The Ashes, Summer, and Renovation

Well,summer has apparently hit England and winter has landed in Australia (not coincidentally), but as far as I can tell the weather is the same. The main reason you can tell it's summer in England at the moment is the amount of cricket that's going on, particularly the tournament that's dear to every Australian's heart, the Ashes.

This traditional game between Blighty and her colony began after an Australian team, having thoroughly beaten their British counterparts, burned part of the wicket and presented its ashes to the English team, pronouncing English cricket dead. This insult obviously had to be answered, and so every two years or so a test match is played out, usually with the Aussies winning.

I say 'two years or so' because, cricket being a summer game and the matches alternating hemispheres, it's between 18 and 30 months for every test. This year's is in England but from the weather, it might as well be in Australia because it's just as 'summery' over there at the moment.

To me, test cricket has to be in horrible heat, with the grass turning yellow and the game enjoyed with a nice picnic full of summery foods. Frequent breaks because the bowler's hands are too cold just don't seem right.

I am ever-so-slowly reconstructing the tips on this site, and hopefully soon will make it a little easier to navigate.