For months, this day had been marked in our diaries as Day Five of the Lord's Test, but as it often happens in Test cricket, it wasn't meant to be. Yesterday turned to be not particularly worthy of a blog entry - all I'd have written is that my tour buddies and I sat in our hospitality box at the cricket, quickly losing interest in the match being played out in front of us. As the day went on and it became increasingly obvious that we weren't going to be able to make the runs required to snatch this match away from England, the girls and I found ourselves congregating inside the back of our corporate box, drowning our sorrows in tea, coffee and the odd macaroon.
On a brighter note, we finally got to meet the delightful former Australian Prime Minister John Howard who had been sitting in the Cricket Australia box next door all week. He seemed genuinely excited to meet all of us as well, eager to know who belonged to which Australian cricketer and how we were all enjoying ourselves. In the days beforehand I had been telling myself that if I did get to meet him, that I should be super careful not blurt out something stupid like "I love you!" (despite the fact I do have a huge soft spot for 'little Johnny'). So when I did get introduced to him and words just started spewing uncontrollably out of my mouth, including "I LOVE YOU! You were my FAVOURITE Prime Minister EVER!!" I just wanted to punch myself in the face. It was probably the most pathetic thing I've ever said and one I'll find it difficult to overcome any time soon.
Today however is now an official day of rest for the team, so with everyone enjoying the morning with their families and friends, Ed and I went to meet his father, brother and sister-in-law for brunch and a mid-morning walk. One thing we have been incredibly blessed with on this tour so far is the weather - with temperatures hovering around the mid-twenties or so, it's been absolutely divine. Long walks around Kensington Gardens (next door to our hotel) or up and down Kensington High Street have been much enjoyed by many of the touring party in recent days, but tomorrow I think we'll all be more than ready to move down to Brighton and leave the disappointment of the Lord's Test result behind.
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| Meeting Australia's former Prime Minister John Howard |
