Off to the cricket with 90,000 other people

Saturday 25 December 2010

Hot on the heels of Christmas must surely come the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. One of the truly great dates in the sporting calendar. And never greater than when it's Australia versus England with the Ashes at stake. Upwards of 90,000 people are expected to watch Day 1 tomorrow at the MCG. There could even be a record crowd at a cricket match. Ever. Now that would really be something to write home about. On the field, it is clear that the gloves are now off. With the series standing at 1-1 with only two to play, expect a close-fought, nervy encounter over the next five days. As both teams' batsmen are under pressure to perform after recent failures, I am predicting a cautious start by whichever team wins the toss and decides to bat first. In contrast to the first day of all three preceding matches this series, this could make for a relatively uneventful day's cricket on the pitch. The sort of day which ends at 260 for 4 or thereabouts.