In eighteen months I hope to watch sunrise over Ularu. I just watched England reclaim the ashes after 18 years. I was glued to the box all day, and there were moments when I thought this blog entry would be full of bile towards the aussies. They were going to win, and I hated them for it. Yet this would have been totally unwarranted. Win or loose, Australia remain one of the finest cricket sides ever. Moreover, by all accounts, this series has been played to the highest standards of conduct. It seems ‘beasting’ was a myth – the games seemed like it was played between good friends. shayne warne, I should add, is a demon!

I thus offer the deepest commiserations to my Australian friends. See you for the next Ashes series.