Strange England

Edgbaston. Third Ashes Test - day one

Preview

Well, here is a turn up for the 21st century. The dropping of Phillip Hughes - forecast by this blog soon after he turned up to play for Middlesex - was announced on Twitter.

Just how this came about is still not clear but it has turned several faces in the Cricket Australia offices puce, there has been a lot of talk about "official announcements" and excuses put forward because Hughes has not yet passed the age of consent. It is just one more sign of confusion in their camp; mainly because the side is full of novice Test cricketers.

Shane Watson takes Hughes' opening spot; what chances he finishes the Test with an injury?

Apart from that it is all about the weather. No play before lunch is the common wager, but in the likely event of more rain, there may be no play today.

To lunch
Not sure anyone deserves the lunch that begins at 12.50, except maybe the umpires Rudi Koertzen and Aleem Dar who makes several sorties into the field, agree to be interviewed and come to the conclusion that standing in the rain is an unnecessary form of water-boarding and that they should not subject the players to such torture. The prospects are far from bright.

To tea

I hated days like this when I was a full-time reporter. You arrive early full of hope, spend hours watching for rain or fair weather, while your concentration slowly ebbs away and then, and you are always surprised,they are out on the field and two or three wickets fall and you take an age to catch up.

I was talking to an old friend about the job a couple of days ago. "Marvellous," and "better than coal mining" and "what did we ever find to grumble about" but just like a day down the pit there are moments when you wonder why you ever joined and just how you can escape. Today is one like that.

To close

Two hours or 30 overs; Australia in the sunshine, England in the deepest gloom. After the toss Brad Haddin broke his finger but Andrew Strauss gave permission for Australia to field Graham Manou, their other wicket-keeper, Nice sportsmanship, Andrew, shame about the rezt of your leadership.

Ricky Ponting won the toss and Shane Watson and Simon Katich set off as if they were on fire. Sixty runs in the first hour, then off the last ball of Graeme Swann's first over Katich was lbw - and another 60 runs came in the second hour. Australia finished on 126-1.

Brilliant start. But explain to me why after taking 2-0-4-1 Swann never bowled again. Why he bowled with a defensive field. As for the rest of the team, they looked - as they did at Cardiff - as if they had no drive, no energy, no wish to be on the ground. Very strange.