Ashes Test: Cardiff

The First Ashes test between England and Australia in the middle of this year was in Wales - at Sophia Gardens, in Cardiff.

The much anticipated tour after the last encounter in Australia, which saw the Aussies dominate, but then also the Aussies even performances against South Africa and then dismal showing against Pakistan in the UAE, and England's gaining as a top test nation again.

The English summer did not disappoint expectations, delivering a dull, cloudy and chilly couple of days. Light sent us to the pubs in Cardiff a little early on a few occasions. But the civilised start times in the morning allowed for a walk to the ground through town.

Past Cardiff castle each time, and through the gardens along the river, getting to the ground was a pleasure each time.

The English side won the toss and went in to bat on Day 1, following a bizarre play-delaying opening ceremony on-field. The Aussie bowlers get into the action pretty early, and quick wickets made for entertaining viewing to warm the Aussie section of the crowd a little.

The Poms finished on 7/343 at the end of the days play, which included Root's impressive 134, and we went on to find a few watering holes in the streets between the ground and our hotel.

The next day saw the handful of Sheilas in the traveling Waving The Flag group display our pink, adding some much needed variety to the grey, green and gold sea of our allocated section. And captured in a rare moment of sun!

England's Ali added a further 50 to his overnight total, to eventually fall at 77, and Starc then finished them off, grabbing a 5 wicket haul for the innings. England has 430.

The Aussies were soon in trouble, and the struggles of newly crowned best batsman Smith began with the English summer - they just seemed to have him worked out!

Rogers went on to score 95, creating anticipation and just missing out, and then the Aussies finished the day on 5/264.

Australia ticked past 300 in the morning of Day 3, but then were all out just 8 runs later. For the most interesting day of the test, the Aussies then took a few quick opening wickets, before England dug in until Root and Bell were both dismissed for 60 a piece.


England were all out for 289, setting Australia the unlikely target of 412 for victory, with talk of rain on the final day.

The Aussies were ticking along initially on Day 4, with Warner and Smith putting together a 78 run partnership. We celebrated Luke's birthday in the stand with cake and hats, and the Australia's were then 2/92 at lunch.

What followed was a session of capitulation, with England taking six wickets for 65 runs. The tea break saw the scoreboard says 7/162 - a blessing that we couldn't read it properly with the angle of our seats!

The great Mitchell Johnson was the only joy for the rest for the day, with 77 runs next to his name, but soon after Australia was all out for 242, 196 runs short of the target.

This led to us having an unexpected day off in Cardiff the following day - which I totally wasted with a hangover. Usual story on tour!

Australia v England - World Cup Cricket

With the 2015 ICC World Cup hosted in both Australia and New Zealand this Summer, we got the priviledge to get along to a few games, the first one being the dual opening match at the MCG between Australia and England.

Taking our seats in the outer, we soon started melting in the sun, and the sweltering Melbourne weather. A hot day, made even more so by an unusual humid air. We needed to move from row to row in the first innings to avoid it - and then were bemused by the use of fire bursts to add to the hot conditions with every boundary scored!

Australia took to the bat in the first innings, and Victorian opener Finch blasted away, scoring an exciting 135 before being run out, essentially setting up the match.

Good Aussie support from in-form Maxwell and Bailey had the home side poised at 9/342 for the innings change.

As the sun dipped behind the stands towards the city, we took our proper seats for the second innings, and watched in delight as March took 5 wickets, leaving a gallant Taylor on 98 without any more partners.

Australia had the win, and a great start for the World Cup.

Palestine Plays Jordan In The Asia Cup In Melbourne

As Australians, we take for granted the opportunity of watching our national team play any number of world sports, on a world stage. But for Palestinians, the prospect of watching their team compete in a championship of any kind...well, I admit, I cannot even imagine the pride!

FIFA is one of the only world bodies in the world to recognise Palestine as it's own entity - the UN is still in battles about doing the same. Which meant that this strip of highly contested land and it's people were able to represent in the Asia Cup, played in Australia for the past month.

I went along to the Palestine v Jordan game when I was home in Melbourne last, to soak in the energy, joy and sheer unadulterated pride these Arabs had for their team, and identity.

Walking into the ground, which was played at AAMI Stadium, labelled Melbourne Rectangular Stadium for this tournament, was electric. There were groups of people gathering, music playing, cheering and dancing. Families all decked out in their flag and their colours.

