Thought For The Day – Wednesday 21^st June 2023

From the first ball to the last delivery, it was a gripping first men’s test match for the ages between England and Australia.  The women’s test match begins tomorrow.

The first men’s test match ebbed and flowed, inspired and taught, with happy and challenging moments,  like all great drama.  

Whether people listened to, or watched,  the gripping live courage on radio, with score up-dates or on television, or watched the excellent highlights (which were produced in super quick time), it was the tensest of finishes where each team was at different points in the ascendancy until Australia’s victory.

Neither team deserved to lose.

This contest was the latest chapter in the iconic series of cricket matches between the two countries.

Further memories were, and will be, made.

Both teams gave their absolute all, and left everything on the field. 

England were applauded for their creative, fearless,  positive and thoughtful approach against the world’s best men’s test team.  They are aiming to inspire a generation and they are greatly succeeding.    

After Usman Khawaja, the player of the match for batting on every day of the test,  was out for 141 in the first innings, England’s brilliant and historic batter, Joe Root, who also scored a century in the match, showed his characteristically classy appreciation: https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1670402446051663874

Usman, the first Muslim to play for “the baggy greens”, is enjoying a late career renaissance after wondering whether he would ever get the opportunity again. 

At the end of the match,  England player Stuart Board applauded the opposition in their moment of victory.  See the first picture below.  In his post-match interview, England’s  James Anderson  was proud of his team’s performance, appreciative of the match, warmly congratulated Australia and talked of regrouping and reflection. Ben Stokes echoed these comments saying “it is why we play”.

After the game, there was mutual respect between the two great captains, Ben Stokes and Patrick Cummings.