The cricket

Waking up early, I watched a bit of the cricket (the Ashes) from the Gabba in Brisbane. There was something almost terrifyingly superior about the Australian performance and their brutal determination to make amends for losing the ashes last year. England's leading pace bowler, Steve Harmison, is washed up, each time he bowls one is thankful it is not a wide. It reminds me of the worst days during my playing days, when nothing goes right. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting looks invincible with the bat. Australia are a magnificent team, England a boyish embarrassment. It just goes to show that excellence in sport has nothing at all to do with the numerical advantage of a large population, and everything to do with infrastructure and attitude.