The stadium was not full, by any stretch, but what it lacked in bums on seats, it made up for in voice and song, and atmosphere.

The two sides, only distinguishable by a star on the Jordanian flag, stood and honoured their national song - the Palestinians each standing, facing their flag, hands on heart.

The game kicked off, under the blazing sinking Melbourne summer sun. The Jordanians too strong, kicking away to a 4-0 lead.

But then the single Palestine goal happened, and the place erupted. The emotional was contagious, and you could not help but raise to your feet and cheer for this young side, faced with such adversity just to be there.

Jordan scored another goal, to take the match 5-1, but really the notion of humanity was the winner on this night. Sport bring people together.

There's Been Something Spiritual About This Test Series

This Test series here in Australia, against India, has been about so much more than just cricket.

I first read the devastating news of Phil Hughes' fatal injury when I was at work - one of my sister's actually sent me through a message just as I started reading about it, to check I was aware - and watched and waited like the rest of the worldwide cricket family with hope. I was glued to the feeds of news and updates for the 2 days. And then when the news came through of the 25 year old's death I needed to step away. I got back out to work, to do something meaningful. To remind myself of all that is really important in the world.

I watched our great captain Clarke work through his grief, lead his team, and support the Hughes family. I watched through a live stream, the funeral from country NSW, and teared up at the love and strength shown in Clarkie's eulogy. Never have I been so proud of a sporting figure.

Work had me out of contact and out of touch for the first day of the Adelaide Test, the first day of cricket since the abandoned match that took Hughes' life. I was flying home, on my way to Adelaide, to join MY cricket family.

It has been a little tough for me to feel the full weight of the emotion of it all, I think because of what I do, where I work, and what I hear about every day. But seeing the shrine of bats and flowers and messages out the front of Adelaide Oval, and in front of the photo of Phil Hughes brought it home for me.

The final stands of the RADelaide Test, with the impossible victory that Australia pulled off in the closing session...felt magical. Something spiritual was going on, something special. Whether we believe that Phil was looking down, or whether we just acknowledge that this playing group were playing more to honour their fallen mate than just for the mere game, it felt very different to any other win I have been present for. It was emotional. Meaningful.

I watched the rest of the series from home on a respite for the rescheduled Brisbane test, from grabs from the TV at work during the Melbourne test, and then again on a respite break just now for the Sydney test. Australia have taken the series 2-0, with 2 draws being the last results. Many significant cricket aspects went on this series - the Clarke injury, the newly crowned captaincy for Smith, the incredible form of Smith, Warner's grit, Johnson's unstoppable bowling, Dhoni's retirement, Kohli's form and captaincy...but there was a greater, more serious theme.

The collective draw of breath and fear that rippled through the ground, and screens, when the very first bouncer hit a batsman on the helmet. And each time someone reached 63. These were painful reminders of the tragic loss.

Images from the Summer like Smith's first hundred, in Adelaide, when he raised his bat to the sky, standing by the 408 painted on the ground. The whole team managing to gather together in winning jubilation, again, just above that 408 on the ground at the Adelaide Oval. Warner's hundred in Sydney, when he went to ground and kissed the pitch where Hughes had fallen. These will be lasting memories from this emotional Summer. Far greater than the series score.

Vale Phillip Hughes. Forever Young.

Pakistan Plays Australia In Dubai

A tour for Australia to play Pakistan in the UAE sounded like the perfect excuse to catch some cricket, and visit my first Arab land in my travels, in the absence of tours getting to travel to Pakistan in the current, ongoing political climate. I managed to get along to just the first 2 days of the test, around my other commitments around the world!

The Waving The Flag group caught a mini-bus from our hotel to the ground. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium - or Sports City as it had emblazoned on all signs, was by the highway loops in the desert inland from the Dubai Marina. An unusual view coming into the cricket group - sand and desolate space. Despite the free entry to the ground for all patrons, our small group was half of the attendance for both days, sadly.

The Aussies lost the toss, and were send out into the field in the blazing heat - with a cracking start! A wicket each from pacemen regulars Johnson and Siddle in the first 4 overs gave our Aussie flag wavers something to jump out of our seats and make some noise about.

But that's really where Australia left it, with the Pakistani batsmen having their way with our 2 debutante bowlers, piling on the runs. The first day ended with the score at 4/219.

