Originally posted @ 11:39 pm, Thu 6th Jan 2011
Listening to the fifth day of the fifth Ashes test, I'm reminded of the two times I actually saw test cricket at Trent Bridge.
One was in 1993, just after I was elected as a County Councillor, when I had a meeting with officers to discuss 8 pages of traffic and parking management problems I'd collected in my four years as a candidate. The meeting was in a room in the tower block that overlooks the cricket ground, and whilst I was waiting for the meeting was torn between wanting to look and the knowledge that council workers had once been berated in the newspapers for watching the match in office hours from the offices. I compromised by watching a couple of balls from 6 foot inside; an Aussie pat down and a four (I think).
The other was when India were on the verge of thrashing England in July 2007, and like today, a result was expected within a few overs. Knowing entrance would be free, I took my Chinese friend (fair English) and her Mum (no English) to watch a sport they'd never heard of. I was going to explain the rules, but we were watching square-on and you just couldn't see the ball between the stumps. Highlight was Sachin Tendulkar (then the world's greatest batsman, who top-scored with 91 in the first innings) making just 1 before he was removed by Tremlett.
I've probably listened to move of Radio 5 Extra's coverage than I should have done.
There wasn't singing in the past, but it makes the extent of support for England at the matches obvious in a way that wasn't possible at last summer's World Cup because of all those vuvuzuelas. Some of the singing is probably lacking in taste, but there some wit there as well - http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ashes/story/0,26376,12194_6550733,00.html
And the singing in general is improving. Even Salop fans have caught on to the idea of singing "when the blues" more slowly (like Tottenham, but still not quite as slow).
Meanwhile, a whole raft of comedy one-liners have come out - e.g. "What do you call an Australian with a bottle of champagne?" "A waiter."
All of which should bring us up short and make us realise why we're taking such pleasure. Because a country with half the population has for 20 years mainly thrashed us. As all my Australian relatives would be very quick to point out, if they weren't so polite.
We may allow ourselves a short period of celebration.
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