Adelaide adalast

Thoughts of cricket permeate my mind as do the traditional aches and pains that emanate from the first cricket match of the season to my body. My physical state rather than my achievements were brought to the fore by my featured friend Heath ( pronounced as in Calluna Vulgaris, no offence Heath, as opposed to Morning Cloud who fortuitously came around Saturday night to unwind over a bottle of Brindisi Rosso that I was just able to open despite the agonies I was experiencing. I gave thanks that I was not a wrist spinner and that I did not roll my wrists in getting out for a duck caught at long leg. Fortissimo as the missus was still up the ladder decorating with the high moral ground when I got back from the game, and both of us were too sore to phone for a take-away. Heath kept us from being sore with each other. Her incredulous 'Only three overs?' contextualised my plight.
Anyway getting back to past thoughts, we watched the Aussies toing and froing from breakfast and meets in the hotel. I walked down Hindley Street through the Red Light District as I'd been told there was a printer down that way who would be able to do my blog card. I eventually found it and placed my order. As with all the Aussies I met the guy in the shop was very welcoming and chatty. It was the first day of the Test Match and it was also International Aids day. I bought a T-Shirt, a badge, a wrist band and a thing that's between a dog lead and a key ring. The boy commented that I looked as if I were selling their wares. I felt the T-Shirt looked appropriate, it was a sort of cross between an England shirt and a Castlemaine 4X logo. I had thoughts of asking the Aussie team to sign it and I'd put it on E-Bay and give the proceeds to the same charity. I'd do it properly. The teams must get inundated with such requests. I know it wouldn't take much. They could pass it around over breakfast. Of course it would be washed. I've hand washed all my own T-Shirts as the Hotel prices for Laundry are sky high like the floor we are on. I didn't get anywhere. The concierge must have had orders to be very protective, which is fair enough. We won the toss and elected to bat. Still no Panesar. 'Stubbornness, stubbornness the greatest gift that I possess'. I bought a battery for the radio that the lady in the coffee queue in Brisbane gave me so I was able to agree with Richie that we were all on the edge of our seats. We were on the edges of ours to get as far forward as possible towards the sunshine as there's a fair wind that is not warm. I waved my flag, as if this is like Brisbane there will not be many opportunities. Lee opens with a maiden but there's no wickets. McGrath is bowling from our end. The radio guy says that Cook doesn't like it up him. Who does? They must have worked that out at their meeting in the hotel last night. They all looked relaxed. Richie tells us that many of the stands in the ground have not changed. They were the same in his day. First runs. Up goes the flag. Careful Cooky boy. A bottom edge almost gives a catch. We zoom up to 5. The boy has gone to the grassy slope in front of us. It is in the sun. The gorgeous lady is in a different section this time. It's not that Cyril again is it? Even though like Panesar he didn't make the Adelaide test, though unlike Panesar Cyril was injured. If the Aussies don't sign the shirt, I'll ask the gorgeous lady to sign it. Perhaps I should buy her one and offer to sign it. Now there's a cricketing thought, Richie.
It's cold here too as I write up this stuff. I turn into a hunter gatherer and I bring in some wood from the garden to burn in the wood burning stove. I have to go to the loo even though I've been once already. It must have been that prawn dish last night. How fortunate for many that I don't live in Edinburgh. A snick falls short of the slips. Richie reckons that they are too far back. I don't see any of them with earpieces in, so I don't know if they got the message. We'll see. The radio says that Fletcher wants to 'show faith in the players'. Another chancer goes by. He's got Aussie shorts and grey leggings. The boy says he saw him dancing in the streets the previous night. He is definitely here to be seen not to see. Fletcher will be dancing in the streets if we win this one. I don't like the look of him, not Fletcher the show off. I have not seen another Int Aids Day T-Shirt. No wicket for 15. Ian Chappel says that the wicket is flat and dry and they won't get England out. The Aussie crowd are either chanting 'Boring' or 'Warney'. I can't work out which, as I've got one ear tuned into the radio. McGrath is doing a lot of boot fiddling and Lee threatens to throw down Strauss' stumps. He's not like that in the hotel, despite the fact that he's a fast bowler. Up goes the flag. We've got a 4. 24-0. I see through the binocs that the Aussies are wearing red ribbons-pinned to their shirts. Good for them, they are already doing their bit. That's scuppered the T-Shirt signing. Never mind. Now where's the gorgeous lady? Lee comes off. Shane Warne is off the ground. Mitchell Johnston is on as a replacement says IC. Clark is bowling. England are wearing the ribbons too. Well done the teams. There you are. Another drinks break wicket. 1-32 He just chipped it. Damien Martin took the catch and according to Richie it was a good'un. Strauss came off looking accusingly at his bat, again according to Richie. Cooky goes. Not Warney but Clarky again. 2-45. Bill reminds us that there have only been two boundaries so far. I don't need reminding as my flag can tell me that. 58-2. Lunch. I can't hear the Barmies. They are on the opposite side of the ground. Like the lagers we have to put up with the watered down Aussie version. 22 each Belly and Collingwoody. A 4 for the lattery. Flaggy upppy. That's quite enoughy. There's a massive crash behind us. The empties are being dumped. 2-96. 39/25 to Collingwood. Michael Clarke is bowling. Some sort of victory there, I suppose. I think I went up in the lift with him. He was very pleasant. Not normally a bowler I suppose. The gorgeous lady had gone back to the hotel at lunchtime to get a jumper. It was that cold out of the sun. Warming us up was the thought that both Bell and Collingwood got their fifties off Warney. Icicles! Bell's out.
Although we went on to get to 266-3 by the end of the day, with many opportunities in the interim to flag wave, I didn't wave it once and I didn't write anything about the cricket. As I'd said the boy and his mates had moved to sunnier climes. The gorgeous lady had taken pity on me and had come up to join me. I gave her my flag to put over her knees as they were cold. ( Shame on you for such thoughts).It was freezing. The session was very fruitful. She solved all my present pressing pressie buying problems. Koala bears made out of dead kangaroo would feature, as would opal. I told you it was fruitful. She would take me shopping on our day off to all the places. She'd been here before, but not in the cold, Richie.