Day 2 was much of the same - hot and many runs from Pakistan. The most interesting part of the days play was seeing the blood spill from Zulfiqar Babar, after receiving a sharp ball to the glove. He retired hurt as a result, and then shortly after at Tea, the "home side" finished their First Innings at 454.

The Australian openers got a start before losing their first wicket, and the end of the day's play had Warner set for a Ton on tour the next day.

I was flying home for Days 3, and probably Day 4 too, and upon hearing the scores, wasn't too sad about that! Pakistan finished the game on Day 5, defeating Australia by 221 runs. The next test begins in Abu Dhabi this week...the Aussies hoping for a better show!

Happy Team At Hawthorn Go Back To Back - Premiers 2014

Amazingly, we got tickets in the Members' ballot for the fourth time and made our way very early last Saturday to the MCG for the big game.

This was after the week build up, which included the final training session out at Waverley, and then the GF Parade through the city, and many drinks afterwards to prepare for the big day ahead.

In the Standing Room bay as early as the gates opened, to ensure a spot at the front, we were in for a long, nervous wait.

As the times before, these hours did while away pretty fast, and before we knew it Sir Tom Jones was singing, then the teams ran out, and then the Australian anthem was sung. And then game on!

Hawthorn verses Sydney again, but this time with Buddy having switched teams. Bad luck for him, as it would be. Poetic justice, really!

The Hawks shot out of the blocks right from the first quarter, and played the game of their lives! A 63 point win in the end, and so many great individual stories! Hodge, and his second Norm Smith Medal. Clarko's illness during the year, and Bolton's caretaker role with a perfect record for the 5 games coached. The journeys of Langford and Spangher. The joy goes on!

Once the siren sounded we celebrated in our section, singing the song, and then cheered each of the Hawks as they went up to collect their medal from the day. We then joined the boundary line for the lap of honour.

Incredibly, we were at the very spot where Gibbo and Spangher jumped up over the fence with the cup for this exciting moment:

The night at the 'G continued as the entertainment was featured again, before the team was presented to the adoring crowd of Happy Hawthorn supporters. Another amazing premiership. Awesome to achieve the back to back streak.

Victory At Newlands - Third Test

The most beautiful sports ground in the world, with Table Mountain as the backdrop, gave us a full test match for the third and final for the Australian tour of South Africa - with an Aussie win, right to the wire.

We arrived at Newlands with the series even after the first two tests, and found that our Waving The Flag crew had the best seats in the house - in a little triangular patch of grass on the bottom tier of the stand. Perfect.

The Aussies won the toss, and set out on a cracking batting pace, to set a target in the first innings. This ran across into Day 2, our traditional Chick Pink Day, where many of us managed a photo in the middle of the pitch, with the SA Lion.

(This photo, and the last one, are from Colin's collection)

Rain, would you believe, ended Day 2, allowing for many Third Session drinks in the nearest pub - where we met Saffas dressed as Smurfs. Almost as weird as wearing pink to the cricket!

South Africa got to have a bat on Day 3, but did not last the day, with Johnson and Harris having great days at work, 4 and 3 wickets respectively.

Setting the South Africans a target of 511, the Aussies declared in their second innings, and set up the remainder of the test as a race the the win/draw.

The task of just 10 good balls to win always sounds easy, but this last day delivered on drama and tension, before the Australians claimed those last wickets to win the series.

A month in South Africa, with three cricket matches, and so much to see, our tour was topped by a visit out to the pitch after the crowds had left. Our group in the centre of Newlands, soaking it in. It was pretty amazing!

Greatest AFL Footy Game Ever

Being away at work for tonight's Qualifying Final at the MCG is heart-breaking. I have asked around to find the best place to watch it here after work, and Jane and I will draw battle lines and struggle to get through the game after a touch week and rotation retrospectively. There is also a possibility that the island will still be out of beer!

These games, between Hawthorn and Geelong are just so good! Being there 2 weeks ago for the Hawthorn win in season was pretty amazing - just wish I could be there and see the same tonight. Alas!

In our preparation for the Preliminary Final last year, to slay the titan that is Geelong - the team that had at that point beaten us in every match since our amazing 2008 Grand Final win (that’s 11 cracking, but heart-wrenching games!) - the sisters and I had watched the two GFs that we beat Geelong, including the epic and brutal 1989 win. And watching it again left us with no doubt that it is the greatest game of AFL we will ever see.

