I just needed the sleep damn it!

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Warning:

This post is rated C.

It contains some references to cricket, which may bore some readers
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On Saturday night, after Aff and I had a most pleasant evening playing the board game "Balderdash" with two good friends Anna and Ben (who are sadly, about to leave Canberra and head back to Melbourne), I decided to take the remaining 1/4 of a bottle of Canberran Shiraz, and switch on the cricket. Australia were batting, and had just started chasing England's 282 run lead. It was all looking a bit exciting, and I was well settled on the couch, so I decided I'd stay up. Aff, after a feeble attempt at some sort of deep and meaningful conversation, went to bed. I'm not entirely sure what she was on about, but I do remember it causing me to miss Matty Hayden's dismissal. So for the remaining 2 hours of the third days play, it was just me and the lovely lady Shiraz, watching the third day's play of the second test.

As anyone who has been following the match would know, Australia were not looking good. At stumps on the third day, Australia still needed more than 100 runs, and only had three tale-end batsmen left after the last of the recognised batters, Michael Clarke was clean bowled by Harmison to end the days play. So last night (Sunday), after hosting yet another dinner party, this time for an old work colleague of Aff's, Yve and his partner Belinda, I again had the opportunity to take the remainder of yet another half bottle of Shiraz, and watch the conclusion of the match. However, after not getting to bed until around 4am the previous night, I decided I was far too tired, and given the match was pretty much already lost, I would just go to bed.

So you can only imagine my surprise when I saw the final result this morning (Monday). While Australia did end up losing, the margin was not the 100 runs I predicted after Saturday night, but instead just 2 runs - or, to put it another way - the smallest margin in the 128 year history of the Ashes! Damn our defiant tail-end batsmen! Can't they just roll over and die so people like me can get some guilt free sleep!

Despite losing last night, I think I speak on behalf of all arm chair cricket fans when I pull out that age old cliche`, and announce that it was most certainly "good for cricket."

Now .. Let's get some shut eye.