Hardly after the Lord Mayor's show Flintoff comes on to bowl. We may have a stroll before the sun goes down. Too late as le soleil disparued behind a cloud quicker than Flintoff's balls. 92 mph. 36-4. I think it is Mark Poucatch who comes on. He brings up the demi streaking ladies. Midnight. No the highlights not the twilights. Come on! Or was it Dexy's Midnight Runners?
Mark P keeps us well informed during the drinks break. A stroll around the block gets us back just before the light goes. A first swallow of local cidre precedes Alec Stewart as Summariser. Discontentedly Aggers Springs into action and opens up like he used to do as a bowler by telling us that there is a drop of rain in the air. As yet no umbrellas, he points out, are up in it as no rain has begun to Fall. 59-4.
The 'round the block' was from our group of maisons past le Richardais to Chosel where one of the houses has a pretty big fishing lake that again the boys would have relished. Back up the D149 and back to the cricket. I feel refreshed after the walk. Refreshed enough to drink the rest the cidre doux, with the missus also refreshing herself with her fair share. It is or was after the missus got hold of it. Cidre Artisanal Breton to be precise. 69-4. As with the missus they are well behind. You should have batted Dravid. Du Pays de la Gacilly to be preciser. Dravid hits a six. He must have been aware of the concerns being expressed by TMS. Elabore et mis en bouteille par Jean-PaulSouchet in St- Martin/Oust to be precisest.
There are more concerns from Stewie and Aggers. Indians don't play cricket at night. Where have I heard that before? Sundown? No that was the 'when'! These Indians don't in the freezing cold anyway. It's Arlo White not Mark P. Le cidre is La Ruaudaie which I forgot to say in my precision. It is delicious. The missus thinks it is less chemical than the Supermarche one which will of course remain nameless as well as demi tasteless.
The doux we are drinking won a Medaille de bronze from the ministrere de l'Agriculture et de la peche at the Concours General Agricole in Paris 2007. Flintoff deserves a silver as he's just got Dhoni out. Dhoni deserves a gold as he walked after gloving the ball down the leg side. He was correctly given not out by Billy the Doc when England appealed the ball before. Mat Prior begins his rehab as he catches Dravid again down the leg side. Pride may well come before a fall, but it is what comes after that matters. Ask Foinavon.
Mascerenas is the bowler. Sunil is easy to listen to, as he was to watch when he batted. Two helpings of Famous Five proportions, no not Lashings - that's a cricket team back in Kent - go to prove that the missus deserves gold as well. She'll have to manage with a bit of gold top in her cocoa. It's all I can think of without being rude, Auric, I mean Arlo.
Aggers tells us that half the crowd has gone home. See we are all affected by the cold, even with Global warming. TMS seem to be losing interest. Day nighters probably don't fit in with their digestive patterns. I'm not surprised as it's half past ten here, French time.
Two fours in the last couple of minutes following some prior demi shenanagins. It probably explains where the missing half has gone. Where's the missus come to that? Another demi bottle bites the dust. I didn't hear her pop the cork, and she promised to reciprocate mine in town earlier today. Aggers thinks it is to avoid the traffic. More likely, say I, that they would have gone off to find some Jelly Beans to liven up proceedings.
A daft run out of Agarker tries to help. 131-7. Next match is Vendredi. Another day nighter Aggers informs us, with 10 overs still to go in this one. Suits me with such good reception here. Subs on. Who's off? Have they gone home too? A hat-trick of run outs. It's a two horse three legged race. India 145-8. Alec calls it a schoolboy run out. A schoolboy awoler! Almost a six, but as Stewpot said all is now lost. 154-8. Arlo says the series is 3 weeks long which is longer than our holiday. Zaheer Khan hits a six. 168-8. 7 minutes before they ring the tunes of fining time. There are those who feel they should be clamped. 606 E-Mailers would suggest putting a ball and chain on a player for every five minutes of delay. Hit them where it hurts. On the ankle!
Another six for Zaheer. Off Monty this time. Ten past eleven for us. Serious stuff this for us as only the morning offers sunshine. A 'four for' for Anderson. RP Singh. though it was almost RIP after his first ball. 183-9. 4-23 according to Malcolm, who Alec referred to as Malcolm Ashton. 4 balls left. 184-9. RP got bowled by Monty. Finis, enfin, Dauphin, Dolphin.
Flipper, it's Friday. Back to cricket. I've missed it. Thank goodness for day nighters. There would be still loads of play to go. Now what about the state of it? 329-6 they got. That sounds loads. What are we? We were 76-2. Prior made 33, Cookie 36. Pietersen is in, no he isn't , he's out! It sounds like a Shane Warne/Mike Gatting moment. The young 18 year old leg spinner Chowdra ? got him 'Through the gate with the googlie' as TMS said. They didn't seem sure at first. It was a super ball. Was he caught? Was he stumped ? No he was bowled. 134-3 becomes 156-3 by the time I've written all this. 173 more to win.
We were very carbon friendly today. Push bikes by the canal. Fishing with no catches. €10 menu, beer, wine and coffee. The missus did a lot of texting while my line drifted. Her best friend at primary school is over here for a couple of days. We almost met them today, but tomorrow will be better all round. No cricket to miss. 163-3 becomes 171-3. Tendulkar was unlucky to be given out on 99 they said. Chowla has got Collingwood. 176-4. Jack Russell is commentating. His bark may be worse than his bite, but he didn't get himself into a hole. Flintoff got five for in the India innings. We'll see how he bats.
First ball goes for four. That's how he bats. 188-5. Freddie caught on the boundary for 9. That's how he bats. Next match is Monday. We will be travelling to the next bit of Britanny. Bhopara. The next batsman not the next part of Brittany. 205-5. Justin Langer is summarising, talking about barbeques. Did we see him in Australia? I'll check with the boy. Bhopara is out for 17. Lbw.
Hey Mascarenas. Bell's on 54. 233-6 as I drift in and out of sleep. Six for Bell after Aggers calls him one dimensional. He's out next ball. I think it came at him from a different angle. 240-7. Broad. 88 to win off 45 balls. Six for Mascarenas. 4 leg byes. 253-7. 77 from 40 balls. Another six. and another one. He's making Hay while the sun shines. If only! 265-7. Broad plays the wider supporting role and gets the single. 64 from 35. M gives it back again. Keeps it with a two. 60 from 30. Simon Mann is on. Broad gets a single. 55 off 4 overs. Almost 14 an over.
Mascarenas keeps us interested with another six, and ups it by adding another one; 40 to win off 16 balls. That's a lot of boundaries. Two overs. Only 19 an over. 4, ( 50 for Mascarenas), .,1,if they don't score a boundary this ball it will need a boundary every ball. It's a no ball which screws my figures. England are screwed anyway, but we are totally skewered as M is out. 300-8. 30 off the last over.
Where are Gary and Hertchill when you need them? This is before Yuvrav and besides he's playing for the opposition, and although Broad will eventually be beside himself he isn't now and he is batting not bowling. A six from him, nevertheless. 4 more will do nicely. 20 off 4 balls. 20 off 3. 14 off 2. They could only beat us by 2. A four. Only 10 off the last ball. Missed it. Not to worry. There's always Monday, as opposed to Tuesday. I hear it's a day day game. Night night.