They just don't play football like that anymore!

The brutality is actually shocking, after being so sensitised to such play seeing the modern game. The hits, the tackles, and of course, those opening moments where Brereton went down. And then amazingly got up, heaving for air...moving back to the forward pocket, and somehow taking that mark and kicking a goal.

Incredible!

The emotion of this 1989 game is so intense. Watching it brought back memories about where we were for it - with Mum being there.

In the Finals month last year there was also a documentary about this match, having many players from both sides interviewed and recalling specific memories of their own. The vivid image of the story of Dipper and Dermie sitting up in hospital together the night of the epic win, will be one that stays with me.

Such an amazing victory, which could have gone either way. Such amazing footy memories, and legend that makes Hawthorn the club it is today.

Here's hoping for a similar victory tonight - but hopefully far less brutal! Go Hawks!

Couple Of Interstate Matches

Thwarted at last minute attempts to go to this weekend's match in Adelaide, given that I have been unexpectedly grounded from work, - the match was sold out over a week ago! - I have managed to see the Hawks play at a few more interstate matches this season. More interstate than home at the MCG, in fact.

The first of these latest ones was a much anticipated match up against trade traitor Buddy Franklin - the Hawks played the Swans at ANZ Stadium on a Friday night before I was due to go back to work, and fit in perfectly.

A gathering came together in outer Sydney, before we all made our way to the match. B and her parents, Cass and Flash, Melissa and LB and myself found ourselves our seats right in the middle of the Hawthorn supporters section - a delight for the home supporters in our group!

Nervous about the match ups, as this game was and is always a real test for the two sides, we were most impressed with our Hawks for much of the game. Buddy seemed to have a usual match for him - inaccuracy after frustrating inaccuracy, and his deflection did not seem to bother us at all. But then he had a third quarter burst of brilliance, as he is want to do, and blew the game apart. Bloody Buddy!

The next match, many weeks later, was down in Tasmania. An annual trip for me, I got down to Launceston bemused after reading a ridiculous article about how the footy experiment in Tassie wasn't working out.

Laura, and her mates joined me from across the country and from down in Hobart, for the match, between Hawthorn and West Coast.

The Hawks had a great day out, as this Tassie jaunt often gives us a happy hunting ground, and the lads were cheered off with enthusiastic cheers and singing.

All throughout the weekend - spying Hawks and Eagles colours of people in the streets on the Saturday morning before the match, seeing a pretty decent crowd at Aurora Stadium, and then spotting Hawks fans all over the town that night, and still more brown and yellow to be seen on the roads leading south, all the way to Hobart - I couldn't help be reminded of that spiteful article. Yeah, footy down in Tassie is not working at all!

Our group alone enjoyed the little city for a night, sampled the ciders, the beers and the wines. I vaguely remember some local food being consumed also. Then we took in some local sights before roadtripping to Hobart. The trip to Tassie for the footy is such a great Winter getaway.

Haven't been to a live match since, stuck with waking in the early hours over my recent travels and streaming the radio coverage. Still, the Hawks are looking good to me this year, again!

Series Leveller At St George's Park

The end of our roadtrip along the Garden Route had us arrive in Port Elizabeth the evening before the start of the Second Test between South Africa and Australia, which was our intention. Chilling out with an ocean view at our hotel, we caught back up with the travelling Waving The Flag crew, and prepared for days of cricket again.

Taking our place in the stands of St George's Park the next morning, the Saffas won the toss and went in to bat - and proceeded to pile on the runs until bad light brought us mercy at the end of the day!

The home side carried on in the same vein the next day, until we finally got them all out after Tea, for 423.  Our horror then continued, as 4 Aussie wickets fell in the final session.

A very different game to the one we had been witness to in Pretoria!

Our evening activities were the highlight of the PE Test, with the first night finding us a crazy group karaoke night at Captains. The next night found us at the impressive Bridge Street Brewery, for tunes and amazing food. A bunch of us decided to explore the hyped dining experience of Stanley Street on a Saturday night, and constructed an amazing progressive dinner along the strip of restaurants open.

The Australians managed just 246 for the first innings, finishing at Lunch on Day 3.

