Glorious cricket!

I shall be eternally grateful to all those good and true English men who took the trouble to guide my decidely French woman's mind through the maze of delight of the rules of cricket. I has taken a long time: from 1969's timid beginnings with Peter Ansorge expert tuition, to the 2005 finishing touches which are as we speak, being put to my knowledge of the noble game, by his son and heir, the very erudite Paul Ansorge.

There is something majestic about the pace of cricket, and something incredibly delightful about the language of commentary: "There was something convincing about Hunting's performance"..."The bat hits the ground, that's noise one, and then it hits the ball, that's noise two"...Wonderful stuff! The dialogue of the commentators has its own star quality!

What prompted me to write to-day was in fact, a piece of commentary which cheered me up no end! To wit:

" Very few players of McGrath's age are free of the odd niggle, a little niggle here or there"...

Being, as I am, one with many "niggles" on the old body...I felt reassured that a young fit australian bowler - I can only hope I've that right!?)- is also suffering little "niggles". So: I am in good company, no?

I'm off now, with more of a spring to my step, to visit another one of my friends who suffers from little niggles because of her /our age! Champion!

I am only sorry that I will miss the rest of this afternoon's play...Still I'll be listening on Radio 4 on the way there, and may be highlights in the evening?

Have a good Fifth Test, if you are at all that way enclined!

Jocelyne