Stupid weather and Cardiff

What a surprise. It's raining in Cardiff. The final one-day game looks like it's going to be a draw unless the weather improves rather quickly. If it is a draw then England move to 3rd in the rankings which is rather good for a team that couldn't play the game a few weeks ago.

Cardiff is also the ground which will host the first Ashes test next year. There are no understandable or logical reasons for this. Maybe the ECB is hoping the guaranteed rubbish weather - clouds, dew - will make the ball swing so we can tear through the Aussie batting line up again. Maybe they're hoping the Aussies will be so depressed at having to spend a week in Cardiff that they'll play like they did when they lost in 2005. Who knows? Wouldn't bet against England being 1-0 up after Cardiff though.

Symonds and Aussie over-reaction

Andy Symonds is apparently thinking about his international future after being sent home from the one-day series in Darwin. Does this appear to be an over-reaction to anyone else? He missed a team meeting that he wasn't aware of to go and relax before the one-day series against Bangladesh started.

No pedalos, no drugs, no racism and yet the team's administration ripped into him. This appears to be a response to all the other events that have happened in his career - getting drunk before the game against Bangladesh in Cardiff and the confrontation at a nightclub in SA while on tour. He may not play against SA this winter but should they do less well than expected I'll bet he'll be in the team for the Ashes in 2009.