Sellsy's Monday Supplement (SMS)

Has anyone ever woken up with a steak and kidney pie next to them? A doner or pizza maybe, or even a Kentucky Bargain Bucket with all the bones (cricket tour Torquay!), but a steak and kidney, well it looks as if I did eat most of it, but can’t say to much for the peas everywhere!

As a pre season bonding session I believe the evening went well, to be fair, I had a bit of trouble focusing on the skittles later in the evening, something to do with the rugby and a few drinks dinner time celebrating Stu’s birthday. Who exactly did win the skittles? And how was nets next day?

It makes me wonder if the professionals do anything like this. I know they party hard after a successful campaign, the Ashes winning side of 2005 is testament to that, but before the season, I suppose the word professional is a big clue in how they act and behave, but hey we are human I suppose.

On the subject of professionals I see the Aussies have lost the third Test against India, effectively in four days and after scoring 400 in the first innings, shame. With three heavy defeats on the pitch and indiscipline off it this is one tour the Aussie hierarchy would like to forget. Whether you agree or disagree with the stance made by Michael Clarke and Mickey Arthur, the turmoil the Aussies are in just ahead of back to back ashes series brings a smile to many an Englishman. One thing I will say is that in my view no one is bigger than their club or country, and if rules are broken, you should expect some sort of back lash. Don’t forget England dropped KP for wrong doing halfway through the South Africa series, and he is England’s best batsman!

With all this going on I wonder if England themselves are keeping their eye on the current series against New Zealand. I suppose having two days off because of rain doesn’t help, as no doubt the New Zealand media are making a lot of noise in what is going on in India.

Somehow I think the media here in the UK are quite negative to Somerset’s Nick Compton after he scored back to back Test hundreds, saying don’t get complacent, one bad score away in being dropped and words to that effect, and these are coming, i believe, from players like Derek Pringle and Angus Fraser, now tell me what did the ever achieve for England apart sending down a few pies and asking the batsman to help themselves. Personally I would like to see him left for the summer so he can score runs for Somerset, but he is scoring heavy runs for England and no doubt Compo will feature early in the season as England play NZ in the first part of our summer.

England now head off the Auckland for the last Test, hopefully the sun will come out and we can have an even contest. I thought it was meant to be the driest New Zealand summer since I went there! Auckland does bring back some great memories for me. I flew into NZ’s largest city after a tough campaign in the South Island, and I knew things wouldn’t get any easier as soon as I checked into my hotel. There was a message for me at reception, saying: “see you in the bar at about 5, Marcus”. What could possibly go wrong?

Find out next week, as I have a plate to deliver back to The Cottage, it's 6.57 you know and time for skittles.