I don't like to ever appear smug, but I have to say that the decision to only get tickets for the first two days of the Brisbane and Adelaide tests is looking pretty inspired.
We did at least see England have the better of day one at Brisbane and achieve relative parity on the first day at Adelaide. Other than that, England have pretty much had their pants pulled down, and taken it........................, with sandpaper. (Summary kindly provided by one of the more articulate locals and censored for publication.) Unfortunately, there's not much I can put up to argue against it.
I did try to avoid watching Day 3 here, but a quick visit to the Woolshed PH for a swift scooner was a fatal mistake and I was soon joined by a group of Sydneysiders, killing time and out on the lash, while they were waiting to go to the airport. Great bunch of lads to drink with to be honest, but it was not an ideal time and place to be surrounded by six mental Aussies and about 20 TV screens all showing England being dismantled by Mitchell Johnson. Needless to say while they celebrated long and hard, I drowned my sorrows and it was a messy day.
Later caught up with Nick Butts, an Acle ex-pat living in Adelaide, who very kindly came and picked up me and Ro, who had sensibly avoided the cricket at the beach, and took us back to his place to watch the Norwich game. We had plenty of time to kill with kick off not being until 1.30am so it was out with the beers and time to put some steak and burgers on the barbi. A perfect way to spend a lovely warm evening and what a great host Nick is.
We all dozed away while Man Utd lost again in the early game and were all wide awake to see Norwich soak up everything the Baggies could throw at us in a rare 2-0 away win. A real morale boost for City after a mauling at Liverpool on a similar scale to that England are taking over here. However, I'm not sure what was most criminal, our defending and ball retention, or the WBA finishing. Fair to say that 200 years ago either would probably have seen you boarding a ship in the UK, bound for these parts. Chuffed for Hooton though and I think some 'fans' ought to note that this was achieved with five first team players missing.
With a 3.15am finish to the football we crashed at Nick's for the night and then had a superb fish and chips lunch next day in a pub by the sea at Semaphore beach, a lovely part of the city, not too far from his place. Really appreciate Nick taking the time to put us up and drive us back to base. Top, top man.
Last full day here in Adelaide today, so have taken in the free sights, namely the art gallery and the South Australia Museum. Confirmed what I suspected, that I just don't get modern art. If some of that garbage is worthy of displaying then my class at Cobholm Infants School must have been packed full of child geniuses. There are certainly a good few miserable poms around doing much the same today The estimates on the news this morning are that there are around 4,000 of us in town and they are certainly appreciating the boost to the local economy.
We will meet up with Kingy later for supper to wish him well as he heads off to Perth to see if England can buck the trend of both their history of losses at the WACA and the alarming lack of form and confidence in our side at present. I really hope they can give the poms over here something to shout about and also keep the series alive for those yet to travel out.
We fly back to Sydney tomorrow afternoon in readiness for the long journey back to Blighty.
It certainly is nearly all over......in more ways than one.