The Day

Back in the late 90s Chad Muska had 'The Day' while skateboarding in Arizona, a feat immortalized in the Transworld 'Anthology' video.

Well on Friday 21st August I too experienced 'The Day', albeit one of a very different kind.

The week had started inauspiciously: single changes, offline changes, bothersome unsigned content contracts, prevarication, and finally a cancelled video shoot - all of which pointed to a painful without prejudice Friday, trying to negotiate abrogation costs with a disappointed production company.

Then on Thursday evening I took a phone call from my boss.

"Do you wanna come to the cricket with me tomorrow?"

"What?"

"Do you wanna come to the cricket with me tomorrow?"

"Are you fucking joking? I would love to come to the cricket with you tomorrow. I'd give up limbs to come to the cricket with you tomorrow. I can't believe it. Thanks dude."


We arrived at the Brit Oval the next day, eagerly took our seats and then watched England toil for most of the morning session. They added only 25 to their overnight score - bowled out for 332 - before the Aussies serenely progressed to 61 for no loss at the lunch interval despite some tight bowling by England.

I necked a gourmet burger from the Fine Burger Company stall. Nasty. It made me wonder what a raggo burger would taste like from the Raggo Burger kiosk next door. Happily I didn't get the time to find out as I was then too busy getting on the turps. Pint of Pimms please sir. Hold the cucumber. And the mint. Fuck it. Just give me a shot of Pimms. A light shower broke out. But it didn't last long and before we knew it the sun was out, the umpires were back on the field, and play was due to resume at 2.30pm.


Much to the surprise of the Vauxhall end, Strauss tossed the ball to Stuart Broad for the second over after lunch.

"What are you doing? Broady? He's a pie chucker. Fuck me. We're fucked."

And then it happened. With the last ball of the over Stuart Broad trapped Shane Watson LBW with an off-cutter. Stone dead. Four overs later he got Ricky Ponting to play on. Death rattle. Then Mike Hussey padded up to a straight one. Plumb LBW. Two overs later Michael Clarke flapped at a wider outswinger and was snaffled by Jonathan Trott at short extra cover. Jonathan Trott. On debut. A man so South African that he makes Kevin Pietersen sound like Henry Blofeld. What's not to love about English cricket.

Suddenly Stuart Broad had 4 wickets in 21 balls. Punter. Mr Cricket. Pup. Australia's much vaunted middle order were all back in the Pavilion. The Vauxhall end went ape shit. Broad got a standing ovation every time he walked down to fine leg.

"Broady, Broady give us a wave."

Every movement got a cheer.

"Look at Broady. He's like a gazelle."

He took an isotonic drink out of a cooler on the boundary.

"Get it down ya lad. Get that Pimms down ya lad."

In an epic spell he bowled unchanged for the entire afternoon session.

"Someone give Broady an energy bar."

By the time he cleaned up Brad Haddin with a fuller ball that pitched on leg, swung and pegged back off stump, the crowd were in delirium. Stuart Broad had his Michelle-five-for. The Aussies had produced a batting collapse of English proportions. And the balance of the Ashes series had tipped inexorably in England's favour. Make no mistake, as any seasoned observer of English cricket would agree, this was tell your grandchildren stuff. And I was fucking there. The day.

The Australians were eventually bundled out for 160 after tea and I was bundled out of my mind on Pimms. And wine. And Fosters.

Here's what my Flip camera saw as the fans celebrated the key dismissals of Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke. Unbelievable scenes.

The Day from I'd Prefer Not To TV on Vimeo.