July 18th (Fri)

It's the early show, and over to Thame for 8 where I get lost and arrive ten minutes late. H is waiting, and most understanding. She's another of my current lovely trio of pretty happy competent girls. It's a purple patch for sure!
No probs with H, then over to Amersham for a brief hour with J the lad, which goes fine. Then the lesson I have been dreading. Yes, it's J in Harefield, who moans, whines, whinges, drives like a prat as usual and then ends by saying "So I'll pass on Monday will I?" Pleas God make sure she does so there is no prospect of ever having to conduct a lesson with her again. Realistically the only question is whether she'll fail with some form of dignity, or if she'll have the examiner walking back having abandoned the test.
The second test has started at Headingley. Amazingly this is the fifth test of the summer, which used to be the year's home ration. The fifth test followed certain constraints. Firstly it started on a Thursday. In fact all tests did so, the sole exception I can remember being in 1970 when a general election took place, and the game started on a Wednesday with a rest day to follow (Sundays were rest days too in those days, what a quaint notion that now seems!). Secondly the fifth test took place at the Oval (at least the real HQ of cricket still gets to see the season out), but most importantly the fifth test takes place as the first chills of autumn touch the English evening and the late summer shadows stretch long across the scruffy turf.
Now the imperative is to cram in seven tests a summer, along with god knows how many meaningless ODIs. Soon I suspect Twenty20 numbers will mushroom in turn. England spring a real surprise by picking a 30 year old Aussie, who has played but 12 first class games and taken 40 wickets. I had never even heard mention of him before his inclusion in the team was revealed ten minutes before start of play. Most bizarre.
England collapse to 203 all out, and SA get halfway there for 3 wickets. The new man bowls a couple of overs and is despatched into the long grass. I have the feeling his place in history is to appear in a few highly esoteric pub quizzes. Bizzare.