As the band played for most of the final day in the stand adjacent to us, the Aussies were firmly beaten by 231 runs on Day 4. A couple of us actually ducked down the hill at Lunch for a bit of a Sunday session, which was very difficult to leave and watch the end of the match live!

Final drinks were had overlooking the empty ground from the Members Stand, as we all contemplated the status of a very alive test series.

A Couple Of Footy Games

I just know already that I am not going to get along to many AFL games this year, because of my FIFO work schedule and loads of travel planned, so in the last respite break at home I have absorbed as many games on TV as I could and also went along to two of the Hawks' games.

The first game of the season I found out the result from another worker in the centre, as a result of wearing my Hawks hat as part of my everyday outfit. The next game I stayed back at the internet room again at work and nervously watched the score tick over, with a close win at the end.

For Round 3, I was home, and at the MCG, rugged up against the cold. The match was the 2013 Grand Final rematch, and the occasion when Hawthorn got to unfurl the Premiership Flag from the previous year.

Disappointingly, the match did not live up to the hype of the rematch, and the Hawks' might blew Freo away this time.

To get to work for each rotation, I am flown from Melbourne to Brisbane before the early morning flight the next day. As chance would have it, the Hawks played the Gold Coast on the Saturday night before my last rotation, Round 4, and I requested an earlier flight to get me there in time for the match.

A train over to the Gold Coast from my airport hotel in Brisbane was pretty easy, albiet and hour long, to get me to Metricon Stadium. The Suns have lots of activities going on around the ground before the match, and I was impressed at the swarm of followers this start-up club has attracted.

Again the Hawks proved too good, blowing the Suns out to a 99 point thrashing. I have seen the Hawks in some incredible form!

In the middle of my work shift was the timing for the Round 5 match, and I stayed back writing reports to watch the heart-hurting end to that match. The Geelong rivalry continues!

The next match I was in flight, getting back to Australia, and learned the score when I landed back in Brisbane. For yesterday’s match I was away at a tropical island getaway for a much needed rest, with limited internet – but got an update at regular intervals, and also a photo of the conditions from the MCG from one of my sisters, and I was more than happy to be where I was!

The Hawks are doing very well so far! Looking forward to scheduling in a few more matches for the season, around my crazy travels.

Centurion Test At SuperSports Park

I used a cricket tour as the backbone of my recent trip to South Africa, with the First Test of a 3 test series happening in Pretoria, or Centurion to be precise. A new test venue to me, and as it turned out, a happy hunting ground for the Aussies.

We, being the Waving The Flag group, stayed within walking distance to the ground, and managed to secure a great spot each day in the grandstand for the match.

The build up to this series, with South Africa being a power in cricket in recent times, and the Ashes win for the Aussies, was exciting. A chance to see how the battle between two very good, top-of-the-world sides at the moment would pan out.

The first session of Day 1 brought back horror memories of the Aussies in India, with the top order failing again, before Marsh and Smith joined forces out in the middle for a formidable and impressive partnership. They were in overnight, and both went on to get centuries, Marsh a solid 148. The Australians ended up with a happy 397 first innings total into the middle session of Day 2.

And then it was Mitchell Johnson's day! Cleaning up many of the threatening Saffa batsmen, rain ended the day's play with South Africa on 6/140. Mitch had 4! Wow! His Aussie Summer form continued to terrorise!

Day 2 also saw the girls on tour in pink, and being a Lunch break tradition at South African venues, we get to wander out onto the ground and have our traditional Chick Pink photo taken in front of the scoreboard.

I missed Day 4 for my next adventure, and of course several people later on said it was one of the best days of cricket they have ever been to - of course! Needless to say, the Mitchell Johnson show rolled on, and the Aussie's won by a whopping 281 runs. Great start to the series!

The 2014 Aussie Open

After missing last year's Australian Open due to travel I was pretty excited to return to our family tradition of Days 1 and 2 at Melbourne Park for as much Grand Slam tennis as we could all possibly squeeze in. Mum and I stayed down at The Blackman for a couple of nights, and my sisters came over on the Sunday night to plot out our days ahead - which involves studying the schedule, deciding on which games each of us want to see as priorities, and pick a court to meet at in the morning. This is a serious operation!

