Well after, to say the least , an eventful week or so in Antigua, the Test Match Special team have moved onto for the fourth Test in this intriguing series.
There certainly will be quite a contrast between where TMS was broadcast from in Antigua and our surroundings at the Kensington Oval.
The late move to the Antigua Recreation ground meant we were located in a makeshift commentary box which clearly had seen better days.
Although it has to be said that the people at the ground could not have done any more to help us feel comfortable, even though they clearly had much more important priorities to work on ... like getting the rest of the stadium ready for an international fixture with a day's notice!...
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At the end of the , reporter Arlo White said to England captain Andrew Strauss "Sir Allen Stanford famously said that Test Cricket is boring, it's not been a great week for him."
It's difficult to believe that seven days ago we were preparing for the at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, and a week later the third Test down the road at the Antigua Recreation Ground against all the odds turned into one of the most gripping matches in recent times.
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There is a saying here in Antigua that "every disappointment is a blessing".
Well, perhaps the rushed relocation of the Antigua Test match from the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to the Antigua Recreation Ground is a blessing in disguise.
The last 24 hours have certainly demonstrated what can be achieved when
I remember turning up at the ARG a week ago to watch England practise and being struck by the unique atmosphere of the old ground, even though some parts of it are well past their best.
Not for a moment did any of us imagine that a few days later we would be back at the ground to watch an impromptu Test match.
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Well, that was certainly a Friday the 13th the cricketing world will never forget.
It was only the second time in Test history that a match was abandoned on the opening day. Back in 1998, the Jamaica Test lasted 10.1 overs, but here in Antigua we only managed 10 balls at the .
It just so happened that Sir Viv himself was on the air on Test Match Special at the moment the game reached its premature climax - and unsurprisingly he was not a happy man.
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I was looking forward to taking a break from text commentaries and my other duties on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport website and just enjoying some live cricket.
Having made England-watching trips to Australia and New Zealand over the last two winters, I booked a holiday to take in the Tests in Antigua and Barbados. Sun, sea, sand and plenty of cricket - perfect.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would witness a after just 10 deliveries, but that is what happened at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, a turn of events which left a bitter taste in many mouths here in Antigua, not just mine.
My parting comment before I left the office was: "Feel free to call me if a sensational story breaks while I'm out there." Next time, I'll have to choose my words more carefully!
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As England's batting line-up fell apart in Jamaica, I was waiting in one of the corporate boxes at Sabina Park to try and secure an interview with the island's current sporting superstar Usain Bolt.
Well, I say 'current star' - maybe .
Man of the Match Taylor was the hero of an incredible final afternoon's cricket, taking 5-11, with captain Gayle having helped lay the foundation for victory earlier in the match with his first Test hundred on his home ground.
It was a great sight to see Gayle hugging Bolt at the end of the game as hundreds of Jamaican cricket fans swarmed onto the outfield.
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No question what the talking point is at the end of the first day of the series - it's KP again!
No doubt there will be the same split in opinion we witnessed On that occasion former players were fiercely critical while a healthy number of cricket fans were happy to rejoice in his innings.
Well, it has happened again and although the thunderous look on his face as he stormed off the field before the catch had even been taken said it all.
The fact is that he has now missed out on two Test centuries which, with just a little circumspection, he would have achieved and that must hurt.
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So much has happened over the past few weeks that it will be a relief for everyone involved with England to see the cricketers again.
- a calm, phlegmatic man - is the ideal character to heal wounds, and he will have been cheered by a light-hearted and impromptu moment in his press conference when he stumbled repeatedly over the word "ship-shape", which he was using to describe the result of his efforts to restore team unity.
Hoots of laughter immediately erupted from the back of the room at the captain's embarrassment.
The culprits? Flintoff, Harmison and, yes, Pietersen. Humour within the ranks appears to have been restored.
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| 07:32 UK time, Wednesday, 25 February 2009
