OK, maybe my surgeon was right with his sneering comment about sport last week
but OMG the drama in that test match! Wresting victory from the jaws of defeat by the slimmest of margins – and unlike theatre, it’s live, happening in real time – no one knew how it was going to end. There was no playwright laughing up his sleeve, or deliberately manipulating our emotions. And I know it’s just a game – but my heart was pounding at the end.
I must confess I finished work early, and then knowing I would be cycling past the Basin Reserve on the way home I checked the game’s progress on my phone. If it looked good I was going to sneak in to watch the last few overs. But England were 8 wickets down and only needed 14 more runs so I thought they had it in the bag. So I just cycled right on by and went home. Yes, I’m a coward who lacks the mental fortitude to be a truly staunch supporter through thick and thin. The last few overs were agonizing just following it on my iPad. Anyway, I need to relax now. The adrenaline is wearing off. But I love cricket, and if that makes me stupid then so be it.