It started off, as most British sporting events do, as a rather civilised affair. The spectators were happily chatting away, enojoying the sunshine with a few mid-morning Pimms. As Ian Bell came on early in the afternoon, the crowd was definitely getting merrier.
And too right! By the end of the day, Bell was still batting, with an incredible 98 runs! Not even the new superstar bowler, Ashton Agar could knock him out!
But the day also proved controversial in some other ways. To anyone who is unfamiliar to the rules of cricket, a team are allowed a maximum of 2 reviews - where they can challenge the Umpire's decision as to whether the player should be 'out'. By the looks of it, Broad hit the ball on the edge of his bat before getting caught by the Aussie fielder Michael Clarke. Knowing that the Umpires initial decision could not be challenged by the Aussies, Broad stayed on the pitch, much to the Aussies disbelief. You can watch the clip here - see what you make of it!
Aside from that little blip, England played very well. Bell finished the day on 98 runs, with Broad still in. The atmosphere was getting as wild as a cricket match can get, with plenty of singing and heckles to the Aussies. We headed back to my sister's place, and had a very scenic walk along the canal.
What a beautiful day!
