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I promised I would write about my attempts to catch the ashes on either TV or the internet after missing the entire first test. I said i’d write about it here. Where have I been? I have been listening to the whole lot via satellite radio.

The second test has been the biggest English cricketing disaster of all time. No team in history has lost after declaring on a higher total than England's 551-6 batting first in a Test. In history.. Period. That was the most dismal second innings in history.

Where did it go wrong?

The dressing room.

Every leader in every walk of life, whether it be sport, business, politics or any thing else needs the ability to motivate. While the England team are sitting looking at the tiled floor in their changing room with the Aussies screaming with joy next door, Freddie should pick himself up, chest out and read them the following quotes from real leaders:-

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Sir Winston Churchill

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.Confucius

Although, I suspect that judging by the last couple of days action, he is reading the following by David Brent:-

“I thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was just some b*stard with a torch, bringing me more work.”

“If at first you don't succeed, remove all evidence you ever tried.”

“If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation.”


So, after this, what next? The series can still be won, ok, I am being optimistic but it can. We can win the next three tests but we need to sort out the bowling, we need to do that now. Once the bowlers are taking wickets, the heads will stay up. Look at KP near the end today, he overthrew a ball and gave and extra four runs. This was purely frustration and that must not be shown again.

Me, I live in France, ski season has just started and is getting coverage on TV, I guess i’ll have to watch that..yawn..

So, as you can see, after the first game in 2005, England's odds were 12/1. What happened then?

Back to the todays game:-

53-3...When Warney bowled his one and only over, I heard fear in the commentators voices. He threw six balls!! We are in trouble, even though the wicket is still in our favour, we are in big trouble. As I predicted yesterday, we rolled over and died today too.

Only Freddie seems up for it, now it is time for KP to roll up his sleeves, take a deep breath, feel e passion flow, grit his teeth, dig deep and start smashing the ball out of the ground.

Come on!

PS. Bring Monty on next game???

Let me know what you think....I will let you know if I actually get to watch some tomorrow.

It has started. The ashes 2006 in Australia has finally started...

Excitement is at its highest again, testosterone levels are raised, chests expanded and the Barmy Army have started chanting in Melbourne...not that I can watch it...

......anywhere.

I surfed the web until 11.45pm (French time) looking at every possible site that might show some sort of live streaming, nothing..What I thought i'd do was get up early and listen to it on BBC Radio 5 dead (live sorry).

7.15am..there has been a power cut, sod it, missed the bloody lot. The score..346-3.

The hero, Ponting.

Bugger.

I knew in my heart that we'd roll over and die but not this easily.

How annoying is it that since Sky have bought the rights to cricket, the average person is now forced to wait up until 11.45pm to watch highlights on BBC 2. That is 12.45am for me. No chance. That's it. All I can do this year is listen to match reports on Talksport.

If anyone has managed to watch the cricket online, please let me know..

I would like to know what you think, will England retain the ashes? After listening to some reports, I'd say no, but what do I know, I have to rely on the press!