I should state from the outset that my knowledge of sport is less than minimal and… usually…my interest therein is non -existant. When colleagues go into rapture about the latest football match, when to listen to them, one would think that they actually had taken part themselves, sends me to sleep quicker then the strongest valium.

And yet, there is something about the Test match and the Ashes series which grabs my interest and turns me into a nervous wreck…looking at the results every 5 minutes with trepidation and cursing out loud when England bat in a style that would disgrace my grandson’s nursery. But the joy and excitement when they win is something I can’t explain.

The opportunities for taking pride in one’s country are, unfortunately, few and far between. So any success is something to celebrate.

The fact that it is Cricket and the Ashes makes it that much sweeter.

Well done England!