It's a funny old game. . . sometimes

As I think someone might have said before, cricket's a funny old game. Though what is quite so amusing about being flayed around by some of the best batsmen in the world on one of the flattest pitches around on one of the hottest days of the year did just escape me for a moment.

It was terrific for me to be told on the Thursday morning that I was in the eleven for the Oval Test. Getting that sort of notice hardly gave me time to go through my usually extensive physical preparation, but I was absolutely thrilled to be back playing for my country again. There were memories of four years earlier when I had an especially good game at the same venue against the Aussies, to say nothing of a good deal of excitement. Then Nasser lost the toss again and reality soon dawned.

On the whole, I don't think I bowled particularly badly and there were a few chances. I could have had Justin Langer a couple of times around the bat when I first came on, but it didn't quite go my way. I have bowled better, for sure, and it was disappointing not to put on the performance I wanted, but there we go. Those Australians did bat well on what was a very, very good surface. There was a little bit of turn there, and it would have been nice if the toss had gone the other way so I could have had a go at them in the second innings.

They were very positive and set their stall out to go at four an over, as they could with such a strong top seven in the order. I doubt whether they could have gone about it in quite the same way if they hadn't been batting first. But there's nothing you can do about the toss and it did become very hard work. However, you can't say "I don't fancy this for a game of soldiers" and just walk off. You have to get on with it and give it your best shot. I have always believed that you can only take wickets when you're bowling and I did get Matthew Hayden out. I was pleased about that because he's a big so and so and has an imposing presence at the crease, so I was pleased to see the back of him.

Conditions might have been in their favour, but they did bat well. Having got that wicket and seen Justin Langer skulled, and then in walks Steve Waugh to bat on one leg and he still gets 150 or so. What can you do? That meant that at one stage there were two of them out there in the nineties and another one waiting to come in who already had a hundred! You had to laugh and try to enjoy it and keep plugging away.

I must say I enjoyed the reception I got when I came into bat. It was really quite emotional, although I cannot claim the situation was similar to Don Bradman when he got out in his last Test innings. John Arlott was doing commentary then and said how it must be difficult to bat when he had tears in his eyes. Mind you, when I pinged Shane Warne over mid off, I reckon I must have looked a bit like The Don in his pomp. To be honest, when you get a reception like that, it reminds you why you play the game. It was terrific and you have to store memories like that because it all slips away through your hands so quickly. One minute you're out there playing and the next you're lying in bed thinking, "well that all went blooming quickly".

Then, after the disappointment of the result at The Oval, I suffered another disappointment when the touring parties were announced for the winter without the name of Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell included. I was pleased to see Richard Dawson included as a spinner, because it will be good experience for him. And good luck to Robert Croft and Ashley Giles. If Ashley doesn't get fit in time, I suppose I might keep pretty close to the 'phone, just in case I get the nod. As it is, I'm not the first person to get the last Test of a summer, had a go when conditions aren't particularly in your favour and then get the old, "see you later; thanks for popping in". I just hope I get the chance to pop back in again at some time.