Root to the rescue Day 1 Cardiff yes thats in Wales.

Well it was all looking so predictable.

The scene was set.

Joe Root

Anthems played.

England won the toss and chose to bat first.

80 minutes later 3 English batsmen were out for only 43 runs.  In cricket terms this normally leads to what is commonly known as a collapse, i.e. all the batsemen are bowled out for a really poor score.

If I was perfectly honest at that point I thought England would get 150 all out! It wouldnt have surprised me at all and Kylie Minogue would have stepped out tonight to one of London's finest eateries with a smile that would have surely covered all of the diminutive pop princess's rather attractive face, typical bloody Australians.

Then up stepped Joseph Edward Root a 24 year old Yorkshireman. The sort of man who would get asked for ID at most Glasgow nightclubs, and has a passing resemblance to  the Milky Bar Kid (without glasses).

Milky Bar Kid

With a poise and maturity belying his age, and the fact that in his last four innings (times he's batted) against Australia he only managed to score 4, 19, 24 and 15, Root decided to knock the Aussies all over the park.  Joe was finally dismissed on a marvellous score of 133 and at that point England's blushes were well and truly spared.

Credit should also be given to Gary Ballance, a man who's surname is a nightmare to type with auto correct on, who scored 61 runs and also Ben Stokes if I'm honest a poor mans Freddie Flintoff he of telly fame now,  who scored 51.

At the end of the day England scored 343 for 7 which means in layman's terms means that the Aussies got 7 England batsmen out and need to remove another three before they can have a turn batting.

A word as to why this match is in Wales, quite simply money.  Oh that and the fact that the England team is run by the England and Wales Cricket Board.  Why don't Scotland combine and join them as well I hear you ask? I ask myself the same question every summer as I drive down various English motorways on the way to see them.  Anyway the Welsh Government pay a lot of money to English cricket to get them to play in Wales.  It does mean that real icons of cricket such as Headingley in Leeds or Old Trafford in Manchester miss out.  There must be a fairer way to do it, after all who really wants to go to Wales ever!!

So who had the best day today, I will reserve judgement until tomorrow lunchtime but I'd be disappointed if England weren't still batting then.

Glossary of cricket terms another 5

1. Box - A triangular piece of plastic that ladies and gentlemen cricketer's wear to protect their groin area from some lunatic bowling a very hard leather ball at 90 mph plus
2. Getting your eye in - A batsman takes time to get used to the way a bowler bowls the ball before playing his usual game
3. Full toss - no not something you get in a dodgy massage parlour but a normally a very bad ball by a bowler which is easy to hit
4. Lolly - another name for an easy ball to hit or an easy to ball to catch
5. Non-striker - the batsman who stands at the other end and is not batting

P.S. you may have noticed there's not much praise for the Aussies, they are more than capable and often do that themselves.