So my pick for the first morning was Court 7, and the battle between Finnish Nieminen and Israeli Sela. A great pick and start to almost 48 hours of live tennis! We gritted through the first 3 sets of this match, oscillating between who we thought would take it out - stunned to see the end result after 5 sets later in the day.

Whilst over at Court 7, we had kept our eye on the proceedings of the Women's match on Court 2, and managed to time our court switch over there to settle in for the start of Aussie Ebden take on Frenchman Mahut.

One of the newest features of the Open was the sight of the roof on Margaret Court Arena (MCA), and from here we could see nothing without the Buddhist-temple-like roof filling our view!

The Aussie crowd were very good and vocal, and really powered the local hope along, watching him grab the first 2 sets with all his might!

By this time we were well and truly melting in the heatwave that Melbourne weather put on for that first week, and rejoiced at the fact that we always get Centre Court tickets for these days. We abandoned one Aussie working his way to a Round 1 win to watch another - a long time favourite, Stosur.

This 2 sets match inside gave us a sun break, if not really a heat break, as inside was just as stifling as outside with very little breeze. This year the heat policy, which we have seen enacted before, was not put into play until later in the week.

With Stosur through, I then went to watch an old favourite of mine - all one and a half sets of Germany's Haas before he retired hurt, and said goodbye to Melbourne Park. I met up again with the girls for another old favourite of ours, Cypriot Baghdatis, inside the new look MCA. Always the battler, Marcos just couldn't get much right in this match, and we saw he fall out of the tournament in this match, in straight sets.

Back fresh for Day 2, we went straight to Court 2 for Japanese Nishikori taking on young Aussie hope Matosevic. Another 5-setter, we again plotted our timing for a switch to Centre Court out of the sun and heat, for the Federer and Aussie Duckworth match.

My hope for this Open had been to watch my new fav player on the circuit, Delpo, play, although the gamble of getting Centre Court rather than mixing it up with a Hisense day loomed as an obstacle. When the schedule for Day 2 was released, I was delighted to see the big Argentinian slotted for the MCA. I ducked away to see the start of this match, as Federer was performing his standard magic!

I made it back into Centre Court after the Delpo win, in time to watch Hewitt and Italian Seppi battle out the final throws of their 5 set match....with the Aussie just not clinching it in the end. From what I saw, looked like another epic game.

Spilling out into the air, as the temperature had dropped a little, we all found our way to the Heineken Bar area and settled in for some wine and beer, a short break from the tennis, and some music - we had watched Saskwatch the night before, and World's End Press were on this second night.

When the Night 2 schedule was announced over the weekend prior, we had decided that we would cave in and buy the additional session. The return of Nadal to Melbourne Park, taking on Aussie Tomic, was too good to miss.

Making our way in, we settled in for what promised to be a good match, as the air got cooler, and everything was more comfortable. Nadal looked fit and determined and took the first set without too much bother.

And then, it wasn't really clear from our seats, but Tomic then spoke to the umpire, shook the Spaniard's hand, and waved to the crowd. He got a bit of a muffled boo as the full house realised he was retiring hurt. Not quite what we had imagined as the ending to our massive two days of tennis and heat.

Man, I love the Aussie Open! We are so lucky here in Melbourne to have it, and for it to be so amazing each year! I also love the family tradition we have of going along and soaking it all in. So good!

The Thrashers Completed At The Pink Test

If someone had told me that the Aussies would win all 5 matches in this Summer's Ashes series at home, after India last year and the average performances in England during our Winter, I would have laughed and laughed. Whilst we can all dream, never had I imagined the team turnaround that happened across the Australian Summer. Cricket is such a funny game - you just never know!

After missing the Boxing Day Test for the first time in years and years, for work, and having great seats, B managed to organise tickets for me for the final Sydney Test, and I got up there in time to celebrate her birthday and her 100th Test Match, on the night of Day 1.

The Aussies were poised to win the series 5-0 with this final test, after a seriously amazing performance in Brisbane and Adelaide, and also in Perth and Melbourne. We had dubbed the whitewash Ashes series in Australia in 2006 The Smashes, so this one, so very one sided, has to be The Thrashers!

Day 2 commenced for me with meeting up with Spreads, Graham and Tom The Pom in the stand, and watching 5 English wickets fall by Lunch! Needless to say, the English lads were not having as much fun as we were!

