5th TEST FIRST DAY

MONDAY 3rd JANUARY

  We drove over to Pav's in Epping, as Rob arranged for him to take the spare ticket.  When we got there Pav had received an emergency call to do a job in Avalon, which he was not best pleased about, but said he would drop us off at the ground and join us when he had done the job.  On the way I missed a call from John Ryan answering my message from last night, telling me he couldn't make it.

  Rob and I were in our seats before the start of play, which commenced in cloudy overcast conditions.  Australia won the toss and elected to bat.  They made steady progress with Watson and Hughes and it didn't

look as though England were going to get a wicket before lunch until Hughes flashed at the last ball before lunch and was caught by Pietersen.  We missed this momentous event as after the fifth ball of the over we decided to make our way to the O'Reilly stand to meet Len and Patrick.  They were able to inform us of what had happened!  After lunch the light got worse and the players went off for about 8 minutes before the floodlights were turned on.

But then the rain came down and the players trooped off the field.  Not long afterwards Pav arrived.

He was resplendent with a very natty shoulder bag which he claimed contained his wife's camera, but definitely gave him a gay, debonair air!  Although there are no passouts at the SCG, we managed to find a way out along side the adjoining football ground.  We found a pub called the Olympic just across the road and had a pint.  By the time we had finished it, I heard on the radio that the covers were coming off, so we headed back in.  Play restarted at 4.05pm and Pave dug out his camera and snapped away to his heart's content.  The rains returned at about 5.00pm and we decided to call it a day, by which time the Aussies had lost 4 wicket for a hundred and thirty odd.  Pav drove us back to Epping where we picked up Rob's car.

  In the meantime Alan had departed by air from Melbourne.  I texted him changed arrangements and told him to meet us at the Eastwood and not the Epping as previously suggested.  He duly arrived at Eastwood Station and as soon as my phone rang I despatched Rob to pick him up.  We tried the Monday Special - Rump Steak, but it wasn't very good on this occasion.  After a few beers we introduced Alan to the bijou residence and showed him his sleeping quarters.