Day 62 - England Win!

​It has been 5468 days since England last won a test match in Australia. I therefore feel quite honoured to have seen the end of that lean run.

The omens were good this morning - I woke up to news of Peterborough having won with a 94th minute goal (And appreciated Dad pointing out that they are now top of the bottom half of the table), and then watched Man Utd hold on to beat Newcastle.

Neil very kindly drove me into the city in time for the cricket. I didn’t really know what to expect from today after the carnage of yesterday, but I did know that I would have a good view of it as my seat for today was rather luxurious, as it was near the corporate boxes.

The first hour or so of the morning was a bit nervy, especially when Atkinson was injured. Whilst England did not bowl badly and did keep taking wickets, as long as Travis Head was in, I was worried. It felt like the game really turned in England’s favour just before lunch, when they took three quick wickets to leave Australia six down. Carse, Stokes, and Tongue all bowled well, and were helped by some pretty poor Australian batting.

I met up with Frank at lunchtime, which was lovely, and was then delighted to see England mop up the Australian tail with relative ease after lunch. 175 to win might not sound like a lot, but it was the highest score of the match! 

It was obvious that the England batters were going to play their shots - probably the sensible approach on this pitch. Crawley and Duckett set the tone and I personally loved Carse coming in at three! By tea, England really were on the way to victory.

There were a few minor wobbles along the way, but it was all rather surprisingly comfortable and England won by four wickets. The Barmy Army were pretty happy with that.

There are pros and cons of the test finishing in just two days. The pros are that England won an exciting game, I get a refund on days three and four, and I get to spend more time with Neil and Sarah. The cons are a lack of cricket, and a two day test not really feeling like ‘real’ cricket. I have heard that the test ending so quickly will cost Cricket Australia about $13m. Ouch!

Once the match was over, I had a mini explore of a few areas of the ground before meeting Neil and Curtis. I had a quick shower (I may have overdone the sun cream!) and then Neil, Sarah, Curt and I went out for an Indian meal. I may have been a bit ambitious with my choice of meal. Whilst the beef was delicious (and the garlic naan so garlicky that I am single-handedly protecting Australia from vampires), it did require me drinking a fair bit of water!

Once home, we sat outside for a bit (until the cicadas were just too annoying), and I did some laundry. Neil and I then enjoyed watching the cricket highlights before bed.

Here’s hoping that it’s not 5468 days until England’s next victory down under.