So forgive me for not updating yesterday but I was out partying hardy with Ron (I wish). Luckily, I only have good things to report.
Lets do the football first. Nasri put on a scintillating display for Arsenal and helped them to a 2-1 win at home against Fulham in what was a great match (by all accounts - I did not actually see it because of all that partying but I read about it and rejoiced in their glory). To add to the joy, Chelsea continued their poor form and drew with Birmingham. Man U are yet to play (playing tomorrow eve) so have a game-in-hand but as it stands right now in the table, Arsenal are top on 32, Man U second on 31, and Chelsea third with 30. If Man U lose tomorrow I will be a happy ducky...
I've been watching the Aegon Masters Tennis at The Albert Hall which has been great. Ivanisevic won the singes today. Tiger Tim got to the semi-finals. All the matches are so entertaining because everyone's so layed back. The doubles are especially great. The final was between Pat Rafter/Peter McNamara and Henry Leconte/Mansour Bahrami. All good people - my crush on Pat Rafter lives on even though he no longer has the ponytail - and such entertainment. Even my mother was happy to sit down and watch these four going at it. Bahrami is a genius.
Ok, enough messing around, lets get down to the important stuff. Cricket. The Ashes. Second Test, Day 2-3. So England had got off to the perfect start - bowled the Aussie's out for a delightful 245. They needed to back this up with a powerful batting display - a win here would be a huge step to retaining The Ashes and winning Down Under for the first time since the mid-eighties. Strauss and Cook strutted out onto the field, no doubt feeling upbeat and confident thanks to the impressive bowling and fielding the day before. Strauss, however, was not to personally continue this Aussie massacre. He had a brief lapse of judgement and left a ball he thought would miss the stumps... unfortunately, it did not.
So in trots Trott. Cook and Trott put on another great partnership - 173 runs. Then Pietersen joined the festivities and quickly clocked up a meaty 85. Cook, however, once again looked the best as he hit a 136 not out.
Day 3 and Australia need an early wicket in order to stop the rot and have any hope of getting something out of this second Test. Pietersen looks the more likely to go out as he's the more flamboyant player and therefore more at risk but it's steady Cook who goes first. A great ball from Harris forced him into an inside edge and wicketkeeper Haddin takes a fine diving catch to his right. Cook went for 148 after batting for 1,058 minutes since his last dismissal in the first innings of the opening Test in Brisbane. That really is a long time and pretty amazing.
On comes Collingwood (all-together now - 'The Paul Scholes of Cricket' (can I put my own quote in quotation marks? Audacious)) and notches up a handy 42 before an lbw sees him off. Pieterson, meanwhile, has notched up a 150 and pleased as punch he is about it. He let out a squeal of delight as he hits his hundred; his first Test hundred since March 2009. Bell, on fine fettle for some time now, came out firing, notching up a 41 not out by the days close. Pietersen finished the premature end-of-day (due to rain) with 213. That's two innings in a row with a player hitting a double century. None too shabby.
So England finished the day 551 - 4, which is 306 runs ahead. It's more than likely Strauss will declare overnight as there are more rain storms predicted over the next two days. Whatever happens ours is a very commanding position to be in and we should - should - win this Test.
I'll keep you blogged...
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