Eng v Aus, Edgbaston, 4th Aug 2005

407 runs, 10 wickets, 10 sixes - and no this wasn't Twenty20 cricket, just one of the most remarkable opening days of a Test of all time! KP, Freddie and Tresco on fire with the bat, Warne with another "ball of the century" to get rid of Strauss, even the tailenders getting in on the act by clearing the ropes a couple of times. And only a bit of rain late on prevented us seeing half an hour or so of Australia's reply as well.

I think I'll have to wait a few years to see another day's play like that. Didn't have tickets for the remaining days but seem to remember they weren't bad either...

I missed the final, decisive, pant-soilingly tense morning of the Test, as I was in transit to see family - safe in the knowledge that England would easily polish off those couple of needed wickets and square the series.

In a way, I'm glad I missed it, as I'd have been throwing stuff at the TV by the end.

I turned on the radio just as I pulled into to my brother's place. I couldn't find a live commentary, but some station or other was talking about the game - said they were going for an advert break, and when they returned England will either have lost or won.

How had it come to this?

Announcer comes back, very calmly - a tinge of surprise in his voice - goes "they've won," and that was that.

Went inside, saw replays of the final wicket, happy days.

Not really an "I was there" kind of story because, basically, the only place I was was in my car, but there you go.

Dello wrote:I missed the final, decisive, pant-soilingly tense morning of the Test, as I was in transit to see family - safe in the knowledge that England would easily polish off those couple of needed wickets and square the series.

In a way, I'm glad I missed it, as I'd have been throwing stuff at the TV by the end.

I turned on the radio just as I pulled into to my brother's place. I couldn't find a live commentary, but some station or other was talking about the game - said they were going for an advert break, and when they returned England will either have lost or won.

How had it come to this?

Announcer comes back, very calmly - a tinge of surprise in his voice - goes "they've won," and that was that.

Went inside, saw replays of the final wicket, happy days.

Not really an "I was there" kind of story because, basically, the only place I was was in my car, but there you go.

Probably best to start an "I was not there" forum for this sort of experience.

BTW, I wasn't there either. In fact I wasn't here by a much bigger margin than you weren't there as I was approximately 10,000 miles away.

ten years after wrote:

Dello wrote:I missed the final, decisive, pant-soilingly tense morning of the Test, as I was in transit to see family - safe in the knowledge that England would easily polish off those couple of needed wickets and square the series.

In a way, I'm glad I missed it, as I'd have been throwing stuff at the TV by the end.

I turned on the radio just as I pulled into to my brother's place. I couldn't find a live commentary, but some station or other was talking about the game - said they were going for an advert break, and when they returned England will either have lost or won.

How had it come to this?

Announcer comes back, very calmly - a tinge of surprise in his voice - goes "they've won," and that was that.

Went inside, saw replays of the final wicket, happy days.

Not really an "I was there" kind of story because, basically, the only place I was was in my car, but there you go.

Probably best to start an "I was not there" forum for this sort of experience.

BTW, I wasn't there either. In fact I wasn't here by a much bigger margin than you weren't there as I was approximately 10,000 miles away.

[laughing]

I was there on that fateful final morning.

Seriously thought I was going to lose my breakfast over the back of the shirt of the bloke sat in front of me as the Aussies closed in.

Got as far as tasting the bile in my mouth . . . usually the point of no return.

Bruised my calves in leaping up when Kasper gloved it to Grunt as my usually hopeless optimism had me airborne (and for good reason for once) a good second before those around me who waited for Billy's crooked finger, and the guy behind me must have had his knees on my seat stopping it from tipping up - he probably still talks about his bruised knees.

Unbelievable scenes followed.

Was only out in the sun for a couple of hours, the duration of that session, but had some of the worst sunburn of my life on my forehead (bear in mind I can be out in the sun for 6 or more hours some days when I attempt to play the game), and can only put this down to some freakish hormonal reaction to the stress of that morning's proceedings.

That whole day is now, and always will be, fresher in my mind than some days from the last couple of weeks . . . christ only knows how the players must have been feeling then, and now when they recall it.