Clash of the titans.  As it's being billed here in the UK.

India coming off a winning tour in the Windies and England having sent Sri-Lanka home with their tail between their legs...!  It's difficult to find decent odds to back either side.

4 tests and 5 ODI's.  So long as the rain keeps off it looks like a good July/August in the UK. As far as I can work out England have the bowling but India have the batting.  Bring it on, as they say.

Although, the Lankans haven't actually gone home.  They have an ODI series against the Paddies and Jocks.

W00t! C'mon India!!

Let me guess Dek, you are more of an Asian sub-continent extraction than, for example, Caucasian...

Don't know why I wrote Caucasian, I hate that Americanism.  Let's say north-western-ish European instead, excluding Bradford and Oldham of course.

...and perhaps Luton

But I am also supporting South Africa in the Tri-Nations.

Figure that one out! muahahaha

If anyone managed to figure you out they would become very rich....

Seriously??

*starts figuring herself out*

First Test has 40, overs to go. It's just after tea on the final day. India need to bat out for a draw or England need 5 wickets for a win.  My money is on whatever it turns out to be...  I suppose India could even win if they score another 235 runs.

Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad ripped through the final 5 wickets to give England an amazing win over India.  Lords was packed to the gunnels for the last day of a test match.  Pity I couldn't get down there. The atmosphere, I'm told, was amazing.  There is a huge Indian community in the UK.  Most of them are (apparently) ardent England cricket fans, especially the 2nd and 3rd generation ones but when India comes here they kind of slip back a bit.  I don't have a problem with that, after all I live in England and will always shout for the Welsh in Rugby Union... I read somewhere that Sachin has become the most popular name for baby boys born to UK Indians...

This is going to be rather an exciting series.  England are 1-0 up and the second test starts tomorrow at Trent Bridge.  I (and everyone else) expect the Indians to come out with all guns blazing - they are, after all, the worlds number one test side and they didn't get that by being mamby-pamby wound licking excuse-mongers.

But I am also supporting South Africa in the Tri-Nations.

And how's that going so far ... ?

If anyone managed to figure you out they would become very rich....

Point of difference I'd say. Let the pennies start rolling in ...

I read somewhere that Sachin has become the most popular name for baby boys born to UK Indians

A chap rang mum a while back telling her he was Jim Davies from Microsoft in Sydney and her computer had a virus which needed sorting out etc etc and she would have to go to a particulat website and download this and that etc etc ... basically scam written all over it but she didn't have a clue. She rang me and told me these Indian people had been calling and wanted to know what was going on so I sorted her out. But worse than her having no idea she's from Kingaroy and unfortunately 65 years in the big smoke hasn't managed to remove the bush intolerance just yet. So armed with the knowledge that she'd been had, when Jim rang her back the following day, as he said he would, she replied ... " if you're Jim Davis I'm Sachin Fucking Tendulkar you twat now bugger off and never ring this number again ... " Line goes dead.

LOL...  That is just what Mums do best...

On the pennies thing, you have to admit that if, as a bloke, you had some idea of what was going on in there, it would have to be worth a fortune.  Although, she does keep telling us that she is unique, in which case I'd be completely wrong...

End of third day of second test in Trent Bridge England into second innings...  England are 374 ahead (441 for 6) and with two days to go look like piling on another 100 or so before putting India in for their second innings.  Hopefully the result will be sorted tomorrow because I will be there watching...

It should be another win for England but one can never be confident about beating India.  Just like one can never be confident about beating England (unless it's 5 tests then the result will inevitably be, 5-0)

It was a pretty good day for England yesterday at Trent Bridge (I wonder if Miss Legs was there?).  A damn good win against the Indians.  2-0 in the series and one win away from top spot.   (poor Dek - how's the Tri-Nations going?)

I never say I'm unique.

I do claim to be mad...

Tri - Nations = sigh

We need Percy Montgomery back!!

Yeah we need Paddy Batch, Michael Lynagh and David Campese back but it aint gonna happen.

Well, after Edgbaston (still think they should spell it with an 'e' - idiot Brummies!) - an innings and 300-odd run win for England, the Indians were (again) crucified at the Kennington Oval.  Albeit by a smaller margin of an innings and 8 runs.  Despite the weather England declared on 500 and plenty, India came in, then followed-on and were all out 8 runs short about an hour before tea.  I think that the Indians were completely outclassed by the England bowling attack.  One big innings by Dravid (146 N.O.) who carried his bat to the follow-on and even a brilliant 91/84 partnership by Tendulkar/Mishra was nowhere near enough after a Bell/Petersen 235/175.

England on top of the world test rankings and it looks like only the Saffies are anywhere near them.

You can read about it here (with an Indian bias...) 

Saf's will always be second.