Cricket work

So, it looks like this Test could finish today or early tomorrow, so truncating my holiday. But you never know. Within my own recent memory there is another Test with a very similar pair of innings totals to this point. As Pakistan made 119 in their first innings here, Australia in 1997 at Edgbaston made 118. England responded then with 478 for 9 declared, to the 461 for 9 declared they have scored this time round; and Australia, rather than folding, put together 477 in their second innings, with a famous century from Mark Taylor. This left England needing to exactly match Australia's first innings total to win, as they duly did. The scorecard for that game is here. I'm not expecting a repeat.

Anyone out there envying me my holiday should understand that, in this heat and humidity, it's really hard work sitting in the sun all day watching cricket. You have to concentrate on the game while you're sweltering. Plus: for much of the time there are people around you making what can only be described as an unpleasant racket. So it's hard, I tell you. Others don't realize. I arrive home in the evening exhausted.

While the theme is cricket, here's a new record for you: Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have broken the record for a Test partnership. They put on 624 (click on 'full scorecard') for the third wicket in the Test against South Africa.