So, as the North of England grinds to halt due to early snow storms my Wife decides that we should drive to the North to visit her parents. Three problems here:
1. Snow storms in the North
2. No Sky, no live cricket at the in-laws
3. A seventies style heating system that blows hot air out with the force of a gold fish's fart
Its my Father in laws birthday soon so I was in no position to launch any objections.
Sure enough as we ploughed up the A19 we were hit by a snow storm and we crawled into Teeside.
The whole Hussey-Haddin partnership has quickly penetrated the gloss surrounding the England fans new world of optimism and the demons of old quickly returned. I could imagine two of my more pessimistic mates were actually enjoying it and preparing their '...I told you so sermons'. Seriously England cricket fans are that scarred by the last two decades. One dropped catch, one good Australian session and we're back to the doom that is total Australian domination.
Having gone to bed just before the start of play I invoked Plan B. Out came the Netbook, I enabled the WIFI hotspot on my HTC Desire then launched the excellent SkyPlayer
Almost straight away the action burst into life before me. If ever there was a justification for the world of modern gadgetry and mobile phones that have far more functionality than we'll ever need then this is it.
Strauss and Cook looked very comfortable and once you saw that Watson gets a bowl before Johnson then you do a relax a little bit. As I drifted off to sleep I wrestle with the demons of the Ashes of the last 20 years. I dare not dream to think we can actually bat through the day. Even the English press are beginning to suggest this is an uphill challenge.
I have a fitful night sleep in an unfamiliar bed as the cold bites through the bed clothing. Waking frequently I resist the temptation to touch my mobile for fear of cursing some potential progress. Images of Steve Waugh with his bat raise and Ian Healy leaping all over Warne haunt me.
Morning comes with a slight thaw in the room and I scramble around trying to grab my phone without exposing any flesh to the elements. I skill I honed as a student some years ago living in a house where we had no heating at all. Blinking bleary eyed at the BBC website I couldn't quite believe what I was reading. They had batted all day, two centurions, ordinary bowling. I feel bad for doubting the boys but then I realise the rejuvenation of England cricket doesn't just depend on this match it will be a long process. We have twenty years of being battered to overcome.
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