Ashes To Ashes

When you're growing up in England, that is to say if you're growing up like any true Englishman and that is as a cricket fan, one of the biggest thrills was to listen to the cricket on the radio from Australia. The BBC's Test Match Special would (and still does) deliver ball by ball coverage of each and every England game. But really, the cricket was just a diversion that got in the way of a slew of conversations that would, more often than not, be about which kind of cakes has been baked and sent in to the commentators to feast upon. Twenty years ago, England retained the little urn down under at just about the time I was getting into the glorious game. It all seemed so easy as England put away the weak Aussies and a right and natural order was in place...

Right now, it's 3.15am and I am at work looking after our interactive service of the 2006/07 Ashes series. We're in the fourth test and England have already lost, going 3-0 down a couple of weeks ago. I'm in a makeshift gallery and have the radio on at my desk, a graphics operator to my left and an engineer probably being extremely sensible and catching 40 winks in his office. Out of sight, out of mind and you could argue that we are the ones out of our minds being here, watching England lurch from one defeat to another. Television Centre here in Shepherds Bush is not exactly alluring at the best of times and I can't help but wonder what the nine year old me would have said had he found out that I'd be doing this. On the one hand, I am being paid to watch cricket ("hey, that's cool!" the nine year old me and - to a lesser extent - 29 year old version has just exclaimed), sort out the viewers' texts and emails and write some copy from time to time. I'm not entirely certain what the other hand is trying to say but, well, I guess the romance of hearing about Ian Botham's latest six or Alan Lamb smashing 18 runs from the last over of a game is somewhat lacking. These Aussies sure know how to wear you down as it doesn't look like England are capable of ever taking a wicket again. It's 3.24am.