England was all out by Tea, for 155, against the Aussie first innings total of 326 the day before. Australia returned for another batting innings for the final session, losing 4 wickets, and adding 140 to the run total.

The sea of pink on almost every person walking in the gates, and all across the ground was so impressive and inspiring on Day 3. For Jane McGrath Day, and to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer and the McGrath Foundation's Breast Care Nurses across Australia, people wear pink, the stumps are pink, and every sign possible across the SCG is pink too. Amazing!

The Aussies kept in, until the middle of the middle session, being all out for 276, setting an impossible target. Incredibly, as this series went, Harris collected 5 wickets to assist a quick end to England's innings, match, and series.

Australian cricket was on a massive high, with unbelievable performances by our bowlers. The Ashes is such a massive sporting win, and one requiring much celebrating!

RADelaide Test Match And Missing Boxing Day

I do not get homesick very often, but today I felt a pang each time I checked the cricket score. This has been the first time I have missed a Boxing Day test match in Melbourne for many, many years. Seeing photos posted on Facebook from the MCG, particularly from seats where I would have been had this work opportunity not come up, was tough.

I did get two Tests in this Summer, and today as the first discussion about the gathering in Melbourne today, I booked a flight to go to the Sydney one when I am back from this work rotation. Oops! Ha!

So I managed to get to RADelaide for the traditional week of cricket mayhem, and had a wonderful time catching up with many of my very favourite people in the world.

We also got to see the partially completed new Adelaide Oval, although frankly the sight of the modern dome at one end, and the disappearance of the much loved sails, made all of our hearts sink a little. It was our favourite ground around Australia. Now, it's quite different. Modernised for the AFL coming next year.

Nonetheless, the Ashes was at fever pitch after the Gabba win, and the buzz around the ground for the start of play on Day 1 was electric.

The days play ended up pretty even, and off we all went into North Adelaide for many drinks, and catch ups with everyone in town.

Sheila HQ was amazing this year, as we rented a house, and our Blender Party was a hit again. The next night saw the Chardy Party enjoy balcony views of the new sections of the new stand.

The cricket was good, too! Mitchell Johnson with the Mo is magic!

At the end of the day's play on Sunday, with 5 wickets to go to get the win, the flight I had booked for that night disappeared from my plans. I couldn't leave without seeing the win! Another great night, a breakfast in North Adelaide and then seeing the Aussies go 2-0 up in the series made it all worth it!

Aussies Up 1-0 - The Home Ashes Series

I have just made it to the airport after four days of cricket, and managing to see the last wicket of our first Aussie win in what feels like forever - and more importantly, a convincing first Test win in this home Ashes series.

The 'Gabba test is the first for the Summer, and what a cracking, and frankly unexpected start!

I flew up on Wednesday afternoon, and B and Jess arrived over the evening, ready for Day 1 the next day. We booked an Air BnB apartment, which was easy, and worked well for us.

Meeting Ben and Simon for a breakfast drink, before making our way to our seats, the atmosphere was electric, as it should be at the beginning of an Ashes series.

The Aussies batting first, there were many stumbles at the crease, and some worries returned from the series mid year. Some steadying from Haddin and Johnson had the day ending on a good enough note. The score was 8 for 273.

Jess and Andrew joined us for Day 2, ticking off the Test venue for them, as we showed them the full experience. Across the road for beers at the German Club at Lunch - and then amazingly a cracking day of Aussie bowling. At one point the passage of play had resulted in England offering 6 for 9! Unbelievable!

England all our for 136, and then the Aussie openers had a happy little run making session, with Warner closing the day on 49.

Today and yesterday started with a walk across the Story Bridge, taking in the city sight, before getting to the 'Gabba.

Yesterday gave us Aussie run joy, with a century from Warner, then Clarkie, and a half ton from Haddin. A whopping 560 runs ahead of England, for the last innings.

This morning we arrived at the ground knowing we just needed 8 good balls. And the rain to hold off. We got the wickets, just in time for me, despite two rain delays, one storm with thunder and lightening, hail and sideways rain. And an Ashes win!

What an exciting feeling. The team seemed more together than they have been for some time, and the Summer is looking very good!

Many of the Waving The Flag family had traveled up or across, or even internationally, for the match, and these last 4 days have been amazing, hanging out with some of my very favourite people.

A win in Brisbane is always a great way to start, and we are looking forward to the next  in less than 2 weeks.