Night of the Proms with the knowledge that there is another six weeks ahead of music to listen to.  I may not attend any more, but each time I see or listen to any of these concerts, my mind goes back to my teenage days when I used to attend each concert and stand in the arena, just about ten feet await from the orchestra.  The Albert Hall is where I learned my classical music, where I heard my first Mahler symphony, stood through Act 3 of a concert performance of Tristan and Isolde, stood behind Stokowski when he conducted the first UK performance of Shostakovitch 5th symphony....I could go on and on and in fact I probably will in a later post.

So another lovely day today - cricket and music - what a glorious mixture.

Comments

[Sarah]

As an Australian Elaine, I obviously haven't enjoyed this test as much as you, my fingers are crossed we can avoid the follow on.

Re the first test, Ponting did make clear that neither the rain nor the English time wasting tactics weren't why we didn't win. As you say, just couldn't bowl the tail enders out!

[Elaine Simpson-Long]

Sarah - Felt sorry for Ponting yesterday when he was out. Seemed to be a right old muddle all round and he was obviously very cross. I simply love the Ashes and the rivalry and the back chat going on, though there are times when some of the comments do show how insular we can be here in the UK. It would be simply wonderful if we could win this series and wipe out the memory of hte humiliating whitewash of 2006. 5-0 oh dear....

[Barbara]

Rant all you like about not having Test cricket on terrestrial TV. Cricket on Five is no substitute. I carry the radio around with me all day in case I miss anything!

[Lesley]

Oh, cricket! I've tried to love it, but our teams (Aussies) always seem so oaf-like.
My husband, meanwhile, nephew of the late great Ken ("Slasher") McKay, reads about cricket while he watches it on the telly and listens to it all at the same time. And will tell you endlessly about the "aesthetics" of the game.
Whatever.
Three years in the US, with almost no cricket - especially the bothersome Boxing Day Test - was just wonderful! Yay baseball!

[Marg]

Sometimes sports fans have very short memories don't they! There has been talk about the time wasting, but you are right, at the end of the day, the Aussies didn't get the last player out, and so the result is a draw. Anything could have happened in the four days previous to change that result, but it didn't so that's all that can be said.

Our coverage has moved off of the main TV stations. My only complaint is that the channel that it is on now used to be the channel that showed the Tour de France, so we should have been able to switch between the two. Instead we only have a highlights show of the Tour!

[Elaine Simpson-Long]

Lesley - well 'oaf like' whew don't let another Aussie here you say that! We have some, or have had some in our team as well. I never liked cricket but now I am addicted to it and would happily discuss the aesthetics for hours as well. I am a Wagner fan and so am used to events unrolling slowly, cricket is much the same.

At the moment, England have set the Aussies a target of over 500 to win and they are currently 59 for two so it is looking good. BUT never underestimate the Aussie cricketers, they hang on like grim death. I just hope it doesn't rain that is all.

Marg - I am reduced to checking the score on my PC or else I tune into the radio,